Syria's Assad says talks on post-war constitution to 'continue' - Aljazeera.com

Syria's President Bashar al-Assad has said discussions would "continue" over the composition of a body to draw up a post-war constitution for the country.

Meeting with Russian envoy Alexander Lavrentiev, Assad discussed ongoing efforts towards "creating a committee to discuss the constitution", the presidency said on Friday.

The president and Moscow's representative "agreed to continue working and intensely coordinate between both sides on the next steps," it said in a statement.

On Wednesday, the Syrian government and visiting United Nations Envoy Geir Pedersen announced "progress" towards forming the body, whose composition has dragged for more than 17 months.

Disagreements have raged over the names to be included in the committee, a third of which are to be nominated by the government, another by the opposition, and a final third by the UN envoy.

Damascus hopes to amend the current constitution, while the opposition wants to write a new one from scratch.

The UN envoy met the Syrian Negotiation Commission opposition grouping late Thursday "to discuss the results of Pedersen's latest visit to Damascus", it said on Twitter, without further details.

Pro-government newspaper al-Watan on Tuesday reported that a body could start work as early as September if Damascus agreed to Pedersen's list.

Last month, the United States said it was time to scrap the constitutional committee initiative and come up with other ways to end the war.

Numerous rounds of UN-led peace talks have failed to end a conflict that has killed more than 370,000 people and displaced millions since it started in 2011 with the repression of anti-government protests.

In recent years, a parallel negotiations track led by regime ally Russia and rebel backer Turkey has taken precedence.

With key military backing from Russia, government forces have retaken large parts of Syria from rebel groups since 2015, and now control around 60 percent of the country.

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https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2019/07/syria-assad-talks-post-war-constitution-continue-190713065034962.html

2019-07-13 09:28:00Z
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Somalia attack results in deaths and injuries, reports say; Americans said to be among casualties - Fox News

As many as 26 people, including an unknown number of Americans, died during a more than 14-hour-long siege on a Somali hotel carried out by gunmen with ties to the global Islamic terrorist group al-Qaeda, according to a report, and dozens more were reported injured.

Among those killed was a presidential candidate running in upcoming regional elections, current Jubbaland president Ahmed Mohamed said in a statement to Reuters.

Canadian journalist Hodan Nalayeh and her husband, Farid Jama Suleiman, also were among those killed, Mogadishu-based independent radio station Radio Dalsan confirmed to the Associated Press. She was the first Somali woman media owner in the world.

8 KILLED, 16 HURT AS EXPLOSIONS ROCK SOMALIA'S CAPITAL

"I'm absolutely devastated by the news of the death of our dear sister Hodan Nalayeh and her husband in a terrorist attack in Somalia today. What a loss to us. Her beautiful spirit shined through her work and the way she treated people," Omar Suleiman, a Texas-based imam who knew the victim, wrote on social media.

Nalayeh was born in Somalia in 1976, but spent most of her life in Canada, first in Alberta and then in Toronto. She founded Integration TV, an international web-based video production company aimed at Somali viewers around the world.

Attackers first deployed a suicide bomb at the entrance gate to the Asasey Hotel in Somalia’s port city of Kismayo on Friday evening. At least four gunmen then stormed the hotel, which is frequented by politicians, patrons and lawmakers.

At least 14 hours passed before Somali troops shot dead all four attackers inside the hotel compound, Col. Abdiqadir Nur, a local police officer, told the Associated Press.

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Reports on the death toll were conflicting. Initial reports said 12 people died in the attack. The president of Somalia’s Jubbaland region told Reuters on Saturday the death toll had risen to 26 people, including Americans, a Briton, Kenyans and Tanzanians.

The number of injured ranged from 40 to 56, according to reports.

Somalia's Islamic extremist rebels, al-Shabab, claimed responsibility for the attack. Al-Shabab, which is allied with al-Qaeda, often uses car bombs to infiltrate heavily fortified targets like the hotel in Kismayo, which has been relatively quiet in recent years.

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https://www.foxnews.com/world/americans-killed-in-al-queda-linked-hotel-attack-in-somalia-reports

2019-07-13 09:21:16Z
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Russia delivers more air defense equipment to Turkey - Reuters

ISTANBUL (Reuters) - Russia flew a fresh shipment of advanced air defense equipment to Turkey on Saturday, the Turkish Defence Ministry said, continuing to implement a deal that is likely to trigger U.S. sanctions against a NATO ally.

FILE PHOTO: First parts of a Russian S-400 missile defense system are seen after unloaded from a Russian plane at Murted Airport, known as Akinci Air Base, near Ankara, Turkey, July 12, 2019. Turkish Military/Turkish Defence Ministry/Handout via REUTERS

The ministry said a fourth Russian cargo plane landed at the Murted air base near the Turkish capital Ankara, a day after three huge Russian air force AN-124 planes offloaded equipment at the base.

Washington has tried for months to prevent the deal, arguing that the Russian S-400 air defense system is incompatible with NATO systems. It also says that if the S-400s are deployed near U.S. F-35 jets, which Turkey is buying and helping to produce, they would undermine the stealth fighter planes’ defenses.

U.S. officials had warned that Turkey would be thrown off the F-35 program if it took delivery of the S-400s, and would also face sanctions under U.S. legislation seeking to prevent countries from buying military equipment from Russia.

Turkey says S-400 is a strategic defense requirement, above all to secure its southern borders with Syria and Iraq. It says that when it made the deal with Russia for the S-400s, the United States and Europe had not presented a viable alternative.

The dispute between the countries with the two largest armies in NATO marks a deep division in the Western military alliance, which was forged after World War Two to counter Moscow’s military power.

Reaction from Washington was limited on Friday, with acting Defense Secretary Mark Esper saying the U.S. stance had not changed. Esper later spoke with Turkish counterpart Hulusi Akar.

“Minister Akar told his U.S. counterpart that Turkey remains under a serious air and missile threat and that purchase of S-400 defense systems was not an option but rather a necessity,” a Turkish Defence Ministry statement said.

Investors in Turkey have been unsettled by the deal and the prospect of sanctions, a year after a dispute with Washington over the trial of a U.S. pastor in Turkey contributed to a financial crisis which drove Turkey’s economy into recession.

The Turkish lira weakened as much as 1.6% to 5.7780 against the dollar on Friday, before recovering somewhat.

Russia’s TASS news agency quoted an unnamed military-diplomatic source on Friday as saying that a further delivery – of 120 guided missiles – would be carried out by ship at the end of the summer.

Reporting by Dominic Evans; Editing by Mark Heinrich

Our Standards:The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

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https://www.reuters.com/article/us-turkey-security/russia-delivers-more-air-defense-equipment-to-turkey-idUSKCN1U806B

2019-07-13 08:15:00Z
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Turkey Accepts Russian S-400 Missile System, Rankling U.S. And NATO - NPR

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A Russian cargo plane carrying parts of Russia's S-400 missile defense system landed at a military air base near Ankara on Friday. Stringer ./Reuters hide caption

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Stringer ./Reuters

The first pieces of the S-400 missile system Turkey bought from Russia — against the wishes of the U.S. and NATO — began arriving Friday, according to Turkey's National Defense Ministry. In response, the Pentagon is expected to announce that Turkey will be barred from receiving the new F-35 fighter.

Turkey had planned to buy 100 F-35s, which is produced by Lockheed Martin Corp. But in the months since Turkey announced in 2017 that it also planned to install Russia's S-400 air-defense missile system, the U.S. has repeatedly said Turkey can have one or the other — but not both.

"If Turkey procures the S-400, it will mean they will not receive the F-35. It's that simple, " acting Secretary of Defense Mark Esper said last month.

Beyond implying a crisis of solidarity in the NATO alliance, the Russia-Turkey deal has been criticized by the U.S. and its allies because of the potential for sensitive information to be sent back to Russia by its advanced missile system.

Describing the worries of U.S. military officials, NPR's David Welna reported earlier this year:

"The S-400, they say, is designed to detect and shoot down stealth fighters like the F-35. Planting that air-defense system on Turkish soil could, by means of its powerful radar, help Moscow discover the secrets — and the vulnerabilities — of the F-35s that Turkey intends to acquire."

Despite warnings from the U.S. that buying the Russian system could prompt sanctions, Turkey went ahead with the deal. On Friday, Turkey's defense ministry announced via Twitter that the first component had arrived at the Murted Air Base in Ankara. Photos from the scene showed a large Russian cargo jet landing and opening its nose cone to unload large equipment — which was kept under tarps.

With the Russian system now landing on Turkish soil, NATO said on Friday that it's "concerned" about Russian missiles being deployed by a NATO ally.

"It is up to Allies to decide what military equipment they buy," a NATO official tells NPR. "However, we are concerned about the potential consequences of Turkey's decision to acquire the S-400 system."

Noting that NATO members see the interoperability of their military forces as a fundamental strength of the alliance, the official added, "We welcome that Turkey is working with several Allies on developing long-range air and missile defense systems."

According to Russia's state-run Tass media, Turkey is paying some $2.5 billion to acquire the missile system.

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https://www.npr.org/2019/07/12/741068857/turkey-accepts-russian-s-400-missile-system-rankling-u-s-and-nato

2019-07-12 13:26:00Z
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Turkey takes delivery of Russian missile system, despite risk of US sanctions - CNBC

A Russian S-400 surface-to-air missile system.

Sergei Malgavko | TASS via Getty Images

Turkey has taken delivery of a controversial Russian missile defense system, angering U.S. officials and potentially triggering sanctions from Washington.

The shipment of S-400 components arrived in an airbase in the capital Ankara on Friday, the Turkish defense ministry said in an announcement on Twitter.

Following the announcement, the Turkish lira weakened 0.6% versus the U.S. dollar as the potential for U.S. sanctions was factored in by currency traders.

Timothy Ash, emerging markets senior sovereign strategist at Bluebay Asset Management said in an email Friday that the purchase marked a watershed for global military spend.

"If Turkey is able to buy S-400s without sanction, then a queue of over NATO members will be buying Russian military equipment which is often very cost effective and supplied on non-commercial terms," he said.

Ash added that the warming of ties between Turkey and Russia and the sale of the S-400 was "a huge challenge to the F35 project," and a "huge blow to the US defence industry."

A U.S. Air Force F-35 Lightning II joint strike fighter approaches at Eglin Air Force Base, Florida.

U.S. Air Force photo by Samuel King Jr.

U.S. officials see Ankara's purchase of the missile system as a worrying pivot toward warmer ties with Moscow. Turkey's integration of the Russian S-400 system is also viewed as a direct threat to the security of Lockheed Martin's F-35 fighter jet program.

Turkey has helped to build the F-35s and intends to buy at least 100 of the planes. However, Pentagon officials have said they do not want the hi-tech jets to be located near Russian engineers, who would be working in Turkey to install and support the S-400 systems.

"NATO countries need to procure military equipment that is interoperable with NATO systems. A Russian system would not meet that standard," a U.S. State Department official told CNBC on Monday.

The same official said that Turkey would face consequences for pursuing the deal.

Any potential sanctions would come under the Countering America's Adversaries Through Sanctions Act, which President Donald Trump signed in August 2017. At least 13 countries have expressed interest in buying a Russian missile system, despite the potential for triggering U.S. penalties.

Recharging an S-400 Triumf surface-to-air missile system in military training of the 428th Zvenigorod Guards Missile Regiment on combat duty.

Mikhail Japaridze | TASS | Getty Images

The S-400 is viewed as the best missile available for engaging targets at longer distances, able to track and destroy stealth bombers, aircraft and cruise missiles.

A long-range radar tracks potential targets and relays data to a command vehicle. The command vehicle orders a launch and selects the best placed launch pad, usually cited on a truck. A separate engagement radar then guides the missile to the target.

U.S. NATO ambassador and former U.S. senator, Bailey Hutchison, told CNBC in June that Russia is trying to "continue to probe ways" to disrupt and weaken the NATO alliance, adding that a Russian missile system under the same military control as an F-35 fighter jet was unacceptable.

"You have to make a choice. You can have one or the other but not both," she said.

CNBC's Amanda Macias contributed to this report.

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2019-07-12 10:50:12Z
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Russian S-400 defense systems arrive in Turkey despite US warning - Fox News

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1. Russian S-400 defense systems arrive in Turkey despite US warning  Fox News
2. Russian S-400 defense systems arrive in Turkey after U.S. warns of sanctions  Fox News
3. Russian S-400 missile-system equipment arrives in Turkey  CNN
4. Turkey Gets First Shipment of Russian Missile System, Defying U.S.  The New York Times
5. Turkey takes first shipment of Russian S-400 air-defense system in defiance of U.S. and NATO warnings  The Washington Post
6. View full coverage on Google News

https://www.foxnews.com/world/russian-s-400-defense-systems-arrive-in-turkey

2019-07-12 10:35:57Z
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Turkey Gets First Shipment of Russian Missile System, Defying U.S. - The New York Times

ISTANBUL — The first shipment of a sophisticated Russian surface-to-air missile system arrived in Turkey on Friday, the Turkish Defense Ministry announced, a process that is expected to incur United States sanctions and will test the NATO alliance.

President Recep Tayyip Erdogan of Turkey has been insistent in his determination to purchase the S-400 system, Russia’s most advanced antiaircraft weaponry, despite warnings from the United States. Washington has cautioned that the deal will lead to economic penalties against Turkey, a fellow NATO member, and cancellation of Turkey’s purchase of American F-35 fighter jets.

The United States has been unyielding in its opposition to Turkey’s acquisition of the S-400. American officials have argued that the missile system is incompatible with NATO equipment, and that having Turkey operating both the Russian weapons and the F-35 could give Russia access to the American jets’ secret stealth technology.

The delivery of the S-400 is likely to worsen strained Turkish-American relations, despite expressions of friendliness between Mr. Erdogan and President Trump at the Group of 20 summit meeting in Japan last month.

Mr. Erdogan has pursued the missile system despite American warnings and the damage that sanctions could do to his country’s already suffering economy, including a renewed slide in the Turkish lira. His party suffered a set of stinging defeats in local elections this year, largely because of the economic recession, his worst political setback in many years.

Speaking last month, Mr. Erdogan warned the United States not to risk a larger fissure in ties with Turkey over the missile system, and he said he was confident that he could reach an understanding with Mr. Trump to avoid sanctions.

“They should think deeply, because losing a country like Turkey will not be easy,” Mr. Erdogan said of the United States. “If we are friends, if we are strategic partners, then we should handle this issue between each other.”

A NATO spokesman said on Friday that while member nations decide for themselves what equipment to buy, “we are concerned about the potential consequences of Turkey’s decision to acquire the S-400 system.”

“Interoperability of our armed forces is fundamental to NATO for the conduct of our operations and missions,” said the spokesman who, in keeping with the organization’s protocol, declined to be quoted by name. “We welcome that Turkey is working with several Allies on developing long-range air and missile defense systems.”

NATO has stationed the American-made Patriot surface-to-air missile system on Turkish soil since the outbreak of the civil war in Syria, but Mr. Erdogan has insisted his country needs its own long-range system.

Turkey tried for years to buy its own Patriot system, but talks with Washington never produced a deal — a result that Mr. Trump, at the Group of 20 meeting last month, said was the fault of the Obama administration.

“It’s a mess,” he said. “And honestly, it’s not really Erdogan’s fault.”

The S-400 system includes advanced radar that is designed to detect stealth targets as well as other aircraft, and it can also be used against some types of missiles.

The Turkish Defense Ministry said the first parts of the system arrived at the Murted airfield in Ankara on Friday. Turkish news media reported that a team of Russian specialists had also arrived to assemble the system.

Turkey would be liable for sanctions under the 2017 Countering America’s Adversaries Through Sanctions Act, which mandates United States sanctions against anyone making a significant deal with the Russian defense industry. American officials have said that Turkey would incur sanctions as soon as it received the weapon system on its soil.

The law calls on President Trump to select five sanctions from a list of 12 to impose against Turkey. There is no waiver or suspension that could apply to Turkey, but there is no time schedule laid down for enforcement.

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https://www.nytimes.com/2019/07/12/world/europe/turkey-russia-missiles.html

2019-07-12 10:13:25Z
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