Posts
White
House Announces Exact Time of Trump, Kim First Meeting on June 12
4
June, 2018
WASHINGTON
(Sputnik) - The first meeting between US President Donald Trump and
North Korean leader Kim Jong-un will take place at 9:00 a.m.
Singapore time on June 12, White House spokesperson Sarah Huckabee
Sanders said in a press briefing on Monday.
"The
schedule, tentatively, for that first meeting will be on June
12 at 9:00 a.m. Singapore time and take place on June 11,
9:00 p.m. Eastern Time," Sanders told reporters
The
US advance team, which arrived in Singapore last week, is
finalizing "logistical preparations" for the historic
meeting and will remain there until the summit begins, Sanders
added.
A
US delegation remains in the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) working
with a North Korean delegation ahead of the summit,
according to the White House. Sanders characterized their work
as "positive" and added that "progress has been made."
However,
the United States is continuing its maximum pressure policy on North
Korea despite an upcoming summit between Donald Trump
and Kim
Jong-un,
Sarah Sanders said in a briefing.
However,
the United States is continuing its maximum pressure policy on North
Korea despite an upcoming summit between Donald Trump
and Kim
Jong-un,
Sarah Sanders said in a briefing.
"Our
policy hasn't changed and as the President stated, the sanctions
are still on, they are very powerful. And we would not take these
sanctions off unless North Korea denuclearized," Sanders
told reporters when asked if the US maximum pressure campaign was
still in place.
On
Friday, after meeting with North Korean Vice Chairman Kim
Yong Chol, Trump said he no longer wants to use the term
"maximum pressure" to describe
the US-ledcampaign
of economic sanctions on North Korea
Not
to be outdone by the US, Russian President Vladimir Putin has
reportedly invited North Korean leader Kim Jong Un to visit Russia in
September, Russian-language media reported.
The
report by Russian news agency RIA News was picked up by Reuters. RIA
cited Ivan Melnikov, the deputy speaker of the lower house of
Russia's parliament, as the source for the announcement. Last
week, Bloomberg reported
that Putin had sent a confidential message to Kim via Russian Foreign
Minister Sergei Lavrov.
Reports
of the summit invitation followed allegations that North Korea's
detonation of its nuclear-testing site had been fabricated. Kim
famously promised to close the site as a gesture of good faith toward
Washington (though several reports by independent observers had
previously claimed that the site was already unusable following a
catastrophic tunnel collapse in the wake of a September nuclear
test).
Of
course, Putin isn't the only world leader planning a meeting with
Kim. Sky
News reported
on Sunday - citing the North's state-run KCNA news agency -that
Syrian President Bashar al-Assad is planning a visit to the DPRK to
meet with Kim.
A KCNA report quoted Mr Assad as saying: "I am going to visit the DPRK (Democratic People's Republic of Korea) and meet Kim Jong Un."
It said Mr Assad made the comments on Wednesday while receiving diplomatic credential documents from North Korean ambassador Mun Jong Nam.
There was no indication such a trip had been planned and Syria has not confirmed the comments.
The report also quoted Mr Assad saying he was sure Mr Kim would "achieve the final victory and realise the reunification of Korea".
According to KCNA, Mr Assad said: "The world welcomes the remarkable events in the Korean Peninsula brought about recently by the outstanding political calibre and wise leadership of Kim Jong Un."
If
the Assad meeting goes ahead as planned, it
would be the first time a world leader met with Kim in
Pyongyang. North
Korea and the Syrian regime have maintained strong relations during
the Syrian civil war, as the North has been accused of helping arm
the Syrian regime.
Kim
has been in an uncharacteristically diplomatic mood since the
beginning of the year. He has repeatedly met with Chinese officials,
including President Xi Jinping, and has also signed a historic
agreement with South Korean President Moon Jae-in.
Meanwhile, we
pointed out earlier
this morning that Kim has replaced North Korea's top three military
officials with younger officials who might be more amenable to Kim's
denuclearization agenda (and also less likely to stage a palace coup
in his absence during talks with the US next week).
Iran to inform IAEA on start of process to raise uranium enrichment capacity
Iran’s
Atomic Energy Organisation will tell the UN nuclear watchdog on
Tuesday of its plans to increase production
5
June, 2018
Iran
will inform the UN nuclear watchdog in Vienna on Tuesday over its
start of a process to increase the country’s uranium enrichment
capacity, Iran’s Atomic Energy Organisation spokesman Behrouz
Kamalvandi told ISNA news agency.
“In
a letter that will be handed over to the International Atomic Energy
Agency (IAEA) ... Iran will announce that the process of increasing
the capacity to produce ... UF6 (uranium hexafluoride) ... will start
on Tuesday,” Mr Kamalvandi said.
He
said Iran had the capacity to accelerate production of centrifuges,
which are used to enrich uranium. The UF6 is a feedstock for
centrifuges.
Iran’s
ultimate authority supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said on
Monday he had ordered preparations to increase uranium enrichment
capacity if a 2015 nuclear deal with world powers falls apart after
the US withdrawal from it last month.
“The
leader (Khamenei) meant that we should accelerate some process ...
linked to our nuclear work capacity to move forward faster in case
needed,” Mr Kamalvandi said.
European
signatories of the accord back the deal but have concerns over Iran’s
ballistic missile programme and its influence in the Middle East.
Iran says the two issues are non-negotiable.
Under
the agreement with the United States, France, Germany, Britain,
Russia and China, Iran strictly limited uranium enrichment capacity
to satisfy the powers that it could not be used to develop atomic
bombs.
In
exchange, Iran received relief from sanctions, most of which were
rescinded in January 2016.
The
deal allows Iran to continue 3.67 percent uranium enrichment, far
below the roughly 90 percent threshold of weapons-grade. Before the
deal was reached, Tehran enriched uranium to up to 20 percent purity.
Since
president Donald Trump’s announcement of the US exit on May 8, EU
leaders have pledged to try to keep Iran’s oil trade and investment
flowing but admitted that will not be easy to do.
Iranian
authorities have said that if the European countries failed to keep
the pact alive, Tehran had several options, including resuming its 20
percent uranium enrichment.
Iran: Those who attack Iran will be hit ten times harder – Khamenei
Iran’s
Supreme Leader Ayatollah Seyed Ali Khamenei said that Iran had no
intention of abiding by sanctions and giving up its nuclear
activities, during a televised address in Tehran on Monday.
“Statements
made by some European states indicate that they expect the Iranian
nation to both endure sanctions and to abandon their nuclear
activities which are the undoubtedly future need of the country; and
to live on with the restrictions already imposed. Let me tell these
states that such disturbing dreams will not come true”, said
Khamenei, as he addressed hundreds of thousands of people during a
ceremony to commemorate the 27th anniversary of the death of the late
founder of the Islamic Republic of Iran.
“Today
our youths have become the number one missile power in the region.
Iran will attack ten times more if Iran is attacked by enemy”, he
added.
Tensions
have increased between Iran and the West since US President Donald
Trump decided to withdraw from the 2015 Iran nuclear deal, signed
between Iran, the five permanent members of the UN Security Council –
the United States, Russia, China, Britain and France – and Germany.
Syrian Troops Thwart ISIS Infiltration Attempt From Eastern Euphrates Bank
The
Syrian troops stationed in the southern countryside of Deir Ezzor
province, foiled massive ISIS infiltration attempt from the eastern
flank of Euphrates river.
SANA
agency reported on Sunday, “Units of Syrian Arab Army thwarted
infiltration attempt by terrorist groups of Daesh (ISIS) to the
eastern countryside of Deir Ezzor province, inflicting losses upon
their ranks and equipment.”
The
ISIS terrorists control the village of “Al-Sha’fah” launched a
swift-assault targeting the Syrian positions along the western flank
of Euphrates. however, the SAA units managed to repel their
offensive.
Meanwhile,
the Syrian defensive troops also defended against another ISIS
surprise attack was concentrated on “Al-Hasrat” village that
located north of Al-Bukamal city, according to SANA.
Syrian
tribesmen have meet and concluded the only way to remove the US from
their land is by force and they seem bent on preparing the Gurilla
war fare of the desert to do just that. At the same time Trump vows
to leave the North and turkeys command and the south in agreement
with Russia and Syrian President.
On
top of existing 20,000-man NATO Response Force
NATO
plans new readiness pool with 30,000 troops
NATO
wants to build a new readiness pool of about 30,000 soldiers. They
are to be operational on 30 days notice and are to be equipped with
fighter jets and ships. In high NATO circles it is being said,
“Germany will play a leading role” in this new pool.
NATO
wants to improve its readiness in the event of an attack from Russia.
The Alliance plans to significantly increase the operational
readiness of selected, existing forces on land, sea and air of
individual Allies, which then together would form a kind of
preparedness pool in case of a crisis.
These
are about 30,000 soldiers who should be ready within 30 days.
Saber
Strike 18 drills will kick off in Poland and the Baltic States of
Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia, with over 18,000 soldiers from 19
countries participating in the event. It will also be the first time
such large-scale military drills are conducted in the region.
According
to the Haaretz news outlet, Israel will take part in the Saber Strike
18 drills, marking the first-ever joint military exercises of the
country with NATO forces.
Israel
is sending a few dozen soldiers, who are set to partake in the
second, less extensive stage of the drills.
According
to the plans, they will be equipped with several hundred fighter jets
and ships. Die
Welt Am Sonntag has
this information from highly informed NATO diplomats.
The
new Readiness Pool will be built in addition to the existing NATO
Response Force, (NRF) which currently has around 20,000 troops.
The
NATO defense ministers will be discussing it next week at their
meeting in Brussels (June 7 and 8). The NATO leaders would then adopt
a political declaration at their summit in mid-July.
A
NATO official said: “NATO will not set up or station a new force.
The focus of our discussions is to increase the preparedness of
existing national forces and their ability to move within Europe and
across the Atlantic.” However, NATO defense ministers would not be
advising on specific troop numbers on Thursday, the NATO official
said.
In
high NATO circles it was said, “Germany will play a leading role”
in this new pool. “We need to get faster and be able to quickly
move a large number of soldiers and equipment for credible
deterrence, and exhibit our defense readiness,” a NATO diplomat
said.”
The
initiative for the new reserve pool came from Washington in recent
months.
In
the future, NATO also wants to improve “military mobility” in
order to be able to transport heavy equipment such as tanks faster to
the place of deployment. This requires infrastructure improvements
but also requires the removal of administrative hurdles and
accelerated political decisions. However, as NATO circles have said,
it is not just about better transport within Europe, but also between
European and transatlantic allies, such as America and Canada. The
NATO defense ministers will also discuss this issue next week.
Saudi
King Salman has threatened to take military action against
neighboring Qatar if the nation follows through with a plan to
install an anti-aircraft defense system.
Saudi
Arabia and many of its allies severed ties with Qatar last year,
based around a false media report claiming the Qatari Emir wasn’t
sufficiently hostile toward Iran. The Saudis have since suggested
they’d channel out the entire Qatari border, turning
it into an island, and dumping nuclear waste in
the area.
Around
this ever growing Saudi hostility toward Qatar, the nation made a
deal to buy S-400 air defense systems from Russia. Russia says that
plans to deliver the missiles have not changed, despite the Saudi
threats.
That
Qatar turned to Russia for air defenses is interesting, as
historically the nation has heavily bought arms from the US.
Qatar
also hosts a massive US base, which one would think would preclude a
Saudi attack on them
The
S-400 has been a popular export for Russia, with another US ally,
Turkey, also having recently agreed to buy it.
The
US has expressed annoyance about these nations buying Russian arms,
but fear of losing future sales has precluded any major moves to
punish them.
No comments:
Post a Comment
Note: only a member of this blog may post a comment.