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☆ U.S. and Niger Announce Withdrawal of American Personnel by September
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-19 | by ( Eric Schmitt | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

The withdrawal of 1,000 U.S. military personnel in Niger is underway, and all American troops will leave the West African country by Sept. 15, the U.S. and Nigerien governments said on Sunday. Anderson, met in Niamey, Niger’s capital, this past week with representatives of Niger’s military, led by the army chief of staff, Col. Maj. Mamane Sani Kiaou, the statement said. The meeting was meant “to coordinate the orderly and safe withdrawal of U.S. forces from Niger,” it added. The statement, released by the Pentagon, also said the two militaries had established procedures to ease the entry and the exit of U.S. personnel, including flight and landing clearances for military planes. Niger has balked at approving some of those clearances in recent months, American officials said.

Persons: Biden, Christopher P, Maier, Dagvin R.M, Anderson, Mamane Sani Kiaou Organizations: Pentagon Locations: Niger, West, U.S, Africa, Niamey, Niger’s, Maj

Ukraine has asked the Biden administration to provide more intelligence on the position of Russian forces and military targets inside Russia as Ukrainian troops struggle to hold ground in the war, according to U.S. and Ukrainian officials. A group of Ukrainian Parliament members also met with members of Congress in Washington to press for the United States to allow Kyiv to use American weapons in Russia. Ukraine’s requests have become more urgent in recent weeks as Russia has taken advantage of delays in shipments of American weapons and intensified military operations in the Kharkiv region of northeastern Ukraine. But White House officials said the administration’s longstanding policy remained unchanged: The United States is not encouraging or enabling attacks inside Russia. American officials, seeking to avoid escalating the war, have insisted they do not want U.S. weapons used in cross-border attacks or their intelligence reports used to target sites in Russia.

Persons: Biden Organizations: White Locations: Ukraine, Russia, Washington, United States, Kyiv, Kharkiv, U.S

NATO allies are inching closer to sending troops into Ukraine to train Ukrainian forces, a move that would be another blurring of a previous red line and could draw the United States and Europe more directly into the war. As a result, Ukrainian officials have asked their American and NATO counterparts to help train 150,000 new recruits closer to the front line for faster deployment. So far the United States has said no, but Gen. Charles Q. Brown Jr., the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said on Thursday that a NATO deployment of trainers appeared inevitable. For now, he said, an effort inside Ukraine would put “a bunch of NATO trainers at risk” and would most likely mean deciding whether to use precious air defenses to protect the trainers instead of critical Ukrainian infrastructure near the battlefield.

Persons: Charles Q, Brown Jr, “ We’ll, ”, General Brown Organizations: NATO, Joint Chiefs of Staff Locations: Ukraine, United States, Europe, Russia, Brussels

☆ U.S. Military’s Plea to Israel: Do More to Protect Gazans in War Zone
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-10 | by ( Helene Cooper | Eric Schmitt | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

For months, the Biden administration has pleaded with Israel to do more to protect Palestinian civilians, who have borne the brunt of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s campaign in Gaza to destroy Hamas. But now, on the eve of Israel’s long-threatened major assault on the city of Rafah, the gulf between what the United States is recommending and what Israel appears intent on doing could not be wider. The Biden administration’s list of suggestions is lengthy. Defense Secretary Lloyd J. Austin III said this week that the United States wanted Israel to carry out “more precise” operations, and that the 2,000-pound bombs it has been using in densely populated Gaza “could create a lot of collateral damage.”American officials also want Israel to lean more toward sending special operations troops in to conduct targeted raids of Hamas leaders and fighters, instead of relying on aerial bombing campaigns and tanks.

Persons: Biden, Benjamin Netanyahu’s, Israel, Lloyd J, Austin III Organizations: Defense Locations: Israel, Gaza, Rafah, United States

Ukraine rushed reinforcements to its northern border on Friday after Russian forces attempted to break through Ukrainian lines along several sections, applying new pressure on forces already stretched thin along a 600-mile front. The Russian assaults began at around 5 a.m. Friday with massive shelling and aerial bombardments of Ukrainian positions followed by armored columns trying to punch through at several points along the border, according to a statement from Ukraine’s Ministry of Defense. “As of now, these attacks have been repelled, and battles of varying intensity are ongoing,” the ministry said. “To strengthen the defense in this sector of the front, reserve units have been deployed.”The breadth and intent of the Russian border incursions remained unclear. Military analysts have said Russia may be trying to force Ukraine to expend valuable resources in defending the region just as Russian assaults in eastern Ukraine are intensifying.

Persons: “ Organizations: Russian, Ukraine’s Ministry of Defense, Military Locations: Ukraine, Russian, Russia

A U.S. Army soldier has been detained by Russian authorities in the port city Vladivostok on charges of criminal misconduct, the State and Defense Departments said on Monday, adding what is likely to be another complication in the contentious relationship between Moscow and Washington. A military official identified the soldier as Staff Sgt. He was apprehended on May 2, and Russia notified the State Department of the soldier’s “criminal detention” in accordance with international agreements between the two nations. “The Army notified his family, and the U.S. Department of State is providing appropriate consular support to the soldier in Russia,” Cynthia O. Smith, an Army spokeswoman, said in a statement. A State Department official reiterated the U.S. government’s warning for Americans not to travel to Russia.

Persons: Gordon Black, ” Cynthia O, Smith, Sergeant Black Organizations: U.S . Army, State and Defense, State Department of, Army, U.S . Department of State, State Department, NBC News Locations: Vladivostok, Moscow, Washington, Fort Cavazos, Texas, South Korea, Russia

☆ U.S. to Withdraw Troops From Chad, Dealing Another Blow to Africa Policy
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-25 | by ( Eric Schmitt | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

The Pentagon will withdraw dozens of Special Operations forces from Chad in the next few days, the second major blow in a week to American security and counterterrorism policy in a volatile swath of West and Central Africa, U.S. officials said on Thursday. The decision to pull out about 75 Army Special Forces personnel working in Ndjamena, Chad’s capital, comes days after the Biden administration said it would withdraw more than 1,000 U.S. military personnel from Niger in the coming months. The Pentagon is being forced to draw down troops in response to the African governments’ demands to renegotiate the rules and conditions under which U.S. military personnel can operate. Both countries want terms that better favor their interests, analysts say. The decision to withdraw from Niger is final, but U.S. officials said they hoped to resume talks on security cooperation after elections in Chad on May 6.

Persons: Biden Organizations: Pentagon, Operations, Special Forces Locations: Chad, West, Central Africa, U.S, Ndjamena, Niger, Mali, Burkina Faso, United States, Russia, Moscow

☆ U.S. Secretly Shipped New Long-Range Missiles to Ukraine
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-24 | by ( Eric Schmitt | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

The United States last week secretly shipped a new long-range missile system to Ukraine, and Ukrainian forces immediately used the weapons to attack a Russian military airfield in Crimea last Wednesday and Russian troops in the country’s southeast overnight on Tuesday, according to a senior U.S. official. The United States had previously supplied Ukraine with a version of the Army Tactical Missile Systems — known as ATACMS — armed with wide-spreading cluster munitions that can travel 100 miles. But Ukraine has long coveted the system’s longer-range version, with a range of about 190 miles, which can reach deeper into occupied Ukraine, including Crimea, a hub of Russian air and ground forces, and supply nodes for Moscow’s forces in the country’s southeast. Overnight Tuesday, Ukraine used the longer-range missiles to strike Russian troops in the port city of Berdiansk on the Sea of Azov, the senior U.S. official said, speaking on the condition of anonymity to discuss operational matters.

Organizations: United, Army Tactical Missile Systems, U.S Locations: States, Ukraine, Ukrainian, Russian, Crimea, U.S, United States, Berdiansk, Azov

Ukraine’s Race to Hold the Line The days of lightning battlefield breakthroughs may be over. N Anti-tank ditch 1 2 Dragon’s teeth 1 mile 3 Trenches This defensive line in southern Ukraine runs a staggering 27 miles. 25 miles KHERSON N Anti-tank ditch 1 Dragon’s teeth 2 1 mile 3 Trenches This defensive line in southern Ukraine runs a staggering 27 miles. 10 miles Anti-tank ditch 1 Dragon’s teeth 2 3 Trenches 15 miles Ditches. 25 miles N 1 Anti-tank ditch 2 Dragon’s teeth 1 mile 3 Trenches This defensive line in southern Ukraine runs a staggering 27 miles.

Persons: Copernicus, Vyacheslav Madiyevskyy, Christopher G, Cavoli, Chasiv Yar, James Rands, Janes, Rands, ” Organizations: U.S . House, Analysts, Infantry, Reuters, LUHANSK UKRAINE New, Institute for, American, Pentagon, Kurakhove, Defenses, “ Locations: Russia, Ukraine, Ukrainian, KHERSON, Wiesbaden, Germany, Kherson, Zaporizhia, LUHANSK UKRAINE, DONETSK ZAPORIZHIA, Russia KHERSON CRIMEA, ZAPORIZHIA, Russia KHERSON, CRIMEA, Avdiivka, Europe, Marinka, UKRAINE, London, “ Ukraine

Israel’s military operations in Gaza have weakened Hamas. Thousands of its members have been killed, and at least one senior military leader has been eliminated. Yet Israel has not achieved its primary goals of the war: freeing hostages and fully destroying Hamas. The war and the tactics of the Israel Defense Forces have come at a great cost. Vast numbers of Palestinian civilians have been killed in the Israeli campaign; hunger is widespread in Gaza; and deaths around relief efforts have generated condemnation.

Persons: Israel Organizations: Hamas, Israel Defense Forces, Israel Locations: Gaza, Israel

An Israeli airstrike on Iran on Friday damaged an air defense system, according to Western and Iranian officials, in an attack calculated to deliver a message that Israel could bypass Iran’s defensive systems undetected and paralyze them. The strike damaged a defensive battery near Natanz, a city in central Iran that is critical to the country’s nuclear weapons program, according to two Western officials and two Iranian officials. The attack — and the revelation on Saturday of its target — was in retaliation for Iran’s strike in Israel last week after Israel bombed its embassy compound in Damascus. But it used a fraction of the firepower Tehran deployed in launching hundreds of drones and missiles at Israel. But the relatively limited scope of Israel’s strike and the muted response from Iranian officials seem to have eased tensions.

Organizations: Israel Locations: Iran, Israel, Damascus, Tehran, Syria

☆ U.S. Military Aid for Ukraine Could Soon Flow Again
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-20 | by ( John Ismay | Eric Schmitt | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: 1 min

Shipments of American weapons could begin flowing to Ukraine again soon after House approval of a long-stalled aid package, U.S. officials say, with goods from the Pentagon’s stockpiles in Germany shipped quickly by rail to the Ukrainian border. The measure would provide the Ukraine war effort with about $60 billion. A sizable amount is set aside to replenish U.S. defense stockpiles, and billions more would be used to purchase U.S. defense systems, which Ukrainian officials say are badly needed. For months, Ukrainian military officials have complained that political paralysis in the U.S. Congress had created critical munitions shortages in the war against Russia. Ukrainian troops on the front lines have had to ration shells, and morale has suffered.

Persons: Biden Organizations: U.S . Congress Locations: Ukraine, Germany, Ukrainian, Russia

☆ Israel’s Strike on Iran: A Limited Attack but a Potentially Big Signal
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-19 | by ( David E. Sanger | Eric Schmitt | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

For more than a decade, Israel has rehearsed, time and again, bombing and missile campaigns that would take out Iran’s nuclear production capability, much of it based around the city of Isfahan and the Natanz nuclear enrichment complex 75 miles to the north. That is not what Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s war cabinet chose to do in the predawn hours of Friday, and in interviews, analysts and nuclear experts said the decision was telling. Israel said almost nothing about the limited strike, which appeared to do little damage in Iran. U.S. officials noted that the Iranian decision to downplay the explosions in Isfahan — and the suggestions by Iranian officials that Israel may not have been responsible — was a clear effort by the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps to avoid another round of escalation. Inside the White House, officials asked the Pentagon, State Department and intelligence agencies to stay quiet about the operation, hoping to ease Iran’s efforts to calm the tensions in the region.

Persons: Israel, Benjamin Netanyahu’s, — Organizations: Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps, Pentagon, State Department Locations: Isfahan, Iran, U.S, Isfahan —, Israel

☆ An ISIS Terror Group Draws Half Its Recruits From Tiny Tajikistan
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-18 | by ( Neil Macfarquhar | Eric Schmitt | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Even though he spent five years in Tajik prisons as a teenager, she said he never exhibited signs of violent extremism. “We need to understand — who is recruiting young Tajiks, why do they want to highlight us as a nation of terrorists?” said the mother, Muyassar Zargarova. Many governments and terrorism experts are asking the same question. Tajik adherents of the Islamic State — especially within its affiliate in Afghanistan known as the Islamic State Khorasan Province (I.S.K.P. ISIS-K is believed to have several thousand soldiers, with Tajiks constituting more than half, experts said.

Persons: ”, Muyassar Organizations: Islamic Locations: Moscow, Tajikistan, Central Asia, Afghanistan, Khorasan Province, Russia, Iran, Turkey, Europe

☆ Senate dismisses two articles of impeachment against Homeland Security secretary, ends trial
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-17 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +8 min

Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas testifies before the House Homeland Security Committee about the Biden Administration's FY2025 budget request in the Cannon House Office Building on Capitol Hill on April 16, 2024 in Washington, DC. Senators voted to dismiss both articles of impeachment and end the trial, with Democrats arguing that the articles were unconstitutional. Still, Republicans similarly moved to dismiss former President Donald Trump's second impeachment trial in 2021, weeks after the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol. Johnson had said he would send them to the Senate last week, but he punted again after Senate Republicans said they wanted more time to prepare. The impeachment trial is the third in five years.

Persons: Alejandro Mayorkas, Joe Biden, impeaching Mayorkas, Mike Johnson, Mayorkas, Schumer, Chuck Schumer, William McFarland, Kevin F, Mark Green, Marjorie Taylor Greene, Michael McCaul, Clay Higgins, Ben Cline, Andy Biggs, Michael Guest, Laurel Lee, Harriet Hageman, Andrew Garbarino, Pfluger, Democratic Sen, Patty Murray, Murray, Missouri Sen, Eric Schmitt, Mitch McConnell, McConnell, Donald Trump's, McConnell —, Trump, Johnson, he's, I'm, Joe Biden's, Donald Trump Organizations: Homeland, House Homeland Security, Biden, Cannon, Republicans, House Republicans, Democrats, —, Republican, of Homeland, Democratic, National Archives, Capitol, Senate, Democrat, Tennessee Rep, Congress Locations: Washington , DC, Mexico, U.S, WASHINGTON, Texas, Washington, Missouri, Ky, New York, New York City, Ukraine, Mayorkas

☆ Senate Democrats unceremoniously kill Mayorkas impeachment trial
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-17 | by ( Brent D. Griffiths | Bryan Metzger | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

On Wednesday, Senate Democrats voted to declare as unconstitutional both articles of impeachment against Department of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas — effectively ending the trial. It put a swift end to what had been a monthslong process by House Republicans, championed originally by Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia. Democrats agreed with Schumer's move, effectively rendering the articles moot and the trial over before House Republicans could present their case. Senate Republicans were also unsuccessful in their effort to pressure vulnerable Democrats to back their push for a longer trial. Greene forced her colleagues to vote on moving forward with Mayorkas' impeachment last November.

Persons: —, Alejandro Mayorkas —, Marjorie Taylor Greene, Sen, Lisa Murkowski, Mitt Romney, he's, Chuck Schumer, Schumer's, Schumer, Eric Schmitt, Ted Cruz, Mitch McConnell, Jon Tester, Montana, Mayorkas, Mike Gallagher, Wisconsin —, Joe Biden's, Donald Trump, Greene, Mark Green of Organizations: Service, of Homeland, House Republicans, Business, Senators, Missouri Republican, Republicans, Texas Republican, Senate, GOP, White House, Homeland, Democrats, House Homeland Security, Homeland Security Locations: Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia, Alaska, Utah, Missouri, Texas, Wisconsin, Southern, Mark Green of Tennessee

Israel was mere moments away from an airstrike on April 1 that killed several senior Iranian commanders at Iran’s embassy complex in Syria when it told the United States what was about to happen. Aides quickly alerted Jake Sullivan, President Biden’s national security adviser; Jon Finer, the deputy national security adviser; Brett McGurk, Mr. Biden’s Middle East coordinator; and others, who saw that the strike could have serious consequences, a U.S. official said. Publicly, U.S. officials voiced support for Israel, but privately, they expressed anger that it would take such aggressive action against Iran without consulting Washington. On Saturday, Iran launched a retaliatory barrage of more than 300 drones and missiles at Israel, an unexpectedly large-scale response, if one that did minimal damage. The events made clear that the unwritten rules of engagement in the long-simmering conflict between Israel and Iran have changed drastically in recent months, making it harder than ever for each side to gauge the other’s intentions and reactions.

Persons: Israel, Jake Sullivan, Jon, Brett McGurk Organizations: U.S, Publicly, Israel, Washington Locations: Syria, United States, Biden’s, Iran, Israel

Persons: Israel, Jake Sullivan, Jon, Brett McGurk Organizations: U.S, Publicly, Israel, Washington Locations: Syria, United States, Biden’s, Iran, Israel

Listen and follow The DailyApple Podcasts | Spotify | Amazon MusicOvernight on Saturday, Iran launched its first direct attack on Israeli soil, shooting hundreds of missiles and drones at multiple targets. Eric Schmitt, a national security correspondent for The Times, explains what happened and considers whether a broader war is brewing in the Middle East.

Persons: Eric Schmitt Organizations: Spotify, The Times Locations: Iran

☆ Pentagon Reviews Events Before Attack That Killed 13 U.S. Troops in Kabul
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-15 | by ( Eric Schmitt | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

A new Pentagon review of the events leading up to the bombing that killed 13 American service members at the airport in Kabul, Afghanistan, in August 2021, has reaffirmed earlier findings that U.S. troops could not have prevented the deadly violence. The review’s conclusions focus on the final days and hours at Abbey Gate before the attack, which also killed as many as 170 civilians. Some Marines who were at the gate have said they identified the suspected bomber — who became known to investigators as “Bald Man in Black” — in the crowds hours before the attack but were twice denied permission by their superiors to shoot him. But the review, building on a previous investigation made public in February 2022, rejected those accusations. The narrative of missed opportunities to avert tragedy has gained momentum over the past year among conservatives and has contributed to broader Republican criticisms of the Biden administration’s troop withdrawal and evacuation from Kabul in August 2021.

Organizations: Islamic State, Marines, Biden Locations: Kabul, Afghanistan

Iran’s much-anticipated retaliation for Israel’s killing of senior military leaders produced a fiery aerial display in the skies over Israel and the West Bank. But in important ways, military analysts say, it was just that: a highly choreographed spectacle. Just as they did back in 2020 when retaliating for the U.S. killing of Gen. Qassim Suleimani, Iranian leaders this weekend gave plenty of warning that they were launching strikes. The result: a lot of bang, but relatively little destruction on the ground. Few of Iran’s drones and missiles found their intended targets, an inaccuracy level that military experts and defense officials say was probably by design.

Persons: retaliating, Qassim Suleimani Organizations: West Bank, Jordanian, Iranian Embassy Locations: Israel, Gen, Iran, Iranian, Syria

American intelligence analysts and officials said on Friday that they expected Iran to strike multiple targets inside Israel within the next few days in retaliation for an Israeli bombing in the Syrian capital on April 1 that killed several senior Iranian commanders. The United States, Israel’s pre-eminent ally, has military forces in several places across the Middle East. Any Iranian strike inside Israel would be a watershed moment in the decades of hostilities between the two nations that would most likely open a volatile new chapter in the region. And an Iranian attack would heighten the risk of a wider conflict that could drag in multiple countries, including the United States. In remarks to reporters on Friday, President Biden said that he expected a military attack against Israel “sooner rather than later,” and that his message to Iran was “don’t.”

Persons: Israel’s, Biden, Israel “, “, ” Locations: Iran, Israel, United States

☆ U.S. Sends a Top General to Israel Amid Fears of Iranian Strikes
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-11 | by ( Cassandra Vinograd | Eric Schmitt | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

The United States dispatched its top military commander for the Middle East to Israel on Thursday, after President Biden stated that, despite recent friction, American support for Israel “is ironclad” in the event of an attack by Iran. Iran’s leaders have repeatedly vowed to punish Israel for an April 1 strike in Syria that killed several senior Iranian commanders. Israel has put its military on alert, and Mr. Biden said on Wednesday that Iran was threatening a “significant” attack. Gen. Michael E. Kurilla, the American commander, will coordinate with Israel on what is widely expected to be imminent retaliatory action by Iran and will also discuss the war against Hamas in Gaza and humanitarian aid operations there, according to officials who spoke on the condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the matter. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel acknowledged on Thursday that Israel was facing “challenging times,” noting that “in the midst of the war in Gaza” his country was “also prepared for scenarios involving challenges in other sectors.”

Persons: Biden, Israel “, Israel, Michael E, Benjamin Netanyahu, “ Organizations: United, Israel Locations: United States, East, Israel, Iran, Syria, American, Gaza

☆ Without More Aid, Ukraine Could Lose the War, U.S. General Says
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-10 | by ( Eric Schmitt | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

The top American military commander in Europe warned on Wednesday that Ukraine could lose the war with Russia if the United States did not send more ammunition to Ukrainian forces, and fast. General Cavoli, who is also NATO’s top military commander, said Ukraine’s allies had provided much of the equipment and arms that Kyiv needed to combat the larger Russian military, including all donated fuel and 90 percent of its tanks. But the United States gives Ukraine most of the two critical munitions that are in shortest supply: artillery shells and air-defense interceptors. “If we do not continue to support Ukraine, Ukraine will run out of artillery shells and will run out of air defense interceptors in fairly short order,” General Cavoli said. “Based on my experience in 37-plus years in the U.S. military, if one side can shoot and the other side can’t shoot back, the side that can’t shoot back loses.”

Persons: Gen, Christopher G, General Cavoli, Ukraine’s, Cavoli, ” Organizations: Command, House Armed Services Committee, U.S . Locations: Europe, Ukraine, Russia, United States, U.S

Iran is operating a clandestine smuggling route across the Middle East, employing intelligence operatives, militants and criminal gangs, to deliver weapons to Palestinians in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, according to officials from the United States, Israel and Iran. The goal, as described by three Iranian officials, is to foment unrest against Israel by flooding the enclave with as many weapons as it can. The covert operation is now heightening concerns that Tehran is seeking to turn the West Bank into the next flashpoint in the long-simmering shadow war between Israel and Iran. Many weapons smuggled to the West Bank largely travel along two paths from Iran through Iraq, Syria, Lebanon, Jordan and Israel, the officials said. A key group in the operation, the Iranian officials and analysts said, are Bedouin smugglers who carry the weapons across the border from Jordan into Israel.

Organizations: West Bank Locations: Iran, United States, Israel, Tehran, Iraq, Syria, Lebanon, Jordan

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