Síntesis informativa - 25 de octubre 2018
THE NEW YORK TIMES
Saudi Arabia, in Reversal, Suggests Khashoggi’s Killing Was ‘Premeditated’
BEIRUT, Lebanon — Saudi Arabia’s public prosecutor said on Thursday that new evidence indicated that the killing of the Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi had been “premeditated,” suggesting yet another shift in the kingdom’s official story of how he was killed.
For weeks after Mr. Khashoggi disappeared on Oct. 2, Saudi officials insisted that he had left the Saudi Consulate in Istanbul alive and well that day. Later, officials hinted that he might have fallen victim to “rogue” agents of the kingdom.
On Saturday, Saudi officials acknowledged that a 15-man team had flown to Turkey to confront Mr. Khashoggi inside the consulate, and killed him there. But they said his death was an accident, the result of a “fistfight” — when he screamed, they said, one of the men put him in a chokehold, killing him accidentally.
The latest statement, which was announced through the kingdom’s state-run news media, said the kingdom’s public prosecutor had received new information from Turkey through a joint Saudi-Turkish investigation into the death. It also said that the investigation was continuing, making it unclear whether Saudi Arabia itself had concluded that the killing was premeditated.
How the Migrant Caravan Became a Trump Election Strategy
SAN PEDRO SULA, Honduras — The flier began circulating on social media in Honduras this month, showing a lone migrant sketched against a bright red backdrop.
It was a call to join a caravan, the work of leftist activists and politicians who had helped lead migrants north in the past. But they also tossed a political spark into the mix, blaming their right-wing government for the exodus: “The violence and poverty is expelling us.”
They never expected it to ignite an international firestorm.
Far from Honduras, the White House was busy grappling with the killing of Jamal Khashoggi, a columnist whose death inside a Saudi consulate had tarnished Saudi Arabia, a vital ally of the Trump administration. And with the midterm elections in the United States only weeks away, President Trump was eager to change the script.
The caravan gave him a new, politically advantageous story to tell. Stoking American anxieties about immigration had worked well as a cornerstone of his 2016 campaign. The president’s top aides, including Secretary of Homeland Security Kirstjen Nielsen and the White House chief of staff, John F. Kelly, began briefing the president on the caravan’s progress the week before last, senior White House officials said.
If U.S. Missiles Are Deployed, Putin Says, Europe at Risk of ‘Counterstrike’
MOSCOW — President Vladimir V. Putin warned on Wednesday that if the United States deploys new intermediate-range missiles in Europe after withdrawing from a nuclear treaty prohibiting these weapons, European nations will be at risk of “a possible counterstrike.”
President Trump said over the weekend that the United States intends to pull out of a 1987 agreement banning short- and intermediate-range missiles that are launched from land. He said Russia was cheating on the deal and said it was flawed because China is not a signatory.
The United States, Mr. Trump said, will develop weapons now prohibited by the treaty, prompting Russian warnings of a new arms race.
On Wednesday, speaking at a news conference in Moscow, Mr. Putin said European countries would bear the risk of Mr. Trump’s decision if new missiles wound up in Europe.
China Mocks Report It Tapped Trump’s iPhone (and Plugs Its Own Competitor)
BEIJING — China on Thursday ridiculed but did not exactly deny an article in The New York Times detailing how Chinese intelligence agents eavesdropped on cellphone conversations President Trump had with friends in hopes of gaining insights into the administration’s policies.
A spokeswoman for China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Hua Chunying, suggested that “some people in the United States” were competing for “the Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay,” and even used a familiar Trump trope, warning the newspaper that it risked being called “fake news.”
She went on to warn that the most secure way to avoid telephone intercepts was not to use “any modern communication devices.”
Almost certainly prepared for questions about the matter, Ms. Hua seemed to be enjoying the opportunity to discuss the article’s details. She even offered a plug for a Chinese competitor of the iPhones that Mr. Trump favors — to the apparent dismay of his security advisers.
THE GUARDIAN
Is the US in an 'illegal' immigration crisis? Border patrol data suggests otherwise
Illegal border crossings have declined significantly from record highs in the early years of the 21st century.In 2000, more than 1.6 million illegal border crossers were apprehended. In 2001, the figure was 1.3 million.
Small ups and downs in the flow continued until a significant drop off at the end of the decade – from 556,041 in 2009 to 340,252 in 2011 – coinciding with the great recession, and the disappearance of the jobs many migrants came for.
In the following years, apprehension numbers continued to fluctuate between 350,000-500,000, with a low of 310,531 in 2017.
Observers attribute that steep decline to economic growth in Mexico, ramped-up border enforcement, and the “Trump effect”, which deterred some migrants.
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2018/oct/25/us-illegal-border-crossings-analysis-trump-migrants
Bolsonaro backers wage war on the rainforest
In the Amazon, Bolsonaro has promised progress instead of protection. And his radical proposals – to withdraw Brazil from the Paris Climate Deal, neuter federal environment agencies, green-light destructive hydro-electric dams, freeze the demarcation of new indigenous reserves and open up existing ones to mining – chime with voters here, including those breaking environmental laws.
Loggers, illegal gold miners, and squatters on a protected reserve all told the Guardian they are voting for Bolsonaro because they believe he will make their lives easier.
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/oct/24/bolsonaro-backers-wage-war-on-the-rainforest
MEPs back call for EU members to halt arms sales to Saudi Arabia
Berlin has halted arms sales to Saudi and Angela Merkel has urged allies to do the same in condemnation of what she has described as a “monstrous” killing inside the Saudi consulate in Istanbul.
MEPs voted on Thursday on a non-binding resolution further demanding a unified move by the bloc’s 28 member states to “impose an EU-wide arms embargo on Saudi Arabia”.
May has so far resisted such calls, insisting that the UK government already has strict rules on arms exports.
Angela Merkel prepares for second electoral disaster in Hesse
Germany’s ruling parties are bracing for a second electoral disaster within a fortnight as polls for Sunday’s regional election in Hesse suggest that voters will punish Angela Merkel’s shaky coalition government.
Sunday’s vote could plunge Germany’s grand coalition into a fresh crisis, with polls showing a nosedive in support for both Merkel’s Christian Democrats (CDU) and coalition partner Social Democrats (SPD), reflecting a nationwide trend.
DEUTSCHE WELLE
NATO launches biggest war games since end of Cold War
Nearly 50,000 troops are joining NATO war games in Norway to test alliance defenses against a "fictitious aggressor." Germany is the second largest participant as it prepares to head NATO's rapid response force.
The Trident Juncture war games involve around 50,000 troops, 10,000 vehicles, 250 aircraft and 65 ships from all 29 alliance members, plus Sweden and Finland. The maneuvers will take place for two weeks in Norway and the air and sea spaces around the country.
Read more: US General Ben Hodges: 'Russia only respects strength'
The goal of the exercises is to test and train NATO's Very High Readiness Joint Task Force and follow-on forces. The rapid reaction force is designed to spearhead a defense against an attack on an alliance member within days and is a component of the NATO Response Force.
https://www.dw.com/en/nato-launches-biggest-war-games-since-end-of-cold-war/a-46033631
Iranian support of Afghan Taliban targeted by new US sanctions
US-Iranian relations have taken a major plunge under President Trump and observers say Tehran has expanded its backing of the Afghan Taliban to stymie US action against the militant group in Afghanistan.
On Tuesday, the US Treasury Department issued a statement announcing new sanctions targeting Taliban members involved in suicide attacks and other lethal offensives in Afghanistan, along with Iranians who have provided material and financial support to the militant group.
https://www.dw.com/en/iranian-support-of-afghan-taliban-targeted-by-new-us-sanctions/a-46045198
Trump pushes Japan into China's arms
Japan and China are economic, political and military rivals vying for influence in the Asia Pacific. But Donald Trump's contentious policies are forcing them to put their rivalry aside and cooperate.
When Japan's PM Shinzo Abe shakes hands with Chinese President Xi Jinping in Beijing on Friday, it will mark the first bilateral Sino-Japanese summit since 2011. The meeting comes shortly after the 40th anniversary of the 1978 Treaty of Peace and Friendship between the two nations. Abe's three-day China trip is the culmination of a rapid rapprochement between the two sides that began in the spring with the resumption of their economic dialogue.
https://www.dw.com/en/trump-pushes-japan-into-chinas-arms/a-46025405
Turquía instalará sistema de misiles ruso en octubre de 2019
El Gobierno de Erdogan confirmó que la compra de los S-400 se realizará, pese a la presión ejercida por la OTAN, cuyo sistema de defensa no es compatible con el ruso.
El Gobierno de Turquía confirmó este jueves (25.10.2018) que comenzará a instalar el sistema de misiles ruso tierra-aire S-400 a partir de octubre de 2019, una decisión que ha causado controversia dentro de la OTAN, organización militar de la que Ankara forma parte, pues se trata de armas que no son compatibles con las defensas de la alianza.
China actuará “a cualquier costo” contra secesionismo taiwanés
El ministro de Defensa de la potencia asiática expresó su enfado por operaciones militares estadounidenses en el estrecho de Formosa.
El ministro de Defensa de China, Wei Fenghe (foto principal), advirtió este jueves (25.10.2018) que su país actuará "a cualquier costo” contra quienes intenten separar de China la isla de Taiwán, que Pekín reclama como propia. Las declaraciones las dio en la inauguración del Foro Xiangshan, un evento organizado por el gigante asiático en respuesta al foro anual de seguridad Shangri-La Dialogue, que se realiza en Singapur.
Estas palabras se conocen luego de que el pasado lunes Estados Unidos desplazara dos buques de guerra al estrecho de Formosa, en la segunda de dichas operaciones realizadas en menos de un año, que buscan mostrar el apoyo de Washington a la democracia taiwanesa. A ello se suman las sanciones que ha impuesto la Casa Blanca contra el Ejército chino.
XINHUA
Corea del Sur y la RPDC completan retiro de armas de zona desmilitarizada
SEUL, 25 oct (Xinhua) -- Corea del Sur y la República Popular Democrática de Corea (RPDC) finalizaron el proceso de retirada de armas y puestos de guardia del Área de Seguridad Conjunta (JSA) dentro de la Zona Demilitarizada (DMZ), que dejó la Península Coreana dividida, dijo el jueves el Ministerio de Defensa de Seúl.
El ministerio dijo en una declaración que las autoridades militares de Corea del Sur y la RPDC, y el Comando de las Naciones Unidas retiraron todas las armas de fuego, municiones y puestos de guardia de la JSA a partir de las 13:00 hora local (0400 GMT).
http://spanish.xinhuanet.com/2018-10/25/c_137557974.htm
Abe parte rumbo a China con deseo de empujar relaciones y cooperación
TOKIO, 25 oct (Xinhua) -- El primer ministro japonés, Shinzo Abe, partió hoy jueves hacia China en una visita oficial de tres días, la cual cuenta como la primera de un funcionario japnés de esa calidad en siete años.
"Japón y China comparten una gran responsabilidad a nivel regional y mundial", dijo Abe, citado tras una rueda de prensa en su oficina de Tokio, antes de su partida.
El líder japonés agregó que quiere discutir con los dirigentes chinos acerca de la importancia de establecer un sistema de comercio justo y libre, ya que ambos países promulgan el multilateralismo en medio de un mundo cada vez más proteccionista.
http://spanish.xinhuanet.com/2018-10/25/c_137557774.htm
AL JAZEERA
China vows to defend Taiwan, South China Sea ‘at any price’
China vowed it will never give up an inch of its territory - whether it's the self-ruled island of Taiwan it claims as its own or in the disputed waters of the South China Sea.
China's military ties with the United States are important and sensitive, he said, adding Taiwan is a "core" interest and Beijing opposes displays of strength by "outside forces" in the South China Sea. Beijing has been infuriated by recent US sanctions on its military, one of a growing number of flashpoints in ties with Washington that include a bitter trade war, Washington's backing of Taiwan, and the US' military posture in the South China Sea.
Putin: I US delivers missiles to Europe, we will mirror this
Russian President Vladimir Putin says Russia will respond in kind if the US withdraws from the Intermediate-range Nuclear Forces Treaty.
"If the United States does withdraw from the INF treaty, the main question is what they will do with these newly available missiles. If they will deliver them to Europe, naturally our response will have to mirror this," Putin told reporters in Moscow on Wednesday.
If the US were to deploy intermediate-range missiles in Europe, Putin said Russia would have to respond by targeting the countries where the missiles are based. "The European nations that would agree to that should understand that they would expose their territory to the threat of a possible retaliatory strike. These are obvious things."
https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2018/10/putin-delivers-missiles-europe-mirror-181024170356172.html
Qatar may benefit from Khashoggi fallout: analysts
Global diplomatic fallout from the killing of journalist Jamal Khashoggi in Saudi Arabia's Istanbul consulate may help Qatar in its political standoff with Riyadh, experts say.
The backlash may force Saudi Arabia to ease sweeping sanctions imposed on Doha since the dispute erupted between the former Gulf allies in June 2017.
The killing of Khashoggi - who was critical of the Saudi government and its blockade of Qatar - may convince sceptics that Doha's claims of Saudi "aggression" were justified.
https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2018/10/qatar-benefit-khashoggi-fallout-analysts-181025055033110.html
RT Moscow alarmed that US spy plane coordinated drone attack on Russia's Syria base
The Kremlin has said it is concerned about a report by Russia’s Defense Ministry that a US spy plane was in control of a drone attack on Russia's Khmeimim Airbase in Syria in January. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov made clear that the military has analyzed all available data and has drawn the necessary conclusions before saying that the drone attack on the Russian airbase was directed from a US P-8 Poseidon surveillance plane.
The incident occurred overnight on January 8, involving 10 UAVs targeting Khmeimim itself. Three more drones attempted a strike on the Russian naval facility at the Syrian port city of Tartus. All 13 craft were then engaged by the Pantsir-S1 air-defense system.
According to the top defense military official, 13 unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) had approached Russia’s Khmeimim base at the time when the Poseidon plane was traversing skies over the Mediterranean. When Russian electronic countermeasures were turned on at Khmeimim, the drones continued their flying mission in manual mode.
https://www.rt.com/news/442219-kremlin-attack-us-syria/
Business as usual: US INF pullout will delight arms industry as it threatens to reignite Cold War
Trump has been tearing up treaties since taking office, from halting negotiations on the TPP to NAFTA, but his latest threat to pull out of the nuclear deal, negotiated by President Reagan in the 80s, may be his biggest mistake.
Meanwhile, while US President Donald Trump and his National Security Advisor, the neoconservative firebrand John Bolton, justify their threat by accusing Russia of violating the Intermediate Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty, the reality is that it has largely been the US that has been the aggressor through the terrifying and costly decades of the Cold War that this latest treaty exit action threatens to re-ignite.
https://www.rt.com/op-ed/442257-nuclear-inf-war-weapons/
US won’t sanction India over S-400 deal with Russia… just buy American F-16s – reports
The US baited India with a respective offer in early October, Indian Express reports, citing US officials. The move came shortly after Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Vladimir Putin signed a $5.4 billion deal on the purchase of five Russian S-400 systems.
The decision to boost its own military with Russian arms did not go down well with Washington, which threatened India with sanctions under the Countering America's Adversaries Through Sanctions Act (CAATSA). But should New Delhi greenlight the purchase of F-16 jets, it could get a waiver.
https://www.rt.com/news/442217-india-us-sanctions-waiver-russia/
19 civilians died in Saudi-led coalition strike on Yemeni market – report
At least 19 people were killed when the latest Saudi-led coalition airstrike on civilians destroyed a fruit and vegetable market near the Yemeni Red Sea port city of Hodeida, local officials told AP.
Backed by a Saudi-led coalition of mainly Gulf states, the ousted Yemeni government of Abdrabbuh Mansur Hadi has been battling to regain control of the country from the Houthi rebels since 2015.
Support from Riyadh and its allies has mainly come in the form of devastating airstrikes on Houthi-controlled territory, with weapons, munitions, and support coming from allies in the US, UK, and other Western powers.
https://www.rt.com/news/442246-hodeida-airstrike-death-toll-rises/
AL MAYADEEN
Trump: Bin Salman es responsable del asesinato de Khashoggi
En entrevista concedida a Wall Street Jounal, Donald Trump afirmó que quiere creerse la versión saudita de que al periodista le dieron muerte unos funcionarios de rango inferior del consulado saudita en Estambul, aunque insinuó que la responsabilidad podría llegar más arriba.
“El príncipe está dirigiendo las cosas, más aun en esta etapa. Él maneja las cosas y si alguien estuviera involucrado en el caso, sería él”, dijo Trump al ser preguntado por la presunta implicación de Bin Salman en el asesinato de Khashoggi, acérrimo crítico de los Al Saud.
Denuncia Cuba escalada en hostilidad de EE.UU.
El canciller cubano, Bruno Rodríguez, denunció hoy una nueva maniobra de Estados Unidos dirigida a socavar el apoyo internacional a Cuba en su reclamo por el fin del bloqueo económico, financiero y comercial impuesto por Washington.
Durante una conferencia de prensa en la sede del Ministerio de Relaciones Exteriores, Rodríguez informó que la víspera la misión estadounidense ante la ONU circuló un documento con enmiendas al proyecto de resolución que presentará Cuba a la Asamblea General de las Naciones Unidas el próximo día 31.
Según el diplomático, tales enmiendas -referidas a aspectos de derechos humanos y de la Agenda 2030 para el Desarrollo Sostenible- están llenas de sinsentidos y denotan una profunda ignorancia.
No obstante, apuntó que lo más relevante no es el contenido de las mismas, sino otro documento difundido con la intención de presionar a otros estados miembros del máximo organismo internacional para que modifiquen su postura hacia el proyecto de resolución contra el bloqueo, el cual desde 1992 recibe el apoyo mayoritario de la Asamblea General.
