Síntesis informativa del 01 de marzo de 2019
THE GUARDIAN
The art of no deal: how Trump and Kim misread each other
Those hand-delivered missives appear to have flattered Trump without offering concrete proposals of what Kim was going to do as part of a bargain. A joint statement issued in Singapore stated North Korea’s commitment to the “complete denuclearisation of the Korean peninsula”, which Trump appears to have understood as a pledge of complete unilateral nuclear disarmament.
For his part, Kim appears to have come away from Singapore interpreting Trump’s gushing behaviour as sign of a desperation to strike a deal, which would potentially leave most of his arsenal in place while normalising relations with the US and lifting sanctions.
These wildly different perceptions collided painfully in Hanoi, where the two leaders discovered each other not to be the ideal partner they had previously imagined.
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2019/feb/28/how-donald-trump-kim-jong-un-misread-each-other-hanoi-summit
Concern over food safety as US seeks greater access to UK markets
The Trump administration is seeking to eliminate or reduce barriers for US agricultural products and secure duty-free access for industrial goods.
The US has long considered EU rules on food a barrier to trade and has said fears that its food is unsafe to eat because of differences in production rules – including use of pesticides, chlorine and hormones – are unwarranted.
A change in food standards after Brexit would have ramifications for an open border in Ireland as it would fuel fears that banned goods could seep into the food chain through cross-border production of meat and dairy products.
https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2019/mar/01/us-seeks-greater-access-to-uk-food-markets-after-brexit-trade-deal
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NEW YORK TIMES
Where Terrorism is Rising in Africa and the U.S. is Pulling Back
LOUMBILA, Burkina Faso — President Trump has ordered most American troops to withdraw from Syria. He wants to bring home thousands more from Afghanistan. Now hundreds of United States commandos and other forces are leaving West Africa — despite an onslaught of attacks from an increasingly deadly matrix of Islamist fighters.
The shift has unnerved African commanders in Burkina Faso and neighboring nations in the Sahel, a vast sub-Saharan scrubland increasingly racked by Islamist bombings, massacres, kidnappings and attacks on hotels frequented by Westerners. It is a region in which most Americans were unaware of United States military involvement until four Army soldiers were killed in a deadly 2017 ambush in Nigerby Islamic State fighters.
What is emerging, critics said, is a glimpse of what happens when American troops, especially Special Operations forces, pull back before insurgents are effectively subdued, leaving local or allied forces to fend off the Islamic State, Al Qaeda or their offshoots.
https://www.nytimes.com/2019/03/01/world/africa/africa-terror-attacks.html
Failed Hanoi Meeting Has U.S. Allies in Region Asking: What's Next?
SEOUL, South Korea — The abrupt breakdown of summit talks between President Trump and North Korea's leader, Kim Jong-un, has confounded America's two largest allies in Asia, but for different reasons.
In South Korea, President Moon Jae-in had been poised to ramp up economic ties with the North if a sanctions-lifting deal had been brokered in Hanoi, the Vietnamese capital.
In Japan, on the other hand, there was relief on Friday, a day after the talks broke down. Tokyo had feared an agreement between Washington and Pyongyang could have left Japan vulnerable to missile attacks by North Korea.
https://www.nytimes.com/2019/03/01/world/asia/trump-kim-summit.html
Afghan War Casualty Report: Feb. 22-28
At least 28 pro-government forces and one civilian were killed in Afghanistan during the past week, in the quietest week of attacks since The Times began counting casualties in September 2018. The deadliest attack took place in Ghazni Province, when an airstrike mistakenly targeted an outpost of pro-government militia members, killing nine and wounding three others. It was not clear that the airstrike was carried out by Afghan or American air power.
https://www.nytimes.com/2019/03/01/magazine/afghan-war-casualty-report.html
Mexico Approves 60,000-Strong National Guard. Critics Call It More of the Same.
MEXICO CITY — Mexico's Congress on Thursday approved the creation of a 60,000-member National Guard to tackle the nation's public security crisis, a force that President Andrés Manuel López Obrador has made a cornerstone of his plan to confront organized crime and curb soaring violence.
The vote capped months of legislative wrangling over the nature of the force and who would control it, with human-rights activists and civil society groups lobbying fiercely to limit the military's influence on it and warning it could represent the further militarization of policing in Mexico.
In the end, Congress decided the National Guard would have an explicitly civilian, rather than military, character, with the new force lodged under the authority of the civilian Ministry of Security and Citizen Protection.
https://www.nytimes.com/2019/02/28/world/americas/mexico-amlo-national-guard.html
Trump Declares ISIS '100%' Defeated in Syria. '100% Not True,' Ground Reports Say
WASHINGTON — President Trump declared on Thursday that "we just took over 100 percent" of territory controlled by the Islamic State in Syria — a claim that reports from the battle front suggested was 100 percent untrue.
"You kept hearing it was 90 percent, 92 percent, the caliphate in Syria. Now it's 100 percent, we just took over," Mr. Trump said in remarks to American troops in Alaska. "Now it's 100 percent, we just took over 100 percent caliphate. That means the area of the land. We just have 100 percent."
"So that's good."
Over the past month, American forces have been working with Syrian fighters to seize the last square mile of Islamic State territory — the riverside village of Baghuz on the border with Iraq. Taking and holding terrain in any military operation can be a difficult task, especially against extremists who are willing to face death instead of surrender.
https://www.nytimes.com/2019/02/28/world/middleeast/trump-isis-territory.html
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XINHUA
Pyongyang y Washington continuarán diálogos productivos, dice prensa de RPDC
PYONGYANG, 1 mar (Xinhua) -- Los líderes de la República Popular Democrática de Corea (RPDC) y Estados Unidos sostuvieron conversaciones "constructivas y francas" en Hanoi el jueves y "continuarán con los diálogos productivos" para abordar temas de interés mutuo, informó hoy la Agencia Central de Noticias de Corea (KCNA por sus siglas en inglés).
"Tuvieron un intercambio constructivo y sincero de sus opiniones sobre los problemas prácticos que surgen al abrir una nueva era en la mejora de las relaciones entre la RPDC y EEUU sobre la base del progreso", dijo el informe de la KCNA.
http://spanish.xinhuanet.com/2019-03/01/c_137860133.htm
RPDC sólo pide a EEUU retirar parte de las sanciones, dice canciller de RPDC
HANOI, 1 mar (Xinhua) -- La República Popular Democrática de Corea (RPDC) sólo propuso a Estados Unidos retirar parcialmente las sanciones contra Pyongyang, dijo hoy viernes en Hanoi el ministro de Relaciones Exteriores de la RPDC.
"Lo que propusimos no fue retirar todas las sanciones, sino retirar una parte de ellas", dijo Ri Yong Ho en una conferencia de prensa y añadió que RPDC sólo pidió retirar primero aquellas sanciones que obstaculizan la vida de su pueblo.
Si Estados Unidos acepta la propuesta, la RPDC "desmantelará de forma permanente y por completo todas las instalaciones de producción nuclear en el área de Yongbyon, incluyendo de plutonio y uranio, en presencia de expertos de Estados Unidos y mediante el trabajo conjunto de técnicos de ambos países", dijo Ri.
http://spanish.xinhuanet.com/2019-03/01/c_137858668.htm
Milicianos talibanes atacan base militar en Afganistán dejando varios muertos, dice fuente militar
LASHKAR GAH, Afganistán, 1 mar (Xinhua) -- Varios soldados afganos y militantes murieron o resultaron heridos en la mañana de hoy viernes luego de que milicianos talibanes atacaran la base principal del ejército nacional en la provincia de Helmand, sur de Afganistán, informó una fuente en la zona.
"Los militantes armados se abrieron paso dentro del Cuerpo 215 Maywand en el área de Shorab, en Helmand, a primeras horas del viernes. Tenemos muertos y afectaciones, pero aún no podemos proporcionar detalles", dijo a Xinhua una fuente del ejército de forma anónima.
http://spanish.xinhuanet.com/2019-03/01/c_137860481.htm
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RUSSIA TODAY
Poland poised for F-35 buy? Minister calls 5th-gen fighter program a 'priority' for govt
Poland's defense minister has labeled the purchase of fifth-generation fighter jets a "priority task" for the government, leaving local media to speculate that an expensive acquisition of Lockheed Martin's F-35 could be imminent.
Speaking during a press conference on Poland's military modernization plan on Thursday, Mariusz Blaszczak said he expected "immediate action" from top military officials to buy 32 fifth-generation multi-role fighter aircraft. He added that the Harpia program would boost the capabilities of its F-16 fleet while removing the need for older Soviet-era warplanes by 2026.
https://www.rt.com/news/452769-polish-minister-hints-f35-buy/
US plans to buy arms incl mortars in E. Europe, send them close to Venezuela border – Moscow
Washington plans to buy weapons including mortars and portable air-defense systems in an Eastern European country and send them close to Venezuela's border, Russian FM Sergey Lavrov said citing internal sources.
It looks like the US is considering a military intervention in Venezuela, Moscow's top diplomat said during a press conference with Venezuelan Vice President Delcy Rodriguez on Friday. In this scenario, Washington would be buying arms in Eastern Europe and sending them via cargo plane to locations near Venezuela's borders.
https://www.rt.com/news/452755-us-weapons-europe-lavrov-venezuela/
Year of the android: Record number of robots installed in the workplace in 2018
American companies installed a record number of robots in the workplace in 2018, according to a new report. Automation helps companies cut costs and stay competitive, but the bots face a growing backlash.
In 2018, 35,880 robots were shipped, a seven-percent increase over 2017, states a report from the Association for Advancing Automation, a robotics industry lobby group. All kinds of firms stepped up their orders last year, with notable growth happening in the food and consumer goods (48 percent), plastics and rubber (37 percent), life sciences (31 percent) and electronics (22 percent) sectors.
Factory robots have long been most closely associated with the automotive industry. However, the auto industry's orders fell in 2018 to just 53 percent of the robots shipped, its lowest share of the market since 2010.
https://www.rt.com/usa/452716-more-robot-workers-2018/
'Big deal': Boeing tanker jets grounded after USAF finds debris in new aircraft
Boeing's ongoing woes over the development of the KC-46 tanker continues after dangerous debris found in several aircraft prompted a week-long grounding of training flights and a reprimand from Washington, local media reports.
The pause in flight operations of the new refueler aircraft was ordered by the US Air Force (USAF) last week, after the service found the tankers regularly contained tools that had been left behind or foreign object debris (FOD), such as scraps of metal, in several parts of the plane. This could cause damage to the tanker's equipment over time or cut electrical wiring.
Flights only resumed on Thursday after the USAF and Defense Contract Management Agency (DCMA) slapped Boeing with 13 improvements to be implemented at its assembly line along with a warning that they may stop accepting aircraft if standards don't improve. In an internal memo dated February 21 and seen by the Seattle Times, Boeing warned employees that the issue of FOD was damaging the USAF's "current confidence" in their product.
https://www.rt.com/usa/452770-boeing-memo-tanker-debris-usaf/
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AL JAZEERA
What's next for US-North Korea ties after Hanoi summit failure?
Analysts say the collapse of Trump-Kim summit is a major setback for all sides involved in the nuclear standoff.
Faras Ghani
Trump sought a guarantee from North Korean leader Kim Jong Un that Pyongyang would stop testing its missiles and nuclear weapons. In return, North Korea demanded the lifting of the economic sanctions - and that, ultimately, became the sticking point in the talks.
But there was drama after Air Force One took off for Washington on Thursday evening. While the US president repeatedly said Pyongyang wanted sanctions lifted entirely, North Korean Foreign Minister Ri Yong Ho, in a late-night press conference in Hanoi, clarified his side sought only a partial lifting and had offered a "realistic proposal", including the dismantling of its main nuclear site at Yongbyon.
A recent report by Stanford University's Centre for International Security and Cooperation said North Korea appears to have produced enough bomb fuel in the past year to add as many as seven nuclear weapons to its arsenal.
https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2019/02/north-korea-ties-hanoi-summit-failure-190228160948599.html
Somalia: Many killed in al-Shabab attack in Mogadishu
Police say as many as 29 people killed as soldiers and al-Shabab fighters continue to exchange fire in Somali capital.
The Maka al-Mukarama hotel is frequently patronised by government officials, and al-Shabab has targeted it multiple times in past attacks that have killed scores of people.
The armed group has been fighting to dislodge a Western-backed government protected by African Union-mandated peacekeepers.
The US has dramatically increased air attacks against al-Shabab since President Donald Trump took office.
The US military command for the African continent reportedly carried out 50 raids in Somalia in 2018.
US puts million-dollar bounty on bin Laden's son
Hamza bin Laden has allegedly threatened attacks on the 'US and its allies' the US Justice Department claims.
The State Department described Hamza bin Laden as a "leader" within al-Qaeda who is growing in prominence within the US-designated "terror" group.
The junior bin Laden has released audio and video messages on the internet calling for attacks against the West and has threatened revenge for his father's 2011 killing by US forces, the department said in a statement.
https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2019/03/puts-million-dollar-bounty-bin-laden-son-190301064508390.html
US, Russia rival bids for UN action in Venezuela blocked
Both the US and Russia fail in rival bids to get the UN Security Council to take action on Venezuela.
Russia and China vetoed a US-drafted UNSC resolution, calling for a free and fair presidential election in Venezuela and unhindered aid access.
The US text garnered a minimum nine votes - forcing the double veto, while South Africa also voted no. Three countries abstained.
The council then voted on a rival Russian draft that aimed to express support for a political solution and back the Venezuelan government as the primary coordinator of international assistance efforts in the country.
The Russian text failed after only four council members voted in favour of it. Four abstained and the rest were against.
"The Venezuelan affairs should be decided by the Venezuelan people," China's Deputy UN Ambassador Wu Haitao said.
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DEUTSCHE BELLE
NATO steps up naval presence on the Black Sea
Experts say the move sends a signal that the West won't tolerate Russia's expanding military footprint in the region. However, an 80-year-old treaty could limit the alliance's scope for action.
Odessa has welcomed the USS Donald Cook. The US Navy destroyer, which is equipped with a missile defense system and is usually stationed in Spain, is often in the Black Sea these days. In January, it was in Batumi for exercises with the Georgian coast guard. Now it's arrived at the Ukrainian port of Odessa. On February 26, Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko met United States Special Representative for Ukraine Kurt Volker on board the ship. Poroshenko described this meeting as "symbolic," and the presence of the destroyer in Odessa as "an important signal to the Kremlin" that "Crimea is Ukrainian," and that "freedom of navigation in the region is assured."
NATO is reinforcing its presence in the Black Sea. Although it's not parading the fact, the Russian Black Sea Fleet is keeping a very close eye on developments. As well as the USS Donald Cook, the Standing NATO Response Force Mine Countermeasures Group 2 (SNMCMG 2), led by the German ship FSG Werra, is also in the region. In January, the landing ship USS Fort McHenry was in the Black Sea, and before that, in December, the British reconnaissance ship HMS Echo was in Odessa.
https://www.dw.com/en/nato-steps-up-naval-presence-on-the-black-sea/a-47732883
Ni EE.UU. ni Rusia logran aprobar resoluciones sobre Venezuela
Washington pedía elecciones libres e ingreso de ayuda humanitaria. Moscú expresaba preocupación por las amenazas y reivindicaba autoridad de Maduro.
Dos resoluciones relacionadas con Venezuela fueron presentadas este jueves (28.02.2019) ante el Consejo de Seguridad de Naciones Unidas. La primera en ser puesta en discusión fue una iniciativa impulsada por Estados Unidos, que pedía elecciones libres y creíbles, además de exigir el ingreso "sin trabas" de la ayuda humanitaria que se acumula en Colombia, Brasil y Curazao.
La resolución propuesta por Estados Unidos fue vetada por Rusia y China, y contó además con el voto en contra de Sudáfrica, miembro no permanente del Consejo de Seguridad. "Lamentablemente, al votar contra esta resolución, algunos miembros de este Consejo continúan protegiendo a (Nicolás) Maduro y sus cómplices y prolongando el sufrimiento de los venezolanos", lamentó el enviado estadounidense para Venezuela, Elliott Abrams.
https://www.dw.com/es/ni-eeuu-ni-rusia-logran-aprobar-resoluciones-sobre-venezuela/a-47733543
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AL MAYADEEN
Más del 90 por ciento de los venezolanos rechaza la amenaza militar de EE.UU.
El presidente de Venezuela, Nicolás Maduro, afirmó que el 92 por ciento de los ciudadanos del país rechaza la amenaza de invasión militar por parte del gobierno de Donald Trump, de acuerdo con una reciente encuesta.
Destacó también que el 80 por ciento de los venezolanos rechaza el intervencionismo de Colombia en los asuntos de la nación sudamericana. El 86 por ciento de los venezolanos -subrayó- apoya el diálogo "para atender los verdaderos problemas de Venezuela y que sean resueltos entre venezolanos y venezolanas".
Rusia responsabiliza a EE.UU. de continuar bloqueo a salida de desplazados sirios de al-Rukban
Agregó que las fuerzas de la ocupación estadounidense emplazadas en el área de al-Tanf en las fronteras con Jordania continúan obstruyendo el regreso de los desplazados a sus ciudades liberadas del terrorismo y en paralelo difunde mentiras para disuadirlos de abandonar el campamento.
