Síntesis informativa - 24 de junio 2019
THE NEW YORK TIMES
White House Is Pressing for Additional Options, Including Cyberattacks, to Deter Iran
WASHINGTON — American intelligence and military officers are working on additional clandestine plans to counter Iranian aggression in the Persian Gulf, pushed by the White House to develop new options that could help deter Tehran without escalating tensions into a full-out conventional war, according to current and former officials.
The goal is to develop operations similar to the cyberattacks conducted on Thursday and that echo the shadow war the United States has accused Tehran of carrying out with attacks on oil tankers in the Middle East, according to American officials briefed on the effort. Iran maintains that it was not responsible for the attacks on the tankers.
https://www.nytimes.com/2019/06/23/us/politics/trump-iran-cyber-shadow-war.html
Trump’s Iran Reversal Raises Allies’ Doubts Over His Tactics, and U.S. Power
BERLIN — Some framed it as another empty threat from a leader whose bark is consistently worse than his bite. Some saw a method to the perceived madness — a potentially shrewd act of brinkmanship.
And others considered it simply the latest act of an America that, long before President Trump, has often oscillated from isolation to intervention, and back.
https://www.nytimes.com/2019/06/23/world/europe/trump-iran-usa.html
Saudi Airport Struck by Deadly Attack
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — One person was killed and seven others were wounded on Sunday in an attack by Iranian-allied Yemeni rebels on a Saudi airport, Saudi Arabia said. The strike came as the American secretary of state, Mike Pompeo, traveled to the country for talks on Iran.
Regional tensions have flared in recent days. The United States abruptly called off a military strike against Iran last week in response to the shooting down of an unmanned American surveillance drone.
https://www.nytimes.com/2019/06/23/world/middleeast/saudi-airport-attacked.html
U.S. Carried Out Cyberattacks on Iran
WASHINGTON — United States Cyber Command on Thursday conducted online attacks against an Iranian intelligence group that American officials believe helped plan the attacks against oil tankers in recent weeks, according to people briefed on the operation.
The intrusion occurred the same day President Trump called off a strike on Iranian targets like radar and missile batteries. But the online operation was allowed to go forward because it was intended to be below the threshold of armed conflict — using the same shadow tactics that Iran has deployed.
The online attacks, which had been planned for several weeks, were ultimately meant to be a direct response to both the tanker attacks this month and the downing of an American drone this week, according to the people briefed on the operations.
https://www.nytimes.com/2019/06/22/us/politics/us-iran-cyber-attacks.html
Bolton Warns Iran Not to ‘Mistake U.S. Prudence and Discretion for Weakness’
JERUSALEM — President Trump’s national security adviser, John R. Bolton, warned Tehran on Sunday not to “mistake U.S. prudence and discretion for weakness,” saying that military action against Iran remained very much an option even though the United States last week called off one military strike.
Tensions between the two countries had brought Mr. Trump to the brink of ordering a retaliatory strike over explosions on oil tankers in the Gulf of Oman and the Iranian downing of an American surveillance drone.
https://www.nytimes.com/2019/06/23/world/middleeast/john-bolton-iran-drone.html
Palestinian Leader Abbas Brushes Off Trump Plan for Investment
RAMALLAH, West Bank — The Palestinian leader, Mahmoud Abbas, on Sunday dismissed a new effort by the Trump administration to encourage investment of more than $50 billion to jump-start the Palestinian and regional economies in hopes of building a foundation for a future peace.
In a rare meeting with foreign journalists at his headquarters in the West Bank city of Ramallah, Mr. Abbas, the Palestinian Authority president, said the plan, set to be kicked off this week at a conference in Bahrain, was ill-begotten and bound to fail.
The Trump administration released its economic plan over the weekend to set the stage for a workshop on Tuesday and Wednesday. The Palestinian leadership called for a boycott of the conference, and Palestinian officials will not attend. Most Palestinian businesspeople who were invited appear to be staying away.
https://www.nytimes.com/2019/06/23/world/middleeast/palestinians-trump-mahmoud-abbas.html
General Accused in Ethiopian Coup Attempt is Reported Killed
ADDIS ABABA, Ethiopia — The general suspected of being behind a coup attempt in the Ethiopian region of Amhara has been captured and killed, state media reported on Monday.
The suspect, Gen. Asamnew Tsige, is accused of planning gun attacks on Saturday night that killed four people, including the army’s chief of staff and Amhara’s regional president. A fifth victim, the attorney general of Amhara, died of his wounds on Monday.
Earlier Monday, an Ethiopian government spokesman said that security forces were hunting General Asamnew but that a number of other plotters had been arrested.
https://www.nytimes.com/2019/06/24/world/africa/ethiopia-coup-amhara.html
AL JAZEERA
Iran denies being hit by US cyberattack
No successful attack has been carried out, although US is making an effort, Iran's telecommunications minister says.
Iran says that no cyberattack against it has ever succeeded, after US media reported the US launched one last week amid a standoff between the two countries.
US media on Saturday said Washington launched cyberattacks against Iranian missile control systems and a spy network this week after Tehran downed a US surveillance drone.
The Iranian telecommunications minister acknowledged that Iran has "been facing cyber terrorism - such as Stuxnet - and unilateralism - such as sanctions".
The Stuxnet virus, discovered in 2010, is believed to have been engineered by Israel and the US to damage nuclear facilities in Iran.
And Tehran is believed to have stepped up its own cyber capabilities in the face of US efforts to isolate Iran.
"We foiled last year not one attack but 33 million attacks with Dejpha shield," Jahromi said referring to a new internet defence system.
https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2019/06/iran-denies-hit-cyberattack-190624064421998.html
Ethiopia security forces kill alleged coup leader
The failed putsch on Saturday led to the killing of five senior officials, including the army chief of staff.
General Asamnew Tsige allegedly led the coup attempt in the northern Amhara region and he was shot on Monday near the state capital Bahir Dar, the prime minister's press secretary, Negussu Tilahun, told Reuters news agency on Monday.
Asamnew had told the Amhara people to arm themselves and prepare for fighting against other groups, in a video spread on Facebook a week earlier.
Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed has pushed through sweeping changes since coming to power in April last year, making peace with Eritrea, reining in the security services, releasing political prisoners and lifting bans on some outlawed separatist groups.
Qatar reveals further investment of $3bn in Pakistan
The funding takes Qatar's total investments in Pakistan to $9bn.
The recent visit of top-level Qatari diplomats and leaders to Islamabad saw deals reached for cooperation in aviation, maritime affairs, higher education, and defence and defence production, Pakistan's GeoTV reported.
https://www.aljazeera.com/ajimpact/qatar-reveals-3bn-investment-pakistan-190624114635608.html
AL MAYADEEN
Grupos terroristas sabotean oleoductos submarinos en el este de Siria
“Nos informaron de una fuga de petróleo en la terminal marítima de Baniyas, razón por la cual un equipo de buzos sirios realizó una inspección de los oleoductos submarinos de la zona contaminada, y descubrieron que habían saboteado cinco tuberías pertenecientes a las redes de transporte 2, 3 y 4”, informó el Ministerio sirio de Petróleo y de Recursos Minerales.
El titular sirio de Petróleo y Recursos Minerales, Ali Qanem, explicó que ese ataque terrorista afectó la red de oleoductos que transporta el crudo a los buques. "Tres redes de transporte sufrieron daños significativos", agregó.
"Esperaremos hasta que EE.UU. madure para el diálogo", según Putin
Según el presidente ruso, "es poco probable" que nadie presione a Moscú sobre temas importantes de la agenda internacional.
"No creo que nadie esté tratando de aplastarnos con nada, deben entender que es una posibilidad inverosímil. Pero sí necesitamos el diálogo", subrayó Putin al canal.
Canciller Arreaza rechaza llamados de presidente de Colombia al golpe de Estado en Venezuela
"Mientras Duque viaja por el mundo para promover golpes militares en Venezuela, en Colombia la crisis en Derechos Humanos se agrava dramáticamente. Vuelve la guerra, asesinan líderes sociales y excombatientes casi a diario, producen más droga y más pobreza", escribió Arreaza.
Pompeo viaja a Medio Oriente en busca una coalición global contra Irán
El secretario de Estado de EE.UU., Mike Pompeo, arribó este lunes a Arabia Saudita para abordar la crisis con Irán, informó AFP.
Según la fuente, Pompeo también tiene previsto viajar a Emiratos Árabes Unidos.
