Síntesis informativa - 20 de agosto 2019
The New York Times
ISIS Is Regaining Strength in Iraq and Syria
WASHINGTON — Five months after American-backed forces ousted the Islamic State from its last shard of territory in Syria, the terrorist group is gathering new strength, conducting guerrilla attacks across Iraq and Syria, retooling its financial networks and targeting new recruits at an allied-run tent camp, American and Iraqi military and intelligence officers said.
Though President Trump hailed a total defeat of the Islamic State this year, defense officials in the region see things differently, acknowledging that what remains of the terrorist group is here to stay.
https://www.nytimes.com/2019/08/19/us/politics/isis-iraq-syria.html
As Taliban Talk Peace, ISIS Is Ready to Play the Spoiler in Afghanistan
KABUL, Afghanistan — Even as the United States and the Taliban seem close to a deal on an American troop withdrawal, the Islamic State in Afghanistan is making clear that it stands to inherit the role of violent spoiler if any peace agreement is reached.
That message was punctuated on Saturday by a suicide bomber who killed 63 wedding celebrants in Kabul, mostly from the country’s Shiite minority, in an attack that the Islamic State attributed to one of its loyalists from Pakistan. It was among the most devastating attacks in Afghanistan claimed by the Islamic State in the five years since it first established a beachhead in the eastern part of the country.
The bombing was a painful reminder of the immediate threat posed by the militants: that they can slip through tight security in the capital and cause the kind of carnage that devastates a vulnerable community, while cranking up pressure on a government already on the edge.
After Safari Ends in a Nightmare, Benin Awakens to the Threat of Terrorism
PENDJARI NATIONAL PARK, Benin — As a safari guide in a sprawling wilderness preserve in West Africa, Fiacre Gbédji often seemed no different from the tourists in his care: He gushed at each lion sighting and thrilled at each bushbuck he spotted through the trees.
But when Mr. Gbédji and two French tourists he was guiding deep within Pendjari National Park were kidnapped by terrorists, the international response to the men involved was far different.
The tourists were rescued 10 days later by the French military. Two French commandos killed during the mission were given solemn services in the heart of Paris.
https://www.nytimes.com/2019/08/20/world/africa/safari-kidnapping-benin-terrorism.html
Facebook and Twitter Say China Is Spreading Disinformation in Hong Kong
SAN FRANCISCO — China has adopted Russia’s playbook for spreading disinformation on Facebook and Twitter, deploying those tactics in its increasingly heated information war over the protests that have convulsed Hong Kong.
In recent weeks, Facebook and Twitter accounts that originated in China acted in a coordinated fashion to amplify messages and images that portrayed Hong Kong’s protesters as violent and extreme, the two social media companies said on Monday. On Facebook, one recent post from a China-linked account likened the protesters to ISIS fighters. And a Twitter message said, “We don’t want you radical people in Hong Kong. Just get out of here!”
Facebook and Twitter said they had now removed the accounts, the first time that the social media companies have had to take down accounts linked to disinformation in China.
What to Know About California’s New Police Use-of-Force Law
On Monday, Gov. Gavin Newsom signed into law one of the nation’s toughest standards for the use of deadly force by the police, ending years of often tense discussion and providing bittersweet relief for families of those killed by officers.
“The bill goes to the heart of some of our most sacred principles, in which force should be exercised judiciously, with respect for human life and dignity,” the governor said in a statement.
As Laurel Rosenhall, a reporter for CalMatters wrote last month, the bill legislators passed this year represented a compromise.
Though the law requires that the police use deadly force only “when necessary in defense of human life” — a more stringent standard than before — civil rights advocates and law enforcement groups agreed to drop from the bill provisions that would have held officers criminally liable in more cases.
https://www.nytimes.com/2019/08/20/us/california-police-use-of-force-law.html
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THE GUARDIAN
Russia and China say US missile test could revive arms race
Russia and China have said a new US missile test has heightened military tensions and risks triggering an arms race, weeks after Washington ended acold-war-era weapons pact with Moscow.
The US and Russia terminated the intermediate-range nuclear forces (INF) treaty this month after accusing each other of violating the accord. Washington said the agreement also tied its hands in dealing with other powers such as China.
The US defence department announced on Monday it had tested a type of ground-launched missile that was banned under the 1987 INF agreement, which limited the use of nuclear and conventional medium-range weapons.
In Beijing, the Chinese foreign ministry spokesman, Geng Shuang, said: “This measure from the US will trigger a new round of an arms race, leading to an escalation of military confrontation.”
He said the test would have a “serious negative impact” on the international and regional security situation. The US should “let go of its cold war mentality” and “do more things that are conducive to … international and regional peace and tranquillity”, Geng added.
Speaking in France on Monday, before news of the US test launch broke, Vladimir Putin said Russia would only deploy medium- or shorter-range missiles in response to similar moves by the US.
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2019/aug/20/russian-china-us-missile-test-arms-race
Twitter and Facebook crack down on accounts linked to Chinese campaign against Hong Kong
Twitter disclosed a “significant state-backed information operation” originating from within the People’s Republic of China (PRC) targeting the pro-democracy movement in Hong Kong. It removed 936 accounts and suspended approximately 200,000 accounts its investigation found were illegitimate.
“Covert, manipulative behaviors have no place on our service – they violate the fundamental principles on which our company is built,” Twitter said in a statement.
Following Twitter’s disclosure of the Chinese campaign on Monday, Facebook said it had removed seven pages, three groups and five accounts belonging to a small network that originated in China and focused on Hong Kong.
“We’re constantly working to detect and stop this type of activity because we don’t want our services to be used to manipulate people,” Facebook said.
https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2019/aug/19/twitter-china-hong-kong-accounts
Wrong peace deal could mean 'return to chaos' for Afghanistan
Afghanistan could “return to chaos” with the wrong peace deal, say women’s rights groups in the country. A poorly negotiated agreement without proper representation of Afghan citizens and a clear counterterrorism strategy would place the democratic gains of the past 18 years at risk, says Suraya Pakzad, founder of the Voice of Women Organisation.
Women’s rights groups remain concerned at their limited representation in the talks to date and the vague reference to women’s rights being ensured within “the framework of Islamic values” in the Doha statement.
Talks between the US and the Taliban are running alongside campaigning for twice-postponed presidential elections, now due to take place on 28 September.
The Taliban have urged a boycott, describing the elections as “nothing more than a ploy”. Among the 18 candidates standing are the incumbent president, Ashraf Ghani, and chief executive Abdullah Abdullah.
Italian PM expected to resign as political chaos deepens
The Italian prime minister, Giuseppe Conte, is widely expected to resign after delivering a blistering attack against Matteo Salvini, the leader of the far-right League.
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2019/aug/20/italian-pm-expected-resign-giuseppe-conte
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Xinhua
China urges U.S. to exercise restraint on armament development after missile test
BEIJING, Aug. 20 (Xinhua) -- China on Tuesday urged the United States to exercise restraint on armament development and earnestly safeguard the existing arms control regime, after the U.S. Defense Department on Monday reportedly announced the test of a medium-range ground-launched cruise missile.
It was reported that the "conventionally configured" test missile hit the target after flying more than 500 km. That was the first time the United States carried out a missile test previously prohibited by the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty (INF Treaty), marking the resumption of an arms race.
Foreign Ministry spokesman Geng Shuang said the missile test was conducted less than three weeks after the United States announced its official withdrawal from the INF Treaty on Aug. 2.
http://www.xinhuanet.com/english/2019-08/20/c_138323998.htm
Documents signed during Israeli PM Netanyahu's visit in Kiev
KIEV, Aug. 19 (Xinhua) -- A series of documents were signed Monday in the presence of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, according to the Ukrainian president's official website.
The documents included a memorandum of understanding on cooperation in agriculture, and an agreement on facilitating Hebrew language study in Ukrainian educational institutions and the study of the Ukrainian language in Israeli educational institutions.
In addition, ambassadors of the two states signed a cooperation program in education, culture, youth and sports spheres.
Netanyahu's visit to Kiev is the first by a sitting Israeli prime minister in 20 years.
http://www.xinhuanet.com/english/2019-08/20/c_138321691.htm
Feature: Lockdown, communication blockade continue in Indian-controlled Kashmir
SRINAGAR, Indian-controlled Kashmir, Aug. 20 (Xinhua) -- The massive lockdown and communication blockade imposed by local government continued in restive Indian-controlled Kashmir Tuesday for the 16th straight day, officials said.
Thousands of paramilitary troopers have been deployed across the region in Srinagar city, the summer capital of Indian-controlled Kashmir to enforce restrictions and prevent protest and demonstrations.
Men in uniforms and carrying automatic weapons have set up barricades on roads in a bid to disallow mass free movement of the people.
Locals in Srinagar city and other townships are facing extreme hardships in getting essentials. Shops and business establishments remain closed and public transport is off the roads.
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AL JAZEERA
Syria's war: Rebels withdraw from Idlib's Khan Sheikhoun
Opposition fighters in Syria's northwest withdraw from key town as government forces press ahead with Idlib offensive.
Farah Najjar
The withdrawal from Khan Sheikhoun, one of the northwestern province's largest towns that has been in rebel hands since 2014, comes after days of fierce fighting between rebel factions and Russia-backed forces loyal to President Bashar al-Assad.
Pompeo says ISIL gaining strength in some areas
In wide-ranging interview, Pompeo also tells CBS the US and North Korea have not resumed talks as quickly as he hoped.
"It's complicated. There are certainly places where ISIS is more powerful today than they were three or four years ago," Pompeo said in an interview with CBS's This Morning. But he said the group's self-proclaimed caliphate was gone and its attack capability had been made much more difficult.
In the same interview with CBS, Pompeo was also asked about talks with North Korea.
The secretary of state said the US had not returned to the negotiation table with North Korea as quickly as it had hoped, but he added that Washington knew there would be "bumps on the road" in the denuclearisation talks.
https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2019/08/pompeo-isil-gaining-strength-areas-190820131822640.html
Russia accuses US of stoking tensions with missile test
US missile test in the wake of withdrawal from Cold War-era INF treaty a 'regrettable' move, Moscow says.
Russia has accused the United States of stoking military tensions by testing a ground-launched cruise missile for the first time since Washington withdrew from a landmark Cold War-era nuclear pact earlier this month.
Qatar to build new port in Somalia's Hobyo
Doha to enter investment partnership with Mogadishu, according to Qatar's ministry of transportation and communications.
Hobyo, in the central region of Mudug, is an important Somali port owing to its proximity to the Bab-el-Mandeb Strait, which is one of the most important sea crossing points in the world, with the potential for access to international markets.
Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, which are locked in a protracted dispute with fellow Gulf Arab state Qatar, have been competing along with Doha's ally Turkey for a foothold in the Horn of Africa, located on key shipping routes.
https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2019/08/qatar-build-port-somalia-hobyo-190820115017622.html
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AL MAYADEEN
Marina de EE.UU. está lista para actuar a favor de los intereses de Washington en Venezuela, afirma jefe del Comando Sur
La Marina de los Estados Unidos está “lista” para actuar a favor de los intereses de Washington en Venezuela, dijo el jefe del Comando Sur, almirante Craig Faller.
Estos reclamos fueron hechos el lunes en la ciudad brasileña de Río de Janeiro cuando Estados Unidos inició su ejercicio marítimo anual de UNITAS.
“No hablaré sobre los detalles de lo que estamos planeando y lo que estamos haciendo, pero seguimos listos para implementar decisiones de política y nos mantenemos firmes”, afirmó Faller a los periodistas.
EE.UU. amenaza a quienes brinden ayuda al petrolero iraní Adrian Darya 1
El funcionario estadounidense, que transmitía la amenaza contra la provisión de asistencia al superpetrolero, dijo que Washington había transmitido su “fuerte posición” al gobierno en Grecia, así como a todos los puertos mediterráneos con respecto a la probable facilitación del viaje del petrolero iraní.
