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With Trump silent, no ‘sheriff’ in town on Pakistan-India crisis, ex-diplomats say

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…As US Commander says: Russian military, modernizing quickly, plans to sell missile system to Turkey***

When India and Pakistan stood on the brink of war in 1999, President Bill Clinton waded into the crisis with personal diplomacy, forceful letters and stern warnings, threatening tough economic action against Islamabad unless it backed down.

But as tensions escalated last week between India and Pakistan, President Donald Trump and many of his senior aides were preoccupied with a high-stakes summit with North Korea, as well as a heated congressional hearing featuring his former personal lawyer, Michael Cohen.

It was the most serious confrontation between the South Asian nuclear-armed rivals in decades, but the Trump administration was effectively a bystander — it did not seek to mediate the standoff as the U.S. has in the past, several former and foreign diplomats told NBC News.

“The U.S. government doesn’t appear to be engaged on this issue at a senior level,” said Daniel Feldman, former special representative to Afghanistan and Pakistan under the Obama administration. “It demonstrates not only a lack of focus, but how diminished our capacity is with so many senior positions, across a number of key agencies, vacant or held by acting officials.”

At the height of the crisis last week, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, national security adviser John Bolton and Joint Chiefs Chairman Gen. Joseph Dunford made phone calls to their counterparts in Islamabad and New Delhi, which were important but not close to the type of shuttle diplomacy that played out in previous crises, former officials said.

In 1999, Clinton worked the phone with both of his counterparts and helped resolve the showdown. But that was not the case this time.

“For the first time in over 20 years, Washington was not an active player in trying to calm down an Indo-Pakistani crisis,” said Bruce Riedel, a former CIA officer who served on the National Security Council under Clinton. “The president didn’t talk to the protagonists.”

Administration officials rejected the criticism, saying the United States was one of the first governments to condemn the suicide bombing last month that killed 40 Indian troops — triggering the crisis — and repeatedly appealed to both sides to defuse the conflict. Pompeo “played an essential role in the de-escalation of tensions between India and Pakistan,” speaking to leaders in both countries and his counterparts, a State Department spokesperson said.

Washington was also in continuous contact through the U.S. embassies in New Delhi and Islamabad, the spokesperson said, adding: “While not all diplomacy can be conducted in public view, the United States will continue to engage with India and Pakistan to de-escalate tensions through all appropriate channels.”

Washington has no ambassador to Pakistan and it was only in December that the White House finally submitted a nomination for the senior position at the State Department that oversees South and Central Asia. Other senior State Department positions handling South Asia have undergone frequent turnover, and former officials say the White House has often had other priorities that have pushed aside the long-running dispute between India and Pakistan over Kashmir.

Former Defense Secretary James Mattis, well-versed in the history and politics of South Asia, stepped down in December after clashing with the president over Syria and international alliances. His successor, Patrick Shanahan, is a former Boeing executive inexperienced in foreign policy.

“In the past, we’ve been the sheriff in this region. Now, there’s no one in our police station who’s willing to intervene,” said Harry Sokolski, a former Pentagon official and now executive director of the Nonproliferation Policy Education Center. “Who is our diplomat who is going to intervene here?”

At least one U.S. agency had concerns in the past few months that tensions were rising between the two adversaries. The concerns prompted the CIA to beef up its commitment to the region, two U.S. officials, who were not authorized to speak on the record, told NBC News. They offered no further details.

Other regional experts said while Washington had played a more limited role, India and Pakistan were not necessarily keen to see the Trump administration serve as an interlocutor. Unlike previous standoffs, the Trump White House was ready to grant India the room it needed to resolve the situation.commended

In the meantime, a top U.S. commander has warned that Russia’s military is modernizing quickly, and that a possible weapons deal with Turkey could put the United States in danger.

Gen. Curtis Scaparrotti, head of U.S. European Command, said on Tuesday that Turkey faces significant consequences: If it buys an S-400 missile from Russia, it should be prepared to forfeit the chance of future weapons or aircraft buys from the United States.

Turkey is currenty in the process of purchasing 100 high-tech F-35 fighter jets from the United States, but Scaparrotti said possession of the S-400 would pose a significant threat to the F-35. The U.S. agreed to the sale, and delivered two of the jets, but Congress ordered a delay in future deliveries last year.

His warning is just the latest U.S. officials have delivered to Turkey, a NATO partner, advising against purchasing the S-400. The U.S. and other NATO allies have repeatedly complained about the purchase, saying it is not compatible with other allied systems and would represent a security threat. The impending purchase has aggravated already-souring relations with Ankara, including tensions over the war in Syria.

“While the United States maintains global military superiority over Russia, evolving Russian capabilities threaten to erode our competitive military advantage, challenge our ability to operate uncontested in all domains and diminish our ability to deter Russian aggression,” Scaparrotti said.

The S-400, a surface-to-air missile defense system, “presents a problem to all of our aircraft, but specifically the F-35,” he added.

During a Senate Armed Services Committee hearing on Tuesday, Scaparrotti told government officials he needs more troops in Europe, in addition to carrier strike groups, to combat rising tensions.

He added that the U.S. Navy has been sending ships closer and closer to Russia, including the Black Sea, which is angering officials in Moscow.

Scaparrotti’s warnings echoed those made by Vice President Mike Pence last month at an international security conference in Munich. During his speech, Pence said the U.S. has “made it clear that we will not stand idly by while NATO allies purchase weapons from our adversaries.  We cannot ensure the defense of the West if our allies grow dependent on the East.”

Both the United States and Russia pulled out of a major Cold War-era arms pact last month, one that had banned ground-launched cruise missiles with a range between 310 miles and 3,400 miles.

NBC with additional report from Fox News

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U.S. strikes 2 targets in Syria in response to ‘continued attacks’

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The U.S. military struck two facilities in eastern Syria used by Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and Iran-affiliated groups in response to “continued attacks” against U.S. personnel in Iraq and Syria, the Pentagon said on Sunday.

The strikes were conducted against a training facility in Abu Kamal and a safe house in Mayadin in the eastern governorate of Deir Ezzor, U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said in a brief statement.

The U.S. struck similar targets in eastern Syria in October and earlier in November.

Pro-Iranian militias have intensified their attacks on U.S. military bases in Syria and Iraq in recent weeks as a response to the Israeli military campaign in Gaza.

The security situation in the entire region has been particularly tense since Oct. 7, when Hamas militants staged deadly attacks in southern Israel.

Israel is responding with an overwhelming air and ground offensive in Gaza.

As a deterrent, the U.S. has moved more weapons systems, warships and air squadrons to the Eastern Mediterranean, and is deploying several hundred troops to the Middle East to support US units there.

U.S. President Joe Biden had ordered Sunday’s action to make it clear that the U.S. was defending itself, its personnel, and its interests, Austin stressed.

The U.S. is prepared to take further necessary measures to protect its own people and interests.

  • dpa
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Russia writes off $23bn debt for Africa – Putin

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Russia sends almost 12m tons of grain to Africa says Putin

…Pledges additional $90 million***

Vladimir Putin, the Russian President, says the Russian Government has written off $23 billion debt burden of African countries.

Putin spoke at the plenary session of the ongoing second Russia–Africa Summit 2023 held from July 27 to July 28.

He said Moscow would allocate an additional $90 million for these purposes.

Putin said Russia was advocating the expansion of representation of African countries in the UN Security Council and other UN structures.

“Russia and Africa strive to develop cooperation in all areas and strengthen ‘honest, open, constructive’ partnership.

“Russia will also assist in opening new African embassies and consulates in Russia,” he said.

According to him, the reopening of embassies in Burkina Faso and Equatorial Guinea is going as planned.

He said sovereignty was “not a one-time achieved state,” and it must be constantly protected.

Putin also offered assistance to Africa in countering threats such as terrorism, piracy, and transnational crimes adding that it would continue to train personnel from African countries.

He assured that Russian businesses have a lot to offer partners from Africa.

Putin said transition to national currencies and the establishment of transport and logistics chains would contribute to the increase in mutual trade turnover.

“Russia is ready to provide trade preferences to Africa, support the creation of modern production sectors, agricultural sector, and provide assistance through relevant international structures and agencies.

“Russia will always be a responsible international supplier of agricultural products,” he said.

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U.S. Coastguard Finds ‘debris field’ Near Missing Vessel

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A “debris field” has been discovered within the search area for the missing Titan submersible, the U.S. Coastguard (USCG) said on Thursday.

The agency said a remotely-operated vehicle made the discovery near the wreckage of the Titanic on Thursday.

The hunt for the missing deep-sea vessel is still an “active search and rescue” mission after it lost communication on Sunday.

The vessel was about 700 kilometres south of St John’s, Newfoundland, during a voyage to the Titanic shipwreck off the coast of Canada.

Coastguard officials said they were “evaluating the information” following Thursday’s debris discovery.

A press conference will be held at the Coastguard base in Boston to “discuss the findings” at 8pm (1900 GMT).

Rear Admiral John Mauger, the first Coastguard district commander, and Captain Jamie Frederick, first Coastguard district response coordinator, will lead the press conference.

Founding member of the Board of Trustees of The Explorers Club, Hamish Harding, was on board the undersea craft, alongside UK-based businessman Shahzada Dawood, his son Suleman Dawood, and OceanGate’s chief executive and founder Stockton Rush, as well as French submersible pilot Paul-Henri Nargeolet.

The USCG said the ROV that made the discovery was from the Canadian Horizon Arctic ship – with the debris being found on the sea floor near the Titanic wreckage.

Assistance from the Royal Air Force (RAF) is due to arrive in St John’s on Thursday after it confirmed a request was received overnight for help with the movement of additional commercial equipment.

Two RAF planes, a C-17 Globemaster and A400 Atlas, departed RAF Lossiemouth in north-east Scotland on Thursday.

A British submariner and equipment from a UK firm have been sent to help the search at the request of the U.S. Coastguard, Downing Street said.

Royal Navy submariner Lieutenant Commander Richard Kantharia, who was on exchange with the U.S. Navy, has been seconded to the search and rescue team.

OceanGate Expeditions estimated the oxygen supply on the 6.7 metre-long vessel would last 96 hours, giving rescuers a deadline of around midday on Thursday.

Experts said the chances of finding the sub and rescuing those inside were diminishing.

Former Royal Navy submarine captain Ryan Ramsey told the PA news agency: “The outlook is bleak, that’s the only word for it as this tragic event unfolds and almost the closing stages of where this changes from rescue to a salvage mission.”

The Titan is believed to be about 900 miles east and 400 miles south of Newfoundland.

It is not known how deep the vessel is, with the seabed being around 3,800 metres from the surface. 

– dpa

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