Category Archives: Uncategorized

US Official: 2000 IS Fighters Remain in Raqqa

A senior United States official reported this month that some 2,000 Islamic State (IS) militants remain in the Syrian city of Raqqa, amidst an offensive to recapture the group’s stronghold. IS seized control of Raqqa in 2014, proclaiming it the capital of a “caliphate.”

According to Brett McGurk, special envoy for the coalition against IS, US-backed forces have seized about 45% of Raqq since the operation started in June, adding that the group is now fighting for its own survival and that the militants are likely to die in the city.

The Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) have been gradually advancing on the city since November, and launched an offensive to take it on 6 June. While it currently remains unclear how many civilians are still in the city, the United Nations has estimate that the figure is between 20,000 and 50,000.

The loss of Raqqa would be another major setback for IS after the jihadist group was driven from its main Iraqi bastion of Mosul in July. According to Mr McGurk, the militants have also lost 78% of the territory they held in Iraq and 58% of what they had in Syria, adding, “today in Raqqa, ISIS (IS) is fighting for every last block…and fighting for their own survival…They most likely will die in Raqqa.’

More than 300,000 people have lost their lives in six years of conflict in Syria, which began with protests against President Bashar al-Assad before escalating into a full-scale civil war. Eleven million people have been displaced by the fighting.

Aid Groups Divided Over Italy’s New Migrant Rescue Rules

According to the Italian Interior Ministry, five aid groups that operate migrant rescue vessels in the Mediterranean Sea have refused to sign up to the Italian government’s code of conduct, with three other aid groups backing the new rules.

The Italian coastguard has reported that charity boats have become increasingly important in rescue operations, picking up more than a third of all migrants brought ashore so far this year against less than one percent in 2014. Italy however is now becoming increasingly concerned that the groups are facilitating people smuggling from North Africa and are encouraging migrants to make the perilous passage to Europe. It has therefore proposed a code containing around dozen points for the charities, with the ministry disclosing that those who refused to sign the document had put themselves “outside the organized system of sea rescues, with all the concrete consequences that can have.” This statement comes after Italy last month threatened to shut its ports to NGOS that did not sign up. An Interior Ministry source however has since stated that in reality those groups would face more checks from Italian authorities.

One of the aid groups that has refused to sign the code is Doctors Without Borders (MSF). While it has taken part in many of the rescues of some 95,000 migrants brought to Italy this year, and attended a meeting at the Interior Ministry, MSF objected most strongly to a requirement that aid boats must take migrants to a safe port themselves, rather than transferring people to other vessels, which effectively allows smaller boats to stay in the area for further rescues. In a letter to Interior Minister Marco Minniti, MSF Italy’s director Gabriele Eminente disclosed “our vessels are often overwhelmed by the high number of (migrant) boats…and life and death at sea is a question of minutes.” He continued that “the code of conduct puts at risk this fragile equation of collaboration between different boats,” adding that MSF still wanted to work with the ministry to improve sea rescues. Germany’s Sea-Watch, Sea-Eye and Jugend Rettet as well as France’s SOS Mediterranee have abstained. MSF, SOS Mediterranee and Jugend Rettet have also called for clarity on the rules and took issue with a clause in the code, which would oblige groups to accept police officers on board. Jugend Rettet coordinator Titus Mokenbur disclosed, “for us the most controversial point…was the commitment to help the Italian police with their investigations and possible take armed police officers on board,” adding “this is antithetical to the humanitarian principles of neutrality that we adhere to, and we cannot be seen as being part of the conflict.”

Save the Children has given its backing to the code, stating that it already complied with most of the rules and would monitor closely to be sure that applying them did not obstruct their work. After the meeting, Save the Children Italy director Valerio Neri disclosed, “we would not have signed if even one single point would have compromised our effectiveness. This is not the case, not one single point of the code will hinder our activities.” Malta-based Migrant Offshore Aid Station (MOAS) and Spanish group Proactiva Open Arms have also agreed to the conditions.

EU Top Negotiator Warns of Possible Delay in Brexit Talks

Late last month, the European Union’s (EU) top negotiator warned that talks between Britain and the EU on their future relationship are now less likely to begin in October, with EU officials disclosing that this is due to a lack of progress on Brexit divorce issues so far.

The EU’s top Brexit negotiator Michel Barnier briefed ambassadors from the 27 countries that will remain in the EU after Britain leaves in March 2019 on the outcome of the July round of the monthly divorce talks with London. According to one EU official involved in the Brexit talks, “he said the likelihood of starting the future relationship talks in October appeared to be decreasing.”

Barnier had initially hoped that sufficient progress on the key divorce issues, which includes a financial settlement, citizens rights and a solution for a non-physical border between Northern Ireland and Ireland, could be made by October. This would effectively allow EU leaders to give their consent to begin talks with London on the main aspects of the relationship after Brexit – a discussion that Britain is keen to begin as soon as possible to provide more clarity to businesses. However with no progress on the financial settlement, with the exception of Britain’s general admission that it would owe the EU an unspecified amount, and little to no real progress on other issues, the odds of a future trade relationship discussion beginning in two months are rapidly declining.

EU officials have noted that progress was difficult not because Britain had unacceptable demands, but that it had no position at all on many issues. According to a second EU official, “Barnier expressed concerns that sufficient progress in October looked difficult now. Mainly because Britain has no position on finances, but also because they don’t have positions on other issues as well,” adding “the more they drag on, the less time is left for second phase and special relationship they want.”

The EU has roughly estimated that Britain may owe it around 60 billion euros after it leaves in various legal commitments that London has made as a member to the bloc. However talks are to focus on the methodology of calculation rather than the sum itself. According to a third EU diplomat, “there has still been no kick-off on money, Britain still refuses to accept anything – either the methodology, or the sum. This blocs everything else, there wont be any real progress over the next two months, clearly that wont create grounds for reopening phase two on trade,” adding “on citizens’ acquired rights, it’s a mixed picture. We have a list of things we agree on, disagree on and are some way in between. But that at least allows us to negotiate.” Diplomats have also disclosed that in regards to Ireland, talks have not moved beyond restating positions that have already been presented in public, with a fourth official disclosing that “they have actually not discussed the Irish border in any detail, there were no technical talks at all.”

The next round of talks has been scheduled for late August.

US To Respond by 1 September To Russia’s Expulsion of Diplomats

While the Trump administration has not yet decided how it will respond to Russia’s move to expel hundreds of American diplomats, US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson disclosed last month that the administration is planning to deliver a response to Moscow by 1 September

Mr Tillerson made the announcement just a day after sitting down in the Philippines with Russia’s top diplomat. During the meeting, Mr Tillerson disclosed that he had asked “clarifying questions” about the Kremlin’s retaliation, which was announced last month following new sanctions that were based by US Congress and signed by US President Donald Trump. Fearing that President Trump might move inappropriately to ease sanctions on Russia, Congress in July passed new legislation that both added more sanctions and made it harder for the president to lift them. While both President Trump and Mr Tillerson opposed the legislation, President Trump begrudgingly singed the bill as he was faced with a likely veto override. Moscow’s response to the sanctions was to announce that it would force the US to cut its embassy and consulate staff in Russia by 755 people. That move stoked confusion in Washington, given that the US is believed to have far fewer than 755 American employees in Russia. The Trump administration has now struggled to determine how the move will affect the US diplomatic presence in Russia, as well as the broader implications for the troubled relationship between the two states.

Despite the Russia’s decision, which effectively seems to have plunged the two countries even further into acrimony, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov emerged from the meeting declaring a readiness for more engagement with the US on topics including North Korea, Syria and Ukraine, amongst other issues. This sentiment was further echoed by Mr Tillerson, who disclosed that the two countries had critical national security issues to discuss despite deep disagreements on some matters. Mr Tillerson further disclosed that Russia has been showing “some willingness” to start discussions about a resolution to the ongoing crisis in Ukraine, which has been devoid of real progress for years. That assessment came as Mr Lavrov announced that the Trump administration had committed to sending its new special envoy for Ukraine negotiations, Kur Volker, to Moscow to discuss next steps.

However several obstacles remain and are likely to impact achieving a more functional US-Russia relationship. These include the new US sanctions that have been imposed, Russia’s retaliatory move to expel American diplomats, and of course the ongoing US Justice Department investigation into Russia’s election meddling and potential Trump campaign collusion.

The Trump administration has argued that there is good reason for the US to seek a more productive relationship with Russia. Mr Tillerson has cited modest signs of progress in Syria, where the US and Russia recently brokered a ceasefire in the country’s southwestern region, as a sign that there’s fertile ground for cooperation. The Syrian ceasefire effectively reflected a return of US-Russia cooperation to lower violence there. The US had looked warily at a series of safe zones in Syria that Russia had negotiated along with Turkey and Iran – but not the US.

Italy Gives Go-ahead to Libya Naval Mission

Italy’s Parliament on Wednesday 2 August authorized a limited naval mission to help Libya’s coastguard curb migrant flow, which have become a source of growing political friction in the south European nation ahead of national elections expected to take place early next year.

The lower house voted by 328 to 113 in favour of the mission. An Italian official has disclosed that Rome planned to send two boats to Libyan waters, with Defense Minister Roberta Pinotti sating that the vessels would only provide technical support and would not infringe on the North African country’s sovereignty. Speaking on 1 August in parliament ahead of Wednesday’s vote, Pinotti disclosed, “(we will) provide logistical, technical and operation support for Libyan naval vessels, helping them and supporting them in shared and coordinated actions,” adding that “there will be no harm done or slight given to Libyan sovereignty, because, if anything, our aims is to strengthen Libyan sovereignty.” She stressed that Italy had no intention of imposing a blockade on Libya’s coast.

The final decision comes after Italy announced the operation late last month, stating that it had been requested by Libya’s UN-backed government. Italy hopes to deploy six ships into Libyan territorial waters, however the plans had to be scaled back following protests from Tripoli.

After a surge in migrant arrivals on boats from Libya at the beginning of this year, the Interior Ministry disclosed on 2 August that the numbers of newcomers has slowed in recent weeks, noting that so far this year, 95,215 people had reached Italy, down 2.7 percent on the same period in 2016. Some 2,230 migrants, most of them Africans fleeing poverty and violence back home, have died so far this year trying to make the dangerous sea crossing. The total number of migrants who have arrived in Italy over the past four years is some 600,000 – effectively putting the country’s network of reception centres under huge strain and causing increasing political tensions.

Italy is due to hold national elections by May 2018, with voting widely expected to take place in early 2018. The migrant issue is expected to top the political agenda. Rightist parties have accused the centre-left government of doing nothing gin order to halt the influx. Speaking to reporters in parliament, Giancarlo Giorgetti, deputy head of the opposition Northern League party, stated “the (migrant boats) will not be pushed back to the Libyan shore so we don’t understand what we are going to b doing there. The Italian government however is hoping that the Libyan coastguard can help prevent flimsy migrant boats from putting to sea and has been at the forefront of efforts to make the small force more effective, including by training its members and upgrading its fleet. Rome has also placed pressure on non-governmental organizations, which have been playing an increasingly important role in picking up migrants off the Libyan coast and brining them to Italy. The government has introduce a code of conduct for the NGOs and has demanded that armed police travel on their boas to help root out eventual people smugglers. However only three out of eight humanitarian groups operating in the southern Mediterranean Sea agreed to the Italian terms earlier this month. While Italy did not specifically indicate the consequences for those that did not sign up, on 2 August the Italian coastguard halted at sea a boat operated by German NGO Jugend Rettet, which had said ‘No’ to the code of conduct. The vessel was searched and then escorted to port, while the crew ID’s were checked.