Cincunri Sakia

Rabu, 29 Mei 2019

Iran 'almost certainly' sabotaged ships off UAE, Bolton says - Fox News

U.S. national security adviser John Bolton said Wednesday that ships sabotaged off the United Arab Emirates coast were attacked “almost certainly by Iran” and warned that the U.S. would strike back if attacked.

Bolton made the comments to journalists in Abu Dhabi ahead of planned meetings with Emirati officials. His statement echoes Pentagon officials who said Friday that Iran's Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) were directly responsible for attacks on the tankers.

PENTAGON SAYS IRAN’S REVOLUTIONARY GUARDS RESPONSIBLE FOR OIL TANKER ATTACKS

“The attack against the shipping in Fujairah we attribute it to the IRGC,” said Rear Admiral Michael Gilday, the director of the Joint Staff. He added that the Pentagon attributed limpet mines used in the attack to the IRGC.

Bolton said that the U.S. hasn’t seen any further attacks by the Iranian regime after the Trump administration dispatched an aircraft carrier and B-52 bombers to the Persian Gulf.

“The point is to make it very clear to Iran and its surrogates that these kinds of actions risk a very strong response from the United States,” Bolton said.

“The point is to make it very clear to Iran and its surrogates that these kinds of actions risk a very strong response from the United States.”
— John Bolton

Iran called Bolton’s accusations “laughable” while the country’s Deputy Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi said, “We hope that we can start a dialogue, but we are ready for war,” according to Russian state media.

He noted that “certain elements” in the Trump administration are advocating for war with Iran, but said conflict would be “catastrophic” for the Middle East and insisted that the regime seeks peace.

“We know that there are certain elements and people who are trying to push the United States to war with Iran for their own ends. However, we hope that wisdom will prevail in Washington,” he said.

“We hope that we can start a dialogue, but we are ready for war.”
— Deputy Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi

Tensions between the U.S. and Iran have been brewing after the U.S. intelligence indicated that there are unspecified threats to U.S. interests. Trump said Friday that the U.S. will deploy an additional 1,500 troops to the region.

IRAN SEEKING TO EXPAND MILITARY PROGRAM TO WEAPONS OF MASS DESTRUCTION: GERMAN INTELLIGENCE

In addition, all non-essential U.S. staff at the U.S. Embassy and Consulate in Iraq were forced to leave, with Secretary of State Mike Pompeo suggesting that Iranian-backed militia groups moved their rockets near bases housing American personnel.

The Iranian regime, meanwhile, responded with threats to back away from the 2015 nuclear deal that sought to limit its enrichment of uranium in exchange for the lifting of economic sanctions. The regime set a July 7 deadline for Europe to offer better terms to the unraveling nuclear deal, otherwise, it will resume enrichment closer to weapons level.

Trump withdrew from the agreement amid criticism that the deal didn’t do enough to limit Iran’s nuclear program, nor did it address Iran’s ballistic missile program.

Bolton accused Iran of wanting to back away from the deal with other world powers because the regime wants to produce nuclear weapons.

CLICK HERE FOR THE FOX NEWS APP

“There’s no reason for them to do any of that unless that’s part of an effort to reduce the breakout time to produce nuclear weapons,” he said. “That’s a very serious issue if they continue to do that.”

“This is just more graphic evidence that it hasn’t constrained their continuing desire to have nuclear weapons,” Bolton added. “It certainly hasn’t reduced their terrorist activities in the region that we just discussed or their other malign behavior in their use of conventional forces.”

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Let's block ads! (Why?)

https://www.foxnews.com/world/iran-sabotage-ships-uae-john-bolton

2019-05-29 12:21:22Z
52780305407456

Iran 'almost certainly' sabotaged ships off UAE, Bolton says - Fox News

PENTAGON SAYS IRAN’S REVOLUTIONARY GUARDS RESPONSIBLE FOR OIL TANKER ATTACKS

Bolton said that the U.S. hasn’t seen any further attacks by the Iranian regime after the Trump administration dispatched an aircraft carrier and B-52 bombers to the Persian Gulf.

“The point is to make it very clear to Iran and its surrogates that these kinds of actions risk a very strong response from the United States,” Bolton said.

“The point is to make it very clear to Iran and its surrogates that these kinds of actions risk a very strong response from the United States.”
— John Bolton

“We hope that we can start a dialogue, but we are ready for war.”
— Deputy Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi

IRAN SEEKING TO EXPAND MILITARY PROGRAM TO WEAPONS OF MASS DESTRUCTION: GERMAN INTELLIGENCE

Trump withdrew from the agreement amid criticism that the deal didn’t do enough to limit Iran’s nuclear program, nor did it address Iran’s ballistic missile program.

Bolton accused Iran of wanting to back away from the deal with other world powers because the regime wants to produce nuclear weapons.

CLICK HERE FOR THE FOX NEWS APP

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Let's block ads! (Why?)

https://www.foxnews.com/world/iran-sabotage-ships-uae-john-bolton

2019-05-29 11:29:57Z
52780305407456

Boris Johnson Is Summoned to Court Over Brexit Claims - The New York Times

LONDON — Boris Johnson, the front-runner to replace Prime Minister Theresa May of Britain, was ordered on Wednesday to appear in court for a preliminary hearing over allegations that he lied to the public during the 2016 Brexit referendum.

Mr. Johnson, a former foreign secretary under Mrs. May, has been accused of misconduct in public office over several claims, including the implication that Britain paid 350 million pounds, or $440 million, every week to the European Union for the country’s membership.

The £350 million figure was a central theme of the pro-Brexit campaign, which promised to invest that amount into the nation’s health service should Britain vote to leave the bloc.

The prosecution of Mr. Johnson was made possible by the businessman Marcus Ball, who raised more than £200,000 pounds to provide the financial backing to pursue the case. Mr. Ball’s lawyers said that Mr. Johnson’s conduct had been both “irresponsible and dishonest.”

No one from Mr. Johnson’s office could immediately be reached for comment. But he has denied wrongdoing, and his lawyers have argued that the case was a political stunt by opponents of Brexit.

In a written ruling, District Judge Margot Coleman of Westminster Magistrates’ Court in London said that Mr. Johnson should be summoned to court, while noting that the accusations had not been proven and she had not made any findings of the fact.

“Having considered all the relevant factors, I am satisfied that this is a proper case to issue the summons as requested for the three offenses as drafted,” Judge Coleman said. “This means the proposed defendant will be required to attend this court for a preliminary hearing, and the case will then be sent to the Crown Court for trial.”

Let's block ads! (Why?)

https://www.nytimes.com/2019/05/29/world/europe/boris-johnson-brexit-court.html

2019-05-29 11:34:27Z
52780305523007

Iran 'almost certainly' sabotaged ships off UAE, Bolton says - Fox News

PENTAGON SAYS IRAN’S REVOLUTIONARY GUARDS RESPONSIBLE FOR OIL TANKER ATTACKS

Bolton said that the U.S. hasn’t seen any further attacks by the Iranian regime after the Trump administration dispatched an aircraft carrier and B-52 bombers to the Persian Gulf.

“The point is to make it very clear to Iran and its surrogates that these kinds of actions risk a very strong response from the United States,” Bolton said.

“The point is to make it very clear to Iran and its surrogates that these kinds of actions risk a very strong response from the United States.”
— John Bolton

“We hope that we can start a dialogue, but we are ready for war.”
— Deputy Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi

IRAN SEEKING TO EXPAND MILITARY PROGRAM TO WEAPONS OF MASS DESTRUCTION: GERMAN INTELLIGENCE

Trump withdrew from the agreement amid criticism that the deal didn’t do enough to limit Iran’s nuclear program, nor did it address Iran’s ballistic missile program.

Bolton accused Iran of wanting to back away from the deal with other world powers because the regime wants to produce nuclear weapons.

CLICK HERE FOR THE FOX NEWS APP

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Let's block ads! (Why?)

https://www.foxnews.com/world/iran-sabotage-ships-uae-john-bolton

2019-05-29 11:27:34Z
52780305407456

Nepal Says Everest Rules Might Change After Traffic Jams and Deaths - The New York Times

KATHMANDU, Nepal — After human traffic jams at the top of Mount Everest and an aggressive, unruly atmosphere that has been described as “a zoo,” Nepalese officials said on Wednesday that they were considering changing the rules about who was allowed up the world’s highest mountain.

“It’s time to review all the old laws,” said Yagya Raj Sunuwar, a member of Parliament.

Until now, just about anyone could get a permit to climb Mount Everest. But this year has been marred by pileups at the top and a surge of inexperienced climbers who have caused delays and other problems along the steep, rocky and incredibly dangerous ascent.

At least 11 climbers have died on Everest this year, making this season one of the deadliest ever. Veteran climbers say that many of the deaths were needless and that the increasing number of inexperienced climbers who try to tackle Everest are making it more dangerous for everyone.

Several government officials in Kathmandu, Nepal’s capital, said Thursday that they were analyzing what happened and leaning toward requiring all climbers to submit proof of mountaineering experience and a verifiable certificate of good health.

“Certainly there will be some change in the expedition sector,” said Mira Acharya, a senior official with Nepal’s tourism department. “We are discussing reforming some issues, including setting criteria for every Everest hopeful.’’

At a recent meeting, she said, “we raised the issue of inexperienced climbers.’’

Mount Everest is a huge block of ice and rock along the Nepal-China border. China also runs expeditions to the top. This year, there have been two deaths on the Chinese side, compared with nine on the Nepal side.

Climbers who recently summited Everest from the Nepal side described a “Lord of the Flies” atmosphere with mobs of people in huge down jackets perched on the summit, pushing and shoving to take selfies.

The path to the top is so narrow and steep, climbers had to step precariously around others who had fallen ill or died. Some apparently ran out of bottled oxygen, partly because of the crowd of climbers trying to get to the top at the same time.

That caused delays, with climbers forced to wait in the snow for hours, at heights of more than 28,000 feet, as their limited supply of compressed oxygen slowly ran out and their energy faded.

Several climbers described a ruthless pursuit of the summit in which other climbers refused to share the essentials of life — water and oxygen.

Amit Chowdhury, the president of the safety commission at the International Mountaineering Federation, said that the rules on some other mountains empowered guides to stop a climber from ascending if the guide felt the climber might not make it.

But, he said, “at Everest, it is not the same — you can hire a Sherpa on the streets of Kathmandu, or your travel agent says, ‘Here is your Sherpa,’ that’s it.”

“There is no way to know whether that Sherpa can judge and determine the capability of the person who is climbing,” he added.

Nepal is one of Asia’s poorest countries, and even Everest, the jewel of its tourism economy, has been marred by corruption scandals and scams.

Last year, media organizations and insurance companies exposed a conspiracy by some guides, helicopter companies, teahouse owners and hospitals to bilk millions of dollars from insurance companies by pushing trekkers with even minor signs of altitude sickness to use costly evacuation services.

Under Nepal’s current rules — climbers say China is stricter — all climbers must submit a copy of their passport, limited biographical data and a certificate showing they are healthy enough to make it to the top.

But Nepali officials admitted they did not have a way of verifying the health information before granting a permit. Foreigners pay $11,000 for the permits, though the costs for guides, equipment, food and lodging for the entire expedition can easily surpass $50,000. Nepali climbers pay about $700 for a permit.

Nepali officials said Thursday that the climbing season was now over, as scheduled, and that there were no more climbers on the upper parts of the mountain.

Let's block ads! (Why?)

https://www.nytimes.com/2019/05/29/world/asia/mount-everest.html

2019-05-29 09:40:16Z
52780303656924

Tankers almost certainly damaged by Iranian naval mines, US says - BBC News

US National Security Adviser John Bolton has said "naval mines almost certainly from Iran" were to blame for the damage to oil tankers in the Gulf of Oman earlier this month.

Mr Bolton provided no evidence to support the allegation, which Iran said was "laughable".

The attacks off the eastern coast of the United Arab Emirates on 12 May left holes in the hulls of four ships.

The incident came amid an escalation in tensions between Iran and the US.

Last Friday, US Vice Admiral Michael Gilday said he believed "with a high degree of confidence that this [attack] stems back to the leadership of Iran at the highest levels".

Mr Bolton, a long-standing advocate for regime change in Iran, echoed the admiral's words during a visit to the UAE on Wednesday, telling reporters it was "clear that Iran is behind" the attack.

"There's no doubt in anybody's mind in Washington who's responsible for this," he said. "Who else would you think is doing it? Someone from Nepal?"

But Abbas Mousavi, Iran's foreign ministry spokesman, rejected Mr Bolton's accusations.

"Raising this ludicrous claim in a meeting of those with a long history of anti-Iran policies is not strange," he told Fars news agency.

"Iran's strategic patience, vigilance and defensive prowess will defuse mischievous plots made by Bolton and other warmongers."

What do we know about the incident?

Few details have been released, but it took place at about 06:00 (02:00 GMT) on Sunday, 12 May, within UAE territorial waters east of the emirate of Fujairah, just outside the Strait of Hormuz.

The UAE authorities said four ships were targeted in a "sabotage attack".

There were no casualties but Saudi Arabia said two of its ships had suffered "significant damage".

Another tanker was Norwegian-registered, while the fourth was UAE-flagged.

The UAE has not publicly blamed anyone for the sabotage of the vessels.

What has this got to do with the US and Iran?

On paper, little. No US-flagged ship was attacked, and no evidence has been provided that Iran was involved.

But the US sees the attack as part of a wider "campaign" against it and its allies approved by Iranian leaders.

Mr Bolton said Iran-backed forces also carried out drone strikes on two oil pumping stations in Saudi Arabia on 14 May and fired a rocket into an area of the Iraqi capital Baghdad that houses the US embassy on 19 May.

He also revealed that there had been "an unsuccessful attack on the Saudi port of Yanbu a couple of days before the attack on tankers".

Iran has denied it was involved in the attacks in Saudi Arabia and Iraq.

What is behind the heightened US-Iran tensions?

The tensions began rising at the start of May, when Washington ended exemptions from sanctions for countries still buying from Iran. The decision was intended to bring Iran's oil exports to zero, denying the government its main source of revenue.

Mr Trump reinstated the sanctions a year ago after abandoning the landmark 2015 nuclear deal that Iran signed with six nations - the five permanent members of the UN Security Council and Germany.

Iran has now announced it it will suspend several commitments under the deal.

Let's block ads! (Why?)

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-48443454

2019-05-29 09:03:53Z
52780305407456

Australian helicopters targeted by lasers in South China Sea - CNN

"Some helicopter pilots had lasers pointed at them from passing fishing vessels," Euan Graham of the Australian Strategic Policy Institute wrote on The Strategist blog, who was aboard the warship from which the aircraft were operating.

Graham told CNN he did not witness the incidents, but Australian pilots told him they were targeted multiple times by commercial lasers during South China Sea missions.

Graham was aboard HMAS Canberra, a helicopter landing dock and flagship of the Royal Australian Navy, as it operated in the South China Sea and Indian Ocean on a three-month mission that ended this week.

Australian forces across the region have noticed the increased use of lasers, an Australian Defense Department spokesperson said in a statement.

"The reason for vessels using the lasers is unknown, but it may be to draw attention to their presence in congested waterways," the statement said.

At sea, fishermen are known to use lasers to warn off other vessels that may be getting too close to them.

"That makes sense for collision of vessels, but obviously there is no direct threat from aircraft to vessels in the South China Sea," Graham said. "The maritime militia is, I think, not beyond argument as a tactic which is employed deliberately."

Graham said that the Canberra and other Australian ships operating with it were shadowed almost continuously by Chinese warships while in the South China Sea, even though they did not approach any of the islands and reefs occupied by the Chinese military.

Radio communications between the Australian and Chinese forces were courteous, Graham said.

CNN reached out to the Chinese Ministry of Defense but did not immediately hear back.

Military militia?

China has claimed almost the entire 1.3 million square mile South China Sea as its sovereign territory. In recent years it has aggressively asserted its stake in the face of conflicting claims from several Southeast Asian nations.

As part of that, Beijing operates a maritime militia in this region, a force of fishing vessels essentially deputized to the Chinese navy.

In Hainan, a South China Sea island, local fishermen assisted in more than 250 law enforcement operations at sea over a three-year period ending in 2016, according to a report from China Military Online.

"It's no secret that the broader thrust of China's approach in the South China Sea is to try to make life difficult for foreign aircraft and warships there," Graham said.

China and the United States face off in Djibouti

US military officials told CNN last year that there were at least 20 suspected Chinese laser incidents in the eastern Pacific from September 2017 to June 2018.

And in May 2018, US military officials said Chinese personnel at the country's military base in Djibouti were using lasers to interfere with US military aircraft at a nearby American base.

Pilots targeted by laser attacks have reported disorienting flashes, pain, spasms and spots in their vision. The dazzle effect can trigger temporary blindness, with "catastrophic" consequences, according to John Marshall, a professor at University College of London's Institute of Ophthalmology.

"The inappropriate use of lasers would pose a potential safety risk to all those operating in the region," the Australian Department of Defense statement said.

No injuries were into Australian Navy pilots were reported from the recent incidents, the statement said.

Let's block ads! (Why?)

https://www.cnn.com/2019/05/28/asia/australia-helicopters-lasers-south-china-sea-intl/index.html

2019-05-29 08:15:00Z
CAIiEB6_0NuBQG1CmcyZrvyD3L4qGQgEKhAIACoHCAowocv1CjCSptoCMPrTpgU