WORLD NEWS December 6, 2018 5 Vast Network of U.S. Putin Warns U.S. Against Developing Banned Missiles BELGRADE (AP) -- Serbia’s prime minister Bases in Africa Exposed warned Wednesday that the formation of a Kosovo army could trigger Serbia’s armed Djibouti is home to the “crown jewel” intervention in the former province – the of the bases, Camp Lemonnier, the U.S. bluntest warning so far amid escalating hub for operations targeting Yemen and tensions in the Balkans. Serbian Prime Minister Somalia. Ana Brnabic said that she hopes “we won’t Libya is shown housing three unnamed ever have to use our army, but unfortunately and previously unreported contingency that is currently one of the options on the locations near its coastline, although table.” Kosovo’s Parliament will vote Dec. 14 President Donald Trump said last year on transforming the country’s security forces into a regular army. Serbian officials allege the that he saw no US military role there. army would be used to chase the Serb minority Cameroon accommodates two more out of Kosovo – a claim repeatedly denied by contingency bases. The 2018 map also Kosovo officials. NATO Secretary-General notes the existence of a CSL in Chad’s Jens Stoltenberg Wednesday issued a warning capital, N’Djamena. on Kosovo’s intention to transition into army. There are two contingency locations in “Such a move is ill-timed. It goes against the neighboring Mali. Tunisia hosts another advice of many NATO allies and may have contingency site. Only one base lies in serious repercussions for Kosovo’s future Euro- the far south of the continent: A CSL in Atlantic integration,” he said. Russia, which is close ally of Serbia, called Kosovo’s planned A U.S. Army instructor is seen alongside Malian soldiers in Botswana’s capital, Gaborone. Russia’s Tor-M2DT surface-to-air missile systems designed for the Arctic move “another destabilizing and provocative this picture taken on April 12, 2018 at a military camp in “It is getting harder for the U.S. region are paraded during the 2017 Victory Day parade in Moscow. step.” military to plausibly claim that it has a southwestern Mali. *** ‘light footprint’ in Africa. In just the MOSCOW (AP) — Russian President out of the pact, saying that the U.S. first In the briefing, Teil presented a map PARIS (Reuters) -- U.S. President Donald WASHINGTON (Dispatches) -- A past five years, it has established what is Vladimir Putin on Wednesday warned made up its mind to walk out of it and Trump has taken another swipe on Twitter at United States military briefing shows of the U.S. military’s constellation of perhaps the largest drone complex in the the United States that if it walks only then “started to look for the reasons his French counterpart Emmanuel Macron Washington runs 34 bases across the bases, which names 14 forward world in Djibouti — Chabelley — which out of a key arms treaty and starts why they should do it.” prompted by Macron’s woes over violent Africa, contrary to the Pentagon’s operating sites (FOSes) and cooperative is involved in wars on two continents, developing the type of missiles banned “It seems that our American partners protests against fuel taxes. “I am glad that my insistence that it maintains a modest security locations (CSLs) besides Yemen, and Somalia,” Moore said. by it, Russia will do the same. believe that the situation has changed friend @EmmanuelMacron and the protestors presence across the continent. providing country-specific locales for 20 The expert also noted that the U.S. was Putin’s remarks to Russian news so much that the U.S. has to have this in Paris have agreed with the conclusion I reached two years ago,” Trump tweeted late The 2018 briefing by the U.S. African contingency locations. building an even larger drone base in the agencies on Wednesday came a day after type of weapons,” he said in televised Command (AFRICOM)’s science The website quoted Adam Moore, an city of Agadez in central Niger. on Tuesday. “The Paris Agreement is fatally U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo remarks. “What would be our response? flawed because it raises the price of energy adviser Peter E. Teil, titled Strategic assistant professor of geography at the Earlier in the year, Gen. Thomas announced at a NATO meeting that A very simple one: in that case, we will Posture, was exposed by The Intercept University of California, as saying that for responsible countries while whitewashing Waldhauser, the AFRICOM commander, Washington will suspend its obligations do the same.” some of the worst polluters,” said Trump, in early December. The news website the positioning of the bases suggested told the House Armed Services Committee, under the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Speaking at a briefing of foreign referring to a global deal on the environment obtained the documents via the Freedom that the US military presence had “US Africa Command’s posture plan is Forces Treaty (INF) in 60 days, citing military attaches earlier, Gen. Valery drafted in Paris in late 2015. Earlier this week, of Information Act. been organized around three theaters designed to secure strategic access to key Russian “cheating.” Gerasimov, chief of staff of the Russian French Prime Minister Edouard Philippe The documents, the report said, offer throughout the continent. locations on a continent characterized by The U.S. has shared intelligence military, warned of a Russian response decided to suspend planned increases to “a unique window onto the sprawling “The Horn of Africa — Somalia, vast distances and limited infrastructure.” evidence with its NATO allies that it says and said that it would be the countries fuel taxes for at least six months in response to weeks of sometimes violent protests, network of U.S. military outposts in Djibouti, Kenya; Libya; and the Sahel — “Our posture network allows forward shows that Russia’s new SSC-8 ground- that host U.S. intermediate-range missiles Africa, including previously undisclosed Cameroon, Chad, Niger, Mali, Burkina staging of forces to provide operational marking the first major U-turn by Macron’s fired cruise missile could give Moscow that would become immediate targets for administration in 18 months in office. or unconfirmed sites in hotspots like Faso,” said Moore, adding that the US flexibility and timely response,” he added. the ability to launch a nuclear strike in Russia. Libya, Niger, and Somalia.” only maintained one base in the south. *** Europe with little or no notice. Russia has When signed in 1987, the INF treaty GENEVA (AP) — The UN secretary-general’s denied the accusations. was lauded as a major safeguard for envoy for Western Sahara is meeting with President Donald Trump earlier this global security since they eliminated foreign ministers from Algeria, Morocco and Police Arrest Scores of Mobsters Across Europe year announced his decision to withdraw shorter-range missiles that take just a Mauritania plus leaders of the Polisario Front from the INF, accusing Russia and China few minutes to reach their targets. The over the future of the Morocco-annexed territory. by far Sicily’s Cosa Nostra or the Naples — which is not a signatory to the treaty removal of such destabilizing weapons UN envoy Horst Koehler, a former German area Camorra. — of violating it. would in theory allow more time for president, hosted a “round-table” discussion The Hague-based agency said the Putin on Wednesday accused the United decision-making in case of a warning of among the attendees at the first UN-hosted States of making up excuses for pulling a missile attack. talks on the territory in six years, after meeting massive probe was the biggest of its kind with them bilaterally earlier Wednesday. The in Europe. Some 4 tons of cocaine were UN says the two-day meeting is a first step traced during the investigation. Cocaine toward a renewed negotiations process aiming and ecstasy pills also were seized in Spain Accused of Male Chauvinism to “provide for the self-determination of the Wednesday’s raids. people of Western Sahara.” Morocco annexed Italian police hailed the cooperation the former Spanish colony in 1975 and fought between European police forces and the pro-independence Polisario Front until a Eurojust’s coordination, saying it was Over ‘Wolf Pack’ Case UN-brokered cease-fire in 1991. Morocco has an important new crime-fighting tactic proposed wide-ranging autonomy for Western Sahara, while the Polisario Front wants a that allowed investigators in different referendum on the territory’s future. countries to share information in real time. *** WELLINGTON (AP) -- A powerful But Italy’s top Mafia prosecutor, earthquake that struck in the southern Pacific Federico Cafiero De Raho, also sounded Ocean on Wednesday sent jitters around the a note of caution, saying the raids only region after authorities warned of possible scratched the surface of the powerful tsunamis, but there were no initial reports ’ndrangheta, whose tentacles and illicit of destructive waves or major damage. The activities, including huge cocaine magnitude 7.5 quake hit in the afternoon near Settimo Mineo, considered the successor to Sicilian Mafia boss trafficking operations, were spread all New Caledonia at a shallow depth, where earthquakes are generally more damaging. It “Toto” Riina, is escorted by Italian Carabinieri officers after his over the world. Speaking in The Hague, Cafiero de was felt as far away as Vanuatu. The Pacific arrest in Palermo, Sicily, on Dec. 4, 2018. Tsunami Warning Center said tsunami waves Raho said the arrests “are nothing for of between 1 and 3 meters were possible along THE HAGUE, Netherlands (AP) — It was the second significant mob ’ndrangheta. There are thousands of some coasts of New Caledonia and Vanuatu. Hundreds of police in Germany, Italy, takedown in as many days. On Tuesday, people who should be arrested and *** Belgium and the Netherlands arrested Italian authorities said they had billions of euros that should be seized.” SARAJEVO (Reuters) -- A Bosnian Serb at least 84 suspected mobsters and dismantled the rebuilt upper echelons A leading expert on the ‘ndrangheta, Protesters gather in Madrid in rejection of the bail granted to the members ex-commander, who was jailed for 28 years seized around 2 million euros ($2.3 of the Mafia in the Sicilian capital of Catanzaro-based Prosecutor Nicola of the Wolf Pack in this file photo. by the UN war crimes tribunal for rape and million) Wednesday in a series of Palermo by arresting 46 people, including Gratteri, recently said the Calabrian- enslavement in Bosnia’s war of the 1990s, has coordinated raids targeting a powerful the man presumed to have taken over as based ’ndrangheta syndicate has for MADRID (Reuters) -- A Spanish capital Pamplona. now been indicted over the killing of Muslim Italian organized crime syndicate. provincial kingpin. years been buying up hotels, restaurants civilians, Bosnia’s prosecutors office said on regional court Wednesday The festival is famed for its drunken Wednesday. Dragoljub Kunarac, 58, who was “Today we send a clear message to Wednesday’s raids were the culmination and other properties in Belgium, the confirmed a controversial ruling revelry but concern has grown over Netherlands, France and Germany to both the commander of a special unit of the Bosnian organized crime groups across Europe,” of a two-year investigation codenamed that cleared five men of gang-raping increased reports of sex attacks at the Serb army, is accused of taking part in killing of said Filippo Spiezia, vice president of Pollino against the powerful ’ndrangheta launder some of the billions of dollars it an 18-year-old woman during event, as well as over the mistreatment at least six people and torture and persecution Eurojust, the EU prosecution agency criminal group on allegations of cocaine rakes in through cocaine trafficking, as Pamplona’s San Fermin festival, of women in general in Spain. of Muslim civilians from villages around the that coordinated the raids. “They are trafficking, money laundering, bribery well as invest that money to start “clean” a case which led to protests across “(The ruling) is an embarrassment eastern Bosnian town of Foca in July 1992, not the only ones able to operate across and violence, said Eurojust. businesses and earn even more revenue. Spain over chauvinism and sexual that shows that male chauvinism is the prosecutor said in a statement. He is also borders; so are Europe’s judiciary and law The ’ndrangheta is Italy’s most Eurojust said Italian authorities arrested abuse. well established in the courts and accused of taking part in looting and burning enforcement communities.” powerful criminal organization, eclipsing 41 suspects, mainly in Calabria. The Navarra court confirmed nine- we must take measures, measures down Muslim homes, the statement said. Foca was notorious for the mass persecution and year prison sentences for the men that must educate judges because killings of Muslims by the Bosnian Serb forces – who called themselves “The Wolf woman can’t continue to live in fear,” as part of a campaign to form an exclusively Pack” and joked about the 2016 the leader of the far-left Podemos Serb region, and for detention camps in J.P. Morgan: Chances of UK Calling Off Brexit Rise incident in a Whatsapp group – for the party, Pablo Iglesias, said in an which women and young girls were raped and LONDON (Reuters) -- Prime Minister advice from the government’s top lawyer the EU. lesser crime of sexual assault. interview with state broadcaster TVE enslaved. Theresa May’s Brexit deal came under about the fallback mechanism, or backstop, Now May is trying to get her deal approved The state prosecutor had originally Wednesday. *** fire from allies and opponents alike to prevent the return of border controls by a Parliament which shows every sign of asked for sentences of more than The original ruling was met by a SOFIA (AFP) -- Bulgarian police have busted a huge illegal weapons arsenal in a garage in Wednesday after the government was between British-ruled Northern Ireland and striking it down in a vote on Dec. 11. It is 20 years each for rape, which in wave of protests in Pamplona and Spain requires a plaintiff to present other cities across Spain, where chants the capital Sofia, seizing dozens of rifles, guns forced to publish legal advice showing the EU-member Irish Republic. unclear what happens if the deal is rejected and pistols, the Interior Ministry announced the United Kingdom could be locked “Despite statements in the Protocol that as Britain is due to leave on March 29. evidence of specific violence, such as of “I believe you, sister” and “Drunk being threatened with a knife or dealt and alone, I want to get home” rang Wednesday. Sixty-five Kalashnikov rifles, indefinitely in the European Union’s it is not intended to be permanent and the Nigel Dodds, the deputy leader of the 37 Scorpion guns and 43 pistols were seized out across town squares. orbit. clear intention of the parties that it should Northern Irish Democratic Unionist Party, physical blows. in the operation conducted by the police’s After a string of humiliating parliamentary be replaced by alternative, permanent said the legal advice proved that Northern While the ruling agreed that the The ruling, which can now be counter-terrorism unit over the weekend, the defeats for May the day before cast new arrangements, in international law the Ireland would be treated differently to the men had assaulted the woman in the appealed in the Supreme Court, saw ministry’s anti-organized crime chief Ivaylo doubt over her ability to get a deal approved, Protocol would endure indefinitely until a rest of the United Kingdom. doorway of a residential building, an the men released on bail in June on Spiridonov told a press conference. Police U.S. investment bank J.P. Morgan said superseding agreement took its place,” the On Tuesday, just hours before the start of a incident that they recorded on their a legal technicality that says no one also found eight kilograms of highly explosive black powder, 14 rocket-propelled grenade the chances of Britain calling off Brexit advice said. five-day debate in the British Parliament on mobile phones, the lack of physical can be held for more than two years violence meant they would not be without a definitive sentence being launchers and tens of thousands of cartridges, altogether had increased. “In the absence of a right of termination, May’s Brexit deal, a top law official at the he added. The suspected ringleader of the As investors and allies tried to work out there is a legal risk that the United Kingdom European Court of Justice said Britain could convicted of rape under Spanish law. handed down. The case, which attracted All five men, who include a former weapons smuggling operation was held during the ultimate destination for the world’s might become subject to protracted and pull back its formal divorce notice. the raids, along with six others. Another 17 policeman and a former soldier, paid fifth largest economy, the Northern Irish repeating rounds of negotiations.” “The UK now appears to have the option international attention in the wake of Kalashnikov rifles and 15 pistols equipped party which props up May’s government Brexit, the United Kingdom’s biggest of revoking unilaterally and taking a period the global #MeToo movement that 6,000 euros ($6,800) in bail though with silencers were also confiscated by police said legal advice about the deal was economic and political shift since World War of time of its own choosing to decide what has highlighted sexual abuse and their release led to further protests and agents in the central town of Kazanlak, home “devastating”. Two, has repeatedly plunged British politics happens next,” J.P. Morgan economist mistreatment of women, occurred concern across the political spectrum to Bulgaria’s biggest and oldest light arms and May was forced by Parliament to publish into crisis since the shock 2016 vote to leave Malcolm Barr wrote in a note to clients. during the annual San Fermin bull- with pledges to revise the justice munitions maker Arsenal, where officials said running festival in the Navarran system’s response to such charges. the arms came from.