Geopolitics - Page 176

Lawyer says American contractor held by Cuba bid farewell to wife, daughter

December 20, 2015

Lawyer says American contractor held by Cuba bid farewell to wife, daughter

A lawyer for an American who has spent more than four years imprisoned in Cuba said Monday that his client cannot take life in prison much longer and has said his goodbyes to his wife and a daughter.

US reportedly dispatched Latin Americans to foment Cuba political change

December 20, 2015

US reportedly dispatched Latin Americans to foment Cuba political change

An Obama administration program secretly dispatched young Latin Americans to Cuba using the cover of health and civic programs to provoke political change, a clandestine operation that put those foreigners in danger even after a U.S. contractor was hauled away to a Cuban jail.

Judge says US can't seize tanker full of Kurdish oil off Texas coast

December 20, 2015

Judge says US can't seize tanker full of Kurdish oil off Texas coast

A federal magistrate judge ruled Tuesday that U.S. Marshals will not be able to able to carry out her earlier order to seize a million barrels of Kurdish crude oil unless the tanker carrying the cargo comes closer to the Texas shore.

US official: Number of foreign fighters in Syria spikes

December 20, 2015

US official: Number of foreign fighters in Syria spikes

Matthew Olsen, the outgoing director of the National Counterterrorism Center, said Friday there are 12,000 foreign fighters in Syria – a significant jump from previous estimates, indicating a “greater and more complex” threat than in recent years.

‘Unchecked’ Putin puts pressure on Obama to take ‘decisive action’

December 20, 2015

‘Unchecked’ Putin puts pressure on Obama to take ‘decisive action’

Fresh evidence that Russia is directly shelling Ukrainian military targets is stoking concerns that Vladimir Putin feels increasingly comfortable running roughshod over his neighbors in defiance of the U.S. and Europe, putting pressure on the Obama administration to draw a red line that even Moscow can see.

Fox News Poll: Voters say Putin has upper hand in Ukraine

December 20, 2015

Fox News Poll: Voters say Putin has upper hand in Ukraine

As the world scrambles to formulate a response to the shooting down of a commercial airliner --most likely by pro-Russian separatists -- American voters continue to oppose the United States taking action in Ukraine.

US intel officials: Russia created 'conditions' that led to plane downing

December 20, 2015

US intel officials: Russia created 'conditions' that led to plane downing

Senior intelligence officials said Tuesday Russia created the “conditions" that led to the downing of a Malaysia Airlines passenger jet over eastern Ukraine but stopped short of directly linking Moscow to the fatal missile strike.

US believes Russia provided separatists with missile that shot down airliner

December 20, 2015

US believes Russia provided separatists with missile that shot down airliner

U.S. intelligence assessments suggest that Russia provided separatists in eastern Ukraine with sophisticated antiaircraft systems in recent weeks, including the missile that brought down a Malaysia Airlines plane, killing all 298 aboard, two senior U.S. officials told Fox News late Saturday.

Lawmakers say there will be 'hell to pay' if Russia is behind Malaysia Airlines crash

December 20, 2015

Lawmakers say there will be 'hell to pay' if Russia is behind Malaysia Airlines crash

The White House confirmed Thursday that President Obama and Russian President Vladimir Putin briefly discussed a Malaysian passenger plane crash which killed 295 people on board during a telephone call the two leaders had earlier in the day. The plane carrying 295 on board crashed in Ukraine near the border with Russia. The plane was traveling from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur in Malaysia. Pieces of the Boeing 777 along with bodies were found burning on the ground in Ukraine.

US escalates economic sanctions against Russia

December 20, 2015

US escalates economic sanctions against Russia

The United States imposed new sanctions Wednesday on lucrative Russian energy and defense entities, as well as major banks, as the Obama administration struggles for a way to quell an insurgency in eastern Ukraine widely believed to be backed by Moscow.