A New Perspective on Constantine

(Worthy News) – U.S. assessments following the U.S., British and French missile strikes on Syria show they had only a limited impact on President Bashar al-Assad’s ability to carry out chemical weapons attacks, four U.S. officials told Reuters.

The conclusion contrasts with the Trump administration’s assertion that the strikes on Saturday hit at the heart of Assad’s chemical weapons programme, language suggesting that Assad’s ability to stage more attacks had been dealt a devastating blow.

The United States, France and Britain destroyed three targets tied to Syria’s weapons program. The most important of them was the Barzah Research and Development Center, which U.S. intelligence concluded was involved in the production and testing of chemical and biological warfare technology. [ Source: Reuters (Read More…) ]

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(Worthy News) – President Tayyip Erdogan on Wednesday called snap elections for June 24, saying economic challenges and the war in Syria meant Turkey must switch quickly to the powerful executive presidency that goes into effect after the vote.

The presidential and parliamentary elections will take place under a state of emergency that has been in place since an attempted coup in July 2016. It was extended by parliament on Wednesday for another three months.

In 15 years of rule as prime minister and then president, Erdogan has transformed a poor, sprawling country at the eastern edge of Europe into a major emerging market. But Turkey’s rapid growth has come been accompanied by increased authoritarianism, with a security crackdown since the failed coup leading to the arrest of tens of thousands. [ Source: Reuters (Read More…) ]

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(Worthy News) – China is using its $1 trillion-plus investment initiative in infrastructure projects as a way to expand its military footprint, projecting power and influence around the globe from the Horn of Africa into the Middle East and South Asia, says a report released this week.

Speculation over Chinese military expansion tied to the country’s ambitious One Belt One Road initiative, which effectively seeks to mimic China’s old Silk Road trade routes and reshape the global marketplace more to Beijing’s liking, has dogged China’s claims that the program is driven purely by economic factors.

But the vast buildup of naval and ground forces, which Chinese leaders say is necessary to provide security for the large number of state-sponsored infrastructure projects under the initiative, “appear to generate political influence, stealthily expand China’s military presence, and create an advantageous strategic environment” where the projects are located, analysts at the Washington-based Center for Advanced Defense Studies (C4ADS), wrote in a report. [ Source: Washington Times (Read More…) ]

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(Worthy News) – Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Wednesday issued a veiled warning to Iran, saying in a Memorial Day speech that his country will defend itself against anyone that tries to harm it.

The premier’s remarks on Israel’s national day of mourning come amid rising tensions between Israel and Iran over an alleged Israeli airstrike targeting a Syrian air force base last week that left at least four Iranian military personnel dead.

Iran has threatened to retaliate, casting a shadow over Israel’s celebration of its 70-year Independence Day celebrations, which were to begin at sundown.

Netanyahu doubled down on his defiant statement at an Independence Day celebration ceremony Wednesday night, saying Israel is “not deterred from a struggle against those who strive for our annihilation.” [ Source: Washington Times (Read More…) ]

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