News archive: January 2015
28 January 2015
On 23 January, Pentagon Press Secretary John Kirby stated that US troops will soon be dispatched in order to establish training sites for the Syrian opposition. He is quoted as stating that: ‘We’ve said, though, we know how to do this and we’re not going to do it just alone (…) We’re going to do it with our interagency and international partners, people who know these groups.’
Pentagon spokeswomen Elisa Smith said: ‘Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Qatar have agreed to host training sites, and we anticipate the program to train and equip the moderate Syrian opposition will take approximately 400 U.S. trainers, with the caveat that this number could fluctuate based on course load, course requirements and other variables.’
Source: U.S. Department of Defense | U.S. Troops to Begin Establishing Syrian Opposition Training Sites
Source: The Washington Times | U.S. is sending 400 troops to train Syrian fighters against Islamic State
22 January 2015
According to whistleblower Edward Snowden, the Dutch security agencies AIVD and MIVD do whatever the United States security agency NSA tells them to do. Snowden, who worked for both the NSA and CIA, said that the Dutch agencies are regarded as ‘subordinate’. ‘The Dutch work for the Americans. They do what they are told,’ he said, and ‘[t]hey are not valued in terms of their capacities but for the access they offer. The NSA uses this.’ (more…)
Source: DutchNews.nl | Dutch security services ‘work for the US’, says whistleblower Snowden
21 January 2015
The United Nations has reported progress in the fight against Ebola, one year since the outbreak of the virus in West Africa. On Tuesday 20 January, Secretary General Ban Ki-moon announced dramatic improvements in three of the most affected states. According to data from the UN World Health Organization (WHO) the three most affected countries – Guinea, Sierra Leone and Liberia – reported their lowest weekly numbers of confirmed cases in months. However, Mr. Ban urged the international community for continued support. (more…)
Source: UN News Centre | ‘No room for complacency’ UN says, urging vigilance in Ebola fight as West Africa marks progress
15 January 2015
This is our News Items Overview of 16 December 2014-15 January 2015, a summary of recent news relating to shared responsibility. (more…)
12 January 2015
A joint operation by UN troops and the Congolese army (FARDC) took control of the main bases used by an armed group actively threatening security and stability in the Democratic Republic of the Congo’s long-troubled eastern region. FARDC troops backed by attack helicopters and the Force Intervention Brigade of the UN Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUSCO) took control of bases used by the National Liberation Front, known by the French acronym FNL, in an area of restive South Kivu Province. (more…)
Source: UN News Centre | UN Mission chief applauds joint operations against armed groups in eastern DR Congo