President-elect Donald Trump infuriated the Chinese by breaking with years of protocol in accepting a call from Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen. Now, members of the Iranian opposition are seeking a similar phone call – even a sit-down – with the incoming president, hoping he keeps to his campaign vows to renegotiate the Iran nuclear deal and get tough with Tehran.
Fox News has exclusively obtained a letter being presented soon to Trump from a group of influential Iranian dissidents, asking him to follow through on reconsidering the deal, even as President Obama has cautioned against ripping it up.
"During the presidential campaign, we and millions of Iranians followed your forthright objection to the nuclear agreement reached between the Obama administration and the Islamic Republic of Iran,” the letter reads. “We sincerely hope that with your election, the new administration and the United States Congress will have the opportunity for the first time to review the regional and international outcomes of that disastrous agreement without any reservations, as was promised to the voters."
Signatories include several former Iranian political prisoners and human rights activists such as former political prisoners Ahmad Batebi and Siavash Safavi, also a member of the Iranian Liberal Students & Graduates.
"We hope under your leadership the United States helps the Iranian people to take back their country from the Islamist gang which has been in charge for the last four decades," they wrote.
Although not party to the letter, The National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI) is widely seen as the most organized opposition group – and also is welcoming engagement with Trump.
"Obviously, the president-elect is preoccupied with forming his Cabinet and laying out a roadmap to meet the challenges his administration will be facing once he is sworn in. But the expectation is that the new administration would pursue a decisive policy vis-à-vis the Iranian regime and impose sanctions, as they relate to Tehran's gross violations of human rights of its citizens as well as its involvement in terrorism, including its role in the bloodbath we have been witness to in Aleppo in recent weeks. Any engagement should be with the Iranian people and not their oppressors," said Ali Safavi, a member of the Foreign Affairs Committee of the NCRI.
While the Iranian government calls the group terrorists, the NCRI’s network of supporters in Iran helped the U.S. with intel during the Iraq invasion, and the group also helped expose Iran's nuclear weapons program.
Over the past several years, the pro-Iran nuclear deal lobby led by the National Iranian American Council (NIAC) had the Obama administration’s ear. Now, some are now hoping Trump will reach out to the myriad Iran opposition groups, ranging from the Monarchists to the Liberals.
The NCRI has supporters among some in Trump's circle, according to a source close to the Trump campaign and team.
Speaking on the condition of anonymity, the source told Fox News that senior Trump advisers such as Newt Gingrich, Rudy Giuliani and former ambassador John Bolton have "very close ties to the strongest component of the Iranian opposition, the NCRI."
"These advisers, though, will be pushing a cooperation with the Iranian opposition to force Iran to cooperate," he said.
It’s unclear whether Trump has any plans to take a meeting with Iran dissidents and groups. The transition team has not responded to a request from Fox News for comment on whether any meetings had been held or scheduled.
The regime likely would be outraged by any such discussions, according to Saeed Ghasseminejad of the Foundation for Defense and Democracies in Washington D.C.
"In the short term [the mullahs] will show some anger and will test the new administration, but in the medium term, they understand the Trump administration is serious and will have to adjust their behavior knowing that [Trump] means business,” Ghasseminejad said. “Meeting with a diverse group of representatives of major opposition parties sends a strong message to the regime and Iranian people that the new administration supports democracy and human rights for Iran."
Lisa Daftari, an Iran and foreign affairs analyst and editor-in-chief of The Foreign Desk, believes it would be a positive move for Trump to meet opposition members from other groups so he can "get an accurate read on the people of Iran."
"In cutting a deal with Iran, President Obama went straight to the mullahs, leaving out the Iranian people,” she said. “It would be a strategically strong move for President-elect Trump to include the Iranian people -- a force of almost 80 million that continues to be the Achilles’ heel of its government."
Saturday, December 24, 2016
Boko Haram 'ousted from Sambisa forest bastion'
The Nigerian army has driven Boko Haram militants from the last camp in their Sambisa forest stronghold, President Muhammadu Buhari has said.
"The terrorists are on the run and no longer have a place to hide," Mr Buhari said in a statement.
The Islamists' camp fell at 13:35 local time (12:35 GMT) on Friday, he added.
The army has been engaged for the last few weeks in a major offensive in the forest, a huge former colonial game reserve in north-eastern Borno state.
It has recaptured significant areas of territory previously controlled by Boko Haram.
The group still stages suicide bombings in the northeast and in neighbouring Niger and Cameroon.
It promotes a version of Islam that forbids Muslims from taking part in any political or social activity associated with Western society, and has been fighting to overthrow the government and establish an Islamic state.
Its leader has pledged allegiance to so-called Islamic State.
"The terrorists are on the run and no longer have a place to hide," Mr Buhari said in a statement.
The Islamists' camp fell at 13:35 local time (12:35 GMT) on Friday, he added.
The army has been engaged for the last few weeks in a major offensive in the forest, a huge former colonial game reserve in north-eastern Borno state.
It has recaptured significant areas of territory previously controlled by Boko Haram.
The group still stages suicide bombings in the northeast and in neighbouring Niger and Cameroon.
It promotes a version of Islam that forbids Muslims from taking part in any political or social activity associated with Western society, and has been fighting to overthrow the government and establish an Islamic state.
Its leader has pledged allegiance to so-called Islamic State.
Europe's open borders 'pose huge terrorism risk'
Europe's open borders are being exploited by Islamic State and pose "a huge risk of terrorism", an expert has warned.
Richard Walton, former Met Police head of counter-terrorism, said Berlin lorry attacker Anis Amri's journey across Europe highlighted the vulnerability of the Schengen zone, which allows passport-free travel between most EU states.
Amri was killed in a shootout with police in the Italian city of Milan on Friday morning - four days after the rampage that left 12 dead.
Police said the 24-year-old, who pledged allegiance to IS, fled Germany after the attack and made it to Chambery in France, where he travelled by train to Turin, northern Italy, before stopping in Milan.
Mr Walton said the journey was evidence of "porous borders across mainland Europe".
"They (IS) have a clear strategy and have set out to carry out attacks across mainland Europe," he told The Daily Telegraph.
"Europe's weakness is our weakness. We need European countries to get their act together.
He added: "Sooner or later, they are going to get across the Channel."
Britain is not a part of Schengen. The EU's 31-year-old accord covers continental EU states - except for newer members Romania, Bulgaria and Croatia - as well as Switzerland.
Amri arrived at Milan's Central Station at 1am on Friday and made his way to the suburb of Sesto San Giovanni, where he was shot dead after pulling a gun on police who stopped him for ID.
Chris Phillips, former head of the National Counter Terror Office, told Sky News the ease by which the Tunisian slipped out of Germany was "really worrying" and "a sign of the times".
He said: "We've seen this in the past with the Paris attackers making their way back to Brussels without any difficulty at all. It's a big problem."
Tony Smith, former director general of the UK's border force, echoed the concerns.
He told Sky News: "He had no ID documents after the event, there was a full manhunt in place.
"Nonetheless he was able to cross two or three borders before he was eventually apprehended and even then really on the basis of more of a suspicious routine stop rather than an intelligence-led operation.
"So, it does beg the question, what is the Schengen group going to do about their borders?
"And in particular, how are they going to respond to critical incidents like this in the future?"
However, another expert, former Europol director Max-Peter Ratzel, said he did not see a "structural failure" in the Schengen agreement.
"Even by border controls there would not be any guarantee that he would have been stopped in between," he told Sky News.
"I would not say that this is a major failure of the Schengen area. There may be some slight failures or some slight errors, but it's not a structural failure of Schengen - I would deny that."
Former UKIP leader Nigel Farage and the leader of France's National Front, Marine Le Pen, have demanded the EU scraps freedom of movement after the attack.
Mr Phillips said Germany, France and Belgium had "serious problems" when it comes to monitoring terrorists.
Talking about Germany, he said: "They want to be a very free, open, democratic society - of course we all do.
"But they've got a natural disinclination to have things like CCTV cameras and the arms of the state that actually do protect you in times of terrorism."
Mr Phillips added: "If you think back to the London attacks, we were able to follow the suspects right back to the start of their journey, right back to their car journey when they were in the petrol station filling up with petrol and we knew from that who these people were and what they were on their way to do."
Richard Walton, former Met Police head of counter-terrorism, said Berlin lorry attacker Anis Amri's journey across Europe highlighted the vulnerability of the Schengen zone, which allows passport-free travel between most EU states.
Amri was killed in a shootout with police in the Italian city of Milan on Friday morning - four days after the rampage that left 12 dead.
Police said the 24-year-old, who pledged allegiance to IS, fled Germany after the attack and made it to Chambery in France, where he travelled by train to Turin, northern Italy, before stopping in Milan.
Mr Walton said the journey was evidence of "porous borders across mainland Europe".
"They (IS) have a clear strategy and have set out to carry out attacks across mainland Europe," he told The Daily Telegraph.
"Europe's weakness is our weakness. We need European countries to get their act together.
He added: "Sooner or later, they are going to get across the Channel."
Britain is not a part of Schengen. The EU's 31-year-old accord covers continental EU states - except for newer members Romania, Bulgaria and Croatia - as well as Switzerland.
Amri arrived at Milan's Central Station at 1am on Friday and made his way to the suburb of Sesto San Giovanni, where he was shot dead after pulling a gun on police who stopped him for ID.
Chris Phillips, former head of the National Counter Terror Office, told Sky News the ease by which the Tunisian slipped out of Germany was "really worrying" and "a sign of the times".
He said: "We've seen this in the past with the Paris attackers making their way back to Brussels without any difficulty at all. It's a big problem."
Tony Smith, former director general of the UK's border force, echoed the concerns.
He told Sky News: "He had no ID documents after the event, there was a full manhunt in place.
"Nonetheless he was able to cross two or three borders before he was eventually apprehended and even then really on the basis of more of a suspicious routine stop rather than an intelligence-led operation.
"So, it does beg the question, what is the Schengen group going to do about their borders?
"And in particular, how are they going to respond to critical incidents like this in the future?"
However, another expert, former Europol director Max-Peter Ratzel, said he did not see a "structural failure" in the Schengen agreement.
"Even by border controls there would not be any guarantee that he would have been stopped in between," he told Sky News.
"I would not say that this is a major failure of the Schengen area. There may be some slight failures or some slight errors, but it's not a structural failure of Schengen - I would deny that."
Former UKIP leader Nigel Farage and the leader of France's National Front, Marine Le Pen, have demanded the EU scraps freedom of movement after the attack.
Mr Phillips said Germany, France and Belgium had "serious problems" when it comes to monitoring terrorists.
Talking about Germany, he said: "They want to be a very free, open, democratic society - of course we all do.
"But they've got a natural disinclination to have things like CCTV cameras and the arms of the state that actually do protect you in times of terrorism."
Mr Phillips added: "If you think back to the London attacks, we were able to follow the suspects right back to the start of their journey, right back to their car journey when they were in the petrol station filling up with petrol and we knew from that who these people were and what they were on their way to do."
Royal baby tragedy for Zara and Mike Tindall
The Queen's granddaughter Zara Tindall has lost her baby, a spokeswoman for her and her husband has said.
The couple announced they were expecting their second child at the end of last month.
The spokeswoman did not provide details of the circumstances surrounding the loss, but Zara, 35, is not believed to be in any medical danger.
"Very sadly, Zara and Mike Tindall have lost their baby. At this difficult time, we ask that everyone respects their privacy," the spokeswoman said.
The baby, who was due around late spring, would have been the Queen and Duke of Edinburgh's sixth great grandchild.
Buckingham Palace declined to comment on the private matter.
Zara, an equestrian champion and Olympian, and former England rugby player Tindall already have a daughter Mia, who is nearly three.
Zara competed in the 2012 Olympics in London and went on to win a silver medal in the team eventing.
In 2006 she was voted BBC Sports Personality of the Year after winning the Eventing World Championship that year.
The daughter of Princess Anne, Zara does not have a royal title as she was born down the female line. Her father is believed to have turned one down when he married Anne.
The couple announced they were expecting their second child at the end of last month.
The spokeswoman did not provide details of the circumstances surrounding the loss, but Zara, 35, is not believed to be in any medical danger.
"Very sadly, Zara and Mike Tindall have lost their baby. At this difficult time, we ask that everyone respects their privacy," the spokeswoman said.
The baby, who was due around late spring, would have been the Queen and Duke of Edinburgh's sixth great grandchild.
Buckingham Palace declined to comment on the private matter.
Zara, an equestrian champion and Olympian, and former England rugby player Tindall already have a daughter Mia, who is nearly three.
Zara competed in the 2012 Olympics in London and went on to win a silver medal in the team eventing.
In 2006 she was voted BBC Sports Personality of the Year after winning the Eventing World Championship that year.
The daughter of Princess Anne, Zara does not have a royal title as she was born down the female line. Her father is believed to have turned one down when he married Anne.
Nigeria, Senegal, Other ECOWAS Members Set To Remove President Yahya Jammeh By Force
West Africa’s regional bloc, ECOWAS, has put standby military forces on alert in case Gambian President Yahya Jammeh does not step down when his mandate ends on January 19.
The ECOWAS Commission president, Marcel de Souza, said this on Malian TV Thursday night.
Mr. Jammeh has vowed to stay in power despite losing a December 1 election to rival Adama Barrow, raising the possibility that regional powers may intervene to oust him if diplomacy does not succeed in persuading him to leave.
“We have put standby forces on alert if he does not (step down) on January 19 when his mandate ends,” De Souza said.
“No one has the right to oppose the will of the people.”
Barrow’s surprise victory and Jammeh’s initial decision to concede after 22 years in power was seen across Africa as a moment of hope.
But the president changed his mind a week later and said again on Tuesday that he would not step down, rebuffing efforts by West African leaders to persuade him.
Mr. Jammeh said the electoral count was flawed and that ECOWAS has no right to meddle in Gambia’s internal affairs.
The regional bloc has mandated Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari as a mediator to offer Jammeh an “honorable exit”, but if he does not take it then forces might be deployed, Mr. De Souza said.
The BBC quoted De Souza as saying in an interview that Senegalese troops would lead any military intervention. Senegal is Gambia’s only territorial neighbor and has a frequently stormy relationship with the country, having sent troops there during a 1981 coup.
Senegal has indicated that military action would be an absolute last resort.
Diplomats say ECOWAS would probably seek approval from the U.N. Security Council for the use of force. ECOWAS deployed troops, led by Nigeria, to Liberia and Sierra Leone during civil wars in the 1990s, setting a precedent for possible intervention.
A first step for raising pressure once the handover date passes is likely to be targeted sanctions by the U.N. and others, diplomats say, also raising the possibility that Mr. Jammeh could be offered asylum abroad.
Mr. Barrow’s supporters suggested on Thursday that the president might not immediately be prosecuted for alleged human rights abuses during his rule.
“Justice is essential … but we are going to take the route to truth and reconciliation,” said coalition spokesman Halifa Sallah at a meeting of the African Bar Association.
Gambia’s Supreme Court will hear a legal challenge on January 10 from Mr. Jammeh’s ruling party which wants to overturn the election result.
The ECOWAS Commission president, Marcel de Souza, said this on Malian TV Thursday night.
Mr. Jammeh has vowed to stay in power despite losing a December 1 election to rival Adama Barrow, raising the possibility that regional powers may intervene to oust him if diplomacy does not succeed in persuading him to leave.
“We have put standby forces on alert if he does not (step down) on January 19 when his mandate ends,” De Souza said.
“No one has the right to oppose the will of the people.”
Barrow’s surprise victory and Jammeh’s initial decision to concede after 22 years in power was seen across Africa as a moment of hope.
But the president changed his mind a week later and said again on Tuesday that he would not step down, rebuffing efforts by West African leaders to persuade him.
Mr. Jammeh said the electoral count was flawed and that ECOWAS has no right to meddle in Gambia’s internal affairs.
The regional bloc has mandated Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari as a mediator to offer Jammeh an “honorable exit”, but if he does not take it then forces might be deployed, Mr. De Souza said.
The BBC quoted De Souza as saying in an interview that Senegalese troops would lead any military intervention. Senegal is Gambia’s only territorial neighbor and has a frequently stormy relationship with the country, having sent troops there during a 1981 coup.
Senegal has indicated that military action would be an absolute last resort.
Diplomats say ECOWAS would probably seek approval from the U.N. Security Council for the use of force. ECOWAS deployed troops, led by Nigeria, to Liberia and Sierra Leone during civil wars in the 1990s, setting a precedent for possible intervention.
A first step for raising pressure once the handover date passes is likely to be targeted sanctions by the U.N. and others, diplomats say, also raising the possibility that Mr. Jammeh could be offered asylum abroad.
Mr. Barrow’s supporters suggested on Thursday that the president might not immediately be prosecuted for alleged human rights abuses during his rule.
“Justice is essential … but we are going to take the route to truth and reconciliation,” said coalition spokesman Halifa Sallah at a meeting of the African Bar Association.
Gambia’s Supreme Court will hear a legal challenge on January 10 from Mr. Jammeh’s ruling party which wants to overturn the election result.
The ‘app of choice’ for jihadists: ISIS seizes on Internet tool to promote terror
When the Islamic State was seeking volunteers for a holiday killing rampage in Europe, it sent word over its favorite social-media channel: the messaging service known as Telegram.
“Christmas, Hanukkah, and New Years Day is very soon,” began a Dec. 6 posting on one of the terrorist group’s usual Telegram bulletin boards. “So let’s prepare a gift for the filthy pigs/apes.”
Two weeks later, when a truck mowed down pedestrians at a crowded Berlin Christmas market, the group again used Telegram, this time to claim credit for the attack. On Friday, after chief suspect Anis Amri was killed in a Milan shootout, Telegram broadcast his posthumous video. The Tunisian migrant had fled Berlin and crisscrossed France and Italy before being stopped by Italian police looking for a burglary suspect. In his video he pledges allegiance to the Islamic State and issues a chilling warning to Westerners: “God willing, we will slaughter you.”
The words and images flew across the globe over a network that terrorist leaders describe as ideal for their purposes — one that is highly discreet, with its heavy encryption and secret chat rooms, but also highly permissive, allowing violent Islamist groups to exchange ideas and spread propaganda with minimal interference. The same conclusion has been reached by terrorism analysts who say Telegram is now overwhelmingly preferred by extremist groups such as the Islamic State, in part because the company has failed to adopt the aggressive measures used by its competitors to kick terrorists off its channels.
A report this week by an organization that monitors Islamist militants’ Internet communications calls Telegram “the app of choice for many ISIS, pro-ISIS and other jihadi and terrorist elements.” The study describes the terrorists’ mass migration to Telegram as one of the most striking developments in the field recently. ISIS is one of the common acronyms for the Islamic State.
“It has surpassed Twitter as the most important platform,” said Steven Stalinsky, lead author of the report by the Washington-based Middle East Media Research Institute, also known as MEMRI. “All the big groups are on it. We see ISIS talking about the benefits of Telegram and encouraging its followers to use it.”
Two weeks later, when a truck mowed down pedestrians at a crowded Berlin Christmas market, the group again used Telegram, this time to claim credit for the attack. On Friday, after chief suspect Anis Amri was killed in a Milan shootout, Telegram broadcast his posthumous video. The Tunisian migrant had fled Berlin and crisscrossed France and Italy before being stopped by Italian police looking for a burglary suspect. In his video he pledges allegiance to the Islamic State and issues a chilling warning to Westerners: “God willing, we will slaughter you.”
The words and images flew across the globe over a network that terrorist leaders describe as ideal for their purposes — one that is highly discreet, with its heavy encryption and secret chat rooms, but also highly permissive, allowing violent Islamist groups to exchange ideas and spread propaganda with minimal interference. The same conclusion has been reached by terrorism analysts who say Telegram is now overwhelmingly preferred by extremist groups such as the Islamic State, in part because the company has failed to adopt the aggressive measures used by its competitors to kick terrorists off its channels.
A report this week by an organization that monitors Islamist militants’ Internet communications calls Telegram “the app of choice for many ISIS, pro-ISIS and other jihadi and terrorist elements.” The study describes the terrorists’ mass migration to Telegram as one of the most striking developments in the field recently. ISIS is one of the common acronyms for the Islamic State.
“It has surpassed Twitter as the most important platform,” said Steven Stalinsky, lead author of the report by the Washington-based Middle East Media Research Institute, also known as MEMRI. “All the big groups are on it. We see ISIS talking about the benefits of Telegram and encouraging its followers to use it.”
Trump releases 'very nice letter' from Putin
US President-elect Donald Trump has released what he says is a "very nice" letter from Russia's President Vladimir Putin calling for a thaw in ties between the rival powers.
Trump's transition team said late on Friday that the president-elect received the letter from Putin urging him to act "in a constructive and pragmatic manner" to "restore the framework of bilateral cooperation".
The letter, dated December 15, also noted that serious global and regional challenges "show that the relations between Russia and the US remain an important factor in ensuring stability and security in the modern world".
Trump Transition releases what it says is a letter from Putin. Trump says he agrees & hopes "we do not have to travel an alternate path." pic.twitter.com/1kBvwg8zVQ — Olivier Knox (@OKnox) December 23, 2016
In response, Trump agreed with Putin, adding that he hopes "we do not have to travel an alternate path".
Putin spokesman Dmitry Peskov confirmed on Saturday that Putin sent the letter, "voicing hope for an improvement of bilateral ties," according to the Interfax news agency.
The exchange comes on the heels of comments by Trump and Putin about the need to strengthen their countries' nuclear arsenals.
Trump tweeted on Thursday that the US should "greatly strengthen and expand its nuclear capability". He said the nation must do so until the rest of the world - as he put it - "comes to its senses" regarding nuclear weapons.
Those comments echoed an earlier statement by Putin, who said that strengthening his country's nuclear capabilities should be a chief military objective in the coming year.
Putin said he saw "nothing unusual" in Trump's pledge to strengthen the US nuclear forces, and claimed that his country's military is stronger than that of any potential aggressor, but acknowledged that the US military is bigger.
He also cast the modernisation of Russia's nuclear arsenal as a necessary response to a US missile defence system.
The US currently has an estimated arsenal of about 7,000 nuclear warheads, second only to Russia, which has a few hundred more.
During the next decade, US ballistic missile submarines, bombers, and land-based missiles - the three legs of the nuclear triad - are expected to reach the end of their useful lives.
Maintaining and modernising the arsenal is expected to cost at about $1 trillion over 30 years.
Trump's transition team said late on Friday that the president-elect received the letter from Putin urging him to act "in a constructive and pragmatic manner" to "restore the framework of bilateral cooperation".
The letter, dated December 15, also noted that serious global and regional challenges "show that the relations between Russia and the US remain an important factor in ensuring stability and security in the modern world".
Trump Transition releases what it says is a letter from Putin. Trump says he agrees & hopes "we do not have to travel an alternate path." pic.twitter.com/1kBvwg8zVQ — Olivier Knox (@OKnox) December 23, 2016
In response, Trump agreed with Putin, adding that he hopes "we do not have to travel an alternate path".
Putin spokesman Dmitry Peskov confirmed on Saturday that Putin sent the letter, "voicing hope for an improvement of bilateral ties," according to the Interfax news agency.
The exchange comes on the heels of comments by Trump and Putin about the need to strengthen their countries' nuclear arsenals.
Trump tweeted on Thursday that the US should "greatly strengthen and expand its nuclear capability". He said the nation must do so until the rest of the world - as he put it - "comes to its senses" regarding nuclear weapons.
Those comments echoed an earlier statement by Putin, who said that strengthening his country's nuclear capabilities should be a chief military objective in the coming year.
Putin said he saw "nothing unusual" in Trump's pledge to strengthen the US nuclear forces, and claimed that his country's military is stronger than that of any potential aggressor, but acknowledged that the US military is bigger.
He also cast the modernisation of Russia's nuclear arsenal as a necessary response to a US missile defence system.
The US currently has an estimated arsenal of about 7,000 nuclear warheads, second only to Russia, which has a few hundred more.
During the next decade, US ballistic missile submarines, bombers, and land-based missiles - the three legs of the nuclear triad - are expected to reach the end of their useful lives.
Maintaining and modernising the arsenal is expected to cost at about $1 trillion over 30 years.
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