The Guardian has published a video of a firefight between Daesh (the Islamic State) and American and Kurdish forces in which an American SEAL was killed. US President Obama has steadily increased the number of US combat troops in Syria and Iraq but has promised that they only serve in an advisory capacity. No one had any illusions that an “advisory” role excluded combat, but the video shows that US troops are fully engaged in combat roles.
In response to NATO’s moves in placing rotating military forces in Poland and the Baltic States, Russia has announced the formation of three new military divisions for its western and southern military districts. It was unclear whether the new Russian forces would also be “rotating”. The provision is necessary since Russia and NATO agreed in the 1990s not to increase their permanent forces in hopes of diminishing the threat of war. But ever since the controversy over Ukraine there has been a steady escalation of forces and provocative actions by both sides.
Russian Military Districts
General Sisi, the leader of Egypt, has stated that “Western” human rights do not apply universally and are inappropriate in judging civic society in Egypt. The General made the comments to a US Congressional delegation and it will be interesting to see how the comment will be conveyed to the American people. Sisi has been under great pressure for placing journalists under controls by the Egyptian state and he shows little responsiveness to outside influence to alter course.
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