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He said Mattis had informed them that the military would also be changing how it decides when to use ground troops and when troops should be deployed in more of an advisory role. |
The changes come as lawmakers have pressed the White House and Pentagon for details about what led to the Oct. 4 ambush in Niger in which four U.S. Special Forces soldiers were killed. Graham indicated that lawmakers are determined to learn what led to the soldiers' deaths and whether they could have been prevented. |
The ambush occurred near Niger's border with Mali, where al-Qaeda's North Africa branch has been battling both the government and a French-led coalition seeking to flush them from desert hideouts. Of specific concern is whether U.S. intelligence assets in the region failed to detect the existence of a threat to America... |
Graham said it's too early to know for certain. |
"In war you fail, you make mistakes and the whole goal is to learn from your mistakes and not repeat them," he said. "The one thing I don't want to do is jump to conclusions." |
McCain threatened Thursday to use a subpoena if necessary to compel information from the Trump administration. Mattis appeared on Capitol Hill a day after McCain's warning. After meeting with McCain for about 15 minutes, Mattis told reporters that military investigators would provide him with information about the Nige... |
As chairman of the Senate committee with primary oversight over the military, McCain argued, he must be better informed of such operations ahead of time. |
But it remained unclear what kind of "operation" the slain soldiers were involved in. "The U.S. military does not have an active, direct combat mission in Niger," AFRICOM said in a statement Friday. It said about 800 military personnel there provide support to the U.S. Embassy in Niamey, the capital; and to support con... |
AFRICOM, the command said in the statement, provides "training and security assistance to the Nigerien Armed Forces, including support for intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance to facilitate their efforts to target violent extremist organizations." Security operations, it said, "are executed almost exclusively... |
U.S. forces, Mattis said earlier this week, provide refueling, intelligence and surveillance support for more than 4,000 French troops. A permanent French air base is in Niamey. Trump, in a June letter to Congress listing overseas military operations under the War Powers Resolution, described the Niger deployments in s... |
The frustrations McCain expressed toward the Pentagon went further than just Niger. After several critical statements earlier in the week, however, he struck a more conciliatory tone after his Friday meeting with Mattis, noting that they were "clearing up a lot" and "continu[ing] to try to improve our lines of communic... |
When asked, McCain said he would base his decision on subpoenaing the administration "on whether we get the witnesses or not." |
Mattis pledged to be forthcoming, saying "when the Senate and the House calls, they always show up, is my policy." |
"And I have the technology to make that happen," Mattis added. |
Part of the Pentagon's new order, Graham said, is a pledge from Mattis that the military will brief lawmakers more regularly on the status of operations and new designations of threats as they are being made. |
"I will insist, as the war expands and as the rules change to be more aggressive, that Congress is informed more often so that Congress can exercise our constitutional authority whether or not we want to authorize this operation through the appropriations process," Graham said. |
But he warned against trying to "rein in" the military's new strategy through any type of congressional action, guessing that the new rules would only intensify a debate over an authorization for the use of military force (AUMF) against the Islamic State that is expected to begin in coming days. |
Graham said that there would be a role for the intelligence community to play in particular in keeping Congress informed about the status of operations, through members of the intelligence committee. The chairman and ranking minority-party member of the Senate Armed Services Committee are ex officio members of the Sena... |
Mattis and Secretary of State Rex Tillerson are due back on Capitol Hill on Oct. 30 for a hearing before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee about whether the administration believes a new authorization for use of military force is necessary. |
According to Sen. Tim Kaine (D-Va.), co-author with Sen. Jeff Flake (R-Ariz.) of the Senate's most popular AUMF proposal, the Niger attack only accentuates the need for Congress to specifically authorize the military's operations against the Islamic State. |
"The many questions surrounding the death of American service members in Niger show the urgent need to have a public discussion about the current extent of our military operations around the world," Kaine said in a statement. "A new AUMF is not only legally necessary, it would also send an important message of resolve ... |
When asked, Mattis would not give his opinion on whether the Niger attack changed the debate about a new AUMF. |
But Graham was adamant Friday that it should not. |
"There'll be a lot of members of Congress who say, wait a minute, if you can go anywhere you want to go, you can kill anybody you want to kill, then we need to rein you in," Graham said. "That's not the way it works." |
"It's up to Congress to have oversight of these operations and if we don't like what they're doing then we can cut off funding," Graham said. |
He said that he expected McCain and Mattis to work out the frequency and conditions under which the Pentagon would brief Congress about ongoing operations under the expanded counterterrorism rules of engagement. |
Karen DeYoung contributed to this report. |
By comparison, the Dolphins-Oakland Sunday night game drew a 13.6 local rating. Miami’s second game against the Jets did a 13.8. (There wasn’t a rating for the Dolphins-Chargers opener because of the effects of Hurricane Irma.) And Miami’s stirring win at Atlanta drew a 13.0. |
“I’m proud of him and he some things [against Notre Dame] that only a veteran quarterback can do,” Richt said. “He made one check that we got a first down on that we really didn’t rep the whole week. We repped last week and we didn’t plan on seeing a lot of true zero coverage from Notre Dame. It just wasn’t their MO, w... |
• UM had four Wildcat plays in the game plan for Notre Dame. |
• If you missed this, defensive coordinator Manny Diaz anticipated the Trajan Bandy interception moments before it happened. |
• Atlanta-based Realus George, the nation’s No. 1 fullback, on Sunday orally committed to join a 2018 UM recruiting class ranked in the nation’s top five. |
George’s other offers included Boston College, Virginia, Navy, Army, Memphis and Appalachian State. |
The Miami Hurricanes celebrate their 41-8 victory over Notre Dame Saturday, Nov. 11, 2017, at Hard Rock Stadium. |
• Richt appreciates how the UM administration has given him everything he has needed to be successful. |
“Blake James and Jenn Strawley and the support that we get from them, just knowing you’ve got that support means a lot, I know to me, personally,” he said. “When you start getting things done, like an indoor facility and all those kind of things that maybe were a little bit of a pipe dream and now they’re coming true, ... |
“And then you got to hire the staff, you got get the right people. I took my time, I did a lot of praying. I think we got the right people that are very good at what they do, but also the kind of people that I think would have that chemistry [and who] would want to do it the way I like to do it and would be all in. And... |
• Here’s one one-loss scenario where UM has a chance to make the playoffs: Alabama goes unbeaten (thus giving Auburn a third loss and Georgia a second) and Wisconsin loses the Big 10 title game to Ohio State. |
In that scenario, if UM beats Virginia and Pittsburgh and loses to Clemson, three playoff teams would be Alabama, Oklahoma (presuming it doesn’t stumble at Kansas or home against West Virginia) and Clemson (presuming it doesn’t lose to South Carolina). |
But UM (with one loss in this scenario) would have a chance to be the fourth playoff team, as would one-loss Wisconsin and a two-loss Georgia team and two-loss Ohio State and perhaps two-loss TCU. |
• If you are thinking positively about a playoff berth, ESPN today projected UM to play Oklahoma in a playoff game at 5 p.m. Monday, Jan. 1 in Pasadena, Cal., with Alabama playing Wisconsin in New Orleans in the second national semifinal that night. |
• ABC will carry the next two Hurricanes games – noon against Virginia on Saturday and noon at Pittsburgh on Nov. 24, the Friday after Thanksgiving. Joe Tessitore and Todd Blackledge call Saturday’s game. |
Hutchison Whampoa, tycoon Li Ka-shing’s ports-to-telecoms flagship, has pushed back the break-even targets for its third-generation mobile telecoms business to next year, a Hong Kong newspaper reported Saturday. |
Hutchison said last August it expected its 3G business to achieve positive monthly earnings before interest and taxes (EBIT) on a sustainable basis in 2008, barring unfavourable regulatory and market changes. |
However, at a company dinner on Friday, Li (pictured above) forecast the breaking even on the EBIT level would only be achieved next year, the South China Morning Post said. |
“Our 3G business will turn a new page in 2008, on a path to achieving positive full-year cash flow and positive EBIT in 2009,” Li was quoted as saying. |
Hutchison has been the most aggressive investor in European 3G mobile telecoms, but profits have been elusive amid fierce competition. Its $25 billion (Dh91.75bn) bet on high-speed mobile phones has been a drag on its share price for several years. The company’s 3G loss before interest and taxes narrowed to HK$20bn (Dh... |
Looking ahead, Li sounded a note of caution. |
But he believed the Hutchison’s investment across the globe are all sound and heading in positive direction, the newspaper said. |
Tuesday, September 22nd on "The Early Show" plaza, CVS/pharmacy will be offering free seasonal flu shots from 7 to 9 a.m. |
The Centers for Disease Control recommends the seasonal flu vaccine for the vast majority of the population including: adults 50 and older, all children ages 6 months to 18 years, pregnant women, individuals with chronic health conditions such as asthma or diabetes, and health workers. |
Please join CVS pharmacists on the Plaza and take the first step in protecting your health this flu season! |
Consultation with your doctor is recommended. For additional information about seasonal flu, please visit www.cvs.com/flu> or call 1-888-FLU-SHOT. |
To confirm you will be there for a free flu shot, e-mail us with your full name and the number of people receiving flu shots in your party. |
ELMONT, N.Y. — The organizers of the original Belmont Stakes must have been either cold-hearted or liked to revel in the misfortunes of others. |
How else do you explain how difficult the Belmont race is, even compared to the other Triple Crown races? |
With its unique mile-and-a-half distance and its deep, sandy running base, Belmont Park is thoroughbred racing’s biggest challenge. Unlike any other track. |
There are 12 Triple Crown champions, with American Pharoah ending the 37-year drought three years ago. Twenty-three other horses won both the Kentucky Derby and Preakness but couldn’t win the Belmont. Only eight finished second. |
“This is uncharted waters,” said Hall of Fame trainer D. Wayne Lukas. |
The jockey often makes the decision of when to call on the horse for the stretch run. In the extra-long Belmont, jockeys have had problems. |
Ron Franklin, 19 at the time, couldn’t bring Spectacular Bid home in 1979. “When I looked up, that quarter-mile looked like three miles to me,” Franklin said. |
Critics believe Stewart Elliott faltered on Smarty Jones in 2004. Elliott used his colt up too early, as he tried to avoid being boxed in by two peers, including Jerry Bailey, the Hall of Famer who’s part of this year’s Belmont TV coverage. A too quick 23.11 third quarter provided Smarty Jones with a four-length lead, ... |
Mike Smith, Justify’s jockey, feels he cost Paynter the 2012 Belmont. Eventual winner Union Rags was stuck on the rail before Smith began hitting Paynter left-handed with the whip. When the horse lunged out, a path opened up for John Velazquez, Union Rags’ jock. “Union Rags should have never gotten thorough on me,” Smi... |
Other jockeys have been faulted, particularly Kent Desormeaux’s ride on Real Quiet in 1998 that many in the business think cost Bob Baffert, Justify’s trainer, what would have been, at the time, his first Triple Crown. |
Trainers are supposed to deliver the horses in top condition on race day, but their methods are often questioned. |
Barclay Tagg, the journeyman trainer of Funny Cide, raised a lot of eyebrows in 2003, when he took the gelding out for a workout days before the Belmont. Funny Cide responded with a sizzling 57.4 for 5 furlongs, the fastest of 49 workouts at that distance, on that day, at Belmont. “That was a little faster than we want... |
Skeptics agreed after Funny Cide ran third to Empire Maker and Ten Most Wanted in the Belmont. |
Not all of Tagg’s methods failed. For the Preakness, he had Funny Cide transported by van from New York, arriving in the early hours on race day. By comparison, Justify arrived at Belmont on Wednesday on a flight from Kentucky, his post-Preakness training base. |
The possibility of late-afternoon thunderstorms shouldn’t affect Justify. If anything, it should help him, given how he won the first two Triple Crown races on sloppy surfaces. |
The biggest concern for his handlers is the colt’s stamina. Let’s not forget that Justify did not race as a 2-year-old, and this will be his sixth race since Feb. 18. |
And, of course, there’s everybody’s concern about the added distance. American horses are not bred to go a mile and a half. |
So in a race that has more closers than early speed, don’t be surprised if Justify jumps out of his starting position on the rail to take the early lead so he can dictate the moderate early pace that he needs to hold off the closers in a race traditionally won by more early pacesetters than closers. |
Tumultuous, confusing week of health care maneuvering in the Senate ends with Obama's signature health law completely unchanged. |
A dramatic, tumultuous, confusing, chaotic week of health care maneuvering in the Senate has ended with former president Barack Obama's signature health care law completely unchanged. |
You have to forgive Democrats if they spike the ball and dance a little bit. They've been waiting for a win since November, and this one — killing the Republicans' top legislative priority — is a big one. Of course, the Democrats didn't really kill it. Their "no" votes were irrelevant. The best part for Democrats is th... |
Their law is sick and they need Republican help to fix it. Democrats have been admitting for years that the law has problems: Premiums are soaring in some places; markets are struggling; deductibles are too high. President Trump suggested in a late-night tweet that he is willing just to let the insurance system "implod... |
Just before the election, Trump issued a plan for key legislation he would push Congress to pass in the first 100 days of his administration, including: tax relief and tariffs on imports; boosting defense spending; building the wall on the Mexican border; and repealing and replacing Obamacare. |
More than six months into his term, Congress is nowhere near any of these things. The House approved a cluster of spending bills this week that would boost defense spending and make a down payment on wall construction, but the bills violate existing budget caps and the Senate has expressed no interest in taking them up... |
After delivering the decisive "thumbs down" on the health care bill, Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., now gets to lead the Senate's consideration of the National Defense Authorization Act, which approves $700 billion worth of military projects. This bill will be the anti-heath care. It has broad bipartisan support, the two p... |
What happened to the Mystique of Mitch? |
McConnell has long been hailed as a master tactician, the one guy who might actually be able to govern the ungovernable Senate. His last ploy in the health care debate seemed so crazy it just might work: offer an eight-page bill containing only provisions specifically tailored to win factions of Republican votes, and t... |
McConnell's approach did not, in the end, result in a bill, but it did result in some gripping TV moments. At the start of the week, McCain — carrying the fresh scar of a facial surgery that revealed a cancerous brain tumor — marched on to the floor to a hero's welcome from his colleagues and cast a critical vote to le... |
And at the end, McCain again took the spotlight, marching to the clerk's desk and delivering the dramatic "thumbs down" that killed the Obamacare repeal effort. It may or may not be good policy, but it was good TV. |
India speedster Mohammed Shami is amazed at how Jimmy Anderson is able to deceive batsmen with his guile even when he is not as quick as his Indian counterparts. |
SOUTHAMPTON: India speedster Mohammed Shami is amazed at how Jimmy Anderson is able to deceive batsmen with his guile even when he is not as quick as his Indian counterparts. |
On the eve of the fourth Test, the Indian pacer wished luck to Anderson, who at 557 scalps, is only seven short of becoming the highest ever wicket-taker among fast bowlers in international cricket surpassing Glenn McGrath (563 wickets). |
"As far as learning goes, when you see a senior player (Anderson) performing before you like that, you observe him as much as you can. I am always looking at how he doesn't have as much pace as us but still takes wickets - what lengths does he bowl? You get to learn these things. He's a different bowler in different co... |
"No matter where a player comes from, the first thing you have to see is what he works on in home conditions. We have been able to learn a great deal from Anderson. We saw him on the last tour here as well and he bowled really well. So far, what I've learnt from Anderson is that more accurate you are, the better it is ... |
With Indian pacers doing a star turn with 38 out of the 46 wickets in three Tests being taken by them, the Bengal speedster said that it is their duty to deliver in conducive conditions. |
"The responsibility is on fast bowlers to deliver in these conditions. We try out best and we have been trying our best. In the last series (in South Africa), you have seen we have done our job well too (picking 60 wickets in three Tests). |
"So the attempt is to not look at this entire series, but take it match by match. It is better for us to shorten it and look at it in that manner," said Shami. |
While there has been criticism for Virat Kohli's chop and change policy in Test matches, Shami said that it has given them time to recover. |
"We have such a bench strength that is so strong that we can change if we want to. Even if we don't change, we have such players that can bowl long spells in this format. But this chop and change policy is good (for the pace attack) because it allows us time to recover. So we have Test bowlers to play Test cricket and ... |
Ravi Shastri termed this attack as the best India has ever had by a mile and Shami is happy that compliments are flowing their way. |
"We are seeing such an Indian bowling unit after a long time. When this is talked about, we also feel happy and enjoy our job. It is good for our country (Indian cricket) that we have got such an attack after a long time and if you compare one on one (with England or any other opponent), we have better bowlers. So when... |
The best part about the attack he feels is that each one is capable of bowling any delivery. |
"The pace attack we have, we can bowl any delivery. You take Jasprit Bumrah, Ishant Sharma and Umesh Yadav - whoever the bowler may be, we can do that (attack and contain). |
"It is good for us that we have so many options and we can evaluate which bowler is feeling better (confident). So we can pick options (accordingly) that this bowler should open the bowling or another bowler should do it. It depends on the fast bowling unit who wants to start." |
Meanwhile, Ravichandran Ashwin bowled at nets today and looked to be fit again, albeit the team management didn't officially confirm the same. |
While Ravindra Jadeja is available, Shami was asked about the possibility of India fielding an all-pace attack. |
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