Supporter says business exec has gained valuable experience on global issues Ex-adviser says Hillary Clinton has the upper hand on credibility In 2007, then-CIA Director Michael Hayden was wrestling with a pressing question, one that would rattle the secretive organization long after his tenure: How, he wondered, could the U.S. spy agency continue to fulfill its mission in a society that increasingly demanded more transparency and public accountability? To help find an answer, Hayden turned to Carly Fiorina, former CEO of Hewlett-Packard, whom he had selected to chair the CIA’s External Advisory Board. She responded with a warning that the agency would have to adapt to confront rapidly-changing public expectations. “She contributed a great deal,” Hayden recalled, noting that the meetings were classified. “It confirmed for me what I thought was a coming crisis. It helped me with my judgment.” Fiorina, who on Monday announced a bid for the Republican presidential nomination, has never held elected office or served in a Cabinet position. She is known mostly for her work in the tech industry – serving as Hewlett-Packard’s CEO from 1999 until her unceremonious ousting in 2005 – and for an unsuccessful bid for Senate in California in 2010. Carly Fiorina’s HP legacy looms over her 2016 ambitions But in the months leading up to her White House announcement, Fiorina has advertised herself as a Republican alternative to Democratic presidential contender Hillary Clinton whose business experience – and gender – would give her an edge in the race. She thinks she can take on Clinton in the realms of foreign policy and national security, given her globetrotting and dealmaking as a chief executive of an international corporation and hands-on experience in advisory roles, such as her work with Hayden. And she undoubtedly will make the case that her international ventures are an asset in taking on her Republican opponents. Many are governors or freshmen senators who will have a challenge claiming long experience on the issues one handles as commander in chief. In advisory work with the CIA, Pentagon and the National Security Agency, Fiorina provided guidance on computer data-sharing related to national security issues. And by the time she relinquished her role at Hewlett-Packard, the company was operating in 170 countries, 50 more than when she took the job. During that time, she visited many of those places and met with leaders of some of America’s most prominent allies and rivals. “Like Hillary Clinton, I, too, have traveled hundreds of thousands of miles around the globe. But unlike her, I have actually accomplished something,” Fiorina told a group of Iowans in Des Moines last January, a version of a line she repeats regularly on the stump. In almost every public appearance she references Clinton, and in many instances has specifically challenged the former secretary of state’s foreign policy credentials. Clinton supporters, of course, take a dimmer view of Fiorina’s achievements. Ann Lewis, a senior adviser to Clinton’s 2008 presidential campaign, told CNN that Fiorina’s private-sector work pales beside Clinton’s roles as first lady, New York senator and secretary of state. “I don’t think that compares to the experience you get as a United States senator for six years or certainly of being secretary of state,” Lewis said. “It’s not really comparable.” Related video Carly Fiorina: The Anti-Hillary Clinton At this stage in the race, Fiorina faces long odds of even making it to a debate stage with Clinton, the likely Democratic nominee. Although it’s still early, Fiorina’s name barely registers on national polls. A CNN/ORC survey conducted in mid-April showed her garnering just 2% of the vote. Still, Fiorina has a full campaign team in place. And her travels are a part of her resume that she will mention in stump speeches in early voting states such as Iowa and New Hampshire. “I sat across the table from Vladimir Putin,” she said earlier this month during a gathering of conservative activists in Iowa. “I remember sitting in Bibi Netanyahu’s office … I know King Abdullah of Jordan as well.” “During the GOP primary debates, she’s going to be able to name drop like that in a way Scott Walker can’t,” said Daniel Drezner, a professor of international politics at Tufts University, referring to the Republican Wisconsin governor, who is widely expected to announce his own candidacy. “Fiorina can at least claim to have, in some ways, more foreign policy experience than the rest of the field.” “People underestimate it,” Fiorina told CNN, speaking of her foreign policy knowledge. “The truth is, I have a great deal of experience and know a lot of these people who have been in and out of a lot of these countries.” Hayden agrees. “I’m not shilling for her – I’m lined up with Jeb Bush as an adviser – but I would offer you the view that the chief executive officer from Hewlett-Packard has plenty of opportunity to immerse herself in the broader questions of diplomacy, global commerce and global issues,” Hayden told CNN. “In fact, one might make the argument that that’s as good a preparation as any.” In many ways, the Bush administration provided much of Fiorina’s foreign policy education. Following the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001, then-Secretary of State Colin Powell called on her to offer guidance on how the U.S. government could better share data and information between agencies, and she then went on to offer similar service to the Department of Defense and the National Security Agency. “She was very helpful to the NSA when she was head of Hewlitt,” said Robert L. Deitz, a former NSA general counsel and former senior councillor to the director of the CIA. Deitz supports Fiorina’s presidential bid. During the Bush administration, Fiorina sat on the Defense Business Board and the Advisory Group on Transformational Diplomacy for the State Department, which drafted reports for the government agencies from a private-sector perspective. On the CIA board, Hayden said Fiorina was joined by former members of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, State Department officials, military commanders and a university president. Foreign policy experts differ on the efficacy and value of such boards, but those experiences undoubtedly provided Fiorina insight into the world of government policymaking, diplomacy and national security that civilians are rarely granted. Carly Fiorina: Clinton can’t play ‘gender card’ against female opponent “These boards are not significant in that they have an effect on policy, but they are significant in that the members learn a few things while they’re on it,” Drezner said. Similar to many advisers in the Bush White House, Fiorina is a vocal proponent of a robust American presence around the globe, a hawkish worldview that lines up closely with Rubio, Graham and Arizona Sen. John McCain. Like them, she has been blisteringly critical of President Barack Obama’s handling of nuclear negotiations with Iran and of Russia’s aggression toward Ukraine. “We need to have the strongest military on the face of the planet and everyone needs to know it,” Fiorina told CNN. “America needs to face outward into the world, and I don’t think it is helpful to our interests or to the stability of the world when people focus on turning inward.” Last week, Fiorina said that the second phone call she would make as president would be to the Supreme Leader of Iran – after calling Netanyahu and before phoning Democratic leaders – to inform him that “there’s a new situation in town.” Then she would impose “as punishing a set of financial sanctions as we are capable of imposing unilaterally.” When it comes to cybersecurity and information technology, the topics on which she advised the NSA, state and the CIA, Fiorina has little sympathy for fugitive whistleblower Edward Snowden, who leaked classified NSA plans to the media in 2013. “I think Edward Snowden has been terribly destructive,” she told CNN, but added that agencies could be more transparent. “He has been less than forthcoming. It was a very slanted portrayal about what the NSA does, and he knows it.” Fiorina’s positions have caught the attention of several conservative hawks. (Fiorina’s aides declined to provide a list of her foreign policy advisers.) “She can go into detail on Russia, China and the Middle East. She has a breadth of knowledge you wouldn’t expect from a former CEO,” said Bill Kristol, editor of The Weekly Standard. “Having spoken to a lot of people who run for high office over the years, I think she’s way above average and up to a pretty high standard on this.” Fiorina’s international experience will give her an important contrast with her opponents who have served as governors. Though they sometimes participate in trade missions and host foreign leaders, they by and large don’t rack up as many international frequent flier miles. But she will also be running against senators who have served on top foreign affairs committees and can claim more expertise in policy-making. Still, allies said that Fiorina’s GOP opponents should not underestimate her on these issues when they face off over the next several months. “In any kind of debate,” said Deitz, “I’ll put my money on Carly.”


The death toll is at least five, according to one Yemeni ministry but rebel officials say it is much higher ISIS also claimed it attacked two mosques in March, killing more than 130 people Peace talks are between government representatives and Houthi officials are set for Geneva ISIS has claimed responsibility for several bombings that occurred in the Yemeni capital of Sanaa on Wednesday. A statement posted to social media and then re-tweeted by ISIS supporters asserted that four car bombs in Sanaa targeted pro-Houthi locations, including the home of a Houthi cleric Taha al-Mutawakel. The death toll from the attacks is unclear. Two sources from the office of Brig. Gen. Sharaf Luqman, the spokesman for the Houthi-allied army, said at least 24 people were killed. The Yemeni Ministry of Health said the number of dead was at least five. The targets also included two mosques and a political office, ISIS claimed. Houthi officials said three mosques were among the sites attacked. ISIS also has claimed responsibility for mosque attacks before. In March, more than 130 people were killed by suicide bombing at two mosques frequented by Houthis. While it was not reported if any young people were killed Wednesday, UNICEF announced a day earlier that almost four times as many children have died in the past 10 weeks as a result of the conflict in Yemen as were killed in 2014. At least 279 children have died since the latest violence escalated in March, compared to a total of 74 last year, the United Nations Children’s Fund said in a statement. Related video Al Qaeda in Yemen appoints new head after U.S. strike UNICEF is backing a call by U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon for a pause in the fighting during the holy month of Ramadan, which begins Thursday. Peace talks, sponsored by the U.N. and including Saudi Arabia, are being held in Geneva. “It is the important start towards the return to a political process,” Ismail Ould Cheikh Ahmed said Tuesday. “Let us be realistic; it will be a difficult path, but the important issue is that we start addressing the crisis in all its dimensions, determination and willingness and that we start doing this now.” Yemen has been torn by fighting between the Houthi Shiite militiamen and government forces loyal to President Abdu Rabu Mansour Hadi. Hadi fled the capital, Sanaa, in March. Iran has been accused of backing the Houthi rebels – something it denies. A coalition led by Saudi Arabia has launched airstrikes against the Houthi rebels in a bid to counteract what it sees as Iranian influence in the region. CNN’s Mohammed Tawfeeq, Eve Parish and journalist Hakim Almasmari contributed to this report.


Program note: Go inside Israel’s ultra-Orthodox community on “Believer with Reza Aslan” Sundays on CNN at 10 p.m. ET/PT. New settlement is intended for Israelis removed from an unsanctioned outpost Israel also advances plans to construct 2,000 homes in existing settlements Israel’s Security Cabinet on Thursday unanimously approved the construction of a new settlement in the West Bank, according to a message from the Prime Minister’s office, marking the state’s first new settlement in Palestinian territory in more than 20 years. The new settlement, which will be constructed north of the Palestinian city of Ramallah, is intended for Israeli settlers evacuated from Amona, an outpost destroyed by Israeli authorities in February because it was not sanctioned. The Security Cabinet on Thursday also advanced plans to construct 2,000 homes inside existing settlements. These homes are part of a plan approved two months ago to grow settlements by more than 5,500 homes. The plan was approved by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government shortly after US President Donald Trump took office. PLO Executive Committee member Hanan Ashrawi immediately blasted the announcements. “Israel’s policies remain unchanged as Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his extremist, racist coalition government continue to persist with their systematic policies of settler colonialism, apartheid and ethnic cleansing, showing a total and blatant disregard for Palestinian human rights, independence and dignity,” Ashrawi said in a statement. “Today’s announcement once again proves that Israel is more committed to appeasing its illegal settler population than to abiding by the requirements for stability and a just peace,” she added. Ashrawi called on the international community to hold Israel responsible for the expansion of West Bank settlements. The United Nations Security Council passed a resolution in December condemning Israeli settlements constructed in the West Bank and East Jerusalem as illegal. These territories, occupied by the Israeli military since 1967, are where Palestinians plan to create their future state. UNSC Resolution 2334 passed after the US abstained from voting. Former President Barack Obama was a critic of the settlements, viewing them as an obstacle to reaching a viable peace agreement between Israelis and Palestinians. Thursday’s announcement comes despite no agreement between the Trump and Netanyahu governments on how to address settlements. The President requested in February that Israel “hold back” on settlement expansion. A White House official on Thursday said Israel’s decision to approve a new West Bank settlement did not amount to defiance of the President’s request for a pause in settlement activity, rather it was “already in the queue.” The new settlement was already on track to be approved “before the President had a chance to lay out his expectations,” said the official, who declined to be named due to the sensitive nature of peace talks. The two sides have previously met in Washington and Jerusalem, as the Trump administration pushes forward with an Israeli-Palestinian peace plan. “As we move into more detailed discussions regarding the possibilities for advancing Israeli-Palestinian peace, the Israeli government has made clear that Israel’s intent is to adopt a policy regarding settlement activity that takes the President’s concerns into consideration,” the official said. The official said the President’s previous concerns about settlement activity being unhelpful to the peace process “remain the same.” United Nations chief  António Guterres criticized the decision to build a new settlement. “The Secretary-General has consistently stressed that there is no Plan B for Israelis and Palestinians to live together in peace and security. He condemns  all unilateral actions that, like the present one, threaten peace and undermine the two-state solution,” a statement from Guterres’ office said. There are 126 Israeli settlements in the West Bank (excluding East Jerusalem), according to the September 2016 report from the Israeli Central Bureau of Statistics. CNN’s Amir Tal and Jeremy Diamond contributed to this report.

Israel's settlement expansion in the West Bank


Tensions between London and Moscow over the attempted murder of a former Russian spy ratcheted up another level Thursday after Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov warned that a move to expel British diplomats from Russia would “absolutely” be going ahead. Speaking at a question-and-answer forum in Moscow, Lavrov did not provide a time frame but said the expulsions would take place “soon,” state media reported. The move follows Britain’s decision Wednesday to kick 23 Russian diplomats out of the country after concluding that Russia was responsible for a nerve agent attack on former Russian double agent Sergei Skripal and his daughter in England earlier this month. It will be the single biggest expulsion of Russian diplomats from Britain in more than 30 years, Prime Minister Theresa May announced Wednesday, as she set out a raft of measures intended to target Russian assets and strengthen UK defenses. On Thursday, Lavrov accused May of grandstanding in her response to the incident, and said the Kremlin response would “come very soon.” “You understand that as polite people, we will first inform our British colleagues of the response. Unlike them, grabbing the microphone in order to accuse Russia of everything,” Lavrov said. A spokesman for Vladimir Putin described the UK’s accusations as “unfounded” and said “it won’t be long until” the Russian President makes a decision on retaliatory measures. “The offers will be considered by the Foreign Ministry, other institutions, but the main decision will be made by the President,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters Thursday. “There is no doubt he will choose the option that corresponds the most with the Russian national interests.” On Thursday, British Defense Secretary Gavin Williamson said Moscow had made a “deliberate political decision” to poison Skripal. He accused Russia of “ripping up the international rulebook” and “attempting to “subvert, undermine and influence” countries around the world. “Russia should shut up and go away,” Williamson said. “It’s often described as a cool war that we are entering – I would say it is feeling exceptionally chilly at the moment.” The two governments have been locked in a war of words since Skripal, 66, and his daughter Yulia, 33, were found slumped on a park bench in the English city of Salisbury on March 4. The pair are critically ill in the hospital after being exposed to a nerve agent known as Novichok that was developed in Russia, UK officials believe. May had given Moscow until midnight Tuesday to explain whether the attack was directed by Russian authorities or whether the government had lost control of the nerve agent. But the Kremlin, which has steadfastly denied the accusations, ignored the deadline and said Britain had not given it enough time to respond to May’s request. On Thursday, the UK, US, Germany and France issued a joint statement insisting Russia was responsible for the attack and that “there is no plausible alternative explanation.” Related article Haley slams Russia over spy poisoning in Britain The four urged Russia to “live up to its responsibilities as a member of the UN Security Council to uphold international peace and security.” “We call on Russia to address all questions related to the attack in Salisbury. Russia should in particular provide full and complete disclosure of the Novichok program to the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW),” the statement read. US President Donald Trump also weighed in Thursday, telling reporters: “It certainly looks like the Russians were behind it. Something that should never, ever happen, and we are taking it very seriously, as I think are many others.” “I spoke with the Prime Minister and we are in deep discussions,” he added. “A very sad situation.” Trump’s comments followed those made by US Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley on Wednesday, who blasted Russia and said the Trump administration stood in “absolute solidarity with Great Britain,” in the strongest US statement yet on the incident. “If we don’t take immediate concrete measures to address this now, Salisbury will not be the last place we see chemical weapons used,” she said. On Thursday, May paid a visit to Salisbury to “speak to people who responded to this terrible incident that took place,” she said, and thank those who were “continuing to work hard to investigate, to get to the bottom of those who are responsible, but also to ensure that the public are reassured.” Skripal was sentenced to 13 years in prison in 2006 for spying for Britain, according to Russian state media accounts of the closed hearing. Russian court officials at the time said he’d received at least $100,000 for his work for MI6, the British intelligence service. He was granted refuge in the UK after a high-profile spy exchange between the United States and Russia in 2010. His daughter Yulia is thought to be one of the few members of his immediate family still alive after his wife and son died in recent years. She was visiting him from Russia at the time of the incident. The poisoning of the pair has put further strain on UK-Russia relations that have been fractious ever since the assassination of another former Russian spy, Alexander Litvinenko, in 2006. A UK inquiry found that two Russian agents poisoned Litvinenko at a London hotel bar in 2006 by spiking his tea with highly radioactive polonium-210, and that Putin “probably approved” Litvinenko’s killing. The Kremlin has always denied the accusation. Both countries have acknowledged the deterioration in sentiment, with Lavrov admitting in December it was “not a secret” that the Russia-UK relationship was at a “very low point.” Earlier Thursday, British Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson accused Russia of having a “smug, sarcastic response” to the UK’s calls for an explanation. Johnson also confirmed that the UK would submit a sample of the nerve agent to the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons for it to carry out its own tests. CNN’s James Masters wrote from London. Mary Ilyushina reported from Moscow. Radina Gigova in Atlanta contributed to this report.


Editor’s Note: This story is part of “Masters of Experience,” a series exploring the world’s most original  experiences, as told by the visionaries who crafted them. Italian fashion photographer Paolo Roversi has been taking portraits in the same Paris studio for more 30 years. And, speaking with him about his craft, it seems no coincidence that the space was once a painter’s atelier. “For me, photography is all five senses,” Roversi said in a phone interview. “It’s not just the visual. It’s also the smell, touch, taste and sound. You might hear music when you look at a photo, or feel the wind. It’s a window to the imagination.” David LaChapelle reveals visions of heaven and hell Roversi has brought together more than 100 of his portraits in “Dior Images: Paolo Roversi.” Created in collaboration with Christian Dior, the coffee table book features the likes of Kate Moss and Naomi Campbell wearing dresses from the fashion house’s archive – all captured with the signature photographic blur Roversi pioneered in the 1990s. “I feel more when the photos are not sharp, that’s why,” he said. “In my work, there is nothing rational or logical … It’s about instinct and feelings.” This philosophy seems a far cry from Roversi’s photojournalist beginnings. In 1970, he got his start shooting for the Associated Press, for whom he photographed Ezra Pound’s burial in Venice. Two years later, he moved to Paris and started working for Elle magazine. It was there that he was introduced to the work of Helmut Newton, Guy Bourdin, Richard Avedon and Irving Penn. Peter Lindbergh's fight to free women from 'the terror of youth and perfection' “I loved the fantastic quality of fashion photos and the beautiful design of the clothes,” he said. “It brought a sense of elegance to aesthetic beauty.” Shooting models in his Parisian studio is more than just showing off beauty, youth and couture, however: “It’s a reciprocal exchange between the model and I of spirit, personality and style,” he said. “It’s always very special for me to take a portrait of someone. It’s not just a little picture.” With some models, that exchange can be electrifying to witness. Speaking to a memorable photo from the book is a shot of Campbell from 1996, wearing a Dior dress designed by the late Gianfranco Ferré, Roversi said: “Naomi moves in a beautiful way and can put anything on and it becomes magic,” he said. For someone so wrapped up in beauty, one has to wonder if he approaches photography like a form of poetry. “No,” he said, laughing. “It’s just photography.” “Dior Images: Paolo Roversi,” published by Rizzoli, is out now.


She says Trump hasn't made his decision on the Iran deal yet Trump called it one of the worst deals he's ever seen US Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley said Wednesday that President Donald Trump’s criticism of the Iran deal doesn’t mean he plans to exit the agreement “It’s not a clear signal he plans to withdraw. What it is is a clear signal that he’s not happy with the deal and that the United States is not safer because of it,” she said on “CBS This Morning.” Haley was referring to Trump calling the Iran deal “one of the worst and most one-sided transactions” during his UN address on Tuesday.RELATED: Trump told Nikki Haley to speak her mind. She’s doing just that. “That deal is an embarrassment to the US and I don’t think you’ve heard the last of it, believe me,” he said. Trump faces a mid-October deadline for re-certifying Iran’s compliance with the agreement. US officials said Trump is still weighing his next moves and plans to announce his intentions next month. Related article This is global Trumpism When asked about Trump’s plan on the deal, Haley said he has to make the decision. “That’s his decision alone. What I can tell you is if he does not certify, he’s certainly on grounds to not do that,” she said about it. And when asked about Iranian President Hassan Rouhani’s criticism of US reneging on the deal, Haley said he needs to “start following the rules.” “I think what he needs to do is instead of leaving the agreement, he’s needs to start following the rules,” she said. “He’s not keeping up with his end of the deal. So what he’s trying to do is put it on us, but we have to keep it on him.” CNN’s David Wright contributed to this report.


Investigation revealed "substantial inconsistencies" in the case Defendant's immigration status became a White House talking point Prosecutors have dropped rape charges against two immigrant high school students in Maryland whose case had been used by the White House as evidence of the need to crack down on undocumented immigrants. Henry Sanchez-Milian, 18, and Jose Montano, 17, both students at Rockville High School, were accused in March of raping a 14-year-old schoolmate in a bathroom stall at school. They were arrested and charged as adults with first-degree rape and two counts each of first-degree sexual offense. The case drew national attention due to the nature of the crime and because Sanchez-Milian, a citizen of Guatemala, was in the US illegally. Montano, an undocumented immigrant from El Salvador, was living under “special immigrant juveniles status,” according to his attorney. But on Friday, prosecutors dropped the rape and sexual offense charges against both students, citing the “lack of corroboration and substantial inconsistencies from the facts.” “After a painstaking investigation and review of these matters, we have concluded that the facts of this case do not support the charges originally filed,” Montgomery County state attorney John McCarthy said in a statement. Instead, Sanchez-Milian has been charged with possession of child pornography, prosecutors said. Montano will be charged in juvenile court with two counts each of possession and distribution of child pornography for allegedly forwarding videos and images of the 14-year-old girl, his defense attorney Maria Mena said. After Sanchez-Milian was arrested in March, Immigration and Customs Enforcement issued an immigration detainer on him. His father, Adolfo Sanchez-Reyes, was arrested days later “after a review of his immigration history revealed he was unlawfully present,” according to an ICE spokesman. When charges were initially filed, White House press secretary Sean Spicer called the alleged crime “horrendous and horrible and disgusting” and used it to bolster the administration’s plans to crack down on undocumented immigrants. Related article Undocumented immigrant accused of raping classmate “I think part of the reason the President has made illegal immigration and crackdown such a big deal is because of tragedies like this,” he said. Spicer said the case also raised questions about the policy of providing public education to undocumented immigrants. “The President recognizes that education is a state-run and a local-run issue but I think it is – it is cause for concern, what happened there,” Spicer said. “And I think that the city should look at its policies and I think that this is something that authorities are going to have to look at.” On Friday, White House deputy press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders said that she had not spoken to Spicer about the dropped charges and would need to know more before commenting. “Sean was speaking about what he knew at the time,” she said. “I’m not going to retract anything without further information.” Defense attorneys had said that the sexual encounter between the defendants and the 14-year-old girl was consensual. “There were no scratches, no bruises. There was no hitting, there was no screaming, there was no running immediately to some sort of security officer,” Sanchez-Milian’s attorney Andrew Jezic said at the time. Sanchez-Milian allegedly received sexually explicit images from the 17-year-old student also charged in the case. Possession of child pornography is a deportable offense, Jezic said, and ICE would likely move forward to deport his client if he is found guilty. Jezic said the charge was a “criminalization of adolescence,” and added that sexting was “an incredibly common phenomenon in high schools in America.” Mena, Montano’s attorney, commended prosecutors for dropping the rape charges, she told CNN affiliate WBAL. However, she said it was “egregious” that Montano would face two counts each of possession and distribution of child pornography for forwarding videos and pictures of the girl. “We as citizens must keep in mind that the purpose of the pornography statute in the state is to basically deter adults from committing acts, not juveniles,” Mena said.

White House immigration crackdown policy


Editor’s Note: This article was originally published by The Spaces, a digital publication exploring new ways to live and work.Darmon Richter is a travel writer and researcher. He writes The Bohemian Blog, and leads tours to communist-era memorial sites in six countries. Throughout Georgia, the past overshadows the present. Cropping up everywhere from back-road village squares to mountain peaks, steel and concrete monuments survive as the legacy of a past many would rather forget. Two abandoned Soviet space shuttles left in the Kazakh steppe The Georgian Soviet Socialist Republic existed as part of the USSR from 1936 until 1991, and during those years it built a phenomenal number of ideological monuments. In the years after WWII these largely took the form of Socialist-realist statues speaking to themes of Soviet historicism – stars, fists and Red Army soldiers – though by the 1970s and into the 1980s, this formalism would give way to new and often abstract works of modernism. Contemporary Georgia’s attitude towards this Soviet architectural heritage is characterized by contradiction. In the capital, Tbilisi, tourists can visit the Museum of the Soviet Occupation, dedicated to the victims of 70 years of Soviet political repression. Just 50 miles down the highway though, the Joseph Stalin Museum at Gori has changed surprisingly little since it opened in the 1950s, and feels more like a shrine than it probably ought to. The treatment of Georgia’s leftover Soviet monuments varies from city to city. The Monument to the Treaty of Georgievsk at Gudauri (informally known as the “Russia-Georgia Friendship Monument”), is in the process of being repaired. In the mining town of Chiatura, a hyper-proportioned Soviet memorial still looms over a complex of housing blocks. Many other rural and post-industrial towns seem similarly indifferent to their own local mementos. But not in Tbilisi. Tbilisi is a city in the process of reinventing itself. Tourism is at a record high, while rapid new development is appearing, in part, by way of large-scale Chinese investment. Much of Tbilisi’s early 20th-century art nouveau architecture (previously condemned as bourgeois by the Soviet regime) has enjoyed recent reassessment and repair, and in 2002 the World Monuments Fund added Georgian art nouveau to its list of endangered works. Georgia’s Soviet-era monuments, conversely, were effectively outlawed in 2011. A significant number have already been removed, including the monumental arches on what was once Republic Square, nicknamed “Andropov’s Ears,” whose 2005 demolition was presided over by Georgia’s president. Not every monument built in Soviet Georgia was overtly political, and some succeed in outrunning those former associations: the Monument to Saint Nino (the “Enlightener of Georgia”), for example, or the “Chronicles of Georgia” memorial complex, both designed by Zurab Tsereteli. Then there’s Kartlis Deda, the statue of Mother Georgia, an enduring symbol of nationhood with or without the context of her socialist sisters overseas. In 21st century Tbilisi though – if not quite yet in all of Georgia – any Soviet-era monuments that can’t be rehabilitated as national symbols now increasingly face demolition, or obscurity and decay. More from The Spaces: Soviet architecture – How do we wrestle buildings from their political pasts?


The United States has declared a United Nations effort to implement a ceasefire in Syria a failure and blamed Russia for stalling it, as the Syrian army continued to pound the devastated rebel-held enclave of eastern Ghouta. Nikki Haley, the US ambassador to the UN, decried the pummeling of Ghouta and said Washington was “prepared to act” if the Security Council failed to demand an immediate, 30-day ceasefire. Speaking at a meeting of the UN Security Council meeting on Monday, Haley questioned whether Moscow had the ability to influence the regime led by Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, after supporting his forces for years with an arsenal of weapons and fighter jets. “Today we must ask whether Russia can no longer influence the Assad regime to stop the horrific destruction of hospitals, medical clinics, and ambulances. To stop dropping chemical weapons on villages,” she said. “Today, we know that the Russians did not keep their commitment. Today, we see their actions don’t match those commitments, as bombs continue dropping on the children of eastern Ghouta,” she said. She said the US had drafted a new ceasefire proposal for Damascus and eastern Ghouta that had “no room for evasion.” But there was no detail on when the Security Council might vote for the US proposal, or what the details of the draft were. Haley also warned that the US would “act” against any nation that “is determined to impose its will through chemical attacks and inhuman suffering, most especially the outlaw Syrian regime,” but did not elaborate. Last year, the US struck a Syrian air base after a chemical weapons attack on the rebel-held town of Khan Sheikhoun. On Monday activists on the ground in Eastern Ghouta, as well as state media, said that the Syrian regime and its allies have splintered the rebel-held enclave into three parts after the army intensified its onslaught in the region over the weekend. Syrian regime forces advanced Sunday to cut off Douma, the largest city in Eastern Ghouta and the main rebel supply route, media activist Bilal Abu Salah told CNN. The town of Harasta was also isolated from the rest of the enclave by regime forces, which additionally broke off several central and southern towns and villages in Eastern Ghota, he added. Syrian state media reported on Sunday that “army units have completely cut off supply routes and movement lines of terrorist organizations between the northern and southern parts of Ghouta, which should accelerate the defeat of terrorists in the area.” An agreement to evacuate the wounded in Eastern Ghouta was reached on Monday, according to a statement from rebel group Jaish al-Islam. The statement said that the agreement was reached with Russia through the mediation of the United Nations. Abo Ammar Alwan, head of the political bureau of Jaish al-Islam in Eastern Ghouta, told CNN that on Monday no evacuations of wounded had taken place. In the first two months of 2018, 1,000 children were reportedly killed or injured because of the conflict in Syria, UNICEF said  Monday. “The use of explosive weapons and indiscriminate attacks in densely populated areas have killed a growing number of children who now account for one quarter of civilian deaths. Over 360 children were injured in 2017, leaving many with disabilities,” the statement read. “These are only the numbers that the United Nations was able to verify, and actual numbers are likely to be much higher.” Haley singled out the deaths of children in her criticism of the UN Security Council. “If we can’t act when children are dying, we have no business being here. If we can’t save families that haven’t seen the sun for weeks because they have been hiding underground to escape barrel bombs, then the Security Council is as impotent as its worst critics say it is,” said Haley. “The ceasefire has failed,” she said. “We have drafted a new ceasefire resolution that provides no room for evasion. It is simple, straightforward, and binding.” Hadi al-Bahra, a negotiator for the Syrian opposition during the Geneva peace talks, told the Security Council that the Assad regime, not Russia, was in charge, and not ready to adhere to any international resolution. “If you want negotiations to work, you must prevent the regime from relying on its military strategy. As long as bombing is an option, it will not negotiate,” he said. The international community should be prepared to revisit sanctions against Damascus and its backers to help enforce UN resolutions. He also said member states should use the threat of military action for any further violations of a ceasefire. “It is feasible, it is necessary and it is overdue,” he said. Since launching its offensive against the enclave in mid-February, the Syrian regime has steadily been gaining territory, starting with villages and towns in the east. Analysts believe it is now a matter of time before the regime takes control of the entire enclave, one of the last major rebel-held areas in the country, which is situated on the outskirts of Damascus. The regime maintains that its offensive is against fighters affiliated with Jabhat al-Nusra, a former al-Qaeda affiliate that has rebranded itself several times and goes by several names – whom it accuses of holding civilians against their will to use as human shields. Armed rebel groups in the besieged enclave deny both accusations, saying al-Nusra’s presence is limited and that civilians fear regime retaliation if they leave. CNN’s Kareem Khadder, Sarah El Sirgany, Hamdi Alkhshali, Jomana Karadsheh, Tamara Qiblawi and Lauren Said-Moorhouse contributed to this report.


A top intelligence official warned Monday that the US doesn’t “yet have the political fortitude to say how we’ll strike back” against Russian misbehavior in cyberspace. Natalie Laing, the deputy director of operations at the National Security Agency, added that the Trump administration should “absolutely” be considering a range of options, while working with the intelligence community, to respond to Russia’s election meddling attempts. The US has not yet hit back against Russia “where it hurts,” Laing said at Cipher Brief’s Annual Threat Conference in Sea Island, Georgia. The US is considering a range of “next-level offensive capabilities,” but policymakers need to figure out what they are willing to do next, she told CNN after the panel. A senior administration official told CNN that the White House is currently working on a whole of government response to follow up on recent sanctions and other punitive measures levied against Russia, consulting different agencies tracking Russian aggression in the run up to the November midterm elections, including the Department of Homeland Security, FBI, and the rest of the intelligence community. The official also said the administration has levied severe consequences on Russia since January 2017. However, it’s not the first time a senior NSA official has noted that more needs to happen to deter Moscow. Laing echoed the message of NSA Director and US Cyber Command chief Adm. Mike Rogers, who told lawmakers in February that he has not been granted the authority by President Donald Trump to disrupt Russian election hacking operations where they originate. Asked by Democratic Sen. Jack Reed if he has been directed by the President, through the defense secretary, to confront Russian cyber operators at the source, Rogers said, “no I have not,” but noted that he has tried to work within the authority he maintains as a commander. Related article The Russia sanctions list: Who's on the new US blacklist Rogers, like Laing, said that Russia has not “paid a price that is sufficient to change their behavior.” Unlike Russia and China, who more frequently launch offensive information warfare attacks, “we are not set up that way,” Laing explained. “I think we need to tear down some of our internal walls.” Former NSA Deputy Director Rick Ledgett, who worked on the intelligence community’s 2017 assessment of Russian meddling in the election, told the audience “we suffer from inherent disadvantages in this space. … We tell the truth,” suggesting the US doesn’t publish the same kind of disinformation its adversaries do. As the midterm elections approach, the President and policy makers will need to confront decisions about how to respond to Russia’s behavior, Laing warned. Related article Trump: US "cannot allow" Syrian chemical weapons attacks “We don’t know, there may be a ticking clock,” she told CNN. “We’re in a big bureaucracy” where “nothing happens quickly,” she continued. Laing’s comments, adding to Rogers’, stand in contrast to remarks made by the President’s homeland security adviser Tom Bossert on Sunday night in Sea Island. Bossert insisted that “we are deterring through increased defenses, punitive measures that impose costs, including military, economic.” He said the US is holding the Russians accountable in “known and unknown ways,” citing recent sanctions imposed on a list of Russian oligarchs. He argued there are many who feel that the response to actors like Russia is “never good enough.” Bossert also said he believes “no voter in this country was influenced by those ads,” referring to advertisements and events posted on social media by Russian bots and accounts during the 2016 US elections, a conclusion that differs from the verdict of senior intelligence leaders.


Here’s what you might have missed on CNN today: – The top US diplomat dealing with North Korea is departing and America still lacks a permanent ambassador to Seoul. Now President Trump’s administration is considering appointing an outside expert as special envoy to North Korea, an official says. – More than 50 million people from Philadelphia to Boston are under winter storm warnings and watches as they receive another deluge of snow. Get live updates here, and if you have questions for CNN’s meteorologists, go here. – A 20-year-old man is suing Dick’s because the store wouldn’t sell him a rifle. – UK police say a former Russian intelligence official was poisoned by a nerve agent. Sergei Skripal was convicted in Russia for allegedly spying for the UK. Police are treating the incident as “attempted murder” after the former spy and his daughter were found critically ill on a shopping center bench in England. – Parkland students are in their first full day of classes three weeks after gunman Nikolas Cruz stormed through their hallways. Cruz was indicted on 34 counts, including premeditated murder. CNN obtained documents about what life in jail is like for him. – The President’s tariff rollout looks increasingly probable, and Wall Street doesn’t like it. Stock indexes fell sharply after Trump’s top economic  adviser, who fiercely opposed the President’s protectionist trade agenda, resigned. – Republican Ted Cruz’s re-election campaign was “just having a sense of humor” when releasing an ad teasing Democratic candidate Rep. Beto O’Rourke for going by Beto rather than his given name, Robert. Meanwhile, Cruz goes by Ted instead of his given name, Rafael Edward Cruz. Here’s how O’Rourke responded – Porn star Stormy Daniels sued President Trump, accusing him of never signing a “hush agreement” over an alleged sexual encounter. Here are eight jaw-dropping allegations in the lawsuit against the President. Press secretary Sarah Sanders says, as far as she knows, Trump isn’t aware of a payment his lawyer made to Daniels. – There have been 16 police officers shot to death in the first nine weeks of this year. – The homeless in San Diego are getting jobs, thanks to a 16-year-old boy.


A Colorado man fighting alongside Kurdish militia forces against ISIS was killed last week, his family confirmed to CNN. Jordan MacTaggart, 22, was killed in the early morning hours of August 3 during a battle inside the Syrian city of Manbij, which had been the focus of intense fighting. He was in battle alongside a militia called the YPG, also known as the People’s Protection Unit, and this was his second trip to Syria with the group. “Our son made a clear-minded, well-researched decision to travel to Syria and join forces with the YPG – a Kurdish militia made up of male and female civilians. All volunteers organized and determined to fight the evil that is ISIS,” his parents and sister said in a statement to CNN. The parents said they hope people will understand about “the women and children he helped abroad… and we are so proud. We supported his joining of the YPG and fighting against ISIS.” “Jordan admired the Kurds from afar and grew to love them as a people and eventually his comrades in arms. Their cause became his. Without regret or remorse he was in Syria to do his best to help them,” the family said in its statement. “We love him unconditionally. We support him completely and our sincerest wish is that no one turns a blind eye to this ongoing Kurdish revolution.” The militia group informed the family about the death. It said in a statement he was helping to free many civilians from areas occupied by ISIS. A group of YPG fighters came under attack by ISIS. MacTaggart was among a group trying to free them when he was hit by enemy fire. Between his two trips, MacTaggart had been in Syria for over a year fighting ISIS, his father, Robert, told CNN. He returned home last year after he was wounded and then he left the US again in January to head back to Syria. That was the last time his family saw him, and his father said “this time I had the feeling Jordan wasn’t coming back until they obliterated ISIS” “We have been honored by Jordan’s participation in our cause that is built on our fundamental desire for freedom. Injustice to human beings in any corner of the world may very well turn into a threat against all of us. For that, a great responsibility lies ahead of us against threats to the future of our children,” the group said in a statement. MacTaggart told the Boulder Weekly last December on a trip home that he had researched the group and that it had many of the same values as he did. “I’ve always wanted to do something, and this felt like something I could do for once. When I found out they were taking foreign volunteers … I looked into it and saved up the money and went on my way about it.” MacTaggart is the second Colorado man who has died fighting alongside the YPG. Levi Jack Shirley was killed last month. For its part the State Department said it has no information to offer on MacTaggart’s death. The State Department has previously urged American citizens not to travel to Syria to volunteer with such militias with spokesman John Kirby last month saying he would “strongly discourage … private US citizens from traveling to Syria to take part in the conflict.”


Trump and Moon took questions at a joint news conference Trade and North Korea were the top issues President Donald Trump said Tuesday that he believes US-led international efforts to crank up the pressure on North Korea and his at-times menacing rhetoric are beginning to work. But he has declined to reprise his inflammatory words of the past – invoking neither “fire and fury” or “rocket man” – so far during his time in the South Korean capital. The US President did not offer any specific signs of progress, noting that his administration likes “to play our cards a little bit close to the vest.” But alongside South Korean President Moon Jae-in during a joint news conference, Trump said he believes the US-led coalition is “making a lot of progress.” Related article Trump's Asia challenge: Be tough on trade and unified on North Korea “Yes, I think we’re making a lot of progress. Yes, we’re showing great strength. I think they understand we have unparalleled strength. There has never been strength like it,” Trump said. “I do see certain movement, yes.” The comments marked the first time Trump has signaled US efforts to counter the North Korean threat are yielding positive results. And while he did not signal the military option had left the table, Trump on Tuesday leaned more heavily into his hopes for a diplomatic solution rather than the issuance of threats of military action. Trump credited his previous bellicose rhetoric and US military strength in the region for the “movement” he says he is seeing, but went a step further Tuesday to distance himself from any desire to resolve the North Korean threat through military means. “We have many things happening that we hope, we hope – in fact, I’ll go a step further – we hope to God we never have to use,” Trump said. Trump added that he hopes North Korea will “come to the table,” though he declined to say whether he would be open to direct talks. Trump, Moon set to take questions in SeoulAs Trump lands in Seoul, 3 US carriers prepare for drill‘Wild card’ Trump heads into North Korea’s line of sightTrump’s Asia challenge: Be tough on trade and unified on North KoreaTrump in Japan: His first stop in Asia Trump, Moon set to take questions in SeoulAs Trump lands in Seoul, 3 US carriers prepare for drill‘Wild card’ Trump heads into North Korea’s line of sightTrump’s Asia challenge: Be tough on trade and unified on North KoreaTrump in Japan: His first stop in Asia The comments came on the third day of his swing through Asia that took him to Seoul on Tuesday after first stopping in Japan, both visits aimed in part at shoring up key US allies in the face of North Korea’s ongoing development of nuclear weapons and ballistic missiles. Trump again stressed the urgency of curbing North Korea’s advances on Tuesday, saying “it’s time to act with urgency and with great determination.” And speaking on the eve of his first visit to China, Trump called specifically on the North Korean neighbor as well as Russia to “demand an end to North Korea’s nuclear and ballistic missile programs. “North Korea is a worldwide threat that requires worldwide action,” he said. Trump left no doubt that the United States would use military force if necessary to protect itself and allies in Asia from North Korean threats. “The United States stands prepared to defend itself and its allies using the full range of our unmatched military capabilities if need be,” Trump said. Moon said earlier that he and Trump carried out “candid” talks about the North Korean issue, and agreed to scale up regional deployments of allies military forces. Moon said the US and South Korea must “maintain strong stance toward North Korea’s threats.” Related article As Trump lands in Seoul, 3 US carriers prepare for drill The joint news conference came as tensions flare over the quickening pace of North Korea’s nuclear and ballistic missile programs. Trump’s visit here marks a critical moment in the US-South Korea alliance – and a test. Trump has sought to push a more aggressive approach to the North Korean threat, whereas Moon rose to power on a platform of increased dialogue with Pyongyang. Trump has also been fiercely critical of KORUS, the free-trade agreement between the US and South Korea, suggesting earlier this year he might terminate it, and Trump said Tuesday the two had discussed making changes to the agreement – though he tempered his rhetoric on the issue during the joint appearance. Trump kicked off his visit here with a stop at Camp Humphreys, a joint US-South Korean base, where he sat down for lunch with troops from both countries creating a photo opportunity drawing attention to the critical military alliance. Nearly 30,000 US troops are stationed in South Korea. A small number of anti-Trump protests gathered at different locations around the city Tuesday to mark his visit. Some opposed the deployment of the US missile defense system, THAAD, in the country to guard against missiles from North Korea. Others held placards saying “no Trump, no war.”  A candlelight vigil was scheduled for Tuesday evening in Gwanghwamun Square, followed by a march to the Blue House. Trump is not expected to visit the demilitarized zone between the two Koreas during his two-day visit here, making him only the second US president since Ronald Reagan not to visit the DMZ. A senior White House official said the administration opted for the visit to Camp Humphreys to highlight the military burden-sharing between the two countries and because visits to the DMZ have become a bit “cliché.” Vice President Mike Pence, Secretary of State Rex Tillerson and Defense Secretary James Mattis have all visit the DMZ this year in separate visits.


NEW: Husbands of missing women make tearful pleas for them to return A lawmaker says the women may be trying to join a brother who is in Syria The missing children are between 3 and 15 years old, police say The husbands of British sisters who have gone missing with their children pleaded tearfully Tuesday for their families to come home amid fears they have headed to Syria, which is ravaged by terrorism and war. “You know, Mariya, I love you. I don’t know what to say,” said Akhtar Iqbal, the husband of Sugra Dawood, addressing his young daughter at a televised press conference in Britain. “I’m shaking and I miss you.  It’s been too many days. I don’t (know) where you are.  Please come back home.” Then he teared up as he addressed his whole family, “I miss you, I love you, all of you.  I love you a lot.  I can’t live without you.  Please, please call me. “ Three sisters and their nine children from northern England disappeared while on a trip to the Middle East. The husbands of two of the sisters appealed for help in tracking the family down amid concerns the sisters could be trying to join a brother in Syria. “Please contact me,” Mohammad Shoaib begged his wife, Khadija Dawood, at the press conference. “I am not angry. … They are young kids, 7 and 5. And you know I love you so much.” The husband of the third sister did not appear, as he is not in the UK. Balaal Khan, a lawyer acting for the Dawood family, said the three missing women and their children, ages 3 to 15, had traveled to Saudi Arabia on an Islamic pilgrimage on May 28. But instead of returning home to the city of Bradford, in northern England, as expected Thursday, they disappeared. They have not been in touch since June 9, and their cell phones have not been active, either. Nor have their social media profiles been updated in the past week, the statement said. Related video How ISIS recruits girls and women to jihad The sisters have been named as Khadija Dawood, Sugra Dawood and Zohra Dawood, all in their 30s. Khadija Dawood’s two children are Maryam Siddiqui, 7, and Muhammad Haseeb, 5; Sugra Dawood’s five children are Junaid Ahmed Iqbal, Ibrahim Iqbal, Zaynab Iqbal, Mariya Iqbal and Ismaeel Iqbal, ages 15 to 3; and Zohra Dawood’s two children are Haafiyah Binte Zubair, 8, and Nurah Binte Zubair, 5. Khan, the lawyer, said all 12 boarded a flight from Medina, Saudi Arabia, to Istanbul on June 9. Early reports that two of the children failed to board the plane were wrong, he said. The lawyer told journalists that there were no family problems and the husbands had no clue their wives were about to disappear. The families practice a moderate version of Islam, and there had been no indications of radicalization, he said. He said that a trip to Syria was only one possible theory for the family’s disappearance. But he mentioned, as well, that there were concerns about how the women had been able to buy tickets from Saudi Arabia to Turkey. The brother of the three missing women is already in Syria, Naz Shah, a member of Parliament from the Bradford area, told CNN. And that is why the family is so concerned about the whereabouts of the missing women and their children, she said. Shah added that she has “never heard of anything remotely like this in Bradford before.” Turkey has become a popular transit route for people seeking to reach Syria, where ISIS and other opposition groups have been battling the forces of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. Another local Bradford member of Parliament, Imran Hussain, has asked Britain’s Foreign Office to help find the family. The Foreign Office said: “We are in contact with West Yorkshire police and Turkish authorities and are ready to provide consular assistance.” The Dawood family reported the women and children’s disappearance to police after they failed to return as expected. Officers are investigating their whereabouts and are “working extensively with authorities overseas to try and locate them,” a statement from West Yorkshire police said. Assistant Chief Constable Russ Foster said: “We are extremely concerned for the safety of the family and would urge anyone with information to come forward and speak to us. “Our priority is for their safe return; their families are gravely worried about them and want them home. One of our primary concerns is the safety and welfare of the young children.” News of the Dawoods’ disappearance came shortly after family members of a teenage boy from West Yorkshire said they were “devastated and heartbroken” after ISIS released a photo showing the 17-year-old in front of an ISIS black flag. There are fears the boy, Talha Asmal from Dewsbury, may have been involved in ISIS suicide attacks near the Iraqi city of Baiji. Other teens have also been swept up in the allure of ISIS. Earlier this year, three teenage British girls were seen on airport surveillance footage heading to Syria.  A Scottish teenager wrote extensively on her Tumblr account about her love of ISIS. She stunned her family, left the country and became an ISIS bride and recruiter. An American teenager from suburban Chicago, Mohammed Hamzah Khan, allegedly was on his way to join ISIS in October when he was stopped at an airport. CNN’s Nic Robertson and Bharati Naik reported from Bradford, while Laura Smith-Spark and CNN’s Don Melvin wrote from London. CNN’s Lindsay Isaac contributed to this report.

The missing British sisters and their children


Donald Trump is set to become one of the most powerful people in the world Friday, but his administration’s view of the US role in global affairs is far from unified. As Trump’s prospective secretary of state, defense secretary and US ambassador to the United Nations were quizzed at Senate confirmation hearings over the past two weeks, significant differences emerged between the views of the incoming president and his nominees. But Trump is looking past those differences. He recently tweeted: “All of my cabinet nominees are looking good and doing a great job. I want them to be themselves and express their own thoughts, not mine!” Here’s a look at where Trump and his cabinet stand on a range of foreign policy issues. Where Trump stands: Trump recently admitted he believed Russia was behind election-related hacking, after months of refusing to acknowledge it was possible. He’s expressed a willingness to work with Russia in Syria and suggested he might recognize Russia’s claim to Crimea, annexed from Ukraine in 2014. He’s promised to improve relations between the two countries and suggested he’d be open to lifting sanctions on the Kremlin, if Russia helps the US battle terrorists and if they can strike a nuclear weapons deal.  But he said he plans to keep sanctions for “at least a period of time.” Where his pick for Secretary of State stands: At his hearing, former ExxonMobil chief Rex Tillerson said he’d support providing arms to Ukraine and called Russia’s invasion an “illegal action.” He suggested there were benefits to keeping sanctions in place. Tillerson described hacking allegations as “troubling” and agreed it was a “fair assumption” that Russian President Vladmir Putin authorized the attacks. Where his pick for Secretary of Defense stands: Retired Marine Gen. James “Mad Dog” Mattis said there were “a decreasing number of areas where we can engage cooperatively, and an increasing number of areas where we’re going to have to confront Russia.” In reference to the merits of sanctions on Russia, Mattis said it was important to recognize the “reality of what we deal with (in) Mr. Putin.” Where his pick for UN Ambassador stands: South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley also acknowledged election-related Russian hacking and emphasized her support for maintaining sanctions: “I certainly think they should be preserved and I don’t think they should be lifted until we see a … change.” Where Trump stands: Trump has sent mixed signals. He’s called NATO “obsolete” because it was designed many years ago. He criticized member states for not paying their fair share to the military alliance, which many see as a vital bulwark against potential Russian aggression. But he also said “NATO is very important to me” and said that Europe can depend on an American security guarantee. Where Tillerson stands: Tillerson said NATO’s collective defense “commitment is inviolable and the US is going to stand behind that commitment.” Where Mattis stands: Mattis, a former Supreme Allied Commander for NATO’s transformation command, has provided unequivocal support for the alliance. “If we did not have NATO today, we would need to create it,” Mattis said, describing it as “vital to our national interests, and it’s vital to the security of the United States.” Where Haley stands: Haley reaffirmed the value of NATO and said she believed Trump’s views would inevitably shift as his national security team advised him. “NATO has obviously been an alliance that we value and an alliance that we need to keep,” Haley said. Where Trump stands: Trump has pledged to renegotiate the deal with the U.S. and five other countries to curb Iran’s nuclear program in exchange for an easing of sanctions, describing it as a “terrible” agreement. Where Tillerson stands: Tillerson said he supports a “full review” of the nuclear deal: “We need to examine our ability to clarify whether Iran is complying.” Where Mattis stands: “It’s not a deal I would have signed,” Mattis said. He told lawmakers he would ask Congress to form a joint committee to oversee the implementation of the accord, boost intelligence community monitoring, and have “a combined missile defense, air and missile defense capability, for our Gulf allies.” Where Haley stands: Haley said it would be better for the US to carefully review the Iran nuclear deal rather than unilaterally withdraw from it: “I think what would be more beneficial at this point is that we look at all the details of the Iran deal, we see if they (the Iranians) are actually in compliance. If we find that there are violations then we act on those violations.” Where Trump stands: Trump has threatened to impose tariffs on Chinese goods and has called out Beijing for what he described as its “brazen” island-building activities in the South China Sea. He’s also questioned whether the US should maintain its longstanding position that Taiwan is part of “One China,” and broke diplomatic protocol by speaking to the president of Taiwan. Where Tillerson stands: Tillerson called China’s actions in the South China Sea “extremely worrisome” and compared them to Russia’s Ukraine adventure: “Building islands and then putting military assets on those islands is akin to Russia’s taking of Crimea.” Where Mattis stands: Mattis identified Chinese island-building in the South China Sea as one of the biggest security issues since WWII – along with Russian aggression and terrorism. Where Haley stands: Haley didn’t mention the South China Sea during her hearing, but she stressed the importance of working closely with China to deal with North Korea. Haley said she would try to convince Beijing that it is in China’s national interests to work with Washington to curb North Korea’s nuclear program. Where Trump stands: Trump has pledged to relocate the US embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem and slammed a UN Security Council resolution calling for an end to Israel’s development of settlements in the West Bank. Where Tillerson stands: Tillerson described Israel as America’s most important ally, and called the UN resolution on settlements “not helpful.” He added that the resolution “undermines” the conditions for peace talks between Israelis and Palestinians. Where Mattis stands: “Right now I go with US policy,” Mattis said when asked whether he would support moving the embassy to Jerusalem, adding that he would defer to the nominee for secretary of state. Mattis also said he supports a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict if it promotes peace, but he has not weighed in on the UN resolution condemning settlements in the West Bank. Where Haley stands: In her opening statement, Haley spoke at length on one international issue: Israel. Haley condemned what she described as a long history of “anti-Israel bias” at the UN and called the resolution on settlements “very harmful to achieving the two-state solution.” Where Trump stands: Trump has said he would “bomb the s***” out of ISIS and that he would declare war on the terror group while putting “very few” US boots on the ground. He’s also spoken of joining forces with Russia to eliminate ISIS in Syria. Where Tillerson stands: Tillerson has called defeating ISIS the most urgent step in thwarting “radical Islam.” “Defeating ISIS must be our foremost priority in the Middle East,” he said, adding that competing priorities in the region “must not distract from the mission of defeating ISIS.” Where Mattis stands: The retired four-star general has called for an “integrated strategy” to deliver a “very hard blow” against ISIS – and emphasized that for any strategy to succeed, it must target recruiting and fundraising by the terrorist group. Where Haley stands: Haley criticized Barack Obama for being “unwilling or unable” to deal with the threat of ISIS in January 2016. But when asked this week whether she would support a congressional authorization for the use of military force against ISIS, Haley was less definitive: “I do think that [ISIS] has to be dealt with. I just think it needs to be done responsibly, knowing that we have a measurables on what we’re looking for, where the end goal is, and knowing where exactly the start and stop is.”


Mark Corallo, a former spokesman for President Donald Trump’s legal team, is scheduled to provide an interview with special counsel Robert Mueller’s team in the next two weeks, according to a source with knowledge of the matter. Corallo is expected to be asked about the Air Force One episode when the President and his aides crafted a statement in the name of Donald Trump Jr. about his June 2016 Trump Tower campaign meeting with Russians. Additionally, CNN has learned that the Justice Department turned over documents pertaining to Attorney General Jeff Sessions’ offer of resignation at the request of the President, according to a source familiar with the matter. The President, as has been reported previously, refused to accept the offer. ABC News, which first reported that the documents were turned over before Sessions’ interview, also reported other documents were turned over including emails with the White House about the firing of national security adviser Michael Flynn last February. CNN reported Tuesday that Trump’s attorneys are arguing that Mueller’s team has not met the high threshold they believe is needed to interview the President himself in person, according to sources familiar with the ongoing deliberations. Mueller has made clear he is seeking a sit-down interview with the President, CNN reported last week. Mueller has even provided Trump’s attorneys with a range of topics he wants to ask about as part of ongoing negotiations regarding an interview with the President, sources familiar with the matter tell CNN.


Hawaii started testing its siren system in case of nuclear missile strike in December A false alarm on Saturday left residents terrified Hawaii takes emergency preparedness very seriously. So seriously that in December, the state started testing its nuclear warning siren system that would alert residents to an impending nuclear missile strike. This was the first of such tests in Hawaii since the end of the Cold War, and came after several threats from North Korean leader Kim Jong Un that his country’s missiles are extending their range. Officials said the purpose of the nuclear warning siren tests is not to scare the public, but to keep people aware. But on Saturday, an emergency missile alert accidentally went out to everyone in the state, causing mass panic as people thought they were about to die. The false alarm has come under criticism from officials, the FCC, residents and others in Hawaii. Hawaii’s Emergency Management Agency and Gov. David Ige apologized for the error, which was blamed on an emergency worker hitting the wrong template during a routine drill. On Monday, the leaders of the Emergency Management Agency announced they’re suspending those siren tests while they investigate. Related article From paradise to panic: Hawaii residents and vacationers run for cover, fearing missile attack But the mistake, along with the monthly sirens, have raised questions about whether the preparations in case of a North Korean missile attack are having unintended effects. “The State of Hawaii is war mongering and scaring its citizens with its monthly nuclear attack warning siren which began in December 2017,” read an online petition to stop the sirens, signed by nearly 450 people. “The sirens heighten the anxiety and stress of impending conflict and devastation, [and] make citizens afraid,” it stated. A small group protested Saturday in front of a federal building in Honolulu, reported the Star Advertiser. Another concern after the false alarm is how people could react to the next emergency alert. “How seriously are people going to take this system?” Hawaii State Rep. Matt LoPresti said on CNN. “I’m going to suggest that if there is ever … another alert that goes out, we’ll have to send a confirmation notice – that second notice this really is happening. Because people will be waiting for a second notice to see that it’s another false alarm.” LoPresti said he and his family took the alert seriously. They gathered in the bathroom and began praying. “We all just got down, got in the tub, waiting for a flash and I was going to cover the kids with my body,” LoPresti said. “My 8-year-old is praying, she stopped and looked at me and said, ‘Daddy, are we at war?’ And I had to say yes, and she just looked at me and said ‘Why?’ And all I could do was hug her.” The sense of terror extended across the ocean to people like Lori Citro of Newark, Delaware, who heard about the alert through a group text. Citro’s daughter, Kelsey, lives in Hawaii. “I just melted down and cried and sobbed,” Citro told CNN. “Couldn’t even think straight. Seemed like an eternity but it was only about 10 minutes before realizing it may be a hoax, since Kelsey was sleeping when the message came through.” Citro said she feared her daughter would die. “Even after learning it was a mistake I felt maybe they were just saying that so we all wouldn’t panic,” she said. “I feel like if they are practicing this drill it’s because it’s a possibility. Maybe they were really expecting an attack and it was thwarted at the last minute. … I am still afraid. I’m crying right now thinking about it.” Fred Bothe of San Francisco was visiting Hawaii to take care of his father’s estate and had a dramatic phone conversation with his husband, Donovan Jones, who was in California. “I was stuck in traffic heading to the airport when I got the alert,” Bothe said. ” It said get to shelter, but I was in the middle of nowhere.  So I called Donovan, told him what was going on, and quickly started telling him things he needed to know about my father’s trust. … I told him to tell friends and family that I loved them and that I had a wonderful life.  He was crying on the other end of the line.” Bothe said he felt strangely calm. “It was much harder on Donovan than me,” he said. “I would have just been gone, but Donovan would have lost me.  He’s really shook up about it.” Hawaii’s emergency management agency keeps its eyes on the many potential disasters other than North Korea – such as hurricanes, tsunamis, earthquake activity in the region, volcanic activity or flooding. Vern Miyagi, the agency’s administrator, acknowledged on Sunday that damage had been done to the agency. “I have to re-establish credibility because we lost quite a bit yesterday,” he told CNN affiliate KHON. Honolulu Mayor Kirk Caldwell expressed confidence that state authorities could regain credibility. “That issue of how do you build trust back?” he said. “The way you do it at the end of the day is performing correctly. I think it’s incumbent that the next test go smoothly. I believe it will and build trust that way.” Hawaii has been testing its sirens since December. The nuclear warning siren system blares at 11:45 a.m. on the first business day of every month, sounding for 50 seconds, followed by a 10-second pause and then a wailing “attack warning” signal for another 50 seconds. The emergency sirens didn’t go off on Saturday, officials said. Had it been a real threat, they would have sounded. “Hawaii has just started a few months ago, these monthly nuclear attack sirens as a test,” said Democratic Rep. Tulsi Gabbard, of Hawaii on CNN. “So when the people of Hawaii got this message yesterday, they’re literally going through this feeling of ‘I’ve got minutes to find my loved ones to say my last goodbyes.’” Hawaii became the first state in the United States to prepare for a North Korean attack. Ige had announced the tests about two months ago and said the “possibility of an attack is very remote.” In the summer, Hawaii published its guidance on ways to survive a nuclear detonation, including directives that residents seek shelter, stay away from windows and don’t look at the flash of light. Related article What went wrong with Hawaii's false emergency alert Hawaii sits less than 5,000 miles from North Korea. The state would only have about a 20-minute heads up if a missile is launched from there. “It’s something we can’t take lightly, both what occurred [Saturday], but also that threat from North Korea,” Caldwell said. “Hopefully that will go away at some point, but we need to protect our citizens from the worst, if the worst were to occur.” Miyagi apologized Saturday for the false alarm, saying, “This is my responsibility and my team.” But he reiterated the need to be prepared. “Please keep in mind again, the threat is there. If this comes out, you’re only going to have 12-13 minutes for actual event.” It’s unclear how the false alarm will affect Hawaii’s major industry, tourism. The state’s tourism authority issued a statement calling the false alarm “regrettable and completely avoidable.” “There is no cause for travelers with trips already booked to Hawaii or considering a vacation in the islands to change their plans,” the statement said. “Hawaii continues to be the safest, cleanest and most welcoming travel destination in the world and the alarm created today by the false alert does not change that at all.” Visitor arrivals to Hawaii totaled 8.5 million and visitor spending was $15.15 billion for the first 11 months of 2017, which show increases over the same period in the previous year, according to a statement from the tourism authority. CNN’s Doug Criss, Sara Sidner, Paul Murphy, Ralph Ellis and Dakin Andone contributed to this report.


North Korea's ambassador described his country's nuclear program as an "inevitable self-defense measure" Tillerson said there's no 'daylight between the President's policy and the pursuit of that policy' on North Korea Secretary of State Rex Tillerson directly rebutted North Korea’s representative to the United Nations on Friday, rejecting his claim that the US is to blame for tensions on the Korean peninsula and declaring that he and the White House are in lockstep on policy. He stated that there is “no daylight between the President’s policy and the pursuit of that policy” on North Korea, addressing questions about a possible rift between the White House and State Department on starting talks with Pyongyang. Tuesday, Tillerson had said he was willing to start talks with North Korea without preconditions. The comment during a Q&A took White House staffers off-guard, they said. During Friday’s specially convened UN Security Council meeting to discuss North Korea’s nuclear program, Tillerson clarified that “a sustained cessation of North Korea’s threatening behavior must occur before talks can begin. North Korea must earn its way back to the table.” Related article US scrambles to find unified message on North Korea In the meantime, the US will continue a campaign to pressure North Korea diplomatically and financially, he said, as North Korea’s ambassador to the UN looked on. TIllerson added, “militarily we are going to be prepared should something go wrong.” After North Korea’s ambassador Ja Song Nam addressed the council and described his country’s nuclear program as an “inevitable self-defense measure” against the US, which was “terrified by the incredible might of our republic” and its “nuclear force,” Tillerson asked for another chance to speak and hit back. “There is but one party that has carried out illegal detonation of illegal devices, there is but one party that launches intercontinental ballistic missiles … that is the Kim regime in North Korea,” Tillerson said. North Koreans “alone are responsible for these tensions, they alone must take responsibility for these tensions, and they alone can solve these tensions,” Tillerson said. Related article Sen. Graham: There's a 30% chance Trump will attack North Korea Tillerson said the acts of North Korea are a “clear violation” of international law that “cannot be ignored,” and added that the regime “must be held accountable.” Later, in remarks to the press, Tillerson was asked directly to explain where the US stood on preconditions. He flipped the question, rejecting proposals from Russia and China for a “freeze for a freeze,” in which the US would halt military exercises and North Korea would stop nuclear development. “We are not going to accept preconditions,” Tillerson said. “Our communication channels remain open,” he added. “North Korea knows they’re open, they know where the door is, they know where to walk through the door when they want to.” He did not say a line that had appeared in his prepared comments, distributed by the State Department on embargo earlier in the day. Tillerson had been set to say that, “apart from that step, there are no preconditions for talks, nor will we accept pre-conditions from North Korea or others.” Related article A dangerous choice looms for Trump on North Korea Asked about the omission, the State Department’s undersecretary of public affairs, Steve Goldstein, said that “nobody took that out for him. The Secretary doesn’t speak word for word from prepared remarks and works to deliver the words that will be the most impactful to the audience he is addressing.” Tillerson did double down on the administration’s tough talk, even as other countries warned that US rhetoric and actions are part of the problem. “We have been clear that all options remain on the table in the defense of our nation, but we do not seek, nor do we want, war with North Korea,” Tillerson said. “The United States will use all necessary measures to defend itself against North Korean aggression, but our hope remains that diplomacy will produce a resolution.” But Russia’s ambassador to the UN, Vasily Nebenzya, said, “it should be clear to everybody that the DPRK is hardly going to refrain from its nuclear missile program while it feels a direct threat to its security.” Related article Rex Tillerson's end of year verdict: diplomacy's a 'hard job' Referring to joint military drills the US conducts with South Korea, Nebenzya said, “indeed this is how Pyongyang evaluates the regular wide-scale maneuvers and exercises by the United States and its allies in the region.” “In the conditions of such tension, one ill thought out or misinterpreted step could lead to lamentable consequences,” the Russian said, warning of a “policy of mutual pressure and intimidation.” He challenged Tillerson, questioning the US commitment to finding a peaceful resolution. He noted that after about two months of quiet on North Korea’s part, the US held massive military drills with South Korea and then announced it was placing Pyongyang on a list of state sponsors of terrorism. “All of these steps force us to wonder about the sincerity of statements that suggest that there is a preference for a peaceful approach to resolving the crisis in DPRK,” Nebenzya said. Related article Haley: Missile debris 'proof' of Iran's UN violations China’s ambassador echoed Russia’s rebukes. “The current situation on the peninsula is not caused by any one party alone and it’s unfair to impose on any one partner the responsibility” for resolving it, said China’s Deputy Permanent Representative to the United Nations Amb. Wu Haitao. He called for dialogue, an end to US military exercises, and an end to “mutual blaming.” Tillerson rejected the argument that the US bore any blame and made clear that there would be no let-up in his campaign to squeeze North Korea and steadily choke off its diplomatic channels and means of financial support. That campaign, he said, must be given time to succeed. “North Korea’s growing capabilities reflect a direct threat to our security and the security of the entire world,” Tillerson said. “We do not regard this claim as an empty threat. In the face of such a threat, inaction is unacceptable for any nation.” The US is even more determined to continue its peaceful pressure campaign, Tillerson said, with the goal of “setting the conditions for North Korea to engage in serious negotiations toward the complete, verifiable, and irreversible abandonment of its nuclear weapons programs.” Related article Presumed North Korean ghost ship washes ashore in northern Japan The top US diplomat, who met Thursday with Trump and Defense Secretary James Mattis, urged countries in the room to do more than just meet the letter of UN Security Council resolutions sanctioning North Korea – and called out Moscow and Beijing in particular. “Continuing to allow North Korean laborers to toil in slave-like conditions inside Russia in exchange for wages used to fund nuclear weapons programs calls into question Russia’s dedication as a partner for peace,” Tillerson said. “Similarly, as Chinese crude oil flows to North Korean refineries, the United States questions China’s commitment to solving an issue that has serious implications for the security of its own citizens,” he added. Tillerson extended that challenge to other countries that have been slow to fully implement existing resolutions on North Korea, saying that it calls “into question whether your vote is a commitment to words only, but not actions.” Rising tensions between the US and North Korea, which conducted its largest nuclear test in September and fired off a powerful ICBM in late November, have raised deep concern worldwide. It is “the most tense and dangerous security situation in the world today,” UN Security General Antonio Guterres told the UN as the meeting opened. Guterres said he was concerned about “unintended escalation or miscalculation,” which he said was being increased by “misplaced confidence, dangerous narratives and the lack of communications channels.” CNN’s Elise Labott and Kevin Liptak contributed reporting.


The missile landed in the sea off the Korean Peninsula Trump and Xi are due to meet at Mar-a-Lago in Florida this Thursday and Friday Ahead of the first meeting between US President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping, North Korea fired a ballistic missile off the coast of the Korean Peninsula, US and South Korean officials said. The missile – which fell into the Sea of Japan, also known as the East Sea, on Wednesday morning – is one of several the country has test-fired in recent months. Even before the missile test, North Korea’s nuclear program was expected to be an important talking point between Xi and Trump. The United States has been pushing China to put pressure on North Korea to stop its nuclear program and missile testing, but Trump said on Sunday the United States would be prepared to act alone to stop North Korea. In his first five years as North Korean leader, Kim Jong Un has overseen more than double the number of missile tests than his father did during his 17-year rule, according to the Center for Strategic and International Studies. A senior White House official on Tuesday said: “The clock has now run out, and all options are on the table,” pointing to the failure of successive administrations’ efforts to negotiate an end to the country’s nuclear program. The test elicited a terse response from the US State Department, unlike the standard diplomatic condemnations that usually follow Pyongyang’s missile tests. “North Korea launched yet another intermediate range ballistic missile. The United States has spoken enough about North Korea. We have no further comment,” US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said in the statement. Secretary Tillerson: The United States has spoken enough about North Korea. We have no further comment. https://t.co/ccVPjWTWdX Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Hua Chunying said her country opposed any violations to UN Security Council resolutions, and urged the relevant parties to exercise restraint. The test comes as South Korea, Japan and the US wrap up trilateral naval military drills off the Korean Peninsula. South Korea’s Unification Ministry spokesman, Lee Duk-Haeng, said the launch was a “threat against peace and stability.” Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe condemned the launch and convened a  meeting of the National Security Council. The primary concern surrounding North Korea’s weapons program is that Pyongyang could eventually equip long-range missiles with a nuclear warhead. North Korea has conducted five nuclear tests – including two last year – but experts said the country still hasn’t developed nuclear warheads that can be mounted onto missiles. “Before the end of President Trump’s current term, the North Koreans will probably be able to reach Seattle with an indigenously produced nuclear weapon aboard an indigenously produced intercontinental ballistic missile,” Michael Hayden, who served as the director of the CIA between 2006 to 2009, said Tuesday while speaking at Johns Hopkins University. Hayden went on to call North Korea the intelligence community’s toughest target on the planet. Both the US military command in Asia Pacific and South Korean officials said the projectile was a KN-15 medium-range ballistic missile. However, a senior US defense official later told CNN that the missile was actually an extended-range Scud missile. The Scud ER is a short-range ballistic missile with a range of about 1,000 kilometers (621 miles), according to the Center for Strategic and International Studies’ Missile Defense Project. The missile was launched Wednesday at 6:42 a.m. Seoul time from a site in the vicinity of Sinpo, South Hamgyong province, a South Korean Defense Ministry official said. The North Koreans use Sinpo shipyard for their submarine activity, and US satellites have observed increased activity there in recent days, another US official said. It was believed to have flown a distance of around 60 kilometers (37 miles) and flew as high as 189 kilometers (117 miles), South Korean officials said. Cmdr. Dave Benham, spokesman for US Pacific Command, said it was tracked for nine minutes and did not pose a danger to North America. Multiple defense officials told CNN that the nine-minute flight time for the missile was accurate, but, separately, an official with the Trump administration said the missile exploded approximately 55 seconds after launch. It’s unclear why the discrepancy exists. US Pacific Command said it doesn’t revise initial assessments if it’s determined the missile doesn’t pose a threat. The initial launch details also raised questions with some experts. If the tracking time and distance are accurate, North Korea would have fired “the world’s slowest missile,” according to Melissa Hanham of the East Asia Nonproliferation Program. “This test compared to the last one (in February) did not go as far or as high,” she said. “They may have been trying to test one stage.” It’s also unclear what type of fuel the missile used – that’s important because it determines how quickly North Korea can prepare it for launch. The KN-15, which the North Koreans call the Pukguksong-2, is a medium-range ballistic missile and a land variant of the KN-11, a submarine-launched ballistic missile. US officials said it was launched from a mobile launcher, powered by solid fuel. Solid fuel is like an explosive jelly, less corrosive than liquid fuel, and it can be more easily stored in the rocket’s fuel tank than the liquid alternative, which requires specially lined tanks. That makes them difficult for those monitoring North Korea’s military movements to spot, as there are fewer indicators, such as movement of trucks, for South Korean or US satellites and other surveillance to detect. “If this is the KN-15, North Korea is refining their solid fuel capabilities,” says David Schmerler, a research associate at the James Martin Center for Nonproliferation Studies. “It should be concerning everyone because it will be improving the chance to use their offensive capabilities better.” The US defense official who identified the missile as a Scud said the projectile used liquid fuel. North Korea’s liquid fuel-powered ballistic missiles typically require a garrison, fuel storage tanks and support vehicles to launch, which can be identified with imagery, experts say. The use of a mobile launcher is concerning because it’s harder to detect and preemptively strike, according to Carl Schuster, a professor at Hawaii Pacific University and former director of operations at the US Pacific Command’s Joint Intelligence Center. “It can roll out of a tunnel and launch on short notice,” Schuster told CNN. CNN’s Paula Hancocks reported from Seoul, Barbara Starr reported from Washington and Joshua Berlinger reported and wrote from Hong Kong. CNN’s Ryan Browne, Ivan Watson Junko Ogura, Steven Jiang, Taehoon Lee, and Brad Lendon contributed to this report.


EU sets up fund of nearly $2 billion aid to Africa to stem the migrant crisis Sweden to implement temporary border controls At least 18 died Wednesday in two boat accidents off Turkey As Europe faces its worst refugee crisis since World War II, the European Union has launched an emergency fund for Africa to tackle the spiraling number of migrants flooding its shores. The nearly $2 billion fund was unveiled at the end of a two-day summit of EU and African leaders in Malta. The fund will support projects to combat poverty, slow down migration and speed up repatriation programs. This new money is in addition to the 20 billion euros annually donated to Africa by the EU and its 28 states. This is the sixth time that presidents and prime ministers of the European Union have tried to tackle the issue. “We are under no illusions that we can improve the situation overnight, but we are committed to giving people alternatives to risking their lives,” said European Council President Donald Tusk. Tusk listed five major goals to stem the tide of migrants: “The elements of action plan are designed to, one, address the root causes of migration; two, enhance cooperation on legal migration and mobility; three, reinforce protection of displaced persons; four, prevent and fight against migrant smuggling and trafficking in human beings; and five, advance on returning persons that are not entitled to stay in Europe.” Maltese Prime Minister Joseph Muscat said that while some may argue that the fund was not enough, he stressed it was an important first step. The Mediterranean island nation of Malta is the smallest member of the European Union. About 90 kilometers (56 miles) south of Sicily, it has become one of the destinations for those fleeing Syria’s bloody civil war. “I for one am a very vocal critic of the fact that we maybe started acting a little bit too late when too many lives were lost at sea,” Muscat said, adding that he hoped the summit “sowed the seeds of something that can be much more long term.” European Council President Tusk also confirmed plans for a summit with Turkey by the end of this year, seen as the key to resolving the crisis. After an informal meeting of EU heads after the summit, Tusk said “the clock is ticking. We are under pressure. We need to act fast. As a union. And in cooperation with our partners, including Turkey, that also will have to move fast. “But Turkey cannot be our only partner. We must not lose sight of Jordan and Lebanon, nor of the countries of the Western Balkans. They are also our allies.” Even as Europe tries to forge a unified response to the crisis, tens of thousands continue to embark on perilous journeys, desperate to escape the repression, violence, poverty and insecurity in North Africa, West Africa and the Middle East. They come from more than 20 nations and with different motivations. Some are Syrians fleeing war. Others are Eritreans escaping repression or Somalis fleeing Al-Shabaab. Many die in their attempt to find a safe haven. On Wednesday, hours before the EU meeting was scheduled to convene, at least 18 people died off the western coast of Turkey in two boat incidents. Mountains of life jackets piled up on the beaches of the Greek island of Lesbos offer a startling testimony to the scale of the problem. The EU border agency Frontex, which tracks the movement of people, says 540,000 migrants arrived on Greek islands in the first 10 months of 2015. This figure is 13 times higher than in the same period of 2014. Syrians account for the largest number of arrivals, according to the Frontex website. In recent weeks, the share of Afghan nationals has risen significantly. Frontex has called for more than 250 officers to help screen, fingerprint and register migrants. Meanwhile, Sweden has joined the list of countries that have tightened border controls. The Ministry of Home Affairs said it will implement temporary border controls for 10 days, and they could be extended to 20 days at some point, according to Fredrik Persson, a spokesman for the ministry. Sweden’s Prime Minister Stefan Löfven defended the move, telling CNN: “This is not closing the border, the decision we have taken is to reintroduce internal border controls … if a person comes to our country seeking asylum he or she will be given that opportunity.” CNN’s Ed Payne and Damien Ward contributed to this report


Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell dismissed concerns from President Barack Obama’s former chief of staff that he didn’t respond properly to suspected Russian interference in the 2016 election, saying, “I’m perfectly comfortable with the steps that were taken back then.” The Kentucky Republican was responding to Denis McDonough, who on Sunday defended the Obama administration’s response to suspected Russian interference in the 2016 election – and called McConnell’s response a “dramatically watered down” joint statement on election security in September 2016. “This is the same old thing they’ve been saying for weeks,” McConnell said during his weekly news conference with reporters Tuesday. “I issued a statement on that a couple weeks ago and I’d be happy to send it to you again.” McDonough recently told NBC’s “Meet the Press” that McConnell downgraded the language of the letter “asking the states to work with us” on election security, adding that members of Congress had a “stunning lack of urgency” over the matter. “The lack of urgency that we saw from the Republican leadership in 2016 we continue to see to this day today. It’s beyond time for Congress to work with the administration, to work with the states, to ensure that our electoral systems are ready to go,” McDonough said. “This is not a game.” McConnell spokesman Don Stewart said in response that he would “let McDonough respond to McDonough” and pointed to an op-ed McDonough wrote last year that referenced the statement. McDonough wrote: “This joint, bipartisan statement was thought by the White House to be particularly important since state and local authorities had been reluctant to accept the assistance being offered by the Department of Homeland Security, and we believed a bipartisan statement would help persu ade them to put aside their concerns and work with the federal government to protect our election infrastructure.” “This bipartisan outreach was harder and more time-consuming than it needed to be, but it was ultimately successful, with a statement released by the four congressional leaders on September 29,” he continued. “By Election Day, 33 states and 36 counties and cities had used Homeland Security tools to scan or strengthen their systems.” McDonough isn’t the only Obama administration official to blame McConnell for inaction on the issue. Former Vice President Joe Biden said in January that McConnell was skeptical, saying that the Senate Republican “wanted no part of having a bipartisan commitment that we would say, essentially, ‘Russia’s doing this, stop.’” CNN’s Eli Watkins and Maegan Vazquez contributed to this report.