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2017年12月14日 星期四

Overnight Defense: Haley offers evidence to prove Iran backing Yemeni rebels | General wants new probe into Somalia raid | US intercepts Russian jets over Syria

 
 
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THE TOPLINE: U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley, on Thursday, presented what she described as "undeniable" evidence of Iranian weapons supplied to Yemeni rebels in defiance of U.N. Security Council resolutions.

The evidence she provided included parts and debris from a short-range ballistic missile, an antitank guided missile, an unmanned aerial vehicle and exploding boat technology that have markings and features indicating origins in Iran.

"As you know, we do not often declassify this type of military equipment recovered from these attacks, but today we are taking an extraordinary step of presenting it here in an open setting," she said, standing in front of one of the missiles in a hangar at the Defense Intelligence Agency headquarters at Joint Base Anacostia-Bolling. "We did this for a single urgent purpose: Because the Iranian regime cannot be allow to engage in its lawless behavior any longer."

U.S. officials have long accused Iran of supporting Houthi rebels in Yemen, which has been embroiled in civil war since 2015.

The Hill's Rebecca Kheel has more here.

 

Iranian Foreign Minister Javad Zarif, meanwhile, is dismissing Haley's claim of evidence she says proves Iran is supporting Yemeni rebels.

Zarif likened her presentation Thursday to former Secretary of State Colin Powell's claim in 2003 that Iraq possessed weapons of mass destruction (WMD). 

Read about that here. 

 

GRAHAM: 30 PERCENT CHANCE TRUMP ATTACKS NORTH KOREA: Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) says there's a high probability that President Trump could attack North Korea if the country tests another missile.

Graham told The Atlantic in an interview published Thursday he believes there is "a three in 10 chance we use the military option" if the country conducts another long-range ballistic missile test. He said the odds Trump attacks jump to "70 percent" if North Korea detonates another nuclear bomb.

"I don't know how to say it any more direct: If nothing changes, Trump's gonna have to use the military option, because time is running out," said Graham, a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee.

The foreign policy hawk said it would be an "all-out war against the regime" in that case.

Read the rest here. 

 

GENERAL REQUESTS SECOND INVESTIGATION INTO SOMALIA RAID: The general in charge of U.S. Africa Command (Africom) has requested a second investigation into an August raid in Somalia after reports that U.S. soldiers killed 10 civilians, a spokeswoman confirmed Thursday.

"Subsequent media reports alleged misconduct by U.S. personnel who participated in the operation," Africom spokewoman Robyn Mack said in a statement. "As a result, Marine Corps Gen. Thomas D. Waldhauser, commander, U.S. Africa Command, referred the matter to the Naval Criminal Investigative Service to ensure a full exploration of the facts given the gravity of the allegations."

In November, the Daily Beast reported that U.S. special forces soldiers shot and killed 10 unarmed civilians, including at least one child, during an Aug. 25 operation in the southern Somali town of Bariire. The outlet cited interviews with survivors and a Somali army general.

Hours after the publication of the Daily Beast report, Africom released a statement saying its own investigation had concluded that the only people killed were armed enemy combatants.

Read more here.  

 

US INTERCEPTS RUSSIAN FIGHTER JETS OVER SYRIA: U.S. fighter jets intercepted two Russian fighter jets on Thursday over Syria, according to multiple reports, signaling an escalation between Washington and Moscow over the war-torn nation. 

Two U.S. F-22 jets reportedly fired warning flares after two Russian fighter jets flew east of the Euphrates River, which has been designated as a deconfliction line.

The move is the latest in a series of incidents in which U.S. fighters have flown close to Russian warplanes over Syria. 

Russian and U.S. military officials agreed last month to fly on opposite sides of a 45-mile portion of the Euphrates River in an effort to prevent collisions in the busy airspace.   

U.S. commanders told The New York Times earlier this month, however, that the Russians have violated the agreement half a dozen times. 

Read the rest here.

 

ON TAP FOR TOMORROW: 

Former deputy assistant to President Trump Sebastian Gorka will speak at the Heritage Foundation on defeating terrorism in the age of Trump at 11 a.m. at 214 Massachusetts Ave, NE. 

 

ICYMI: 

-- The Hill: Coalition-backed forces in Syria kill 20 ISIS fighters who 'moved freely' through regime territory

-- The Hill: Putin to US lawmakers: 'Are you normal?'

-- The Hill: Putin: Trump's political opponents blocking efforts to improve relations with Russia

-- The Hill: ISIS threatens attacks in US over Trump's Jerusalem decision

-- The Hill: Opinion: America takes turn for the worse on cluster bombs

 
 

Please send tips and comments to Rebecca Kheel, rkheel@thehill.com, and Ellen Mitchell, emitchell@thehill.com.

Follow us on Twitter: @thehill@Rebecca_H_K@EllenMitchell23

 
 
 
 
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