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Thursday 3 augusT 2017
US vice president says future of Balkans is ‘in the West’

considered the country of worked to destabilize the
620,000 people, with an region, undermining your
army of some 2,000 soldiers, democracies and divide
its traditional Slavic ally. you from each other and
Pence, who attended a from the rest of Europe,” he
summit of Balkan leaders said.
Wednesday, “The Western Balkans have
praised Montenegro for the right to decide your
standing up to Russian own future, and that is your
pressure. Its accession to right alone,” Pence said.
NATO, Pence said, is “a The Balkan states that are
sign of the strength of this pro-West had feared Trump
country 10 years after inde- — who once called NATO
pendence.” an obsolete organization
“I bring greetings from Pres- — would leave them to the
ident Donald Trump, who Russian sphere of influence.
sent me here as a visible Pence’s trip appeared in-
sign of the alliance that we tended to alleviate those
now enjoy through NATO,” fears amid the investiga-
the vice president said. tions in Washington into
Russia is accused of mas- Russia’s efforts to interfere
U.S. Vice President Mike Pence attends a welcome ceremony at Golubovci airport, near Podgori- terminding an attempted in last year’ presidential
ca, Montenegro, Tuesday, Aug. 1, 2017. Pence will attend the Adriatic Charter Summit in NATO’s coup in Montenegro in election.
newest member - Montenegro, on Wednesday. October to prevent it from “NATO is made up of large
(AP Photo/Risto Bozovic) joining NATO. countries and small coun-
By PREDRAG MILIC gro, his third and final stop Podgorica, Montenegro’s Moscow has denied the al- tries, but the U.S. has no
Associated Press in a European trip that saw capital. legations. small allies and we cherish
PODGORICA, Montenegro him voicing support for na- The Western Balkans refers In his address to the Balkan our new alliance with Mon-
(AP) — U.S. Vice President tions pressured by Russia to countries in the former leaders, on Wednesday, tenegro through NATO,”
Mike Pence said Wednes- and highlighting U.S. alle- Yugoslavia that aspire to or Pence called Russia an Pence said.
day that the future of Eu- giance to its allies overseas. have already joined West- “unpredictable country” During a formal dinner with
rope’s Balkan nations is in He is the highest-ranking ern institutions, including that wants to destabilize Montenegro President Filip
the West, reaffirming Wash- American official to visit the the European Union and the region. Vujanovic on Tuesday eve-
ington’s commitment to small Adriatic state in 100 NATO. It also includes Alba- “As you well know, Russia ning, Pence said Montene-
the region as Russia works years. nia. continues to seek to re- gro’s “courage, particularly
to assert its historical influ- “We truly believe the future Montenegro joined NATO draw international borders in the face of Russian pres-
ence there. of the Western Balkans is in in June, a move that an- by force and here in the sure, inspires the world and
Pence spoke in Montene- the West,” Pence said in gered Moscow. Russia had Western Balkans, Russia has I commend you for that.”q

Pentagon: 2 US service members killed in Afghanistan blast

By KATHY GANNON opposition from within the
Associated Press Pentagon, where officials
KABUL, Afghanistan (AP) reportedly tried to resolve
— A suicide bombing at- the impasse. However, the
tack on a NATO convoy decision by the Pentagon
in southern Afghanistan to release Wednesday’s
on Wednesday left two casualty figures would
American service mem- seem to indicate that the
bers dead, a Pentagon issue has gone unresolved
spokesman said, despite two months into the order.
repeated refusals by the Nicholson said the reason
U.S. military in Afghanistan for the delay was to al-
to say whether there were low time for notification of
any deaths in the assault family. Yet it upends Pen-
claimed by the Taliban. tagon practice since the
Navy Capt. Jeff Davis con- Vietnam era, and gives the
firmed the casualties in the public less information and
attack near Kandahar city. transparency into a war
The Pentagon’s decision to that has raged for 16 years,
release the figures seemed resulting in thousands of
to contradict orders issued deaths and injuries.
two months ago by Army The Taliban quickly took
Gen. John Nicholson, the An Afghan policeman stands guard near to the site of a suicide bomber struck at a NATO convoy responsibility for the at-
top U.S. commander in in Kandahar southern of Kabul, Afghanistan, Wednesday, Aug. 2, 2017. A suicide bomber struck tack, and a spokesman
Afghanistan, barring infor- a NATO convoy near the southern Afghan city of Kandahar on Wednesday, causing casualties, for the insurgents said the
mation about U.S. combat the U.S. military said. (AP Photo) bombing allegedly killed
deaths until days after the 15 soldiers but the Tal-
incident. There was no in- U.S. military officials in Af- casualties, even after the orders stifling information iban routinely exaggerate
formation on the number ghanistan refused to give Pentagon released the ca- from the U.S. military in Af- their gains and casualty
of troops wounded. any information about sualty figures. Nicholson’s ghanistan was met with figures.q