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A2 UP FRONT
Tuesday 20 June 2017
Syria brings new urgency to easing US-Russia tensions

By ROBERT BURNS try’s sovereignty.
MATTHEW LEE Russia said its warplanes
Associated Press were flying over Syria at
WASHINGTON (AP) — the time of the shootdown
The U.S. shoots down a Syr- and the U.S. failed to use
ian fighter jet for the first the existing deconfliction
time. channel between U.S. mili-
Syria attacks America’s al- tary officers at al-Udeid air
lies against Islamic State base in Qatar and Russian
militants. Iran fires missiles officers at Hemeimeem
into Syria. Russia threat- air base.“We view these
ens to target U.S. coalition actions by the U.S. military
planes. as a deliberate failure to
As Syria’s complex war heed its obligations,” the
ramps up, the Trump ad- Defense Ministry said, add-
ministration is scrambling to ing that it was immediately
tamp down tensions and suspending cooperation
avoid open hostilities with under an October 2015
the Russians. agreement to ensure safe
This weekend’s fast-paced air operations over Syria. It
developments bring new also issued what appeared
urgency to easing escalat- Joint Chiefs Chairman Gen. Joseph Dunford prepares to testify on Capitol Hill in Washington. Dun- a threat to target U.S. co-
ing strains between Wash- ford said Monday, June 19, 2017, that Washington and Moscow are in delicate discussions to alition aircraft flying west of
ington and Moscow, who tamp down tensions arising from the U.S. shootdown of a Syrian fighter jet, which the Russians the Euphrates River.
are both fighting in Syria called a violation of a U.S.-Russian understanding on avoiding air incidents. Dunford seemed
but with opposing objec- (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin) unperturbed.“I’m confi-
tives. It’s an effort made normalcy to communica- clear that any U.S. military “The Syrian regime and dent that we are still com-
more complicated by the tions and maintain focus activity in Syria avoid pro- others in the region need municating,” he said, add-
increasingly messy battle- on fighting IS instead of voking an open confron- to understand that we will ing: “I’m also confident
field in the Arab country, each other. tation between the U.S. retain the right of self-de- that our forces have the
which includes deepening “The worst thing any of us and Russia, the world’s two fense of coalition forces capability to take care of
Iranian involvement — its could do right now is ad- greatest nuclear powers. aligned against ISIS.” themselves.”The immedi-
first missile foray into Syria dress this with hyperbole,” At the White House, spokes- Tensions rose Sunday as the ate effect on the U.S.-led
occurred Sunday — and Dunford said at the Nation- man Sean Spicer said: “It’s U.S. shot down a Syrian Air campaign against IS is un-
an ongoing probe in the al Press Club. important and crucial that Force SU-22 fighter that U.S. clear. Coalition aircraft will
United States into Russian Throughout Syria’s six-and- we keep lines of communi- officials said had bombed continue flying throughout
meddling in the presiden- a-half year civil war, the cation open to deconflict American-backed Syr- Syria, although some assets
tial election. United States has sup- potential issues.” ian fighters involved in an will be repositioned, said
In the first high-level U.S. ported rebels opposed to The U.S. and Russia use the emerging battle to recap- Col. Ryan Dillon, a coalition
public comments about President Bashar Assad’s term “deconfliction” for ture the Islamic State’s self- spokesman.
the situation, Marine Gen. government and extrem- discussions to prevent mis- declared capital of Raqqa. “We are going to make
Joseph Dunford, chairman ist groups like IS, while Rus- haps between their planes The U.S.-led coalition said it sure that we have the right
of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, sia has backed Assad. flying in Syria’s skies. acted in “collective self-de- aircraft in the right places,”
said Monday the former And that disagreement But in a warning that the fense” of partnered forces. he said, noting that some
Cold War foes are in deli- has constrained American U.S. would protect its part- Russia called it a “cynical” aircraft may have to avoid
cate discussions to restore leaders, who’ve made ners, Spicer said: violation of the Arab coun- “high-threat” areas.q

US student freed by North Korea in a coma has died at 22

CINCINNATI (AP) — ing to focus on the time Warmbier told The Associ-
Otto Warmbier, an Ameri- they were given with their ated Press in a statement
can college student who “warm, engaging, brilliant” the day of his release that
was released by North Ko- son instead of focusing on they wanted “the world to
rea in a coma last week, what they had lost. know how we and our son
died Monday afternoon. Warmbier was sentenced have been brutalized and
He was 22.The family an- to 15 years in prison with terrorized by the pariah re-
nounced his death in a hard labor in North Korea, gime “ and expressed re-
statement released by UC convicted of subversion af- lief he had been returned
Health Systems, saying, “It ter he tearfully confessed to “finally be with people
is our sad duty to report he had tried to steal a pro- who love him.”He was
that our son, Otto Warmbi- paganda banner. taken by Medivac to Cin-
er, has completed his jour- The University of Virginia cinnati, where he grew up
ney home. Surrounded by student was held for more in suburban Wyoming. He
his loving family, Otto died In this Feb. 29, 2016 photo, American student Otto Warmbier than 17 months and medi- was salutatorian of his 2013
today at 2:20pm.” speaks as he is presented to reporters in Pyongyang, North Ko- cally evacuated from class at the highly rated
The family thanked the rea. Warmbier, who was released by North Korea in a coma last North Korea last week. high school, and was on
University of Cincinnati week, died Monday afternoon. He was 22. Doctors said he returned the soccer team among
Medical Center for treat- (AP Photo/Kim Kwang Hyon) with severe brain damage, other activities.Ohio’s U.S.
ing him but said, “Unfortu- ceived at the hands of the sible beyond the sad one but it wasn’t clear what senators sharply criticized
nately, the awful torturous North Koreans ensured that we experienced today.” caused it. North Korea soon after his
mistreatment our son re- no other outcome was pos- They said they were choos- Parents Fred and Cindy release. q