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Thursday 29 June 2017
Intel report: Kremlin sees US urging regime change in Russia

By ROBERT BURNS “intends to use its military
AP National Security Writer to promote stability on its
WASHINGTON (AP) — own terms.”
Kremlin leaders are con- During President Barack
vinced America is intent Obama’s eight years in of-
on regime change in Rus- fice, the U.S.-Russian rela-
sia, a fear that is feeding tionship deteriorated from
rising tension and military an initial “reset” to Ameri-
competition between the can allegations that Mos-
former Cold War foes, the cow meddled in the 2016
Pentagon’s intelligence presidential election to aid
arm has assessed. Donald Trump’s victory. In
The unclassified report by between, were intense dis-
the Defense Intelligence agreements over Ukraine
Agency, which will be pub- and Syria, where Russia has
licly released later Wednes- provided military help to
day, portrays Russia as President Bashar Assad’s
increasingly wary of the government and the U.S.
United States. It cites Mos- has backed anti-Assad
cow’s “deep and abiding rebels. While Trump’s cam-
distrust of U.S. efforts to pro- paign rhetoric was widely
mote democracy around seen as sympathetic to Rus-
the world and what it per- Russian President Vladimir Putin, center right, and Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu, center left, toast sia, ties have not improved
ceives as a U.S. campaign in the Kremlin during a meeting with graduates of military and police academies in Moscow, in his first six months of his
to impose a single set of Russia, Wednesday, June 28, 2017. Putin has pledged to continue efforts to beef up the Russian presidency. In April, Trump
global values.” military and law-enforcement agencies. (Alexei Druzhinin/Sputnik, Kremlin Pool Photo via AP) said U.S.-Russian relations
“The Kremlin is convinced “may be at an all-time
the United States is laying low.” Trump is expected to
the groundwork for regime region and supporting pro- sessment in more than two Now they return, DIA’s di- meet Putin for the first time
change in Russia, a con- Russian separatists in east- decades. rector, Marine Lt. Gen. Vin- at an international summit
viction further reinforced ern Ukraine. The Associated Press ob- cent R. Stewart, says, with in Germany next week.
by the events in Ukraine,” “Moscow worries that U.S. tained a copy of the report an eye on the future of U.S.- Thursday’s report, pre-
the report says, referenc- attempts to dictate a set of in advance of its public Russian relations. pared long before Trump’s
ing the claims by President acceptable international release. It harkens to Cold “Within the next decade, election, reflects the Pen-
Vladimir Putin’s govern- norms threatens the foun- War days when the intel- an even more confident tagon’s view of the global
ment that the U.S. engi- dations of Kremlin power ligence agency published and capable Russia could security picture shifting af-
neered the popular upris- by giving license for for- a series of “Soviet Military emerge,” Stewart wrote ter nearly two decades of
ing that ousted Ukraine’s eign meddling in Russia’s Power” studies that defined in a preface to the report. heavy American focus on
Russia-friendly president, internal affairs,” the report the contours of the super- No new, global ideological countering terrorism and
Viktor Yanukovich, in 2014. says. Titled “Russia Military power rivalry. Those reports struggle akin to the Cold fighting relatively small-
Russia responded by an- Power,” it is the agency’s ended with the 1991 de- War is forecast, but the re- scale wars across the Mid-
nexing Ukraine’s Crimea first such unclassified as- mise of the Soviet Union. port cautions that Moscow dle East.q

Mattis says Syria’s government taking US threat seriously

By LOLITA C. BALDOR Trump’s approach has hasn’t provided details to
Associated Press been designed to “dis- bolster this week’s claim of
BRUSSELS (AP) — Syria’s suade” Syria from using a chemical attack being
government is taking se- chemical weapons, Mattis planned.
riously the U.S. warning added. The U.N. has ascribed re-
against launching another A non-governmental sponsibility to Assad’s gov-
chemical weapons attack, source with close ties to ernment for three previous
Defense Secretary Jim the White House said the attacks during Syria’s six-
Mattis said Wednesday. administration had re- year civil war.
Speaking to reporters trav- ceived intelligence the Syr- In April,
eling with him to Brussels, ians were mixing precursor Trump ordered almost 60
Mattis noted there has chemicals for a possible sa- cruise missiles to be fired at
been no such attack since rin gas attack in either the the Shayrat base after ac-
the White House issued a east or south of the country, cusing Syria of killing doz-
surprise statement Mon- where government troops ens of civilians in a sarin gas
day night that threatened and allied forces have attack.
President Bashar Assad’s faced recent setbacks. Asked if any chemical
government with “a heavy The source was not autho- weapons activity beyond
price” if it used chemical rized to discuss the matter Shayrat has been seen,
weapons. publicly, so spoke on con- Mattis told reporters travel-
The U.S. says it saw ac- U.S. Secretary of Defense Jim Mattis briefs the press prior to a dition of anonymity. ing with him to Brussels: “I
commemoration of the 70th anniversary of the Marshall Plan at
tive preparations at Syria’s the George C. Marshall Center in Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Ger- Syria and its allies, Russia think that Assad’s chemical
Shayrat airfield for using many, Wednesday, June 28, 2017. and Iran, have rejected program goes far beyond
such weapons. (AP Photo/Matthias Schrader) the U.S. allegation and one airfield.”
Mattis wouldn’t say what say Assad’s forces never Mattis is in Brussels for a
specifically triggered U.S. might be imminent. He said has showed “how seriously previously used chemical meeting of NATO defense
concerns that an attack President Donald Trump we took them.” weapons. The U.S. so far ministers.q