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A2 UP FRONT
Tuesday 1 augusT 2017
VP Pence in Estonia: Attack on 1 NATO ally is attack on all

By JARI TANNER population of 6 million — Saying that Trump “knows amounts to $3.5 billion and bauskaite at the baroque
Associated Press allowing Estonia, Latvia security is the foundation by increasing their mutual 18th-century Kadriorg Pal-
TALLINN, Estonia (AP) — and Lithuania to maintain of our prosperity,” Pence investments. ace, which was built by
U.S. Vice President Mike the Russian Emperor Peter
Pence on Monday strongly the Great.
pledged America’s com- Energy is one way that
mitment to protecting Washington is seeking to
NATO allies against at- tighten its commercial ties
tacks, including the Baltic with the Baltic countries. It
states, which have anx- closed a deal in June to sell
iously watched a growing liquefied natural gas (LNG)
Russian military presence in directly from the United
the region. States to the region.
“Under President Donald A Lithuanian state-owned
Trump, the United States gas trading company will
stands firmly behind our receive the first delivery of
Article 5 pledge of mutual U.S. imported LNG in Au-
defense — an attack on gust — something that
one of us is an attack on Pence said will “benefit not
us all,” Pence told report- only our prosperity, but re-
ers after meeting with the gional security. And I am
presidents of Estonia, Lat- confident that this deal will
via and Lithuania in the Es- only be the first of many.”
tonian capital of Tallinn. Pence said he and Trump
Mutual defense is a vital were pleased with the
issue for the three small deal that will help the Bal-
former Soviet states that tic states to reduce their
border Russia, which were U.S. Vice President Mike Pence, right, Estonia’s President Kersti Kaljulaid, left, Lithuania’s President reliance on Russian gas.
all occupied for nearly five Dalia Grybauskaite, second from right, and Latvia’s President Raimonds Vejonis pose for photog- Later Monday, Pence met
decades by Soviet troops raphers prior to their meeting at the Kadriorg Palace in Tallinn, Estonia, Monday, July 31, 2017. with NATO troops from Brit-
before regaining their in- Pence arrived in Tallinn for a two-day visit to meet leaders of Baltic States to discuss regional ain, France and the United
dependence in 1991 after security issues as well as economic and political topics. States that are stationed
the collapse of the Soviet (AP Photo/Mindaugas Kulbis) in Estonia. The alliance
Union. has deployed some 4,000
The United States never independent diplomatic said America and the Bal- Earlier, he met Estonian troops and military hard-
recognized the claim by missions and have their na- tic countries would seek President Kersti Kaljulaid, ware in the three Baltic
Soviet leader Josef Stalin tional flags stored at the new ways to increase pros- Latvian President Rai- states and Poland to coun-
on the three countries — State Department through- perity by increasing two- monds Vejonis and Lithu- ter Russia’s presence in the
which have a combined out the occupation. way trade that currently anian President Dalia Gry- Baltic Sea region.q
Royals, descendants mark centenary of futile WWI battle

By SYLVAIN PLAZY representatives from na- who died. promise that we will never was entering its fourth year.
Associated Press tions whose soldiers fought, Britain’s Prince Charles said forget.” Both sides were desperate
YPRES, Belgium (AP) — The and members of their fami- the gathering was to hon- When the battle started on for a breakthrough after
Belgian and British royal lies, paid homage to those or their sacrifice and “to July 31, 1917, World War I suffering hundreds of thou-
families, Germany’s foreign sands of casualties the year
minister and descendants before at Verdun and the
of some of those who died Somme in northern France,
in one of the First World two other battles that vie
War’s bloodiest battles with Passchendaele as the
gathered Monday in west- most costly of the war.
ern Belgium to mark the Britain’s Sir Douglas Haig
centenary of the assault was convinced he could
known as Passchendaele. force a breakthrough at
More than half a million Ypres, even though two
Allied and German troops earlier battles there had
were killed or wounded in failed. The goal was to
the Third Battle of Ypres, shut down German sub-
an assault that has come marine operations on the
to be synonymous with the Belgian coast. Haig’s plan
futility of war. The Allied to take the village of Pass-
campaign, fought by Brit- chendaele in a few days
ish and Commonwealth and move on to the coast
forces from July to Novem- turned out to be wildly am-
ber 1917 in the mud-slicked bitious. With rain turning
battlefields of Flanders, the swampy terrain to mud
barely moved the front line and the Germans armed
against the Germans. Belgium’s King Philippe, front left and Britain’s Prince Charles, front right, lead other royals and with mustard gas, it would
Gathered at the Tyne Cot dignitaries at Tyne Cot Commonwealth War Graves Cemetery in Ypres, Belgium, for a commemo- take until November for
Cemetery, where almost ration ceremony to mark the centenary of the Battle of Passchendaele Monday July 31, 2017. the Allies to capture the
12,000 soldiers are buried, (Joe Giddens/PA via AP) village.q