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A2 UP FRONT
Thursday 4 May 2017
Russia, Turkey agree to support safe-zones in Syria

PHILIP ISSA tives and the rebels sepa- rights groups say Russia urbs outside Damascus, told The Associated Press
JIM HEINTZ rately meeting with Russian is implicated in targeting and an area in the south of that rebels requested a
Associated Press officials and other repre- hospitals and schools, and the country. written answer on a num-
BEIRUT (AP) — The presi- sentatives. using indiscriminate cluster The zones, according to ber of questions, including
dents of Russia and Tur- The rebels demanded a munitions and incendiary the document received by why the cease-fire would
key said on Wednesday only be in effect in the four
they support the creation areas instead of a nation-
of safe-zones in war-torn wide truce.
Syria as a delegation of Ramadan also urged that
Syrian rebels walked out the sides respect an earlier
of cease-fire talks with the cease-fire deal which was
Damascus government reached in December and
underway in Kazakhstan, which also included provi-
citing repeated violations sions for the release of de-
of a similar truce agreed tainees. He clarified that
on in December. the rebel side, though it
Meeting in the Russian re- suspended its participation
sort town of Sochi, Recep in the talks, would wait in
Tayyip Erdogan and Vladi- Astana for a reply.
mir Putin expressed hope This is the fourth round of
the Syrian government and talks in Astana since Janu-
rebels would adopt this lat- ary. Separately, there have
est proposal to “de-esca- been five rounds of U.N.-
late” the conflict, which sponsored Syria peace
has run now for six years talks in Geneva since 2012
and claimed some 400,000 but none have led to a sus-
lives. Turkey and Russia tainable cease-fire.
are deeply entangled in Later Wednesday, the U.N.
the war in Syria, including Syria envoy, Staffan de Mis-
each having troops on the Russian President Vladimir Putin, right, and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan reach out to tura, called on the rebels to
ground there — Ankara shake hands after a news conference following their talks in Putin’s residence in the Russian Black return to the talks in Astana
supporting various Syrian Sea resort of Sochi, Russia, Wednesday, May 3, 2017. The presidents of Russia and Turkey are hold- “because what is impor-
opposition factions and ing talks on the situation in Syria and also the restoration of full economic ties between their two tant is also to look at the
countries.
Moscow backing President (AP Photo/Alexander Zemlianichenko, Pool) possibility of an outcome
Bashar Assad’s forces. on a de-escalation.” He
Before the rebels suspend- halt to the government’s weapons against civilian rebels, would be monitored stressed the importance
ed their participation at bombardment of opposi- areas as well. The propos- by international observers of not destroying “the op-
the talks in Astana, the Ka- tion zones in Syria. al presented to the rebels and allow for the voluntary portunity of good news”
zakh capital, Russian repre- In Sochi, Putin said Russian in Astana delineates four return of refugees. related to this issue.
sentatives had presented and Syrian government jets zones in Syria where front Late Wednesday, Syria’s The United States has sent
the rebels with a proposal would halt flights over the lines between the govern- Foreign Ministry said Da- a senior State Department
for four “de-escalation specified zones if all sides ment and rebels would be mascus is “fully backing” official to the talks for the
zones” in Syria where the respect the cease-fire. frozen and fighting halted, the Russian initiative on the first time, after President
warring sides would be Russia’s 2015 military inter- according to a statement four cease-fire areas, ac- Donald Trump and his Rus-
separated by “security vention in Syria and its air made by rebels. The four cording to the state-run sian counterpart signaled
lines.” The Astana talks are campaign have significant- include areas in the prov- SANA news agency. greater cooperation on
proximity talks, with Syrian ly boosted Assad’s gains in inces of Idlib and Homs, But Ahmed Ramadan, an Syria in a phone call on
government representa- the war. However, human the eastern Ghouta sub- opposition representative, Tuesday.q

North Korea confirms latest detention of American citizen

HYUNG-JIN KIM detailed investigation into for alleged anti-state acts, Trump. detained, but declined fur-
Associated Press his alleged crime. and Kim Dong Chul, serving Park said Kim, who is 58, ther comment “due to pri-
SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — The school’s chancellor a 10-year term with hard la- was detained as he was vacy considerations.”
North Korea on Wednesday Park Chan-mo and the bor for alleged espionage. trying to leave the country Kim previously taught Ko-
confirmed the detention of Swedish Embassy in Pyong- Analysts say North Korea of- from Pyongyang’s interna- rean at the Yanbian Univer-
another American citizen yang earlier gave the infor- ten attempts to use foreign tional airport. A university sity of Science and Tech-
for alleged acts of hostility mation about Kim’s deten- detainees to wrest outside spokesman said he was try- nology in Yanji, China, not
aimed at overthrowing the tion but couldn’t provide concessions, which in the ing to leave with his wife on far from the North Korea
country. the reason for his arrest. past have sometimes in- a flight to China. Park said border, according to the
Kim Sang Dok, an account- The school’s report used a volved high-profile Ameri- he was informed that the school’s Communist Party
ing instructor at Pyongyang different spelling of Kim’s can missions sent to secure detention had “nothing to Committee secretary.
University of Science and name, Kim Sang-duk. Kim’s the release of detainees. do” with Kim’s work at the The Pyongyang University
Technology, was “inter- English name is Tony Kim. Animosity between Pyong- university but did not know of Science and Technology
cepted” at Pyongyang In- He is now the third Ameri- yang and Washington has further details. is the only privately funded
ternational Airport on April can being detained in spiked in recent weeks Asked Wednesday about university in North Korea. It
22, according to the Kore- North Korea. The other U.S. amid a game of brinkman- Kim’s detention, the U.S. held its first classes in 2010.
an Central News Agency. It detainees are Otto Warm- ship between North Ko- State Department said that It is unique in the North for
said he was being detained bier, serving a 15-year pris- rean leader Kim Jong Un it was aware of the report its large number of foreign
while authorities conduct a on term with hard labor and U.S. President Donald about a U.S. citizen being staff.q