- A North Miami police commander was fired in connection with a 2016 officer involved shooting. The police commander was found to heave misled and lied to investigators. [Link]
- Russia cancels official talks with the US over the US extending sanctions against Russia. [Link]
- The UAE says it may cut intelligence-sharing ties with the US over the JASTA law. The JASTA law allows victims of 9/11 sue countries who supported the terrorists who carried out the 9/11 attack. [Link]
- A US F-16 intercepted the plane of the Russian Defense Minister over the Baltic Sea. [Link]
- World arms sales rose .4% in 2016 to $1.69 trillion. [Link]
- In May, 2,186 murders occurred in Mexico. This is the most murders in a single month in 20 years. [Link]
- The UN has passed a resolution that approves the forming of a five-country African coalition to fight Islamists. The five countries are the Sahel region of Africa. The US opposed the resolution, so a reference to chapter 7 was dropped from the resolution. [Link]
- The Taliban release a video of an American and an Australian hostage asking their governments to negotiate with the Taliban for their release. [Link]
- Since 2008, the US Army has spent more than $28 million on camouflage uniforms meant for a forest terrains. The soldiers who use the uniforms are stationed in Afghanistan. [Link]
- In Afghanistan, at least 29 people have been killed in a car bombing. [Link]
- Five million children in Iraq are in need of urgent humanitarian aid. [Link]
- Wednesday night, the Grand al-Nuri Mosque in Mosul was destroyed by an explosion. ISIS is being held responsible for the explosion. ISIS claims a US weapon blew up the Mosque. [Link]
- Iraqi security forces estimate that there are 500 ISIS fighters remaining in Mosul. [Link]
- Civilians living in Mosul are facing terrible situations. ISIS is carrying out mass executions. Civilians caught fleeing are killed. Civilians who successfully leave the city risk ISIS killing their family members who did not escape. Many civilians do not have food or water. [Link]
- Airwars now says coalition airstrikes have killed at least 4,118 civilians in the fight against ISIS. [Link]
- SDF forces are moving in on the South side of Raqqa. The SDF is trying to surround the city. [Link]
- Australia will resume airstrikes in Syria on Thursday. Australia halted airstrikes in Syria after the US shot down a Syrian plane. [Link]
- The US continues to claim that the US policy in Syria is to fight ISIS. However, as ISIS loses territory, this claim is being exposed as a lie. [Link]
- The Assad army, backed by Hezbollah, is capturing territory from Syrian rebels around Damascus. [Link]
- The Pentagon claims that the Syrian plane that was shot down by a US plane was targeting SDF units. A humanitarian organization says the Syrian plane was targeting ISIS. [Link]
- Senator Kaine says that US actions in Syria against Assad are completely illegal. [Link]
- The AP reports widespread abuse and torture in Southern Yemeni prisons. Prisoners report one method of torture is to roast the victim over a fire. The prisons are run by the Yemeni government and UAE. US military members may have carried out interrogations in the prisons where the torture is occurring. [Link]
On Foreign Policy Focus #56, I discuss Congress taking the first steps towards passing a new AUMF. The new AUMF will allow the president to wage war across the globe. The bill will go to the Senate Foreign Relation Committee tomorrow. I also update Yemen, Syria, Afghanistan, Mosul, and North Korea. LISTEN HERE!!
