John Bolton: Iran should not 'mistake US prudence and discretion for weakness' - CNN

Bolton also warned of the possibility of a strike against Iran in the future during a meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Jerusalem.

"Neither Iran nor any other hostile actor should mistake US prudence and discretion for weakness. No one has granted them a hunting license in the Middle East," Bolton, who has publicly and repeatedly called for regime change in Tehran in the past, said.

After coming within minutes of military strikes, Trump stepped back from the brink of a dangerous escalation Thursday.

The President said Friday he called off an attack because he decided there would be too many deaths for a proportionate response to the downing of the US drone.

The President's stance on the dramatic escalation in tensions with Iran has been in stark contrast to harsh public warnings from Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and particularly the views of Bolton.

Referring to Trump's decision to call of the strike, Bolton threatened possible military action in the future. "The President said, 'I just stopped the strike from going forward... at this time,'" said Bolton on Sunday.

"As President Trump said on Friday, our military is rebuilt, new, and ready to go -- by far the best in the world," Bolton said. "Sanctions are biting, and more were added last night. Iran can never have nuclear weapons, not against the USA, not against the world."

Bolton concluded his remarks by saying, "Stay tuned."

Meanwhile the United Arab Emirates' foreign minister said Sunday that a de-escalation of tensions in the Gulf region could only be achieved via a "political solution."

"Tensions in the Gulf can only be addressed politically," the Minister of State for Foreign Affairs for the United Arab Emirates, Anwar Gargash, wrote on Twitter, adding that the crisis requires "collective attention" to find a solution through "dialogue and negotiations."

"Regional voices (are) important to achieve sustainable solutions" to a crisis which has been "long in the making," he added.

'Make Iran great again'

Tensions have spiked in the region since the US withdrew from the Obama-era nuclear deal with Iran last year.

The US standoff with Iran escalated Monday when the Trump administration announced the deployment of 1,000 additional troops and extra military resources to the Middle East.

By Thursday, the Revolutionary Guard Corps said it had shot down an "intruding American spy drone" after it entered Iranian territory.

The location of the drone's downing has been a point of contention, with the Trump administration insisting the drone was in international airspace over the Strait of Hormuz.

The incident has left Trump caught between some Republicans demanding a response and congressional Democrats warning that the President -- and the Iran policy hard-liners on his national security staff -- could lose control of the situation and lead the United States into war.

He said Saturday that the US is putting additional sanctions on Iran and he would support a course of action to "make Iran great again" should Tehran agree to a nuclear weapons ban.

CNN's Kevin Liptak, Nicole Gaouette and Nada Bashir contributed to this report.

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https://www.cnn.com/2019/06/23/politics/iran-us-tensions-john-bolton-intl/index.html

2019-06-23 11:57:00Z
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Ethiopia's army chief, top regional officials killed in northern coup attempt - Reuters

ADDIS ABABA (Reuters) - Ethiopia’s army chief of staff and the regional president of the northern state of Amhara were killed in two related attacks when a general tried to seize control of Amhara in an attempted coup, the prime minister’s office said on Sunday.

Amhara state president Ambachew Mekonnen and his advisor were shot dead and the state’s attorney general was wounded in Amhara’s capital of Bahir Dar on Saturday evening, according to a statement from the office of Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed.

In a separate but related attack the same night, Ethiopia’s army Chief of Staff Seare Mekonnen and another retired general were shot dead in Seare’s home in Addis Ababa by his bodyguard.

Abiy’s office named Amhara state security head General Asamnew Tsige as responsible for the foiled coup, without giving details of his whereabouts. Asamnew was released from prison last year, having been given an amnesty for a similar coup attempt, according to media reports.

Abiy took office just over a year ago and embarked on unprecedented reforms in Ethiopia, Africa’s second-most populous country and one of its fastest-growing economies.

But the premier’s shake-up of the military and intelligence services has earned him powerful enemies, while his government is struggling to contain growing ethnic violence, including in Amhara.

The shooting in Bahir Dar occurred when the state president - an ally of Abiy - was holding a meeting to decide how to rein in the open recruitment of ethnic militias by Asamnew, one Addis-based official told Reuters.

A week earlier, Asamnew had openly advised the Amhara people, Ethiopia’s second largest ethnic group, to arm themselves in preparation for fighting against other groups, in a video spread on Facebook and seen by a Reuters reporter.

Bahir Dar residents said there was at least four hours of gunfire on Saturday evening and some roads had been closed off.

Abiy donned military fatigues to announce the attempted coup on state television on Saturday evening.

Early on Sunday, Brigadier General Tefera Mamo, the head of special forces in Amhara, told state television that “most of the people who attempted the coup have been arrested, although there are a few still at large.”

He did not give details about Asamnew.

STRUGGLE FOR REFORMS

Since coming to power, Abiy has released political prisoners, removed bans on political parties and prosecuted officials accused of gross human rights abuses, but his government is battling ethnic bloodshed once held in check by the state’s iron grip.

Now some of Ethiopia’s myriad ethnic groups are disputing the boundaries of the country’s nine federal states, or arguing that they too should have regional governments, claims that threaten the dominance of other groups.

“He (Abiy) seems to be dismantling the EPRDF (ruling coalition) and is entertaining thoughts of altering the architecture of federalism, but he hasn’t given any clear direction he’s heading in,” said Matt Bryden, the head of regional thinktank Sahan Research.

“That uncertainty is creating a lot of competition and ... driving a lot of the friction and violence.”

Abiy had also changed many senior security officials when he came to power, Bryden noted, creating more uncertainty that allowed armed groups that would once have been quashed to flourish. Seare was the third chief of staff Abiy had appointed.

Abiy’s changes have not gone unchallenged. A year ago, he survived a grenade attack that killed two people at his rally. In October, hundreds of soldiers marched on his palace demanding more pay. He defused the situation by doing push ups with them but later said they were trying to derail reforms.

The internet was down across Ethiopia on Sunday, although there was no government statement on the matter. Authorities have cut off the internet several times previously for security and other reasons.

Ethiopia is due to hold a national parliamentary election next year, although the board of the electoral board warned earlier this month that they were behind schedule and that instability and displacement could cause a problem for polling. Several opposition groups have called for the elections to be held on time anyway.

Additional reporting by Katharine Houreld; Writing by Elias Biryabarema and Katharine Houreld; Editing by Raissa Kasolowsky

Our Standards:The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

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https://www.reuters.com/article/us-ethiopia-security-armychief/ethiopias-chief-of-staff-killed-in-coup-attempt-in-amhara-state-idUSKCN1TO01G

2019-06-23 10:57:00Z
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Bolton to Iran: Don’t mistake ‘US prudence and discretion for weakness’ - Fox News

U.S. national security adviser John Bolton had a message for Iran on Sunday during his visit to Israel: He advised the leaders of the Islamic nation not to “mistake U.S. prudence and discretion for weakness.”

Bolton’s comment followed Friday’s confirmation by President Trump that he had called off a planned retaliatory attack against Iran following that country’s downing of a U.S. military drone Thursday in international airspace over the Strait of Hormuz.

Trump said he reconsidered action after deciding that the potential loss of life in a military action was not “proportionate” after Iran had attacked an unmanned aircraft.

GEN. JACK KEANE PRAISES TRUMP'S PRESSURE CAMPAIGN ON IRAN: 'FIRST RATE'

U.S. National Security Advisor John Bolton gives statements to media in Jerusalem, Sunday, June 23, 2019. (Associated Press)

On Saturday, Trump praised Bolton, saying he had confidence in his appointee despite some disagreements on some Mideast issues, Politico reported.

Bolton added Sunday that no one had granted Iran “a hunting license in the Middle East,” as he spoke alongside Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu during his Mideast visit.

Late last month, Bolton had charged that Iran was responsible for attacks against oil tankers off the coast of the United Arab Emirates – and warned that the U.S. would strike back if attacked.

Bolton said Iran was “almost certainly” responsible for the tanker attacks.

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Rhetoric between the U.S. and Iran has been sharpening in recent weeks as Iran feels the effects of sanctions imposed by the U.S. following Trump’s decision to withdraw from a 2015 nuclear agreement that Iran had negotiated with the U.S. and other world powers during the Obama administration.

Trump had repeatedly criticized the deal as not going far enough to ensure that Iran was not pursuing nuclear weapons.

Fox News’ Bradford Betz and Lukas Mikelionis and the Associated Press contributed to this report.

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2019-06-23 10:05:38Z
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Ethiopia’s Army Chief Is Killed Amid Attempted Coup - The New York Times

ADDIS ABABA — The chief of staff of the Ethiopian Army and at least three other senior officials have been killed in different parts of the country amid a coup attempt by an army general in the northern state of Amhara, state television said on Sunday.

A spokesman for Ethiopia’s prime minister told The Associated Press that the army chief, Gen. Seare Mekonnen, had been shot dead at his residence in the capital, Addis Ababa, by his bodyguard. He said a retired army general visiting the army chief at the time had also been killed in the same attack late on Saturday.

The spokesman, Nigussu Tilahun, said the attacks in Addis Ababa and in Bahir Dar, the capital of Amhara, were linked.

Amhara’s state president, Ambachew Mekonnen, and his adviser, Gize Abera, were also killed in the region, according to state media, which said the coup attempt had been orchestrated by the region’s head of security, Gen. Asamnew Tsige.

“He was shot by people who are close to him,” Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed said in a televised address on Saturday of Mr. Ambachew.

Regional government officials had been in a meeting to discuss how to rein in the open recruitment of ethnic militias by General Asamnew when the coup attempt began, officials said.

A week earlier, General Asamnew had openly advised the Amhara people, one of Ethiopia’s larger ethnic groups, to arm themselves, in a video spread on Facebook.

Residents in Amhara’s capital, Bahir Dar, said late Saturday that they could hear gunfire in some neighborhoods and that some roads had been closed off.

Image

Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed of Ethiopia gave a televised address on Sunday.CreditETV, via Associated Press

The United States Embassy said on Saturday that it was aware of reports of gunfire in Addis Ababa, and some residents said they had heard about six shots fired in a suburb near Bole International Airport around 9:30 p.m. local time on Saturday.

“Chief of Mission personnel are advised to shelter in place,” the embassy said on its website.

On Sunday, Brig. Gen. Tefera Mamo, the head of special forces in Amhara, told state television that “most of the people who attempted the coup have been arrested, although there are a few still at large.”

Since coming to power in April last year, Mr. Abiy — a former soldier, minister of science and technology, and vice president of the Oromia region has tried to spearhead sweeping political reforms in the nation of 100 million in the Horn of Africa, where years of political violence had led to the resignation of his predecessor, Hailemariam Desalegn.

In effect, he has pulled Ethiopia back from the brink of a political implosion, since the country has been rocked in recent years by violent protests and had been in a state of emergency since the previous prime minister’s resignation in February.

Mr. Abiy has released political prisoners, removed bans on political parties, prosecuted officials accused of gross human rights abuses, and reestablished relations with neighboring Eritrea.

But his government has been battling growing violence and mounting pressure from regional strongmen, including in Amhara, a flash point in increasing ethnic clashes in Ethiopia.

In June 2018, an attacker dressed in a police uniform hurled a grenade at a huge rally attended by Mr. Abiy, causing a deadly explosion. Nine police officials were arrested after the attack, state media reported.

In October that year, rebellious Ethiopian soldiers seeking pay raises caused a security incident in the capital. Mr. Abiy later said that some of the soldiers who had entered the grounds of his office to confront him over the issue wanted to kill him.

He defused the situation by ordering them to do push-ups and joining in.

The latest killings come as the country gears up for a national parliamentary election next year. Several opposition groups have called for the polls to be held on time despite the unrest and displacement.

Ethiopians in many parts of the country reported a disruption in internet service beginning late Saturday, although the government has not stated whether it had again cut it off. The authorities have cut off the internet several times in the past for security and other reasons.

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https://www.nytimes.com/2019/06/23/world/africa/ethiopia-army-chief-coup.html

2019-06-23 09:15:34Z
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Ethiopia army chief shot dead in 'coup bid' attacks - BBC News

The chief of staff of the Ethiopian army, Gen Seare Mekonnen, has been shot dead by his own bodyguard in the capital, Addis Ababa.

He and another officer died trying to prevent a coup attempt against the administration in Ethiopia's northern Amhara region, PM Abiy Ahmed said.

In Amhara itself, regional governor Ambachew Mekonnen was killed along with an adviser.

The government says the situation is under control after arrests were made.

The prime minister has gone on TV to urge Ethiopians to unite in the face of "evil" forces set on dividing the country.

The US state department has warned its staff in Addis Ababa to stay inside.

Ethnic violence has hit Amhara and other parts of Ethiopia in recent years.

Since his election last year, Mr Abiy has moved to end political repression by releasing political prisoners, removing bans on political parties and prosecuting officials accused of human rights abuses.

What do we know about the attacks?

Gen Seare was killed on Saturday evening at his residence along with another general, Gezai Abera, by the bodyguard who is now in custody, the prime minister's press office says.

The government says it has reason to think the attack was linked to the assassination of the governor of Amhara a few hours earlier in the region's capital, Bahir Dar.

Mr Ambachew was killed at a meeting in his office along with his senior adviser, Ezez Wasie, while the region's attorney general was wounded.

Lake Ayalew has now been appointed as the region's acting governor.

The prime minister's office accused Amhara's regional security chief, Brig-Gen Asaminew Tsige, of plotting the coup attempt. It is unclear whether he has been arrested.

Many of those involved in the coup attempt are under arrest and operations are in progress to detain others, the press office said.

"The coup attempt in Amhara regional state is against the constitution and is intended to scupper the hard-won peace of the region," the office added.

"This illegal attempt should be condemned by all Ethiopians and the federal government has full capacity to overpower this armed group."

• Ethiopia country profile

A toxic political atmosphere

By Emmanuel Igunza, BBC Africa, Nairobi

These are tumultuous time for Ethiopia and Prime Minister Abiy, who is already facing increased ethnic tensions.

Chief of staff Seare Mekonnen had only served as head of the military for a year having being appointed by Mr Abiy, who made sweeping changes in the security apparatus when he took office last April.

It is clear there is still significant opposition within the military opposed to the PM's style of leadership.

The killing of Amhara's governor is also a big blow for Mr Abiy, who is credited with installing Ambachew Mekonnen in office.

He was a key ally in Amhara, which is itself facing security problems and clamour from some groups for greater autonomy from the central government.

The first general election since Mr Abiy came to power is supposed to be held next year, but it is very hard to see how this will go ahead in a country that is highly polarised. The atmosphere is just too toxic.

Why is Amhara so important?

The homeland of the Amhara ethnic group is the country's second most populous region and has given Ethiopia its state language, Amharic.

Violence between the Amhara and Gumuz ethnic groups left dozens of people dead last month in Amhara and its neighbouring region, Benishangul Gumuz.

Ethnic violence, typically sparked by land disputes, has displaced nearly three million people across Ethiopia.

Another issue the prime minister is having to grapple with is unrest within the military.

In October, he said hundreds of soldiers who marched to his office to demand a pay rise had wanted to kill him.

Mr Abiy survived a grenade attack at a rally a year ago which killed two people and left more than 100 injured.

Who is the alleged organiser of the coup attempt?

Asaminew Tsige was among a group of high-ranking military officers released from prison early last year when the previous government moved to free political detainees in response to public pressure.

The general had been in custody for nine years for allegedly plotting a coup.

According to Reuters news agency, Amhara's top officials had convened Saturday's meeting to discuss open attempts by the general to recruit ethnic militias.

Gen Asamnew openly advised the Amhara people this month to arm themselves, in a video spread on Facebook and seen by a Reuters reporter.

It was not immediately clear on Sunday if the general was among those arrested.

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https://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-48734572

2019-06-23 07:46:50Z
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US 'launched cyberattacks on Iran weapons' after drone downing - Aljazeera.com

The United States military launched cyberattacks against Iranian missile control systems and a spy network on Thursday after Tehran downed an American surveillance drone, US officials have said.

US President Donald Trump ordered a retaliatory military attack against Iran after the drone shootdown but then called it off, saying the response would not be "proportionate" and instead pledged new sanctions on the country.

But after the drone's downing, Trump secretly authorised US Cyber Command to carry out a retaliatory cyber attack on Iran, two officials told the Associated Press news agency on Saturday.

A third official confirmed the broad outlines of the attack. All spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorised to speak publicly about the operation.

US media outlets Yahoo News and The Washington Post also reported the cyberattacks. 

The cyberattacks - a contingency plan developed over weeks amid escalating tensions - disabled Iranian computer systems that controlled its rocket and missile launchers, the officials said.

The officials said the US targeted the computers of Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) after Washington blamed Iran for two recent mine attacks on oil tankers.

There was no immediate reaction on Sunday morning in Iran to the US claims. Iran has hardened and disconnected much of its infrastructure from the internet after the Stuxnet computer virus, widely believed to be a joint US-Israeli creation, disrupted thousands of Iranian centrifuges in the late 2000s.

"As a matter of policy and for operational security, we do not discuss cyberspace operations, intelligence or planning," US Defense Department spokesperson Heather Babb told AFP news agency.

Cyberwars

In recent weeks, hackers believed to be working for the Iranian government have targeted US government agencies, sending waves of spear-phishing emails, representatives of cybersecurity companies CrowdStrike and FireEye - which regularly track such activity - told AP. 

This new campaign appears to have started shortly after the Trump administration imposed sanctions on the Iranian petrochemical sector this month.

It was not known if any of the hackers managed to gain access to the targeted networks with the emails, which typically mimic legitimate emails but contain malicious software.

"Both sides are desperate to know what the other side is thinking," said John Hultquist, director of intelligence analysis at FireEye told AP.

"You can absolutely expect the regime to be leveraging every tool they have available to reduce the uncertainty about what's going to happen next, about what the US's next move will be."

CrowdStrike shared images of the spear-phishing emails with the AP.

US Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency Director Christopher C Krebs said the agency has been working with the intelligence community and cybersecurity partners to monitor Iranian cyber activity and ensure the US and its allies are safe.

190620035802427

"What might start as an account compromise, where you think you might just lose data, can quickly become a situation where you've lost your whole network," Krebs said.

The National Security Agency (NSA) would not discuss Iranian cyber actions specifically, but said in a statement to the AP on Friday that "there have been serious issues with malicious Iranian cyber actions in the past".

"In these times of heightened tensions, it is appropriate for everyone to be alert to signs of Iranian aggression in cyberspace and ensure appropriate defences are in place," the NSA said.

Escalating tensions

Tensions are high between the US and Iran once again following Trump's move more than one year ago to leave a multinational accord curbing Iran's nuclear ambition.

His administration has instead imposed a robust slate of punitive economic sanctions designed to choke off Iranian oil sales and cripple its economy. 

On Saturday, Trump said the US would put "major" new sanctions on Iran next week. He said they would be announced on Monday. 

Tehran said it shot down the US drone on Thursday after it violated Iranian airspace - something Washington denies.

Meanwhile, Iran has denied responsibility for the tanker attacks, and a top military official on Saturday pledged to "set fire to the interests of America and its allies" if the US attacks.

Iran to 'confront any threat', as Trump warns of 'obliteration'

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https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2019/06/trump-approved-cyber-attacks-iran-drone-downing-190623054423929.html

2019-06-23 07:44:00Z
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US launched cyberattacks on Iran after drone downing - Aljazeera.com

The United States military launched cyberattacks against Iranian missile control systems and a spy network on Thursday after Tehran downed an American surveillance drone, US officials have said.

US President Donald Trump ordered a retaliatory military attack against Iran after the drone shootdown but then called it off, saying the response would not be "proportionate" and instead pledged new sanctions on the country.

But after the drone's downing, Trump secretly authorised US Cyber Command to carry out a retaliatory cyber attack on Iran, two officials told the Associated Press news agency on Saturday.

A third official confirmed the broad outlines of the attack. All spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorised to speak publicly about the operation.

US media outlets Yahoo News and The Washington Post also reported the cyberattacks. 

The cyberattacks - a contingency plan developed over weeks amid escalating tensions - disabled Iranian computer systems that controlled its rocket and missile launchers, the officials said.

The officials said the US targeted the computers of Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) after Washington blamed Iran for two recent mine attacks on oil tankers.

There was no immediate reaction on Sunday morning in Iran to the US claims. Iran has hardened and disconnected much of its infrastructure from the internet after the Stuxnet computer virus, widely believed to be a joint US-Israeli creation, disrupted thousands of Iranian centrifuges in the late 2000s.

"As a matter of policy and for operational security, we do not discuss cyberspace operations, intelligence or planning," US Defense Department spokesperson Heather Babb told AFP news agency.

Cyberwars

In recent weeks, hackers believed to be working for the Iranian government have targeted US government agencies, sending waves of spear-phishing emails, representatives of cybersecurity companies CrowdStrike and FireEye - which regularly track such activity - told AP. 

This new campaign appears to have started shortly after the Trump administration imposed sanctions on the Iranian petrochemical sector this month.

It was not known if any of the hackers managed to gain access to the targeted networks with the emails, which typically mimic legitimate emails but contain malicious software.

"Both sides are desperate to know what the other side is thinking," said John Hultquist, director of intelligence analysis at FireEye told AP.

"You can absolutely expect the regime to be leveraging every tool they have available to reduce the uncertainty about what's going to happen next, about what the US's next move will be."

CrowdStrike shared images of the spear-phishing emails with the AP.

US Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency Director Christopher C Krebs said the agency has been working with the intelligence community and cybersecurity partners to monitor Iranian cyber activity and ensure the US and its allies are safe.

190620035802427

"What might start as an account compromise, where you think you might just lose data, can quickly become a situation where you've lost your whole network," Krebs said.

The National Security Agency (NSA) would not discuss Iranian cyber actions specifically, but said in a statement to the AP on Friday that "there have been serious issues with malicious Iranian cyber actions in the past".

"In these times of heightened tensions, it is appropriate for everyone to be alert to signs of Iranian aggression in cyberspace and ensure appropriate defences are in place," the NSA said.

Escalating tensions

Tensions are high between the US and Iran once again following Trump's move more than one year ago to leave a multinational accord curbing Iran's nuclear ambition.

His administration has instead imposed a robust slate of punitive economic sanctions designed to choke off Iranian oil sales and cripple its economy. 

On Saturday, Trump said the US would put "major" new sanctions on Iran next week. He said they would be announced on Monday. 

Tehran said it shot down the US drone on Thursday after it violated Iranian airspace - something Washington denies.

Meanwhile, Iran has denied responsibility for the tanker attacks, and a top military official on Saturday pledged to "set fire to the interests of America and its allies" if the US attacks.

Iran to 'confront any threat', as Trump warns of 'obliteration'

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https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2019/06/trump-approved-cyber-attacks-iran-drone-downing-190623054423929.html

2019-06-23 06:59:00Z
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