Former Peruvian president apologizes following pardon

December 27, 2017

LIMA, Peru (AP) — Former President Alberto Fujimori apologized to Peruvians on Tuesday for the wrongs committed under his government in the 1990s, issuing a vaguely worded statement two days after he received a presidential medical pardon that freed him from prison.

The 79-year-old Fujimori spoke in a videotaped message from a hospital in the capital. He received the pardon after serving less than half of a 25-year sentence for human rights abuses. "I am aware that the results during my government were well received on one side, but I recognize that I have let down other compatriots," he said. "To them, I ask for forgiveness with all my heart."

Fujimori had not previously apologized, asserting even during his sentencing hearing that he was innocent. He led the country in 1990-2000 and was found guilty for the killings of 25 people in a campaign against the leftist Shining Path terrorist group.

"He has to ask forgiveness from his victims, from the families of those who were lost, who can't spend Christmas with their families," Marisa Glave, a member of parliament, said on local television network America.

Fujimori, who has been diagnosed with arrhythmia and tongue cancer, also thanked President Pedro Pablo Kuczynski for pardoning him and sparing him from serving another 14 years in prison. The decision, which was announced on Christmas Eve, sparked large protests across the country on Christmas Day.

The president said Fujimori was being let go for humanitarian reasons, but many believe it was part of a backroom deal struck to protect Kuczynski from impeachment on corruption charges. Human Rights Watch declared it a "vulgar political negotiation."

Abstentions by lawmakers from a party led by Fujimori's son allowed Kuczynski to narrowly avoid being impeached late Thursday over a payment that his consulting firm received from Brazilian construction giant Odebrecht, which has been accused of bribing public officials throughout Latin America.

A U.N. official said Tuesday that Peru's president should not have acted alone in granting the pardon. Amerigo Incalcaterra, the South America representative of the U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights, noted in a statement that the U.N. told Kuczynski's government in October that the seriousness of Fujimori's crimes warranted involvement of the international community in deciding on any pardon.

Such a pardon "requires a rigorous analysis in each case, considering the gravity of the facts in the framework of a transparent and inclusive process, in the light of international human rights standards," Incalcaterra wrote.

Ukrainian authorities and separatist rebels swap prisoners

December 27, 2017

HORLIVKA, Ukraine (AP) — Ukrainian authorities and Russian-backed separatist rebels on Wednesday conducted the biggest exchange of prisoners since the start of an armed conflict in the country's east and a sign of progress in the implementation of a 2015 peace deal.

Rebels from the self-proclaimed separatist republics in the Luhansk and Donetsk regions handed over 74 captives, while Ukraine's government delivered 233. Some had been held for more than a year. Larisa Sargan, a spokeswoman for the Ukrainian prosecutor general's office, said on Facebook that one of the 74 prisoners released by the separatists indicated she would stay in Donetsk.

Carrying their belonging, the prisoners were turned exchanged in the town of Horlivka and the village of Zaitseve, in an area dividing the separatist regions and Ukraine. One held a cat. "I'm out of hell. I have survived," said Yevhen Chudentsov, who served with one of Ukraine's volunteer battalions in the east and was taken prisoner in February 2015.

Chudentsov said he faced threats and beatings while in rebel custody, and his front teeth were knocked out. He was initially sentenced to capital punishment, which was later changed to 30 years in prison. He said after his release in Horlivka that he would join the Ukrainian military again.

The exchange was supervised by observers from the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, a trans-Atlantic security and rights group that has deployed monitors to eastern Ukraine. The OSCE welcomed the swap and urged the two sides to build on the momentum from it.

"Allowing such a significant number of people, who have been held on both sides, to return home before the New Year and Orthodox Christmas is a very welcome development," said Austrian Foreign Minister Karin Kneissl, the OSCE chairman. "Today's exchange is not only a humanitarian act but also a helpful step in confidence-building."

Ukraine was supposed to release 306 people, but dozens chose to stay in Ukraine or had been freed earlier, said Viktor Medvedchuk, who monitored the exchange on the Ukrainian side. Many of the captives were not combatants. Some were activists and bloggers who were charged with spying or treason.

Anatoly Slobodyanik, one of the prisoners traded by Ukraine, said he didn't want to go to the rebel side and would return to his home town of Odessa. "I'm not guilty of anything and I don't want to go to the other side," he said.

Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko praised the Ukrainian prisoners held by the rebels for their endurance. "I'm grateful to all those who remained loyal to Ukraine in those unbearable conditions," Poroshenko said while greeting the free captives. "They have shown their adherence to the principles of freedom and independence."

The Ukrainian leader also hailed German Chancellor Angela Merkel and French President Emmanuel Macron for helping organize the exchange. Merkel and Macron welcomed the swap, saying in a joint statement that they "encourage the parties to the conflict also to enable the exchange of the remaining prisoners, grant the International Committee of the Red Cross full access and support the ICRC's search for missing people."

The simmering conflict between the separatists and government troops in eastern Ukraine has killed more than 10,000 people since 2014. The 2015 deal brokered by France and Germany and signed in Minsk, the Belarusian capital, envisioned a prisoner exchange, but the two sides argued continuously over lists of captives and only a few dozen had been traded prior to Wednesday. Separatist leaders and a Ukrainian government representative finally agreed to the exchange last week, with the head of the Russian Orthodox Church acting as mediator.

Merkel and Macron emphasized that the exchange and a recommitment to a comprehensive cease-fire "should also serve to build up confidence between the parties to the conflict, also with a view to the full implementation of the Minsk agreements."

Associated Press writers Geir Moulson in Berlin, Yuras Karmanau in Minsk, Belarus, and Nataliya Vasilyeva and Vladimir Isachenkov in Moscow contributed to this report.

Ukraine grateful for US weapons, Russia voices outrage

December 23, 2017

MOSCOW (AP) — Ukraine's president on Saturday thanked the U.S. for its decision to provide his nation with lethal weapons, while Russian diplomats and lawmakers expressed dismay, warning that it will only fuel hostilities in eastern Ukraine.

The angry response from Moscow comes a day after President Donald Trump's administration approved a plan to provide weapons to Ukraine, including Javelin anti-tank missiles. Ukraine has long sought the weapons for its fight against Russia-backed separatists in eastern Ukraine that has killed more than 10,000 since April 2014 and strongly welcomed the U.S. move.

"I am grateful for the leadership of President Donald Trump, clear position of all our American friends, and for strong bipartisan support of Ukraine," Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko said on Facebook in English. "American weapons in the hands of Ukrainian soldiers are not for offensive (purposes), but for stronger rebuff of the aggressor, protection of Ukrainian soldiers and civilians, as well as for effective self-defense. It is also a trans-Atlantic vaccination against the Russian virus of aggression."

In Moscow, Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov said that the U.S. administration's move has "crossed a line." "Washington has sought to cast itself as a 'mediator,'" he said in a statement. "It's not a mediator. It's an accomplice in fueling a war."

Without mentioning the U.S. decision, France and Germany on Saturday urged combatants to fully implement a much-violated cease-fire agreement. German Chancellor Angela Merkel and French President Emmanuel Macron issued a joint statement urging combatants to observe a 2015 peace deal brokered by France and Germany. Its provisions include the withdrawal of heavy weapons such as tanks and rocket launchers from the front-line area and an exchange of prisoners.

The two leaders also urged the return of Russian military officers to a joint coordination center that plays a role in monitoring the cease-fire. Merkel and Macron said in their statement that "there is no alternative to an exclusively peaceful solution to the conflict."

The U.S. and its allies say Russia has sent troops and weapons to help the rebels in eastern Ukraine. Moscow has denied the accusations, but acknowledged that Russian citizens joined the separatist forces as volunteers.

Deputy Foreign Minister Ryabkov warned that the U.S. move could warrant a Russian response. "The American weapons can lead to more victims in the neighboring country, and we couldn't stay indifferent to that," he said.

Valentina Matviyenko, the speaker of the upper house of Russian parliament, said in remarks carried by Tass that the U.S. move was a "big mistake" that would "pull them into Ukraine's internal conflict."

"With lethal weapons supplies, the U.S. gives a clear signal to Kiev that it will support a military option," Alexei Pushkov, the head of the upper house's information committee, said on Twitter. Tensions in the east have increased in recent weeks, with observers from the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe expressing concern about a recent spike in fighting.

Earlier this week, Russia withdrew its military observers from the joint group monitoring the truce, citing "restrictions and provocations" by Ukrainian authorities that made it hard for Russian officers to perform their duties.

Ukraine and the rebels declared an intention Wednesday to speed up efforts to exchange prisoners. They also agreed to maintain a cease-fire for the Christmas and New Year's season starting Saturday, but immediately blamed each other for violating the deal.

David McHugh reported from Frankfurt, Germany.

Poland approved for possible F-16 support package

Washington (UPI)
Dec 28, 2017

A purchase by Poland of follow-on support from the United States for F-16 fighter aircraft has won approval by the U.S. State Department.

The approval of the foreign military sale was conveyed to Congress earlier this week by the U.S. Defense Security Cooperation Agency, which manages the FMS program.

"This proposed sale will support the foreign policy and national security objectives of the United States by helping to improve the security of a NATO ally," DSCA said in a press release. "This potential sale will continue the sustainment of Poland's F-16 capability."

Specifically, Poland has asked for support and sustainment services to include aircraft maintenance, system and overhauls and upgrades, engine support, spare and repair parts, support and test equipment, publications and technical documentation, and U.S. Government and contractor engineering, technical, and logistical support.

The estimated value of the contract is $200 million.

"Contracts will be awarded when necessary to provide the defense articles ordered if items ordered are not available from U.S. stock or are to be purchased further in the future," DSCA said.

Potential prime contractors under the deal would be Harris Corporation, Boeing, UTC Aerospace Systems, ISR Systems, Lockheed Martin, Cubic Defense Applications, L-3 Communications, Exelis Electronic, Northrop Grumman, Raytheon, Honeywell, Booz Allen Hamilton and BAE Systems.

Source: Space Daily.
Link: http://www.spacedaily.com/reports/Poland_approved_for_possible_F-16_support_package_999.html.

Italian leader hopes 2018 campaign will avoid fear-mongering

December 28, 2017

MILAN (AP) — With Italy's parliament nearing the end of its term, Premier Paolo Gentiloni said Thursday that it would be in the country's best interests "to limit as much as possible the diffusion of fear" during the campaign to elect a new national legislature.

Gentiloni said during his year-end news conference that while the world is full of risks "the more we have an election campaign that veers from the easy sale of fear, the better it will be for the country."

Gentiloni was meeting later Thursday with Italian President Sergio Mattarella, who sometime afterward will dissolve the current parliament in a formal step toward a 2018 general election. Italy's Democratic Party-led government has survived its full five-year term, but under the leadership of three premiers. Enrico Letta was ousted in a political maneuver by Matteo Renzi, who in turn resigned after a failed referendum, ceding the government last year to Gentiloni.

Gentiloni cited the achievements of his year as head of government, including passage of a law recognizing same-sex unions and another on living wills. He also acknowledged the defeat of legislation that would have accelerated the process of obtaining citizenship for immigrant children born and raised in Italy.

Even before it officially begins, the campaign shows signs of being a bruiser. The Democratic Party has splintered and been weakened following Renzi's fall from power, while former Premier Silvio Berlusconi's Forza Italia is locked in a struggle with Matteo Salvini's anti-migrant, anti-euro League for dominance of the center-right.

The vulnerability of the traditional political powers is giving further impetus to populists such as the Five-Star Movement. It remains Italy's most popular single party, but has refused to join a national coalition with any force.

Political analyst Wolfango Piccoli said the likely outcome of the next election is a hung parliament. Long negotiations resulting in "at best a patched-up deal involving several parties" would follow under that scenario, Piccoli said, making "the outlook for reform negative."

Pressed several times on whether he would consider continuing on as premier in the new government, Gentiloni deferred, saying he hoped his party would come out on top.

Merkel sees Germany split over pace of social change

December 31, 2017

BERLIN (AP) — Germans have rarely been so divided about the changes taking place in their society, the country's long-time leader Angela Merkel said Sunday, adding in her New Year's address that she is committed to helping tackle the challenges of the future by swiftly forming a new government.

Germany has been in political limbo since elections in September, which saw heavy losses for the centrist 'grand coalition' that's run the country since 2013. Merkel's attempt to forge a new government with two smaller parties failed, forcing her to reach out to her erstwhile partners, the Social Democrats, again.

Merkel acknowledged the concerns some in Germany have about the pace of social change, including the influx of asylum-seekers that saw many conservatives question her leadership. But she noted that others in Europe's biggest economy, which has seen rapid growth and a continued fall in unemployment, are optimistic about the future.

"Some are even talking about a split that goes through our society," she said of the differing views she's heard over the past year. Merkel said she took seriously the voters' mandate "especially when it comes to working on swiftly forming a stable government for Germany in the new year," citing among her priorities the need to safeguard prosperity, improve education and the use of digital technology, strengthen families and elderly care, even out regional imbalances and ensure security.

She also reiterated the need for European countries to work together more closely and defend the continent's external borders, pledging to work with France to "make Europe fit for the future." Addressing the increasingly tense debate in Germany that's seen some political opponents describe her as a "traitor," Merkel urged her countrymen to focus more on what they have in common, and to "respect each other more again."

France's Macron enjoys popularity rise, faces new challenges

December 29, 2017

PARIS (AP) — As French President Emmanuel Macron looks ahead to 2018, he finds himself back up in the polls and poised to face major challenges at home and in Europe. Macron is wrapping up a remarkable year. In the seven months since he won a long-shot presidential bid, he has emerged as a key world leader at the forefront of the battles against terrorism and climate change.

Now the hard part seems to lie ahead: transforming France, where critics have branded him arrogant and authoritarian, with some saying he evokes a long-lost monarch. After a rocky start on the domestic front, things are looking much better for the French president, the country's youngest leader since Napoleon, who turned 40 on Dec. 21.

A string of French polls show a clear surge in popularity in December, after last summer Macron's popularity fell to a near record low for a newly elected president. Surveys by Ifop, BVA and Odoxa institutes showed a clear jump, with 52 percent of the French saying they are "satisfied" or have a "good opinion," of Macron, up some ten points from November and around 40 in September.

Macron, who himself admits he "came out of nowhere" to win over far-right candidate Marine Le Pen, has since been on a parade of trips abroad while welcoming international visitors at home. From his tense, white-knuckle handshake with President Donald Trump, to a major climate summit in Paris earlier this month, Macron has seized on the U.S. administration's focus on domestic issues to earn a prominent place on the international scene.

After Trump declared he would withdraw the U.S. from the Paris climate accord, Macron launched his "Make the Planet Great Again" initiative and called on U.S. researchers to come to France. After the Brexit vote, he invited London-based international companies to move to Paris and toured many EU member states to promote his pro-European ideas.

He emerged as the most influential European leader this autumn, when German Chancellor Angela Merkel was bogged down with months with coalition talks following an election. He maintained France's military involvement in the battle against the Islamic State group in Iraq and Syria and over 4,000 troops fighting extremism in Africa's Sahel region. More recently, he offered to be a mediator in Lebanon and Gulf crisis.

An in an unprecedented move from a French president, Macron tweets and speaks in English when addressing an international audience. At home however, criticism is brewing. During summer, he passed labor measures that have prompted demonstrations because they are perceived by many as weakening France's hard-won worker protection rights, driving his initial sharp drop in popularity.

He also passed a counterterrorism law despite critics who said it infringes on individual freedoms. Now, Macron faces other challenges. In Europe, divisions between EU member states and Germany could reduce the scope of reforms he has supported, including proposals on migration.

At home, his labor measures, notably aiming at easing hiring and firing, are expected to start producing effects next year, when he will launch another sensitive reform of unemployment benefits. The unemployment rate remains high in the country, at 9.7 percent.

He will also push for an immigration bill that would allow the government to send more illegal migrants back to their home countries —measures already denounced by human right groups. Macron's main weakness might lie in his style, perceived by critics as arrogant and tyrannical. Some opposition members have labelled him 'president of the rich'.

A birthday celebration at the spectacular Chateau of Chambord in the Loire valley with his family in December has fuelled countless comments on social media about Macron's taste for royal symbols. He has repeatedly prompted a public outcry with comments perceived as out of touch with the public. He once suggested employees of a struggling company should look for a job instead of protesting. In a speech to entrepreneurs this summer, he mentioned "people who succeed and people who are nobody."

Macron also carefully controls his communication, keeping as much distance as possible from journalists and only making a few, carefully chosen interviews, choices perceived by some as a lack of transparency. A carefully choreographed interview on state-owned France 2 television prompted some criticism on social media for its deferential tone.

Yet the public mood seems to be improving under Macron's watch. Gael Sliman, president of Odoxa poll institute, sees a direct link between Macron's recent rise in popularity and a stronger confidence of the French in the improvement of the economic situation.

State statistics agency Insee has raised its growth forecast for 2017 to 1.9 percent, the highest level in ten years. Macron promised to cut taxes paid by businesses and employees by 10 billion euros ($11.9 billion) next year —while at the same time raising taxes on gasoline and cigarettes.

It's still early to judge the impact of Macron's changes — but with four years left as president, much remains to be seen.