EXPLOSIONS IN TURKEY KILL 95
Two suicide bombs exploded in Ankara at a peace rally, killing at least 95 people and wounding 246 more. The rally, consisting mostly of leftist parties and Kurds, was to protest the continued violence between the Turkish government and the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK). The blasts were the worst terrorist attack in modern Turkish history and have led to widespread anger against the government. The government believes ISIS may be responsible. Currently, Turkey faces a number of destabilizing forces: violence relating to the conflicts with Kurdish militants and ISIS, political instability, economic weakness, and a flood of Syrian refugees. (New York Times Oct 10, 2015; BBC Oct 14, 2015)
SECURITY COUNCIL EXTENDS UN MISSION IN SOUTH SUDAN
The United Nations Security Council has voted to extend the UN peace mission in South Sudan for two months in hopes the government and rebels can reach a peaceful resolution. The Council urged the parties to implement the recent peace deal and requested the UN Secretary-General to prioritize the deployment of all authorized military equipment and personnel to assist the situation, as well as provide technical assistance in South Sudan for setting up a hybrid court as called for in the peace agreement. (United Nations News Centre Oct 9, 2015)
EGYPT SIGNS DEAL FOR FRENCH WARSHIPS
Egypt has signed a contract to buy two Mistral warships for 950 million euros ($1 billion) from France. Egypt will be relying on “significant” Saudi financing to pay for the ships. The warships were originally intended for Russia but Paris canceled the deal after Russia's intervention in Ukraine. Each warship can carry 16 helicopters, four landing craft, and 13 tanks. The deal was the second major military contract between France and Egypt this year. French President Francois Hollande has said he increasingly views Egypt as a valuable strategic partner. (Al Arabiya Oct 10, 2015)
RUSSIA AND SAUDI ARABIA REACH AN ACCORD ON SYRIA
Russian President Vladimir Putin and Saudi Arabia's defense minister, Sheik Mohammed bin Salman, have agreed that Moscow and Riyadh should pursue common goals in Syria. According to Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, those common interests included preventing a terrorist caliphate from gaining dominance in the region, ensuring the success of national reconciliation in Syria, and fostering cooperation between the two nations’ militaries. Though sharing a desire to reach a speedy political resolution in Syria, Russia and Saudi Arabia still have different positions on the future of President Bashar Assad’s regime. (RT October 12, 2015)
EVIDENCE OF RUSSIAN CLUSTER-BOMB USE IN SYRIA
Human Rights Watch and Syrian activists have accused Russia of dropping advanced cluster munitions during airstrikes or providing them to the Assad government. The group claims to have photographs showing cluster munitions were dropped on Kafr Halab, a village southwest of Aleppo. Cluster munitions are fired in rockets or dropped from the air and contain dozens or hundreds of smaller bombs. Cluster bombs are widely banned, in large part because they spread explosives over large areas and are indiscriminate in nature, often continuing to kill civilians long after the initial attack as previously un-detonated bomblets explode. The use of cluster bombs in Kafr Halab coincides with emerging evidence that they have been used in the provinces of Aleppo, Hama, and Idlib since Russia launched its intervention. (Al Jazeera Oct 12, 2015.)