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Following the slaughter of hundreds of innocent Israelis at the hands of Hamas terrorists this past weekend, Secretary of State Anthony Blinken called for a cease-fire to hostilities as the world’s lone Jewish state began launching its counterattack. In a post published on Sunday evening, Blinken informed his X (formerly Twitter) followers that he spoke with the foreign minister of Turkey regarding Hamas’ onslaught against Israel. In the post, the U.S.’ leading diplomat stated that he encouraged Turkey to advocate for “a cease-fire,” as well as “the release of all hostages held” by Hamas — an Iranian-backed terrorist organization —...

Moscow's proposals for settlement in Ukraine are well known to Kyiv and either Ukraine fulfils them for their own good or the Russian army will decide the issue, TASS agency quoted Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov as saying. "Our proposals for the demilitarization and denazification of the territories controlled by the regime, the elimination of threats to Russia's security emanating from there, including our new lands, are well known to the enemy," the state news agency quoted Lavrov as saying late on Monday. "The point is simple: Fulfil them for your own good. Otherwise, the issue will be decided by...

Hashmatullah Falahat Pishe appeals for Iran-US dialogue in either Iraq or Qatar to de-escalate Gulf frictions. A senior Iranian legislator has called for the United States and Iran to hold talks in Iraq or Qatar to defuse tensions amid a US military build-up in the Gulf. Hashmatullah Falahat Pishe, head of the Iranian parliament's national security and foreign policy committee, urged negotiations on Friday, citing attempts by "third-parties" to provoke a conflict despite senior officials in Tehran and Washington rejecting war. "There must be a table in Iraq or Qatar where the two sides can meet in order to end...

Some 30 Democratic lawmakers left the government shutdown behind Friday on a chartered flight to Puerto Rico for a winter retreat with 109 lobbyists and corporate executives during which they planned to see the hit Broadway show “Hamilton” and attend three parties including one with the show’s cast. Those attending the Congressional Hispanic Caucus BOLD PAC winter retreat in San Juan planned to meet with key officials to discuss the cleanup after Hurricane Maria at a roundtable Saturday. But the weekend is packed with free time for the members and their families on the trip. “We are excited for you...

Actions by the United States, Turkey and Russia could be driving Kurds into the awkward embrace of the Syrian regime.First, Russia gave the green light in January for Turkey's Operation Olive Branch against the Kurdish People's Protection Units (YPG) in Afrin, Syria. (Turkey considers the YPG a terrorist-affiliated group.) Then earlier this month, the United States and Turkey agreed on a plan for the future of Syria's Manbij, a city the YPG controlled until recently. That future doesn't include the YPG, which had helped a US-led coalition's efforts to drive the Islamic State (IS) out of Syria. Given that Syrian President Bashar...

Elham Ahmed confirmed that we are fully prepared for dialogue and starting direct negotiations with the Syrian regime if the latter is already ready to initiate such a step. Hawar news agency (ANHA) interviewed with the Co-chair of Syrian Democratic Council (SDC), Elham Ahmed about recent events that are taking place, said we are fully prepared to negotiate. Where Elham Ahmed said that the war and military option will not solve the Syrian crisis. "We from the beginning said and still say that we are ready for dialogue and start direct negotiations with the regime." Elham Ahmed said they were...

QAMISHLO– The deputy of the Foreign Relations Committee of the Russian Senate Ziyad Sabsabi said that Russia will abide by neutrality in the fighting between the regime Force and the Syrian Democratic Forces, indicating that Russia insists permanently on the Kurds participation in conferences and meetings related to the Syrian crisis.The General Command of the People’s Protection Units held a press conference yesterday, in which a number of IS mercenary families were handed over to the Russian Federation during a joint press conference between the People’s Protection Units and Russian military leadership.The families, which were handed over by the...

Democratic Northern Syria Federation has issued a written statement on the remarks of Syrian Foreign Minister Walid al-Mouallem who stated that “Syrian Government is open to negotiations with the Kurds over their demands for an autonomy in northern Syria.” The statement by Democratic Northern Syria Federation recalled that Geneva talks have all failed despite the Syrian civil war leaving 6 years behind, during which blood of millions of Syrians was shed and millions of others were displaced. Remarking that the Northern Syria forces have possessed a project for a solution since the eruption of Syrian crisis, the statement said this...

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says he will continue to defend the supply management system that protects the Canadian dairy industry in talks about revamping the North American Free Trade Agreement. A U.S. House subcommittee raised the long-standing trade irritant at its hearing on NAFTA negotiations Tuesday, suggesting Canadian measures to protect the industry will be a sticking point. Congressman Ron Kind, a Democrat from Wisconsin, says he does not want to jeopardize a crucial trading relationship with Canada but thinks the system should be more balanced. The Trump administration released its objectives for a new trade deal earlier this...

President Donald Trump told reporters that a “big fat beautiful negotiation” was underway on the proposed house health care bill, after a growing number of conservatives have voiced dissent with the effort. “We’re negotiating with everybody,” Trump said. “It’s a big fat beautiful negotiation and hopefully we’ll come up with something that’s going to be really terrific.” Trump made his remarks during a meeting with his cabinet at the White House — although four of them have yet to be confirmed by the Senate. During remarks to reporters, Trump thanked Ryan and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell for working “around...

Donald Trump on Monday did not refute a report claiming he told The New York Times editorial board in an off-the-record meeting that his immigration views are in fact more flexible than he has made them seem throughout his presidential campaign. "Everything is negotiable," Trump said Monday on Fox News, responding to a question about whether the report, which undermines Trump's hardline stance on immigration, was accurate.

Sounds like knees are knockin in the ME and Saudis offered to go and ask for something... The visit of the Saudi official to Moscow against the backdrop of Russia's anti-terrorist operation in Syria, which Saudi Arabia remains vehemently opposed to, may indicate Riyadh's willingness to compromise with Moscow. Saudi Arabia hopes to change Moscow's attitude towards the regime of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, promising strategic partnership and multi-billion-dollar projects. Noteworthy, Saudi Arabia remains one of the most ardent opponents to Bashar al-Assad. -

US Secretary of State John Kerry has blocked a meeting between Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu and Palestinian Authority (PA) chairman Mahmoud Abbas, senior Palestinian and Israeli officials say. During a meeting with four retired Israeli ambassadors in Paris last Monday, Haaretz reported, Abbas said that despite his willingness to meet with Netanyahu, "a third party who is not Israeli" had recently prevented the meeting. Netanyahu has reportedly been sending Abbas messages for weeks about reviving the long-stalled peace process amid escalating Arab violence and Abbas' threat to suspend key clauses of the Oslo Accords during his visit to the United...

The Iranian nuke deal negotiator goes on an Iranian talk show to discuss the deal. It's short and sweet.

SHARM EL-SHEIKH, Egypt (Reuters) - The United States will have to negotiate with Syrian President Bashar al-Assad for a political transition in Syria and is exploring ways to pressure him into agreeing to talks, U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry told CBS News in an interview. Washington has long insisted that Assad must be replaced through a negotiated, political transition, but the rise of a common enemy, hardline militant group Islamic State, appears to have slightly softened the West's stance towards him. In the interview broadcast on Sunday, Kerry did not repeat the standard U.S. line that Assad had lost...

A prominent Iraqi politician and the longtime head of the De-Ba'athification Committee, Mithal al-Alusi, survived an apparent attempt on his life when armed men fired on his car on the morning of 8 February. Two of al-Alusi's sons -- Ayman and Jamal -- and a bodyguard who were inside his vehicle were killed, however, when the assailants struck just outside al-Alusi's Baghdad home. Radio Free Iraq (RFI) spoke with al-Alusi, who is secretary of Iraq's Democratic Umma Party [Hizb al-Umma al-'Iraqi al-Dimuqrati], after the incident. The following is an edited transcript of that interview. Al-Alusi: Again, the ghosts of death...

How long before the IS (ISIS) Caliphate is recognized as a legitimate government? It took ten years or so for negotiations to start with the Taliban. Hamas is a terror group but the US and Israel "negotiates" with them all the time. When will the Muslims of the world just go ahead and join the group (if you can't beat em, join em)? How long before the left begins protests against bombing or using any other military action against IS?

WARSAW, Poland (AP) — President Barack Obama on Tuesday defended his decision to release five Afghan detainees from Guantanamo Bay in exchange for an American soldier's freedom, saying his administration had consulted with Congress "for some time" about that possibility. The chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff left open the possibility of desertion charges against the soldier.

This was shaping up to be Paul Ryan's moment. With the Republican Party reeling from a government shutdown and a near disaster over the debt limit, the chairman of the House Budget Committee was tasked with leading the GOP in a six-week bicameral budget conference. Republicans, who demanded these talks in exchange for a short-term budget resolution, were expected to pursue big-picture negotiations over America's long-term fiscal challenges. But that's not going to happen. Since being appointed as the Republican negotiating chief two weeks ago, Ryan has endeavored to lower public expectations for the committee, saying he hopes to pursue...

House Speaker John Boehner has emerged from a meeting with President Barack Obama to say the president is still refusing to negotiate. … Boehner says House Republicans have sent four proposals for funding the government to the Senate, but they’ve all been rejected. …