Suspect Who Tried To Execute A Philadelphia Police Officer Cited His Pledged Of Allegiance To The Islamic State As The Reason

CNN: Police: Officer shooting suspect pledges allegiance to ISIS

The 30-year-old man suspected of shooting and injuring a Philadelphia police officer Thursday night said that he pledges his allegiance to the Islamic State, and that is the reason that he committed the shooting, an official said at a police news conference Friday.

Philadelphia police Officer Jesse Hartnett shouted desperately into his police radio after someone, authorities say, approached his patrol car and shot him as he sat there Thursday night.

"Shots fired! ... I'm bleeding heavily!" Hartnett shouts in a recording of his radio call for backup. "I'm bleeding. Get us another unit out here!"

Hartnett not only survived but managed to fire back and wound the gunman after what authorities say was an apparent attempt to execute the officer at a city intersection.

WNU Editor: This story is going to dominate the U.S. cable news networks.

More News On ISIS Inspired Terror Attack In Philadelphia

Philadelphia police: Attacker ‘tried to execute’ officer, pledged allegiance to the Islamic State -- Washington Post
Philadelphia Police Officer Wounded in Ambush on His Patrol Car -- NYT
Police: Suspect says he shot cop 'in the name of Islam' -- USA Today
Dramatic Photos Capture Moment Gunman Allegedly Tried to 'Execute' Philadelphia Police Officer -- ABC News
Suspect in Pa. cop ambush said he acted 'in the name of Islam,' police confirm -- FOX News
Man who shot Philadelphia police officer cited Islam as motive: official -- Reuters

North Korea's Nuclear Test Raises Fears That Iran Will Benefit From Its Results

The Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei (R) and Chairman of North Korea's Presidium of the Supreme People's Assembly Kim Yong-NAM meet in Tehran on Saturday, September 1, 2012. Press TV (Iran)

Business Insider: North Korea's nuclear test reveals a major flaw with the Iran deal

North Korea's fourth nuclear test could have been a crucial step toward Pyongyang developing thermonuclear capability — and a breakthrough for a second country with potential nuclear ambitions, as well.

Iran has established ties to the North Korean nuclear-weapons program. As The Daily Beast notes, Iranian officials, including Iranian nuclear program head Mohsen Fakhrizadeh, were present during North Korea's three previous nuclear tests — in 2006, 2009, and 2013.

Testing data is a potential bonanza for a nuclear-weapons program. It could include information about the design and yield of the device detonated — or about the size and configuration of the bomb's uranium hemisphere or plutonium core. Testing data could indicate the weight and shape of the nuclear device, its triggering mechanisms, or the warhead's material composition.

WNU Editor: These fears have been around for a very long time .... U.S. Wants Sanctions Enforced Against Iranian And North Korean Arms Networks.

Is North Korean Leader Kim Jong-un Playing One Super-Power Over The Other?

New York Times: With Nuclear Test, North Korea’s Leader Asserts Role of Instigator

SEOUL, South Korea — The young leader of North Korea, Kim Jong-un, has often been dismissed as inexperienced, erratic and even clueless. But with the North’s test of a nuclear bomb this week, Mr. Kim appears to have mastered a strategy that has served his reclusive country well: playing one big power against another.

The nuclear test quickly increased tensions between the United States and China. In a strong rebuke on Thursday, Secretary of State John Kerry called China’s approach to North Korea a failure, saying that something had to change in its handling of the isolated country it has supported for six decades. On Friday, China suggested that it was the Americans, not the Chinese, who were largely to blame for the North’s nuclear program.

The United States also used the North’s test to tighten a trilateral alliance with Japan and South Korea in the region, a relationship that China has long viewed as a check on its power.

WNU Editor: The China that I know does not like to be told what to do .... and they sure as hell hate being manipulated. Bottom line .... North Korea's nuclear test made China realize .... again .... that this country will go to extremes to not only try to get what they want from the West .... but to also get what they want from China.

Update #1: I have already heard about these feelers from North Korea from my Chinese readers .... North Korea seeks China help on treaty with U.S., or more tests - source (Reuters) .... the Chinese are not happy with this "threat"

Update #2: I mentioned earlier that the U.S. remarks that China's policy vis-a-vis North Korea was a mistake .... U.S. Blames China For Failing To Rein In North Korea. It is because it gives China the excuse to blast back at the U.S. while not focusing on North Korea .... where the focus should be.

Update #3: This is not the reason why North Korea decided to have an atomic test .... Is North Korean girl band connected to nuclear test? (CNN)

A Look At North Korea's Newly-Opened Science And Technology Center

CNN: Inside North Korea: High-tech science center lauds nuclear advances

Pyongyang, North Korea (CNN)At the Korean demilitarized zone, speakers are blasting propaganda and troops are massing, but in the heart of Pyongyang, talk is only of the purported success of North Korea's first hydrogen bomb test.

As dictator Kim Jong Un celebrated his birthday, CNN, the only U.S. broadcaster operating in the country, spoke to North Koreans at the newly-opened Science and Technology Center.

Architecture student Lee Won, visiting the center that is the public face of the government's push to develop its technological and scientific capabilities, said that it was "one of his favorite places."

Asked what he thought of the purported H-bomb test, the 27-year-old said: "I think it is very wonderful, it is a very good result for our country's safety."

WNU Editor: Pure North Korean propaganda via through CNN.

South Korea Resumes Its Propaganda Broadcasts Against North Korea

CNN: South Korea reactivates propaganda speakers as tensions with North rise

Pyongyang, North Korea (CNN)Tensions on the Korean Peninsula have once again ratcheted up as South Korea responds to its northern neighbor's latest antagonism.

The South reactivated its propaganda speakers near its heavily fortified border with North Korea on Friday following Pyongyang's announcement about its purported H-bomb test earlier in the week.

Seoul announced that, as of midday Friday local time (10 p.m. Thursday evening ET), it has resumed broadcasting propaganda using loudspeakers over the demilitarized zone, the heavily guarded buffer between the two Koreas.

WNU Editor: I was told that these broadcasts are really not that loud ... and more of a nuisance .... even on the South Korean side.

More News On South Korea Resuming Its Propaganda Broadcasts Against North Korea

South Korea’s Resumption of Propaganda Broadcast -- The Atlantic
South Korea Punishes Kim Jong Un With K-Pop for Nuclear Test -- Bloomberg
Seoul hits North Korea with barrage of K-Pop -- USA Today
A look at decades of propaganda battles between the Koreas -- Washington Post

Saudi Crown Prince: 'War With Iran Will Not Happen'

Prince Mohammed bin Salman © Muhammad Hamed / Reuters

Al Jazeera: Saudi prince: War with Iran not going to happen

Deputy crown prince tells British magazine an Iran-Saudi war would mean catastrophe for the conflict-wracked region.

Saudi Arabia does not foresee war with its arch foe Iran despite heightened tensions between the regional heavyweights, its deputy crown prince was quoted as saying.

Saudi Arabia severed relations with Iran after an attack on its embassy in Tehran on Sunday following the kingdom's execution of Shia religious leader Nimr al-Nimr, who was put to death along with 46 mostly Sunni Muslims convicted on terrorism charges.

Asked about the possibility of war, Prince Mohammed bin Salman told the Economist magazine: "It is something that we do not foresee at all, and whoever is pushing towards that is somebody who is not in their right mind.

WNU Editor: The Crown Prince made this comments when interviewed by The Economist .... Saudi Arabia: Young prince in a hurry (The Economist)

More News On Prince Mohammed bin Salman's Remarks That War With Iran Is Not Going To Happen

Saudi Arabia's Deputy Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman says war with Iran 'will not happen' -- IBTimes
No war with Iran, says Saudi deputy crown prince -- Al Arabiya
Deputy crown prince says Saudis will not allow war with Iran -- Express Tribune/Reuters
All-out war with Iran won't happen – Saudi Defense Minister. -- RT
Saudi deputy crown prince: War with Iran not foreseen 'at all' -- Middle East Eye

Golden Mao Statue In China Is Destroyed After Public Outcry

A man looks at a giant statue of late chairman Mao Zedong under construction near fields in a village of Tongxu county, Henan province, China, Jan. 4, 2016. PHOTO: REUTERS/STRINGER

New York Times: Golden Mao Statue in China, Nearly Finished, Is Brought Down by Criticism

ZHUSHIGANG, China — Days after photographs of a giant, golden statue of Mao spread across the Internet, drawing ridicule for its grandiosity amid the bare fields of Henan Province, the statue has been quickly torn down.

Demolition teams arrived Thursday morning, villagers said, and by Friday morning only a pile of rubble remained.

The 120-foot-tall statue, erected at a cost of $465,000, according to the local news media, had been under construction for months and was nearing completion when it began to attract attention.

WNU Editor: Everyone who is over the age of 55 in China remembers what life was like under Mao .... that is why this golden statue was torn down. I have been going to China for years. I lived there in the mid-1980s. I have gotten to know hundreds of people while I was there. When I bring up Mao .... there is zero support/sympathy/understanding for him. He may be on the Chinese money and have his portrait in Tienanmen Square .... but he is despised by the generation who lived under him. The younger generation has a different point of view .... and that is because many of them do not know what life was like under him.

More News On The Destruction Of The Golden Mao Statue In China

Giant Mao statue 'removed' from Henan village. -- BBC
'Mega Mao' no more as ridiculed golden statue destroyed -- The Guardian
Mao Zedong Statue Destroyed: Chinese Leader’s Giant, Gold-Painted Statue Lacked Government Approval -- IBTimes
Giant gold Mao statue 'demolished' in China following public outcry: report -- DW
Chinese village destroys lavish golden statue of Chairman Mao -- Mashable

World News Briefs -- September 8, 2016

U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry speaks to the media during a news conference at the United Nations Headquarters in Manhattan, New York, Dec. 18, 2015.

VOA: Kerry: Iran Nuclear Deal Nears; N. Korea Not ‘Unattended’

STATE DEPARTMENT — Secretary of State John Kerry says implementation of the Iran nuclear deal could be just “days away,” if “all goes well.”

He commented in a Thursday briefing in which he highlighted U.S. foreign policy progress over the past year and urged U.S. lawmakers to confirm key diplomatic nominations that have languished in the Senate.

Kerry said he spoke to Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif, who assured him that Iran intended to complete its obligations “as rapidly as possible.”

MIDDLE EAST

All-out war with Iran won't happen – Saudi Defense Minister. Saudi prince: War with Iran not going to happen.

Syria rebels warns U.N. 'pressure' will prolong war.

Syrians say world has forgotten them as winter sets in.

Turkish troops in Iraq repel IS attack. Erdogan says attempted Islamic State attack vindicates Iraq deployment.

Yemen war intensifies amid Saudi-Iran diplomatic standoff.

Rouhani races to implement nuclear deal with eye on Iran elections bounce.

Gunman in Tel Aviv shooting spree killed by Israeli police. Israeli police kill Arab citizen wanted over Tel Aviv shootings: source.

ASIA

Kerry blames China for 'failed' soft approach to N. Korea .

China, in rebuke, suggests U.S. worsened ties with North Korea.

Pressure grows on China to rein in North Korea; South launches propaganda barrage.

South Korea resumes anti-North broadcasts.

Russian diplomat says North Korea blast occurred 650 meters from previous nuclear test.

Pentagon 'concerned' after China lands 3 planes on disputed island.

Pakistan pledges to cooperate with Indian attack investigation.

Afghan peace talks aimed at bringing Taliban to negotiating table.

Gloom hangs over China’s economy amid market turmoil.

Giant Mao statue 'removed' from Henan village.

AFRICA

Ethiopian forces 'kill 140 Oromo protesters'.

Villagers charge Nigerian soldiers shot and killed a detained teacher and 2 middle-aged men.

Islamic State says Cairo attack was response to leader's call to target Jews. ISIL claims Cairo attack on Israeli tourists.

Central Africans urged to vote in presidential run-off. Former PMs to face off in C.A.R. runoff election.

Veteran jihadist seeks return of sharia law in north Mali: video.

South Sudan government and rebels reach agreement on transitional government. South Sudan rebels hail new power sharing deal.

Swiss missionary kidnapped a second time in Mali's Timbuktu.

EUROPE

Cologne attacks: 18 asylum seekers among 31 suspects.

Germany weighs deportations after sexual assaults.

Paris attacks suspect's 'hideout found' in Brussels. Fingerprint of Paris attacks fugitive and traces of explosives found in Brussels flat.

Turkish fighter jets violate Greek airspace over Aegean Sea… again.

Hungary PM flags veto of any EU sanctions against Poland.

Orthodox Christians around the world celebrate Christmas.

European markets steady after Chinese shares gain.

'Mein Kampf' hits German bookshelves after 70 years.

AMERICAS

Obama defends gun control push at town hall, blames NRA for rising gun sales.

US economy adds 292,000 jobs in December.

Venezuela government steps up fight with opposition-led congress.

Venezuela's economic crisis worsens as oil prices fall.

Paraguay police raid Conmebol HQ near Asuncion.

Cuban dissidents leaving country amid shift in US policy.

Two Mideast refugees arrested on terror charges appearing in US courts. Two Middle East refugees arrested in U.S. on terrorism charges.

TERRORISM/THE LONG WAR

Guantánamo inmates down to 104 after Kuwaiti's release – with more to come.

US recruits tech leaders to help disrupt Islamic State group.

White House to talk terrorism with Apple, Facebook.

Islamic State member executes his mother in Syria - monitor.

ECONOMY/FINANCE/BUSINESS

Oil price and global stock markets recover as China boosts yuan.

Rare dime sells for $2M at Florida auction.

Saudi Arabia considers IPO for national oil group, Aramco.

Military And Intelligence News Briefs -- September 8, 2016

Secretary of Defense Ash Carter holds a joint press conference with Afghanistan Defense Minister Mohammed Masoom Stanekzai on Forward Operating Base Fenty on Dec. 18, 2015. DoD photo by U.S. Army Sgt. 1st Class Clydell Kinchen

US News and World Report: Ash Carter Once Advocated First-Strike on North Korea

The Pentagon chief declined in October to elaborate on a controversial 2006 opinion.

The White House has denounced North Korea for its “increasingly provocative” behavior in expanding its nuclear capabilities and promised unspecified “additional measures” against Pyongyang even as officials acknowledge there is little they can do.

But forgotten in the halting Western response to North Korea’s claims it detonated a hydrogen bomb on Wednesday was that President Barack Obama’s top military adviser once put forth a suggestion for stemming their belligerence: Bomb the hermit kingdom.

Military And Intelligence News Briefs -- September 8, 2016

US Noncommittal on Strategic, Missile Defense Assets for Korea -- Defense News

The U.S. has a plan to evacuate troops’ families and pets from Korea in case of nuclear attack -- Military Times

Chinese Military reform is not a song-and-dance party -- Washington Times

China and Pakistan Join Forces Under the Sea -- The Diplomat

India Commissions Second Submarine-Killer Stealth Warship -- The Diplomat

Afghan Air Force to Take Delivery of New Light-Attack Plane -- Bloomberg

RAF jets may head for Japan as UK seeks Asia influence -- RT

UK military experts allegedly aiding Saudi military campaign in Yemen -- RT

Israel Stands Up New Commando Brigade -- Defense News

Israel's 5-Year Plan Bulks Up Combat Capabilities; Cuts Manpower -- Defense News

Russians Have Learned How to Hack Power Grids -- Leonid Bershidsky, Bloomberg

Eagle Eye: Russia Testing New Generation Missile Warning Satellite -- Sputnik

France Sets Up Research Body to Study Russian Military, Political Strategy -- Sputnik

U.S. firm blames Russian 'Sandworm' hackers for Ukraine outage -- Reuters

Sweden shuts defense export agency -- UPI

Oman Requests 400 TOW 2 Missiles -- Defense News

Iraq approved for 5,000 Hellfire missiles as US boosts output -- Flight Global

US Hellfire missile mistakenly shipped to Cuba -- The Guardian

The U.S. Is Running Low on Hellfire Missiles -- Fortune

Boeing delivers record number of aircraft in 2015 -- BBC

Lockheed To Upgrade US Army Apache Displays to Color -- Defense News

Navy Aims to Install Over-the-Horizon Missile on Littoral Combat Ship by End of 2016 -- USNI

Sinking Ship: US Navy 'Unable to Meet Rising Global Dangers' -- Sputnik

Defense Department's love affair with the Super Hercules continues -- Fox News

Pentagon: US troops in 'combat situation' in Afghanistan -- The Hill

Navy SEAL congressman to probe US soldier's death in Afghanistan -- The Hill

August court-martial set for Bergdahl on desertion, other charge -- Military Times

Pentagon's medal review to take 21 months -- USA Today

Medals policy overhaul includes new 'C' device for combat -- Military Times

Military Doctors Fault Pentagon on Battlefield Casualty Care -- WSJ

Twenty-six percent of veterans wait more than 30 days for appointments -- NBC

The Pentagon Will Review More Than 1,100 Medals Issued Since 9/11 For An Upgrade

Image: Top three U.S. military medals of valor. US Defense Department

USA Today: Pentagon may upgrade hundreds of troops to possible Medals of Honor

WASHINGTON — The Pentagon will review more than 1,100 medals issued since the 9/11 terror attacks for possible upgrade to the Medal of Honor, the country's highest award issued for valor in combat, according to documents obtained by USA TODAY.

The sweeping review ordered by Defense Secretary Ash Carter would represent one of the most significant steps in decades to honor troops who have displayed extraordinary courage in combat. It stems from a study of military decorations and awards that was ordered in March 2014 by then-Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel "to ensure that after 13 years of combat the awards system appropriately recognizes the service, sacrifices and action of our service members."

More News On The Pentagon Reviewing 1,100 Medals Issued Since 9/11 For An Upgrade

DOD: Medal review prompted by lack of recognition in Iraq, Afghanistan -- Stars and Stripes
Military considering upgrades to Medals of Honor -- CNN
Pentagon to overhaul how it recognizes heroism, review cases for modern veterans -- Washington Post
DOD to review 1,100 Iraq, Afghanistan medals to determine if they were awarded appropriately -- Stars and Stripes
New US military medals policy: What is the meaning of valor? -- Lucy Schouten, CSM

U.S. Refuses To Commit What Strategic And Missile Defense Assets It Will Send To South Korea

Family members disembark from a UH-60 Blackhawk helicopter Oct. 30 after a mock evacuation flight during Courageous Channel at U.S. Army Garrison Yongsan in Seoul, South Korea, Oct. 30, 2015. Army.mil

Defense News: US Noncommittal on Strategic, Missile Defense Assets for Korea

WASHINGTON — The Pentagon and State Department remained careful Thursday when discussing whether strategic assets or missile defense systems could be moved closer to South Korea, but would not rule out anything when discussing US actions in response to Tuesday’s North Korean nuclear test.

Pentagon press secretary Peter Cook told reporters that the relationship between the US and the Republic of Korea remains “iron-clad,” a phrase he used four times when discussing the US willingness to protect its longstanding ally.

He also said the US would “consider every possible option that should be considered to further the defense of South Korea.”

However, just how far the US is willing to go is unclear.

WNU Editor: This is not the time for the U.S. to be wishy-washy when it comes to the Korean peninsula .... our relationship is "iron-clad" but we will not say how far that commitment will go .... sighhh .... that is not the message that they should be sending. And while the U.S. is communicating their lack of commitment to defend South Korea, the Pentagon is making it very clear on what they will bring out if the situation blows up into a war .... The U.S. has a plan to evacuate troops’ families and pets from Korea in case of nuclear attack (Military Times).

U.S. Blames China For Failing To Rein In North Korea

U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry © Mandel Ngan / Reuters

New York Times: U.S. Prods China on North Korea, Saying Soft Approach Has Failed

WASHINGTON — In a striking public rebuke of China, Secretary of State John Kerry warned Beijing on Thursday that its effort to rein in North Korea had been a failure and that something had to change in its handling of the isolated country it has supported for the past six decades.

“China had a particular approach that it wanted to make, and we agreed and respected to give them space to be able to implement that,” Mr. Kerry said a day after North Korea’s latest nuclear test, after a phone call with his Chinese counterpart, Wang Yi. “Today in my conversation with the Chinese I made it clear: That has not worked, and we cannot continue business as usual.”

Two administration officials said the United States was now drafting a proposed resolution for United Nations Security Council approval that would impose sanctions on North Korean trade and finance, including a partial ban on permitting North Korean ships to enter ports around the world, an effort to cut off more of the country’s trade.

Update: Kerry blames China for 'failed' soft approach to N. Korea (RT).

WNU Editor: John Kerry is right .... but he is saying it publicly and making the Chinese lose face. This is not the course of action that I would have approved of .... but realistically .... everyone is in a lose-lose position when it comes to North Korea. The best that anyone can do (short of war) .... is to contain the situation and to hope that North Korea does not start peddling their WMDs to unsavoury regimes.

Update #2: China answers back .... China, in Rebuke, Suggests U.S. Worsened Ties With North Korea (NYT)

U.S. Drone Pilots And Cyber Operators Will Now Have Their Own Military Awards

A drone pilot at a base in upstate New York. Credit Heather Ainsworth for The New York Times

Reuters: Pentagon creates award for U.S. drone pilots, cyber warriors

New military awards will recognize U.S. troops who have directly affected battles as drone pilots or in cyber operations, the Defense Department said on Thursday.

The changes follow an 18-month review which made broader recommendations including standardizing criteria for awards recognizing valorous conduct across all services.

The new award for drone pilots or cyber operators will be a letter "R" device to be affixed to existing service medals. Intelligence officers are unlikely to be eligible for the award, officials said.

"It is for those who have a direct and immediate impact who don't incur the risk of combat," a defense official said.

U.S. Drone Pilots And Cyber Operators Will Now Have Their Own Awards/Military Decorations

Pentagon Will Extend Military Honors to Drone Operators Far From Battles -- NYT
US officials: Pentagon creating awards for drone pilots, others who have direct impact on fight -- AP
Pentagon to award ‘R’ pin to ‘remote’ troops, including drone pilots -- Washington Times
Drone pilots to get medals for killing from thousands of miles away -- The Times
Pentagon creates awards for DRONE pilots as they plan major shake-up of medal system which could see more soldiers become eligible for the Medal of Honor -- Daily Mail
Pentagon introduces military decorations for drone pilots, cyber fighters -- ITNews
Pentagon's Drone Pilots Get a Nod, But No Medals -- Foreign Policy

Americans Congratulate North Korea !?!?!?!

From YouTube: North Korea is claiming that they successfully detonated their first hydrogen bomb. You’d think that the idea that they might have an H bomb would be somewhat alarming to those of us who are here on the West coast, but we went out on the street and it seems like if you ask people a question in a cheerful enough way, we will offer congratulations for just about anything.

WNU Editor: We are so doomed.

The Battle For Ramadi Destroyed The City

New York Times: Ramadi, Reclaimed by Iraq, Is in Ruins After ISIS Fight

RAMADI, Iraq — As his armored vehicle bounced along a dirt track carved through the ruins of this recently reconquered city on Wednesday, Gen. Ali Jameel, an Iraqi counterterrorism officer, narrated the passing sites.

Here were the carcasses of four tanks, charred by the jihadists of the Islamic State. Here, a police officer’s home that the jihadists had blown up. Here, a villa reduced to rubble by an airstrike. And another. And another.

In one neighborhood, he stood before a panorama of wreckage so vast that it was unclear where the original buildings had stood. He paused when asked how residents would return to their homes.

“Homes?” he said. “There are no homes.”

The retaking of Ramadi by Iraqi security forces last week has been hailed as a major blow to the Islamic State and as a vindication of the Obama administration’s strategy to fight the group by backing local ground forces with intensive airstrikes.

Read more ....

WNU Editor: This reminds me of what they use to say about Vietnam. "To save the village we had to destroy it".

Why Are So Many UN Diplomats Interested In A Document That Details How They Can Get Immunity For Crimes

What was our most popular book of 2015? Find it in our library catalogue! https://t.co/hmfeCmGKCj (UN only) pic.twitter.com/niGXUxHtGt

— UN Library (@UNLibrary) December 31, 2015

Dylan Matthews and Zack Beauchamp, VOX: The UN library announced its most-checked-out book of 2015. It's kind of disturbing.

The Dag Hammarskjöld Library at the United Nations — named after the secretary general who died in 1961 — doesn't make the news very often. Meant to be used by the professional Secretariat staff of the UN and by national delegations, it stores documents and publications from the UN and related organizations, as well as a raft of other books and materials on international relations, law, economics, and other UN-relevant topics. So, you know, a library.

But even the UN's library has a social media presence now, and recently it tweeted the 2015 publication that got checked out the most frequently:

WNU Editor: Being someone who use to work for the UN .... this does not surprise me. And I am willing to wager that the second most popular document/book will be on what products/goods/services have a diplomatic tax exemption.

5,000 Swiss Army Troops Will Be Mobilized To Protect The World's Top 1% At Davos

Zero Hedge: 5,000 Swiss Army Troops Will Protect World's Billionaires During Annual Davos Boondoggle

With a new wave of terrorism, mass shootings and unprecedented social violence around the globe now a part of the daily routine for billions of people across both developed and developing nations, one group wants to be certain there is no chance of "close encounters", violent or otherwise, with the peasantry during its upcoming annual boondoggle at the World Economic Forum in Davos. According to Swissinfo, when the world's billionaires land their private jets in the gorgeous Swiss town (which at 1,560 m is also the highest town in Europe) on January 20, they will have up to 5,000 Swiss army troops protecting them.

WNU Editor: 5,000 soldiers in that town .... wow .... security is going to be everywhere. The World Economic Forum website and their theme for this year is here.

Bad Military Tactics In The New 'Independence Day' Movie?

Joseph Trevithick, War Is Boring: The new Independence Day is full of terrible military tactics

The original 1996 movie Independence Day pitted American pilots and troops — and eventually the entire world — against an extraterrestrial threat armed with laser cannons and energy shields. Marine aviators, including Will Smith's character Capt. Steven Hiller, watch helplessly as their missiles disintegrate.

Nimble otherworldly fighters quickly pick off the F/A-18 fighter jets, killing most of the pilots. By the dramatic climax, very little has changed. Even after Hiller and David Levinson — played by Jeff Goldblum — succeed in disrupting the alien shields in a near-suicidal mission, the invaders wield considerable firepower and inflict heavy casualties.

But according to the December trailer for the sequel Independence Day: Resurgence, the American military did very little soul searching in the interceding two decades. "I spent 20 years trying to get us ready for this," Goldblum's Levinson says in the teaser as we see the first images of the new flying machines.

WNU Editor: I am still going to see the movie. :)

U.S., Russia, And China Are In A Race To Have 'Super Soldiers' And Artificial Intelligence

Next Big Future: USA, Russia and China among early entrants in race for Super Soldiers and Artificial Intelligence.

Deputy Defense Secretary Bob Work warned that America would soon lose its military competitive advantage if it does not pursue technologies such as employing artificial intelligence.

Altering human beings from the inside to more effectively fight in combat is claimed to presents ethical dilemmas for American scientists and military planners.

Work says those ethical concerns typically don't apply to authoritarian governments like Russia's or China's, but their lack of hesitation in developing EHOs may force America's hand.

Read more ....

WNU Editor: I always find it fascinating that what was once labelled science fiction is now being seriously developed today. This is one of those cases.

Tweet For Today

The Taliban now control more territory than at any time since 2001. https://t.co/RUXIKKBuVk pic.twitter.com/wKOLH5PQ4n

— Foreign Policy (@ForeignPolicy) January 4, 2016

US Hellfire Missile Mistakenly Shipped to Cuba

Hellfire hung on a Predator drone. Wikimedia

Washington Times: Missing U.S. Hellfire missile located in Cuba

One of the most advanced U.S. missiles was unintentionally shipped to Cuba in 2014, according to a report Thursday evening in the Wall Street Journal.

The Hellfire missile was supposed to be sent to Europe for a training mission, the Journal reported, cited “people familiar with the matter.”

Shipping such a sophisticated weapon to a communist dictatorship with which the U.S. at the time didn’t have diplomatic relations and has been under U.S. embargo for a half-century would be among the worst mistakes of its kind in U.S. military history, the sources said.

The Hellfire is an air-to-surface missile that acquired its name from the Pentagon’s specification for a “helicopter-launched, fire and forget” missile. It equips, among other weapons platforms, the U.S. military’s Predator drones.

WNU Editor: Here is an easy prediction .... that missile has been disassembled and reversed engineer as soon as the Cubans got their hands on it. There has to be far more to this story than what they are telling us.

More News On A US Hellfire Missile Being Mistakenly Shipped to Cuba

Missing U.S. Missile Shows Up in Cuba -- WSJ
Inert U.S. Hellfire missile wrongly shipped to Cuba in 2014: WSJ -- Reuters
Dummy Hellfire Missile Mistakenly Shipped to Cuba -- AP
US Hellfire missile wrongly shipped to Cuba -- BBC
Missing U.S. Hellfire missile located in Cuba -- Washington Times
Authorities Lose Track of US Hellfire Missile, Wrongly Ship Weapon to Cuba -- Sputnik
Hellfire Missile: 5 Fast Facts You Need to Know -- Heavy

Picture Of The Day

Sniper Training Observation

U.S. Marine Corps Gen. Joseph F. Dunford Jr., chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, observes members of the Iraqi special operation forces during sniper rifle training at Area VI training site in Baghdad, Jan. 7, 2016. The Iraqi special forces primarily conduct anti-guerrilla operations and are part of the Iraqi Counter Terrorism Bureau. DoD photo by Navy Petty Officer 2nd Class Dominique A. Pineiro

Most Of The Oil In The Middle East Lies Under Predominantly Shiite Regions

(Click on Image to Enlarge)

The map shows religious populations in the Middle East and proven developed oil and gas reserves. Click to view the full map of the wider region. The dark green areas are predominantly Shiite; light green predominantly Sunni; and purple predominantly Wahhabi/Salafi, a branch of Sunnis. The black and red areas represent oil and gas deposits, respectively. Source: Dr. Michael Izady at Columbia University, Gulf2000, New York

Jon Schwarz, The Intercept: One Map That Explains the Dangerous Saudi-Iranian Conflict

The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia executed Shiite Muslim cleric Nimr al-Nimr on Saturday. Hours later, Iranian protestors set fire to the Saudi embassy in Tehran. On Sunday, the Saudi government, which considers itself the guardian of Sunni Islam, cut diplomatic ties with Iran, which is a Shiite Muslim theocracy.

To explain what’s going on, the New York Times provided a primer on the difference between Sunni and Shiite Islam, informing us that “a schism emerged after the death of the Prophet Muhammad in 632” — i.e., 1,383 years ago.

But to the degree that the current crisis has anything to do with religion, it’s much less about whether Abu Bakr or Ali was Muhammad’s rightful successor and much more about who’s going to control something more concrete right now: oil.

WNU Editor: This is one of the many reasons why Saudi Arabia is nervous when it comes to its own Shiite populations .... they are located where the oil wealth is.

Hat tip to Jay for this link.

Former Libyan Dictator Gaddafi Warned Tony Blair On The Rise Of The Islamic State

British Prime Minister Tony Blair (L) shakes hands with Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi in a tent outside Tripoli, March 25. 2004. © Madeleine Chambers / Reuters

The Independent: Phone conversation transcript reveals Colonel Gaddafi warned Tony Blair about the rise of Islamic extremism

Transcripts of phone calls between the pair have been released by the Foreign Affairs Committee as it investigates British intervention in Libya

Muammar Gaddafi accused Tony Blair of supporting al-Qaeda as he refused calls to stand down during the height of the Libyan uprising, newly-released transcripts have revealed.

Records of two phone conversations between the pair on 25 February 2011 have been published by the Foreign Affairs Committee as its inquiry into Britain’s intervention continues.

Mr Blair made his first call to the Libyan dictator at 11.15am, saying he had tried to reach him for days as the “difficult and dangerous situation” escalated with global calls for intervention.

More News On Libyan Dictator Gaddafi Warning Tony Blair On The Rise Of The Islamic State

Gaddafi warned Tony Blair of Islamist attacks on Europe, phone transcripts reveal -- Daily Mail
Gaddafi warned Blair his ousting would 'open door' to jihadis -- The Guardian
Gadafi warned in telephone conversations with Tony Blair on the rise of Islamic radicalism -- The Telegraph
Blair told Gaddafi to 'step aside', phone records show -- BBC
Gaddafi Warned Blair About Attacks In Europe -- SKY News
Gaddafi accused Blair of ‘supporting Al-Qaeda,’ unseen phone transcripts reveal -- RT
Gaddafi's Grim Prophecy Fulfills as Terrorism Spreads Across Europe -- Sputnik
Gaddafi’s warnings to Blair have been proven by today's attack on Libyan police training centre -- Patrick Cockburn, The Independent

Did A Russian Cyber-Attack Shut Down A Part Of Ukraine's Power Grid?

A mobile gas turbine generator, which was turned on due to recent power outages after pylons carrying electricity were blown up, is shown in the settlement of Stroganovka, Simferopol district of Crimea, Nov. 22, 2015. PHOTO: REUTERS/PAVEL REBROV

IBTimes: Did Russia Kill Ukraine's Electricity? Cyberattack Linked To Power Outage Has Global Implications

It wasn’t a normal power outage when the lights abruptly went out for tens of thousands of western Ukrainians in and around the regional capital city of Ivano-Frankivsk two weeks ago. The short-lived blackout was caused by malware, making it the first known case of a power outage induced by a cyberattack, experts from several security firms who examined the code confirmed late Monday.

Ukrainian officials ultimately blamed the hack on Russia (the two have been in armed conflict since April 2014), and the Kremlin has conspicuously refused to comment on the situation. While the exact source of the Dec. 23 electricity cut – which lasted up to six hours in some areas – may be difficult to prove, the outage marked a major cybersecurity escalation global governments have long feared. Hacking credit cards and government information may be increasingly common, but the attack against a power-grid infrastructure has created a new sense of urgency for greater investment regionally and internationally to prevent cyberattacks that target essential services.

More News On Reports That Russia Launched A Cyber Attack Against Ukraine That Shut-Down Part Of Its Electrical Grid

Russian hackers suspected in attack that blacked out parts of Ukraine -- Washington Post
Experts: Ukraine Utility Cyberattack Wider Than Reported -- VOA
U.S. officials look toward Russia while investigating cyberattack on Ukraine’s power grid - report -- Washington Times
Ukrainian blackout caused by hackers that attacked media company, researchers say -- The Guardian
Malware Found Inside Downed Ukrainian Grid Management Points to Cyberattack -- Motherboard
Ukraine blackout is a cyberattack milestone -- CNET
U.S. Suspects Russia Behind Cyberattack On Ukraine Power Grid -- RFE
Cyberattack On Ukrainian Power Grid Looks To Some Like An Apocalyptic First -- RFE
Why Ukraine's Hacker-Caused Power Outage is So Scary for the United States -- Peter Rugg, Inverse
Experts: Cyber Attack in Ukraine a Doomsday Scenario -- Washington Free Beacon
Russian hackers are suspected in a cyber attack that caused a huge blackout in Ukraine -- Quartz

Low Oil Prices And Sanctions Are Killing The Russian Economy

VOA: Russian Economy Killers: Oil and Sanctions

NEW YORK CITY — Russian President Vladimir Putin gets a bad report card, even a failing grade, for his handling of the economic crisis in his country, according to 27 percent of analysts who participated in a major survey conducted by Bloomberg Business.

These are hard times in Russia, with the collapse in oil prices, economic sanctions against the country for its actions in Ukraine, the collapse of the ruble and significantly impaired economic growth.

Russia's growth started to decline rapidly in the first quarter of 2012, well before oil prices fell or economic sanctions took hold. The World Bank estimates that by 2017, Russia's GDP will be smaller than it was in 2012.

Russia's former finance minister, Alexei Kudrin, says he believes the economy is likely to decline in 2016, although he thinks growth is possible in 2017.

Update #1: Russian Economy to Grow by 1.3% in 2017 - World Bank (Sputnik)
Update #2: Video: A Gloomy New Year For Russian Economy (IBTimes)
Update #3: Russia's oil output hits record high despite price slump (i24 News)

WNU Editor: Let me put it this way .... everyone that I know in Russia is not expecting a pay raise this year.

The Rout In Oil Prices Continues

FOX News: Oil Rout Resumes as Odds of OPEC Cuts Slide

The pressure on oil prices escalated on Wednesday amid persistently large stockpiles, while Middle East tensions are lowering the odds that OPEC will take action.

U.S. crude tumbled 5.6% to $33.97, the lowest settlement price in seven years. Brent crude, the international benchmark, slipped below $35 a barrel for the first time since 2004.

Concerns over a global oversupply have sent oil prices reeling for more than a year. West Texas Intermediate crude oil averaged $49 a barrel in 2015, a 53% decline compared to 2014.

WNU Editor: I live in Canada .... and the bottom has fallen out of its oil industry .... Canadian Oil Hits Record Low Around $19 A Barrel (Huffington Post). But as bad as this is for Canada .... it is an utter disaster for countries like Venezuela and Nigeria.

More News On The Price Of Oil Continuing To Decline

Oil prices hit 12-year low as fears about China grow -- CNN
Oil pares losses after dive toward 12-year low seen too far, too fast -- Reuters
Oil Prices Finish Below $34 -- WSJ
OPEC Basket Crude Price Crashes Below $30 - Lowest Since 2004 -- Zero Hedge
Oil Producers Have $100 Billion Wiped Out in Worst Start to Year -- Bloomberg
Oil Prices: What’s Behind the Drop? Simple Economics -- Clifford Krauss, NYT
How long will dirt-cheap oil prices last? -- David Schepp, CBS
Oil at $33: how much lower can it go? -- Holly Ellyatt, CNBC

Commentaries, Analysis, And Editorials -- January 7, 2016

Mark Thompson, Time: North Korea’s Steady Quest for a Bigger Mushroom Cloud

North Korea’s purported H-bomb test Wednesday makes clear the cost-benefit analysis of dealing with what President George W. Bush called the “axis of evil” shortly after the 9/11 terror attacks. That was his shorthand way of describing North Korea, Iraq and Iran in his 2002 State of the Union address. Since then, the U.S. and many of its allies have dealt with the three so-called “rogue nations” in three very different ways.

When Bush first declared the axis of evil on Jan. 29, 2002, he focused on Iraq. Fourteen months later, the U.S. invaded Saddam Hussein’s country, a war that killed 4,495 U.S. troops, cost more than $1 trillion, and served as a trigger for regional turmoil and a catalyst for the rise of ISIS. That’s the bad news. The good news: Iraq’s nuclear program is as dead as Saddam, executed in 2006.

Commentaries, Analysis, And Editorials -- January 7, 2016

Analysts: Broad Response Needed to N. Korea Test - Pamela Dockins, VOA

Analysis: Sanctions may not affect defiant N. Korea -- Kirk Spitzer, USA TODAY

Kim Jong-un’s Generational Ambitions -- Jean H. Lee, NYT

Nuclear tests, purges mark four years of Kim's North Korea rule -- Jack Kim, Reuters

Rupture with Iran may not have been Saudi aim, but Riyadh has no regrets -- Angus McDowall, Reuters

What’s the Saudi-Iran Feud Really About? -- Uri Friedman, The Atlantic

Can ISIS Gain a Foothold in Balochistan? -- Muhammad Akbar Notezai, The Diplomat

Raid on Air Force Base Reveals India's Dysfunction -- John Elliott, Newsweek

Libya's Peace Efforts in Tatters After Deadliest Bomb Kills 50 -- Ghaith Shennib & Caroline Alexander, Bloomberg

This is How the West Tried to Persuade Gaddafi to Give Up Power -- Eliza Gray, Time

The Danger of a Weak Europe -- Joseph S. Nye, Project Syndicate

For Greece, 2016 Brings New Challenges -- Stratfor

Chavismo Is More Dangerous in Defeat -- Michael Inganamort, The Compass

Why El Salvador Became Hemisphere's Murder Capital -- Partlow, Washington Post

The US world order is a suit that no longer fits -- Fu Ying, Financial Times

World News Briefs -- January 7, 2016 (Evening Edition)

U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry votes at the United Nations Headquarters in Manhattan, New York, December 18, 2015. REUTERS/Eduardo Munoz

Reuters: End 'business as usual' with North Korea, U.S. tells China

The United States called on China on Thursday to end "business as usual" with its ally North Korea after Pyongyang defied world powers by announcing it had tested a hydrogen bomb.

U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry said he made clear in a phone call with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi that China's approach to North Korea has not succeeded.

"China had a particular approach that it wanted to make, that we agreed and respected to give them space to implement that," Kerry told reporters. "Today in my conversation with the Chinese I made it very clear that has not worked and we cannot continue business as usual."

MIDDLE EAST

Kerry says implementation of Iran nuclear deal 'days away'. Implementation of Iran nuclear deal 'days away': Kerry.

Syria conflict: 'Dire situation' in besieged villages.

Dispute over Turkish troops throws future of Mosul into question.

Heaviest air strikes yet strike Yemeni capital Sanaa - residents.

Iran accuses Saudi Arabia of Yemen embassy air strike. Saudi coalition denies air strike on Iran's Yemen embassy.

Saudi Arabia says it shot down missile fired from Yemen.

Saudi-Iran row: Qatar joins action against Tehran.

Saudi will collapse if keeps its 'sectarian' policies: Iran Guards.

Bahrain says catches Iran-linked cell plotting attacks.

Hezbollah responds to Israeli assassination of commander.

4 Palestinians shot dead attempting to stab Israeli soldiers.

ASIA

US and Asia allies vow steep price for N. Korea nuclear test.

North Korea's nuclear test triggers warning from South Korea.

South Korea to restart propaganda loudspeakers on North's border.

Obama, Abe agree to coordinate response to North Korea nuclear test.

Border quiet as China weighs N. Korea nuke test response.

China lands more civilian planes on Fiery Cross reef.

Tamils 'still tortured' in Sri Lanka, say rights groups.

Chinese share trading halt sends cold ripples across Asian markets. China suspends circuit breaker.

Talks uncertain as India says Pakistan must first hunt militants.

AFRICA

Truck bomb kills 65 at Libyan police training centre; explosion rocks Derna. Dozens killed in attack on Libyan police school. At least 65 killed in bomb attack on Libya police training center.

Dologuele and Touadera to contest CAR run-off.

Gunmen fire at Israeli tourists in Cairo, no casualties: security sources.

Hutu militia kill 14 from rival ethnic group in east Congo: army.

US gives vehicles to Nigeria army; Insurgents attack village.

Somalia severs ties with Iran, stands by Saudi Arabia amid regional tensions.

Burkina Faso's president names economist as prime minister.

Egypt's Coptic Orthodox Christians flock to churches to attend Masses on Christmas Eve.

EUROPE

Tensions rise in Germany over handling of mass sexual assaults in Cologne. Cologne police 'struggled to gain control during mass sexual assaults'. Sex assaults in Germany could result in deportations. Tensions rise in Cologne over police handling of sex attacks.

Putin greets Orthodox believers on Christmas Day. In pictures: Orthodox Christians celebrate Christmas.

Merkel wants authorities to get to bottom of Cologne attacks.

Huge influx of migrant men will lead to more sex attacks like those in Cologne, says analyst, as it's revealed Austrian police have ALSO covered up identical gang assaults.

Germany to send 550 more troops to Mali, Iraq missions.

Polish president signs controversial media bill into law.

Coca-Cola Crimea map move sparks Ukraine boycott calls.

Knife-wielding man shouting ‘Allahu Akbar’ shot dead trying to enter Paris police station. Man wearing fake suicide belt shot dead as he runs towards Paris police station shouting 'Allahu Akbar' on anniversary of Charlie Hebdo shootings.

Parliament to debate banning Donald Trump from UK. Donald Trump says he’ll pull Scotland investment if Britain bars him.

AMERICAS

Young socialist hardliner will lead Venezuela's economy.

Brazil government underestimated crisis: Rousseff.

US Senators eye sanctions after North Korea's claimed nuclear test.

North Korea bomb claim a new challenge for Clinton campaign.

Mexican drug lord 'Barbie' pleads guilty in US court.

Guatemala arrests 14 retired military officers for civil war atrocities.

Canadian PM: We won't bomb ISIS even if attacked.

Biden regrets not running for president 'every day'.

Powerball climbs to $675 million after no winners in draw.

TERRORISM/THE LONG WAR

Iraqi military says ISIS spokesman Adnani wounded: state TV.

Two Guantanamo detainees transferred to Ghana.

IS expands car bomb attacks from Iraqi desert.

Islamic State militants target Saudi Arabia.

ECONOMY/FINANCE/BUSINESS

World Could face months of Chinese market aftershocks.

Wall Street sharply down on China woes.

China trading halt sparks 3% fall for Europe shares.

China's 29 minutes of chaos: Stunned brokers and a race to sell.

George Soros sees crisis in global markets that echoes 2008.

Oil price tumbles to below $33.

Saudi Arabia considers IPO for national oil group, Aramco.

Iran Severs All Commercial Ties With Saudi Arabia

Reuters: Iran stops doing business with Saudi Arabia as Nimr execution rankles

Relations between Iran and Saudi Arabia deteriorated even further on Thursday as Tehran severed all commercial ties with Riyadh and accused Saudi jets of attacking its embassy in Yemen's capital.

A row has been raging for days between Shi'ite Muslim power Iran and the conservative Sunni kingdom since Saudi Arabia executed cleric Nimr al-Nimr, an opponent of the ruling dynasty who demanded greater rights for the Shi'ite minority.

Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Sudan, Djibouti and Somalia have all broken off diplomatic ties with Iran this week, the United Arab Emirates downgraded its relations and Kuwait, Qatar and Comoros recalled their envoys after the Saudi embassy in Tehran was stormed by protesters following the execution of Nimr and 46 other men.

WNU Editor: These tensions are not going to be resolved any time soon .... and for those countries caught in the middle, a delicate balancing act .... Iraq in delicate balancing act amid Saudi-Iran feud (Washington Post).