CounterVortex

Iraq

Yazidis declare autonomous nation of Ezidikhan

In an historic step for the beleaguered Yazidi people of northwestern Iraq, the Supreme Spiritual Council of the Yezidi Nation has proclaimed the establishment of the "Provisional Government of the Autonomous Nation of Ezidikhan." The provisional government arrives just three years after the Yazidi people faced a genocidal assault that brought them to the edge of extinction, following the seizure of their territory by ISIS.

Mexico

Sinaloa kingpin captured at Calexico

A man believed to be the godson of Mexican narco lord "Chapo" Guzmán was indicted in a San Diego federal court after turning himself in to US border agents at Calexico. Authorities say Damaso López Serrano AKA "Mini Lic" surrendered under pressure of a bloody power struggle over control of the Sinaloa Cartel.

Afghanistan

Afghanistan: illegal mining fuels war

The Academy of Sciences of Afghanistan warned that continued illegal extraction of the country's mineral wealth is leading to serious security and political consequences. Acting ASA director Suraya Popal stated: "Terrorists and strongmen with illegal extractions and revenues from mines weaken the rule of law and fund the insurgency. Thus, extraction of the country's minerals should be done in line with the law and international standards before it's too late."

Afghanistan

Afghanistan: troop surge or drone war?

Trump was expected to announce a troop surge for Afghanistan n his address from Fort Myer in Arlington, Va. Gen. John Nicholson, the top US military commander in Afghanistan, had been requesting another 4,000 troops, on top of the current 8,500. Instead, Trump was heavy on get-tough rhetoric and light on actual specifics. But as he spoke, a US drone struck presumed ISIS targets in Nangarhar province—the latest in a growing trend toward automated warfare in Afghanistan.

Planet Watch

Control of oil at issue in NAFTA re-negotiation

As "NAFTA 2.0" negotiations open, a provision that essentially locks in Canada's current levels of oil exports to the US is drawing opposition from unlikely allies across the Canadian political spectrum but winning staunch support in the country's petroleum industry.

North America

Rights violations seen in federal Mara crackdown

Civil rights organizations in New York are trying to determine if police and school officials on Long Island helped federal authorities detain immigrant students on the basis of dubious claims of ties to Central American gangs. The controversy comes after Trump's inflammatory speech before Suffolk County police, in which he pledged to "destroy" the MS-13 gang, calling its members "animals."

North Africa

Libya: videos capture summary executions

Forces of the Libyan National Army, loyal to the country's unrecognized eastern government, appear to have executed captured fighters in Benghazi and desecrated corpses, Human Rights Watch charges. Videos posted online seem to show LNA fighters carrying out summary executions of "extremists," who are seen blindfolded with their hands tied behind their backs in orange jumpsuits. The International Criminal Court has issued a warrant for the commander of the unit.

Syria

Who is behind attack on White Helmets?

Seven volunteers of the White Helmets civil defense organization were killed by a gang that raided their headquarters in Sarmin, Idlib province, in northwest Syria. No one has claimed responsibility for the attack, but it came as Idlib province is being rocked by clashes between Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS, aligned with al-Qaeda) and the rival Ahrar al-Sham. Sarmin is controlled by HTS, which recently warned that it had uncovered ISIS sleeper cells in Idlib province.

East Asia

South Korean anti-missile protesters score victory

As Trump and and Kim Jong-un exchange nuclear threats, anti-missile protesters in rural South Korea scored a win, prompting Seoul to delay plans to expand the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) battery that the Pentagon installed in April. The announcement came as villagers and activists were blocking the road to the THAAD base.

Southeast Asia

US broaches air-strikes on ISIS in Philippines

On the heels of Secretary of State Rex Tillerson's Manila meeting with Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte, NBC News reports that the Pentagon is considering a plan for the US military to conduct air-strikes on ISIS targets in the archipelago nation. The account quotes two unnamed defense officials who told the network that "authority to strike ISIS targets…could be granted as part of an official military operation" likely to be named in the coming days. The strikes would probably be conducted by armed drones.

Syria

Syria: regime rejects Rojava elections

The Kurdish-led autonomous administration in northern Syria has set dates for local council and regional assembly elections—a move immediately rejected by the Bashar Assad regime. Deputy foreign minister Faisal Mekdad told reporters from Damascus that the elections “will be a joke. Syria will never ever allow any part of its territory to be separated… Those who will move in those directions know what price they have to pay.”

Central America

Nicaragua: Amnesty International assails canal plan

A new report from Amnesty International accuses the Nicaraguan government of "placing business before the future of the country and its people," with its inter-oceanic canal mega-scheme "that will affect the livelihoods of tens of thousands of people and might leave many homeless." The report also accuses authorities of harassing and persecuting opponents of the project.