British-Russian Naval Confrontation

A Minister said that Britain was prepared to sail naval vessels through disputed waters near Crimea again, a day after a confrontation between a British warship and Russian forces in the Black Sea.

Environment Secretary George Eustice disputed claims from Moscow that Russian warplanes dropped bombs and a patrol boat fired warning shots at a British destroyer it claims entered into its territorial waters in the Black Sea.

"This is a very normal thing," Eustice told Sky News. "It's quite common, actually, what was actually going on is the Russians were doing a gunnery exercise and given prior notice of that, they often do in that area. So I think it's important that we don't get carried away."

Russia said HMS Defender went three kilometers inside its territory off Cape Fiolent in Crimea, just before noon on Wednesday. A nation's territorial waters extend 12 nautical miles from its coastline; any foreign warship going past that limit would need permission of the country to do so, with a few exceptions.

Russia annexed Crimea from Ukraine after a military intervention in the region in 2014. The international community opposed that annexation, and still considers Crimea as Ukrainian territory.

Eustice insisted the vessel was making a legal passage under international law to Georgia via Ukraine. Asked if the UK would sail through disputed Ukrainian waters again, he replied: "Yes ... because we never accepted the annexation of Crimea."

On Thursday, Kremlin officials accused the UK of a "deliberate, planned provocation" and said it had the right to "bomb on target" when foreign ships violate its sea borders.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on a conference call with journalists that Russia is "obviously concerned about such actions of the British ship."

"What can we do? We can appeal to common sense, demand respect for international law. If this does not help, we can bomb not only in the direction, but also on target, if our colleagues do not understand," Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov said, according to Russian state media TASS.

On Thursday, British Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab described Moscow's version of Wednesday's incident as "predictably inaccurate," saying "no shots were fired at HMS Defender."

A BBC reporter on the ship said he witnessed Russian warplanes and naval vessels buzzing the destroyer during the flare-up on Wednesday.

Shortly after the British ship crossed the territorial boundary, an Su-24M attack jet dropped bombs and a coastal patrol ship fired warning shots in front of the British destroyer, the Russian Defense Ministry said in a report.

The UK Defense Ministry had previously denied Moscow's accusation, saying that its ship was making a legal and innocent passage.

The UK ambassador to Moscow was due to visit the Russian Foreign Ministry Thursday after being summoned over the incident, spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said on state TV. On Wednesday, Zakharova accused the UK of spreading lies about the incident.

"So, who's lying: the British Defense Ministry, the British BBC reporter or the British Embassy in Moscow? There is an answer. This time -- the British Defense Ministry and the British Embassy ... London has lost its manners. I advise the British partners to knock if they want to 'peacefully enter' next time," Zakharova wrote on Telegram.

Biden-Ghani meeting

Afghan President, Ashraf Ghani wrapped up two days of meetings with lawmakers and administration officials on Friday, capped with a visit to the White House to meet with President Joe Biden.

At the meeting, Biden pledged the United States would remain committed to Afghanistan with political and economic support even as the US military withdraws from the country.

“The senseless violence has to stop, but it’s going to be very difficult,” Biden said.

“But we’re going to stick with you, and we’re going to do our best to see to it you have the tools you need.”

Earlier in the day, Ghani held a meeting with Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin at the Pentagon.

At that meeting, Ghani brushed off concerns that his government could fall as soon as six months after US troops depart.

“There have been many such predictions and they have all proven, turned out, false,” Ghani said when reporters asked about the US intelligence assessment.

Ghani also refuted the idea that the United States is walking around from his country is “The false narrative of abandonment is just false,” Ghani said.

At the White House, he also compared his country to pre-Civil War America, saying Afghanistan is in an “1861 moment, like President Lincoln, rallying to the defense of the republic, determined that the republic is defended.

“It's a choice of values, the values of an exclusionary system or an inclusionary system,” Ghani continued.

“We are determined to have unity, coherence, national sense of sacrifice and will not spare anything," Ghani insisted

 

USS Ronald Reagan to Cover Withdrawal of Troops From Afghanistan

United States Navy’s Japan-based carrier strike group is now operating in the North Arabian Sea to support withdrawal of the US troops from Afghanistan. 

USS Ronald Reagan (CVN-76), guided-missile cruiser USS Shiloh (CG-67) and guided-missile destroyer USS Halsey (DDG-97) crossed into US 5th Fleet from 7th Fleet on Friday.

While in the US 5th Fleet area of operations, the Ronald Reagan CSG will operate and train alongside regional and coalition partners and provide airpower to protect US and coalition forces as they conduct drawdown operations from Afghanistan.

Reagan will take the place of USS Dwight D. Eisenhower (CVN-69) and its escorts that have been operating in the Middle East since April this year to provide air cover for the withdrawal. Ike is expected to soon begin its journey to its Norfolk, Va., homeport following its second deployment within a year.

Reagan had just completed high-end drills on Thursday with the Indian Navy ahead of entering 5th Fleet.

The Reagan move is the first time the US Japan-based carrier has been routed to the Middle East since the former USS Kitty Hawk (CV-63) supported the invasion of Iraq in 2003.

Reagan’s move to the Middle East has raised new questions at how present the Navy will need to be in the region versus the stated goal of the Biden administration to focus resources on the Pacific and competition with China.

Aside from brief gaps, a US carrier has been on station on a small patch of ocean in the North Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman continuously since May 2019 at the request of US Central Command Commander Gen. Kenneth McKenzie.

For the Navy, a major outcome of the ongoing Pentagon-led global force posture review will be how carrier strike groups are apportioned across the global combatant commands.

Oman urges Israel to create Palestinian State

Omani Foreign Minister told his Israeli counterpart he hopes Israel's new government will take concrete steps towards creating an independent Palestinian state, with east Jerusalem as its capital, reported Omani state media said on Thursday.

Oman's Badr al-Busaidi spoke by phone to Israel's Foreign Minister Yair Lapid, according to ONA, the state news agency of Oman, which has a longstanding policy of neutrality in the turbulent region and often acts as a mediator.

In February this year, Busaidi said Oman was satisfied with its current relationship with Israel, even after fellow Gulf States the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain normalized ties with Israel last year under US-brokered accords.

Lapid will travel to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) next week in the first official visit by an Israeli minister to the Gulf state since they established diplomatic relations. He will inaugurate the Israeli Embassy in Abu Dhabi and the Consulate General of Israel in Dubai.

Israel and Oman enjoy bilateral relations. In line with the Arab League position in relation to Israel, Oman does not officially recognize the state of Israel and took part in the boycott of Israel during much of the 20th century.

It may be recalled that in 1994, the two countries established unofficial trade relations, which were discontinued in 2000. In 1994, then-Prime Minister of Israel Yitzhak Rabin visited Oman, where he was greeted by Sultan of Oman; Qaboos bin Said al Said in Muscat.

Among other things, the two sides discussed issues such as sharing water and how to improve water supplies.

In 1995, a few days after Rabin was assassinated, then-acting Prime Minister Shimon Peres hosted Omani foreign minister Yusuf bin Alawi bin Abdullah in Jerusalem.

In January 1996, Israel and Oman signed an agreement on the reciprocal opening of trade representative offices.

In 2018, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu led a delegation to Oman and met with Sultan Qaboos and other senior Omani officials.

In February 2019, Omani foreign minister, Yusuf bin Alawi, said that Oman will not normalize its relations with Israel until a sovereign Palestinian state has been established.