No matter what, the bold move by Russian President Vladimir Putin to conduct airstrikes in Syria is a dramatic game-changer. The White House says it’s unclear what the Russians were aiming at and unclear what they hit. Murkier still, the question of whether the United States is in this with Russia. Defense Secretary Ash Carter says a communication channel needs to be established. Secretary of State John Kerry warns Russia to keep the strikes aimed at the Islamic State or other extremist groups like al-Nusra, and not any target that shores up the regime of Bashir al-Assad. Four years after the uprising against Assad began, a new chapter has begun.
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The E.U.’s Deal on Migrants Is Immoral and Illegal
As it stands, the returns would contravene a number of European and international laws, including the European Convention on Human Rights, which states that a country must investigate each individual asylum case, and the 1951 UN Refugee Convention stating that no person be returned to a country where their life or freedom could be threatened.