U.S. intelligence services of a lack of professionalism for their failure to round up NSA leaker Edward Snowden, whose arrival and subsequent stay in Russia fractured U.S.President Vladimir Putin has accused. Russia relations in early August.
Incidentally, Putin’s comments came around the same time that he was originally meant to meet with U.S. President Barack Obama, but Obama canceled that meeting in August after learning of Russia’s decision to grant Snowden asylum.
And now, with his remarks on the eve of the G20 summit in St. Petersburg on Thursday, Putin, himself a former spy, could have hit a nerve — if not for the looming U.S. attack on Syria, analysts said.
In an interview reported by AP, Putin responded to various questions about touchy subjects in U.S.-Russia relations.
When asked about Snowden, who found himself the world’s most wanted fugitive after leaking top secret documents on U.S. surveillance programs, Putin said U.S. authorities could have grounded the plane that Snowden boarded to come to Moscow from China’s Hong Kong just as they did with the plane of Bolivian leader Evo Morales after they suspected that Snowden was on board.
Nato general John Lorimer says Afghan forces effective
The top British commander in Afghanistan says the country’s own military is proving to be an “effective force” despite rising casualties.
Lt Gen John Lorimer told that Afghan troops had demonstrated “resilience” in the face of Taliban attacks and were taking on insurgents.
Nato troops are handing over security responsibility to local forces before a withdrawal from Afghanistan next year.
Taliban attacks have left scores of civilians dead in the past week.
“When you are fighting a ruthless enemy inevitably you are going to take some casualties,” said Gen Lorimer, Nato’s second-in-command in Afghanistan.
In an interview with the BBC’s Karen Allen in Kabul, he described the Afghan military as “well trained”.
“They’re developing leaders,” the general added. “They are going on the front foot, taking the fight to the insurgents.”
Winding down
Afghan police admit a doubling in the numbers of police officers killed in the last six months, compared with the year before.
Our correspondent says the assessment will be seen as a vote of confidence in the Afghan security forces, which are now leading combat operations ahead of Nato’s withdrawal.
Afghanistan is mid-way through what traditionally has been the fighting season.
Just under 8,000 British troops remain in Afghanistan alongside US and other Nato forces.
Foreign combat troops are to return home by the end of 2014.
But the scale and scope of a residual force – required to train Afghan troops in years to come is still being negotiated.
