ISDEI Instituto de Seguridad, Defensa y Estudios Internacionales

US Seeks to Cut North Korea off International Banking The United States moves to dissuade foreign banks from working with North Korea by threatening action against international financial transaction with Pyongyang. The US administration issued a warning Wednesday, with the Treasury Department designating North Korea as a “primary money laundering concern.” Treasury officials said they are moving to ban non-US banks and entities from processing dollar transactions on behalf of North Korea in a move to block Pyongyang’s international trade, according to the Wall Street Journal. “Today’s action is a further step toward severing banking relationships with North Korea, and we expect all governments and financial authorities to do likewise,” said Treasury’s top sanctions official, Adam Szubin. This May 10, 2016 picture released from North Korea shows a parade in the capital, Pyongyang. (AFP) The latest US move comes as North Korea has begun a 200-day battle to boost the country’s sanctions-

Document: Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Acknowledges Defeat in Syria, Yemen Saudi Arabian Crown Prince Mohammed bin Nayef in the fringe meetings with Muhammad bin Salman said that Saudi Arabia involvement in regional crises caused by Saudi greed to the stability and resistance of the region, and because of this did a military attack against the Houthis, but due to low labor of Arabic coalition countries this operation failed, Al-Alam News Network reports. The document before erasing the news and closing the site On Syria crisis, he added that "we trusted too much to America and Turkey in Syrian President Bashar Al-Assad’s overthrow, but unfortunately their promises were not fulfilled." At the end, Muhammad bin Nayef said for the rescue of this crisis, "we should rethink in our policies and even if necessary, we must give painful privileges."

Russia’s Su-34 Bombers Raze ISIS Oil Facilities Close to Turkish Border The Russian Su-34 bombers have destroyed ISIS oil-refining plant near the Syrian city of Ras al-Ayn on the border with Turkey, Russia’s defense ministry announced. The video released by the defense ministry on Thursday shows Russian jets hitting oil reservoirs located on territory under ISIS control. “Strikes took technical equipment out of operation and inflamed oil products, causing a large fire at the plant,” reads the bulletin of the Russian Centre for reconciliation of opposing sides in Syria from June 1. Russia has repeatedly blamed Turkey for enabling ISIS and other militant groups to conduct illegal oil trade. Addressing the students of Belarusian State University earlier in May, Russia’s FM, Sergey Lavrov, argued that “Turkey did nothing to stop”the smuggling of oil, artifacts, and other goods through the porous Turkish-Syrian border. Moreover, there is “reason to believe that it [Turkey] eve

LATEST FRONTLINE FOOTAGE: Iraqi Forces Advance in NW of Fallujah Iraqi forces move into the northwestern outskirts of Falluja in an attempt to recapture the city from Islamic State militants and targeted ISIS group positions in the Fallujah, saying they were continuing to push into the city, having secured its outskirts. A video released by the Popular Mobilization Forces, a pro-Iraqi government militia also known as Al-Hashd Al-Shaabi, shows militia and Iraqi government troops firing at ISIS positions as smoke rises in the sky. Latest Iraqi Airstrikes Hit fighting positions, a weapons cache and a tunnel system. Fallujah is one of the last ISIS strongholds in Iraq. The militants also hold Mosul, the second largest city. The Iraqi forces had been able to destroy trenches and earthworks created by Islamic State militants and had advanced close to the outskirts of Fallujah. More than 50,000 people are believed to be still inside Fallujah, and the U.N. estimated that