NEW: High hopes for US-backed #Syria|n Democratic Forces now that they are dealing w/@POTUS@JoeBiden
"We are hopeful that the mistakes of the previous administration will be corrected" #SDF General Commander @MazloumAbdi tells @VOAKurdish's @mutludc in an exclusive interview
MORE: "The rights of Kurdish people, the rights of other people in our region must be protected by legal means, and the problem in #Syria must be solved in a comprehensive way" per @MazloumAbdi
"We hope that Washington will pursue an effective policy on this issue"
"Coalition forces should continue their work in these areas liberated from ISIS" he says, adding support for civil authorities will let #SDF pursue "a more effective campaign against ISIS"
BREAKING: US launches airstrike against a target in #Syria "used by multiple #Iran|ian-backed militias" US official confirms to @VOANews
US official says the strike was designed to prevent future attacks & in response to recent attacks on US, coalition forces
NEW: Pentagon confirms airstrikes launched late Thursday on the orders of @POTUS "in response to recent attacks against American & Coalition personnel in #Iraq, and to ongoing threats to those personnel"
Per @PentagonPresSec, the US strikes targeted "multiple facilities located at a border control point used by a number of #Iran|ian-backed militant groups, including #KaitibHezbollah (KH) & Kait’ib Sayyid al-Shuhada (KSS)"
NEW: "The terrorist threat is far from behind us at this point" @StateDept's acting Coordinator for Counterterrorism & acting envoy to the Global Coalition to Defeat #ISIS John Godfrey tells @MiddleEastInst
Under @POTUS@JoeBiden "We will avoid announcing major policy initiatives or posture adjustments in a way that comes as a unwelcome surprise to partners & allies" @StateDept's Godfrey notes
"We will consult & we will coordinate"
Strategic review ongoing re white supremacist/domestic violent extremism - but not just domestically
"We're also focused on the transnational linkages of these domestic violent extremists" per @StateDept's Godfrey in @MiddleEastInst virtual conference
While the US, @DeptofDefense review the US-#Taliban deal, the Taliban are pushing for the deal to proceed as is
#Taliban spokesman in #Doha, Mohammad Naim tells @VOADariAfghan the May 1 deadline for the US to pull out troops "is binding & must be implemented"
"Much progress has been made," #Taliban spokesman Mohammad Naim tells @VOANews's Afghan service
"We are trying to create a permanent ceasefire"
#Taliban also insist they are keeping to the terms of the deal w/the US
"A key issue in the agreement...is not to use #Afghan territory against the security of any country. We made a commitment & nothing like that has happened since" per #Taliban's Mohammad Naim
Happening now: Senate Intelligence Committee considers nomination of Amb. William Burns to lead @CIA
"You deserve a well-earned retirement, but your country still needs you" Chairman @MarkWarner tells Burns as hearing gets underway...
"After four years during which the expertise & judgment of America’s civil servants were at times belittled & discounted, the next director must lead & inspire patriotic professionals w/humility and compassion...& dispassionately judge the actions of adversaries" per @MarkWarner
"I'd like to hear how you plan to reinforce the credo, no matter the political pressure, no matter what, that @CIA’s officers will always do the right thing and speak truth to power" per @MarkWarner
Happening now: Senate Intelligence Committee hearing on #SolarWinds hack
"Preliminary indications suggest that the scope & scale of this incident are beyond any that we’ve confronted as a nation, & its implications are significant" warns committee chairman @MarkWarner
"The reality is the hackers responsible have gained access to thousands of companies, and the ability to carry out far more destructive operation if they wanted to" per @MarkWarner
"While many aspects of this compromise are unique, the #SolarWinds Hack also highlights a number of lingering issues that we have ignored for too long" per @MarkWarner
"Right now we're not ale to give you certain attribution as to who was behind these attacks, what group" per @PentagonPresSec
"We have seen in these attacks, historically, by Shia-backed militias that they do use #Iran|ian rockets, Iranian weapons" adds @PentagonPresSec
"Nobody's backing away from the significant security challenges that #Iran still posses...We've not been bashful about that at all" per @PentagonPresSec "Nobody also is in a rush to judgment here on these particular attacks"