U.S. admiral offers allies assurances
MANILA, Philippines – The new U.S. commander of the Pacific Fleet assured allies Friday that American forces are well equipped and ready to respond to any contingency in the South China Sea, where long-seething territorial disputes have set off widespread uncertainties.
Adm. Scott Swift, who assumed command of the Pacific Fleet in May, said the Navy may deploy more than the four coastal combat ships it has committed to the region. Swift also disclosed that he was “very interested” in expanding annual combat exercises the Navy holds with each of several allies into a multi-nation drill, possibly including Japan.
Asked how many resources the U.S. military is ready to devote to the South China Sea, Swift told a small group of journalists in Manila that he understood the concerns of America’s allies.
“The reason that people continue to ask about the long-term commitment and intentions of the Pacific Fleet is reflective really of all the uncertainty that has generated in the theatre now,” Swift said. “If we had the entire Unites States Navy here in the region, I think people would still be asking, ‘Can you bring more?’”
Hamas, Saudi leaders meet during holiday
JERUSALEM – Hamas says its leader shook hands with Saudi Arabia’s King Salman after Muslim holiday prayers, signaling an easing of tensions over the Palestinian group’s ties with Saudi regional rival Iran.
There was no official announcement in Saudi state media of Hamas leader Khaled Mashaal’s visit to Saudi Arabia.
The visit came days after Iran reached a nuclear deal with Western powers, prompting concern among its regional rivals.
A Hamas website said Friday that Mashaal and the Saudi king attended prayers in the holy city of Mecca and that the two shook hands. Hamas says Mashaal met the Saudi intelligence chief Thursday.
Saudi-Hamas ties had been strained since the collapse of a Saudi-brokered reconciliation agreement between Hamas and its political rival, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas’ Fatah faction, a decade ago.
EU panel urges more testing of pilots
BRUSSELS – A European Union task force Friday recommended pre-employment psychological evaluations and random drug and alcohol testing for pilots to prevent a repeat of the Germanwings disaster.
The panel, led by the European Aviation Safety Agency, was formed in response to the March 24 crash of a German airliner in France that killed all 150 people onboard.
Experts say the plane’s co-pilot, Andreas Lubitz, who reportedly had a history of mental illness, deliberately flew the jet into a mountain after locking the pilot out of the cockpit.
The group’s recommendations, published by the EU, include ensuring the presence of “two persons in the cockpit at all times.” The panel also said airline pilots should have to undergo psychological evaluation before they are allowed to enter service, and that their employers should institute random testing for drug and alcohol use.
Airlines should also create “support systems” to help pilots who need it, the task force said.
Associated Press
