Today's Headlines and Commentary

Afghan forces, assisted by U.S.-led airstrikes. have begun operations to retake the city of Kunduz. The city fell under Taliban control yesterday, the first provincial capital to have done so since U.S. forces ousted the Taliban from power fourteen years ago. Kunduz has long been a violent place; the Washington Post describes the history of brutality and violence in the Kunduz province, noting that the region “was the frequent site of atrocities, looting and betrayal between 1992 and 2001.”

Following their seizure of the city, Taliban leader Mullah Akhtar Muhammad Mansour promised that the group “has no intention of transgressing against [] personal property, carrying out extrajudicial killings, looting or breaching the inviolability of homes"—though looting of ammunition, vehicles, computers, and other goods was reported throughout the city. Mansour also urged citizens continue their daily tasks without fear of the Taliban forces, who he said were now responsible for protecting them. The New York Times posted selfies featuring Taliban fighters; Kunduz citizens shared these on social media. According to the Guardian, Médecins Sans Frontières facilities are operating at full capacity, and Afghan President Ashraf Ghani has urged citizens “to trust Afghan troops to do the job” and take back the city from the insurgents.

Yet Ghani’s forces are currently being tested not only from Taliban offensives but also by assaults from the Islamic State. Afghan News reports that 30 Islamic State militants have been killed by Afghan forces in the Achin district of the Nangarhar province.

Meanwhile, the U.N. General Assembly continues in New York.

Vladimir Putin and Barack Obama both addressed the assembly yesterday morning and addressed the conflict in Syria. As the Times puts it, “two speeches, one reception and a meeting later, there was no hint that the two leaders had substantially narrowed the chasm between them on their principal disagreement: the future of Mr. Assad.” In remarks to the Assembly, Mr. Putin made thinly veiled suggestions that the West, in its efforts to spread democracy, had largely contributed to upheaval in the Middle East.

On the other hand, President Obama maintained that the United States would be willing to work with other countries in the region, but that Assad could not stay. After speaking to the Assembly, the two presidents met for an hour and a half, after which Putin returned to Moscow, lamenting that U.S.-Russia relations were “regretfully at a rather low level.” Even so, the two reportedly discussed potential information sharing and agreed to maintain open lines of communication to prevent any military accidents; and that's apparently a timely thing, too, as the BBC reports that Moscow is considering pursuing anti-ISIS airstrikes. Defense One suggests that while military de-confliction may be necessary, it remains unclear whether there will be further cooperation between the two countries in Syria.

A series of other world leaders weighed in on the Syrian conflict. French President François Hollande commented that “[i]f Saudi Arabia and Iran can find agreement on the future of Syria, then there can be an ­answer.” Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu added that there could be no peace while Assad remained in power. Elsewhere, a U.N. panel condemned the Syrian government’s use of barrel bombs. The Guardian discusses the various positions held by major countries on the Syria question.

And after a day filled with talks about Syria, the Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko addressed the U.N General Assembly earlier today, virulently condemning Russia for its aggression in his country. Poroshenko also "live-tweeted" his remarks.

And as the United States moves to de-conflict with Moscow in Syria, the Marine Corps is considering training local troops to fight against the Russian-backed separatists in Eastern Europe. An earlier plan had aimed only at training Ukrainian national guardsmen.

President Obama also announced plans to host a terrorism summit on how to combat the Islamic State. He also urged other countries to recommit to peacekeeping missions. In this vein, President Xi Jinping surprised the Assembly by pledging $100 million as well as thousands of troops towards a permanent African Union peacekeeping force. In addition, the Times reports that Xi is pledging a “$1 billion donation to the United Nations for a ‘peace and development fund.’”

Back to ISIS: In a new effort to dissuade foreigners from joining the Islamic State, the United States is turning to the screenwriter for Zero Dark Thirty. William McCants comments that while “reaching out to Hollywood makes sense in principle...this sort of thing usually ends up with executives from DC and Hollywood high-fiving each other and throwing around some cringeworthy ideas.” Other propsoals involve working with Snapchat and HBO to counter the Islamic State’s information war. Worth reflecting on: This thought piece, shared by McCants, on how the terror group could manage to “get a country of its own.”

ISIS claimed responsibility for the murder of Italian aid worker Cesare Tavella in the Bangladeshi capital of Dhaka. Bangladeshi authorities have found no evidence to verify the claim and urged the public to let them make a proper investigation. Islamic extremism has been on the rise in Bangladesh, but targeted attacks against foreigners have so far been rare.

In a contrast to some less successful U.S. initiatives against the Islamic State, “a dedicated manhunt” coordinated by the CIA, the NSA, and the Joint Special Operations Command has tracked down a number of senior militants in Iraq and Syria. The Associated Press has the story.

Iran’s President Hassan Rouhani praised the P5+1 nuclear deal as a global diplomatic victory, and suggested that the accord could lay groundwork for a broader engagement with the United States. The New York Times notes the relatively more conciliatory tone, considering the worlds of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. (The latter has sworn off further cooperation with his American counterparts.) On a related note, P5+1 foreign ministers met to discuss implementation of the Iran deal, which, the Journal notes, diplomats hope to complete in early 2016.

In Yemen, the civilian death toll has surpassed 2300. Al Jazeera reports on the casualties, and on a Saudi airstrike on a wedding, which Saudi officials say had targeted a man linked to Houthi rebels. The latter assault killed over 130 people. Saudi Arabia had been attempting to stall a U.N. push to investigate human rights abuses and war crimes in the conflict, but the strike is likely to add more fuel for those supporting the investigation.

The U.S. mission to the European Union has fired back at European Court of Justice’s adviser, Yves Bot, who wrote an opinion for the court arguing that the Safe Harbor agreement did not do enough to protect the privacy of E.U. citizens. According to the U.S. mission, that opinion “rests on numerous inaccurate assertions about intelligence practice of the United States.” Reuters has more.

The New York Times reports that Washington, Utah, and Virginia each have recently approved legislation requiring law enforcement officers to get a court ordered warrant for the use of stingrays---a “cell-site simulator” that forces mobile phone to connect to the device and then allows it to track criminal suspects.

Parting shot: Edward Snowden has launched his own Twitter account. You’ll be pleased to know what while he “used to work for the government,” he now "work[s] for the public.” The one account he follows? But of course, the NSA.

ICYMI: Yesterday, on Lawfare

Ben weighed in on the recent U.S.-China Cyber agreement not to conduct commercial espionage, offering a suggestion for how Congress can play a constructive role.

David Kris offered some preliminary thoughts on cross-border data requests and how the international community can reconcile diverging legal requirements to promote trade, privacy, and security.

Ben also alerted us to the news that the D.C. Circuit has granted en banc review in the latest round of al Bahlul litigation.

Bruce Jones discussed “Xi on the global stage” and the “costs of leadership.”

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