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The SMM recorded fewer ceasefire violations in both Donetsk and Luhansk regions, however more explosions in Luhansk region, compared with the previous reporting period. The SMM continued monitoring the Zolote and Stanytsia Luhanska disengagement areas and recorded ceasefire violations near the Zolote disengagement area. Its access there and elsewhere remained restricted, including in Verkhnoshyrokivske.* The Mission saw weapons in violation of withdrawal lines in Stanytsia Luhanska. The SMM observed unexploded ordnance near Staromarivka and in the centre of Pikuzy. It again facilitated and monitored mine and unexploded ordnance clearance, co-ordinated by the Joint Centre for Control and Co-ordination, enabling the SMM to travel the M03 road between Svitlodarsk and Debaltseve. The Mission continued to facilitate and monitor repairs and maintenance to infrastructure in Shchastia, Popasna and Stanytsia Luhanska. It visited two border areas not under government control in Luhansk region. The SMM monitored a protest in Odessa.

In Donetsk region the SMM recorded fewer ceasefire violations,[1] including fewer explosions (about 70), compared with the previous reporting period (about 90 explosions).

On the evening of 17 August, while in DPR-controlled Donetsk city centre, in about one minute, the SMM heard 23 shots of small-arms fire 0.5-1km north-west.

On the evening of 17 August, while in government-controlled Svitlodarsk (57km north-east of Donetsk), in about three hours, the SMM heard almost 40 undetermined explosions and about 50 bursts of heavy-machine-gun fire, all 5-10km south-east. On 18 August, while in Svitlodarsk for about five hours, the SMM heard one undetermined explosion 6-8km south-east.

On the evening of 17 August, the SMM camera at the Donetsk Filtration Station (15km north of Donetsk) recorded three explosions assessed as impacts 2km south and, three hours later, it recorded, in sequence, one undetermined explosion, two projectiles in flight from east to west, one projectile from west to east, two projectiles from north-east to south-west, one projectile in vertical flight, two projectiles from south-west to north-east, one undetermined explosion, one outgoing explosion, one projectile from north-east to south-west and one projectile from west to east, all 2-4km south. On the night of 18 August, the same camera recorded two projectiles in flight from west to east and one undetermined explosion 2-3km south.

On the evening and night of 17-18 August, the SMM camera in Shyrokyne (20km east of Mariupol) recorded, in sequence, ten tracer rounds in flight from east to west, one tracer round from west to east, one tracer round from east to west, one tracer round from west to east, followed by aggregated totals of seven undetermined explosions, one outgoing explosion, one explosion assessed as an impact, two rocket-assisted projectiles in flight from west to east, 33 tracer rounds (20 from east to west and 13 from west to east) and five bursts from east to west, all at unknown distances north.

On 18 August, the SMM camera in government-controlled Avdiivka (17km north of Donetsk) recorded two explosions assessed as impacts 4-5km south-east. The same day, positioned in Avdiivka for about five hours, the SMM heard eight undetermined explosions 1-4km south-east.

In Luhansk region the SMM recorded fewer ceasefire violations, including, however, more explosions (about 115), compared with the previous reporting period (30 explosions).

On the evening and night of 17-18 August, while in government-controlled Popasna (69km west of Luhansk), the SMM heard about 70 explosions of infantry fighting vehicle (IFV) (BMP-1) cannon (73mm) fire, two explosions assessed as outgoing artillery rounds, three explosions assessed as impacts of mortar rounds, two shots of automatic-grenade-launcher fire and about 50 bursts of heavy-machine-gun fire, all 3-4km south-east, two explosions assessed as outgoing artillery rounds 10km south-east and two undetermined explosions 10km south-west. On 18 August, while in Popasna, the SMM heard five shots of small-arms fire 2km east.

On 18 August, positioned in LPR-controlled Holubivske (51km west of Luhansk), in 20 minutes, the SMM heard 15 undetermined explosions 7-10km north-west.

On 18 August, while in LPR-controlled Kadiivka (formerly Stakhanov, 50km west of Luhansk), in about five minutes, the SMM heard eight undetermined explosions 12-15km north-north-east.

The SMM followed up on reports of damage in residential areas caused by shelling. The SMM saw recent damage to a house at the eastern end of Akhmatova Street in DPR-controlled Pikuzy (formerly Kominternove, 23km north-east of Mariupol) sections of the corrugated roof had collapsed into the house, cinder blocks of the western-facing wall had collapsed and there were scorch marks on the north-, east- and west-facing exterior walls of the house. The SMM assessed that the damage was caused by impacts of rounds from undetermined weapon systems; however it was unable to assess the direction of fire.

The SMM continued to monitor the disengagement process and to pursue full access to the disengagement areas near Stanytsia Luhanska (16km north-east of Luhansk), Zolote (60km west of Luhansk) and Petrivske (41km south of Donetsk), as foreseen in the Framework Decision of the Trilateral Contact Group relating to disengagement of forces and hardware of 21 September 2016. The SMMs access remained restricted but the Mission was able to partially monitor them.*

On the evening of 17 August, the SMM camera in government-controlled Stanytsia Luhanska recorded one illumination flare from west to east 1.2km south, assessed as inside the disengagement area.

On the evening of 17 August, the SMM camera in government-controlled Zolote recorded one projectile in flight from north-west to south-east 3-5km east and three shots of small-arms fire 1.5km south-east, all assessed as outside the disengagement area.

On 18 August, positioned at the disengagement areas near Stanytsia Luhanska and Zolote, the SMM observed a calm situation.

The SMM continued to monitor the withdrawal of weapons, in implementation of the Package of Measures and its Addendum, as well as the Memorandum.

In violation of the respective withdrawal lines, in government controlled areas, on 17 August an SMM mid-range unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) spotted three stationary self-propelled howitzers (2S1 Gvozdika, 122mm) in the north-western outskirts of Stanytsia Luhanska.

The SMM observed the presence of armoured combat vehicles[2] in the security zone. In government-controlled areas, on 17 August, an SMM mid-range UAV spotted two stationary armoured personnel carriers (APC) (BTR-variant) and one probable IFV (BMP-variant) in the north-western outskirts of Stanytsia Luhanska. On 18 August, the SMM saw two stationary IFVs (BMP-2) in Starohnativka (51km south of Donetsk) and two stationary IFVs (one BTR-4 and one BRDM) and one automatic grenade launcher under camouflage netting in Makarove (19km north-east of Luhansk).

In areas not under government control, on 17 August the SMM saw seven stationary IFVs (BMP-1) in Nova Marivka (64km south of Donetsk), a truck towing an APC (MT-LB) in Kadiivka (formerly Stakhanov, 50km west of Luhansk) travelling south and tank (T-72) tracks on a road between Kadiivka and Kalynove (60km west of Luhansk).

The SMM continued to observe unexploded ordnance (UXO). Near a DPR checkpoint 2km east of government-controlled Staromarivka (62km south of Donetsk), a DPR member showed the SMM the remnants of a rocket-propelled grenade launcher (RPG-7) round which had bullet holes in its tail fin and its head. The SMM could not see a fuse. In addition, the SMM saw one of the five previously observed tail fins of mortar rounds embedded in the asphalt 130m east of the checkpoint, among other fragments of UXO. (See SMM Daily Report 24 July 2017).

The SMM saw that a previously observed tailfin of an 82mm mortar round sticking 2cm out of the asphalt between Akhmatovoi and Peremohy Streets in the centre of Pikuzy was still there and that no mine hazard signs had been erected. (See SMM Daily Report 13 August 2017).

The SMM facilitated and monitored the clearance of mines and UXO, co-ordinated by the Joint Centre for Control and Co-ordination (JCCC), of road M03 between Svitlodarsk and DPR-controlled Debaltseve (58km north-east of Donetsk), enabling the Mission to travel the road for the fourth time this year. (See SMM Daily Report 11 August 2017).

The SMM continued to facilitate and monitor repairs and maintenance, co-ordinated by the JCCC, to the ongoing works at the thermal power plant in government-controlled Shchastia, the Zolote-Popasna water pipeline in Popasna and water wells in Stanytsia Luhanska.

The SMM visited two border areas not under government control in Luhansk region. At the border crossing point near Voznesenivka (formerly Chervonopartyzansk, 65km south-east of Luhansk), in about one hour, the SMM saw 48 cars (26 with Russian Federation, 20 with Ukrainian and one with Georgian licence plates, and one with LPR plates) and 11 pedestrians (six men, three women and two children) in a queue to exit Ukraine and 19 cars (eight with Ukrainian and 11 with Russian Federation licence plates) and six pedestrians (three men and three women) enter Ukraine.

At the unstaffed pedestrian border crossing point in Verkhnoharasymivka (57km south-east of Luhansk), in about one hour and a half, the SMM saw eight people entering Ukraine and five people exiting.

On 17 August the SMM observed a protest outside the office of the movement Council of Public Security (CPS) in Odessa. The SMM saw a group of about 200 people (mostly men aged 16-40) which was led by the head of the Odessa regional branch of the political party Peoples Movement of Ukraine (RUH), and comprised of people known to the SMM as members of RUH and the movement Street Front. Protesters told the SMM that RUH called the protest to denounce CPS as a criminal organization. The SMM saw people holding banners in Ukrainian language that read Stop crime, do not spoil Odessa. The SMM also saw a smaller group of about 50 people (mostly men aged 16-40) comprised of those known to the SMM as members of the movement CPS, together with people from Odessa Automaidan, and the groups Self-Defence and Marine Self-Defence. The SMM observed the presence of about 50 riot police and 25 police officers who formed a cordon to separate the two groups when they began exchanging insults. The protest lasted for about one hour and ended without further incidents.

The SMM continued monitoring in Lviv, Ivano-Frankivsk, Kyiv, Kherson, Kharkiv, Dnipro and Chernivtsi.

*Restrictions of the SMMs freedom of movement or other impediments to fulfilment of its mandate

The SMMs monitoring and freedom of movement are restricted by security hazards and threats, including risks posed by mines, UXO and other impediments which vary from day to day. The SMMs mandate provides for safe and secure access throughout Ukraine. All signatories of the Package of Measures have agreed on the need for this safe and secure access, that restriction of the SMMs freedom of movement constitutes a violation, and on the need for rapid response to these violations. They have also agreed that the JCCC should contribute to such response and co-ordinate mine clearance. The SMMs operations in Donetsk and Luhansk regions remained restricted following the fatal incident of 23 April near Pryshyb; these restrictions continued to limit the Missions observations; including at the disengagement area near Petrivske.

Denial of access:

Related to disengagement areas and mines/UXO:

The SMM was prevented from accessing areas in the Stanytsia Luhanska disengagement area, with the exception of the main road, due to the possible presence of mines and UXO. A Ukrainian Armed Forces officer at the JCCC told the SMM that no demining activities had taken place during the previous 24 hours in the area. The SMM did not consider it safe to proceed and informed the JCCC.

The possible presence of mines and UXO prevented the SMM from accessing secondary roads north of the Zolote disengagement area. At a checkpoint on the northern edge of the area a Ukrainian Armed Forces officer at the JCCC told the SMM that no demining had taken place over the previous 24 hours. The SMM informed the JCCC.

The possible presence of mines and UXO prevented the SMM from accessing secondary roads south of the Zolote disengagement area. Armed LPR members positioned on the southern side of the disengagement area told the SMM that no demining activity had been conducted in the area. The SMM did not consider it safe to proceed and informed the JCCC.

The SMM could not travel across the bridge in Shchastia due to the presence of mines. A Ukrainian Armed Forces officer at the JCCC told the SMM that mines on the road south of the bridge were still present. The SMM informed the JCCC.

Other impediments

[1] For a complete breakdown of the ceasefire violations, please see the annexed table. During this reporting period the SMM camera at the Oktiabr mine (Donetsk) remained non-operational.

[2] This hardware is not proscribed by the provisions of the Minsk agreements on the withdrawal of weapons.

Contacts

Alexandra Taylor Head of Press and Public Information Unit OSCE Special Monitoring Mission to Ukraine 26 Turhenievska Street 01054 Kyiv Ukraine Mobile: +380 67 650 31 57 alexandra.taylor@osce.org smm-media@osce.org

Mariia Aleksevych Senior Press Assistant OSCE Special Monitoring Mission to Ukraine 26 Turhenievska Street 01054 Kyiv Ukraine Office: +380 44 392 0849 Mobile: +380 50 381 5192 Mobile: +380 93 691 6790 mariia.aleksevych@osce.org smm-media@osce.org

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Latest from the OSCE Special Monitoring Mission to Ukraine (SMM), based on information received as of 19:30, 18 ... - ReliefWeb

Idaho Statesman

East Idaho rep. says it's 'plausible' Obama staged Charlottesville riots Idaho Statesman The post begins by reciting a claim that Obama set up a war room in his D.C. home to plan and execute resistance to the Trump administration. That claim, widely debunked by fact checkers but widely circulated by far-right news outlets, stems from an ... and more »

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East Idaho rep. says it's 'plausible' Obama staged Charlottesville riots - Idaho Statesman

When he chose this week to respond to violent white nationalist protests in Charlottesville, Virginia, however, Obama used someone else's words instead of his own.

"'People must learn to hate, and if they can learn to hate, they can be taught to love,'" read the subsequent dispatches. "'For love comes more naturally to the human heart than its opposite.'"

Obama's tweet was paired with a photo of the former president smiling at a group of children in a window, taken near his youngest daughter's school in 2011.

The viral reach of Obama's message was a reminder of his popularity among Americans nostalgic for the type of reasoned emotion he often brought after national trauma.

But the measured response also reflected the balance all former presidents face when confronted with divisive or charged moments. Ex-presidents often keep their distance from such matters, especially during their successor's first year in office. Offering frequent public comments about a new president's actions can be seen as overly meddlesome and a hindrance to a new White House's ability to function.

"I cannot imagine just how upset both he and (first lady) Michelle Obama are. We know their character, we know their history," said Michael Nutter, the former Democratic mayor of Philadelphia.

"I am sure President Obama would like to say more," Nutter said. "He recognizes, though, where he is in these moments, and his proximity to having just been a president. So he's going to be careful. But those of us who do know him a little bit know where his head and heart is. He'll continue to express himself but it will continue to be in his terms and in his time."

A senior Obama adviser said this week that the former President was unlikely to weigh in directly on Trump's comments, which have drawn widespread condemnation from Republicans, corporate executives, and military leaders.

For Obama, who remains the object of frequent criticism from Trump and his allies in the right-wing media, speaking out overtly could also further galvanize the political base to which Trump is appealing.

As Trump offered a series of equivocal statements on the Charlottesville violence this week, it became clear that condemnation would be swift even from members of his own party, who have rebuked the President with varying degrees of severity.

Those critiquing Trump at least implicitly included the two most recent Republican presidents, who said the country must always clearly denounce the types of ideologies that Trump initially avoided criticizing.

"America must always reject racial bigotry, anti-Semitism, and hatred in all forms," wrote Presidents George H.W. Bush and George W. Bush in a statement Wednesday. "As we pray for Charlottesville, we are reminded of the fundamental truths recorded by that city's most prominent citizen in the Declaration of Independence: we are all created equal and endowed by our Creator with unalienable rights."

"We know these truths to be everlasting because we have seen the decency and greatness of our country," the Bushes wrote.

During his own presidency, Obama confronted racially charged matters in different ways. His comments usually sought to acknowledge the country's painful history with race while encouraging reconciliation.

"The flag has always represented more than just ancestral pride," he said. "For many, black and white, that flag was a reminder of systemic oppression and racial subjugation. We see that now."

Since January, however, Obama hasn't spoken publicly about race. Obama, along with first lady Michelle Obama, has spent the last several months appearing sporadically at a mix of paid and unpaid speeches. They've both been at work on book projects, and next week their oldest daughter begins college at Harvard.

This fall, he's due to campaign for the Democratic gubernatorial candidate in Virginia, though specific dates for his appearances haven't been set. The protests in Charlottesville, which left three people dead, are expected to upend the race.

Two days before he left office in January, Obama laid out the parameters for his post-presidential life.

"I want to be quiet a little bit and not hear myself talk so darn much. I want to spend precious time with my girls," he said during his final news conference at the White House, before adding that he would make his voice heard when political debates escalated beyond day-to-day matters.

"There's a difference between that normal functioning of politics and certain issues or certain moments where I think our core values may be at stake," he said.

Some of Obama's supporters say the current strife may rise to that level.

"Personally I always want to hear President Obama. We know that if this had taken place a year ago, the country would be in a very very different place," Nutter said. "I'm not asking President Obama to say anything. He can conduct his own affairs. But we know that it would be healing, it would bring this country together."

CNN's Allie Malloy contributed to this report.

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Barack Obama declining to engage Trump reflects ex-president balancing act - CNN

A new animated series by director and writer Adam Reid would bring back the bromance between former President Barack ObamaBarack ObamaCongress needs to assert the war power against a dangerous president CNN's Don Lemon: Anyone supporting Trump complicit' in racism DOJ warrant of Trump resistance site triggers alarm MORE and former Vice President Joe BidenJoe BidenMoore, Strange advance in Alabama GOP primary Alabama GOP Senate primary: live results White House clarifies: We condemn all violence MORE if it ever gets off the ground.

A Kickstarter page running through the end of August is seeking $100,000 to launch "Barry & Joe - The Animated Series," a crime-fighting animation starring the duo.

The post doesn't describe what format the final product would look like, but in the post Reed says he wants to produce a pilot episode starring Jordan Peele as Obama, Chris Pratt as Biden, and Hayden Planetarium director Neil DeGrasse Tyson as himself, serving as the crime-fighting team's guide.

"[It's] an adult animated sci-fi sitcom. A parody of Quantum Leap and countless other 80's TV classics," Reid writes.

"Every episode will follow Barack and Joe as they leap into the past and change a part of history," he adds. "[It's for] people who miss Obama and Biden as much as we do."

"Anyone on the left side of the political spectrum who isnt afraid to question everything they know about America."

The Kickstarter has a steep hill to climb to fund the pilot episode of the series, which Reid says will cost $100,000 for "storyboards, recording, animation and sound design."

Just $26,000 has been raised so far.

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New animated sitcom would chronicle crime-fighting Biden and Obama - The Hill (blog)

RALEIGH The N.C. Libertarian Party has picked three Triad residents for leadership roles.

Clement Erhardt of Greensboro is the party's treasurer and the slate of at-large members includesAngela Anderson of Winston-Salem andJ.J. Summerell of Greensboro.

Susan Hogarth of Raleigh has been named the Libertarian Party of North Carolina's new chairwoman.

N.C. Libertarian officials elected a new state party chair and a slate of officers during the party's annual convention held in Lake Lure, according to a release.

Nathan Phillips of Asheville was named vice chair, Brent DeRidder of Hampstead will serve as secretary, and the remaing at-large members are Matt Clements of Carrboro, Chris Dooley of Charlotte, James Hines of Asheville, Amy Lamont of Oxford, Ryan Teeter of Hampstead, Andreas Steude of Cary, and Alec Willson of Asheville.

Summerell was the Libertarian candidate for North Carolina's 1st Congressional District in 2016. Incumbent U.S. Rep. G.K. Butterfield, a Wilson Democrat, won re-election with 68.6 percent of the vote, defeating Republican candidate and Stantonsburg town councilman Powell Dew (28.9 percent) and Summerell, who picked up 2.4 percent of the vote.

The Libertarian Party, formed in 1971, is the third-largest political party in the U.S. and North Carolina, as well as the only ballot-recognized alternative party in the state.

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Triad residents among those tapped for posts in NC Libertarian Party - Winston-Salem Journal