Editorials from around New York

Recent editorials of statewide and national interest from New York’s newspapers:

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The Wall Street Journal on the fight on terrorism in Africa

May 13

Fighters loyal to Islamic State killed four American soldiers in Niger last fall, surprising even some Members of Congress who apparently had no idea the U.S. is fighting ISIS in Africa. Last week the Pentagon published a highly critical summary of its investigation into the incident, but it should lead to military improvements not a U.S. retreat from Africa.

The report blamed the deaths on “individual, organizational, and institutional failures and deficiencies.” On Oct. 4 a platoon-size force of Nigeriens, accompanied by 11 U.S. Special Forces soldiers, was ambushed by a larger and better-equipped terrorist force outside the village of Tongo Tongo. In addition to not being properly integrated with the Nigeriens, the Americans hadn’t completed rehearsals to prepare for enemy contact. By the time French aircraft arrived, four Americans were dead.

The incident has prompted reforms to how dangerous missions are approved, and Americans will now have heavier weapons and armored vehicles. Gen. Thomas Waldhauser, who leads the U.S. Africa Command (Africom), acknowledged in a press conference last week that while the U.S. mission is to advise and assist, it’s “a little bit of an art, not necessarily a science.” Americans have since accompanied Africans on fewer risky missions, which are vetted higher on the chain of command, and protective aircraft are required to join them.

It’s reassuring that the U.S. military and the White House have chosen to reform - not to cut and run. Most Americans associate Islamist terrorism solely with the Middle East, but the threat has spread to Africa.

The Bush Administration created Africom in 2007 to deal with growing threats in the region. President Obama made progress against al Qaeda in his first term - until he declared the group effectively defeated and gave Islamic State an opening in Iraq and Syria. The Islamist menace grew in Africa and around the world as the U.S. disengaged, and Mr. Obama had to play catch up late in his Presidency.

ISIS has captured America’s attention since 2014. But after the caliphate’s collapse as a geographic power in Syria and Iraq, aspiring jihadists are looking elsewhere for safe havens and softer targets. Today someone looking to wage holy war might do better in Africa.

African “jihadist operations have generally become more sophisticated,” according to a February report from the Foundation for Defense of Democracies. “Between January 2007 and December 2011, jihadists conducted 132 successful, thwarted, or failed attacks against Western interests in Africa.”

That number almost tripled between 2012 and 2017. U.S. strategy has shifted accordingly. There are now about 7,200 Americans working for the U.S. on the continent, according to Gen. Waldhauser. The U.S. conducts drone strikes, surveillance flights, training missions and occasional raids against many jihadist groups.

The Islamist group al-Shabaab controls swaths of Somalia and plots attacks across East Africa. It has actively recruited foreigners, including dozens of Americans. President Trump loosened use-of-force restrictions in Somalia, where American troops assist Somali and African Union troops. U.S. forces launched 31 strikes in Somalia last year, according to the Long War Journal, up from 15 in 2016 and three in 2015. Americans are also deployed in nearby Kenya.

The U.S. operates a drone base in Cameroon, conducting missions against Boko Haram, the Nigerian terrorist group that has killed thousands. Then there’s Niger, which shares a border with lawless Libya, where the U.S. has conducted airstrikes against Islamists. Boko Haram is on Niger’s southeastern border, while an Islamic State offshoot operates to the west. American personnel also assist from nearby Chad and Nigeria.

About 800 American military personnel are based throughout Niger, with many working at a drone base outside the central Nigerien city of Agadez. Most troops are involved with drone operations, though some Special Forces soldiers - like those who died in October - remain.

A Presidential speech laying out the threat and a strategy would provide some clarity and prepare Americans for potential casualties. Mr. Trump can rightly say that Americans are fighting today to prevent new jihadist sanctuaries that could be used to launch attacks against the U.S. homeland, and so that our African allies can eventually manage their own security.

Online: https://on.wsj.com/2rIi2L9

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The Journal News on keeping Barbara Underwood in the Attorney General’s office

May 11

The state Legislature has the power to appoint someone to fill the Attorney General’s post until the November election. State law calls for a joint vote in the Assembly and Senate, and Assembly Democrats have almost enough votes to control the process and choose an instant incumbent who would have an upper hand in November’s election.

It’s hard to imagine politicians of either party resisting such an opportunity to flex their political muscle. But they should.

Leave the office in the capable, experienced, respected hands of Barbara Underwood, the state’s longtime solicitor general and interim AG. That allows a clean vote in November, with the power wielded by the voters, as it should be.

Underwood told The Daily News she would like to serve for the rest of the year to keep the AG’s office, which she knows well, running smoothly, but that she is not interested in seeking a four-year term.

This is not the time for Democrats to maximize power and clout on the back of another ugly saga for Albany, former AG Eric Schneiderman’s fall. Remember, there are real victims who had to come forward to expose Schneiderman’s hypocrisy and potential criminal activity. This is not the time, nor the situation, for political chess games.

Underwood is beyond competent and widely admired. She has tried cases at the U.S. Supreme Court (and won); she clerked for Justice Thurgood Marshall. Legal friend and foe has touted her skill, intellect and sense of fairness.

She has also assured New Yorkers that the office’s important work will continue, unimpeded. A case in point: With the Federal Communications Commission announcing Thursday that a repeal of “net neutrality” will take effect June 11, Underwood quickly said that she looks forward to pursuing a New York-led federal lawsuit “to block this illegal rollback.”

It would be best if the Legislature would simply keep the situation as is, with Underwood serving as acting AG.

But the key player here, Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie, D-Bronx, says he interprets state law as requiring the Legislature to appoint someone as AG for the remainder of Schneiderman’s term. If this is the case, then Underwood is a fine choice to maintain the office. She is the first woman to serve as AG.

Heastie has great influence because a new AG would need 107 votes in the 213-seat Legislature, and Assembly Democrats have 104 seats themselves, not even counting the 32 (or 31, depending on how you count GOP-caucusing Sen. Simcha Felder, D-Brooklyn) Democratic Senate members. Heastie has already announced that a vetting committee will publicly interview candidates on May 15 and 16. You have to figure that fellow Democrat Gov. Andrew Cuomo will have Heastie’s ear, or vice versa.

Some qualified names have been floated as possible contenders in the fall, including: New York City public advocate and former assistant AG Letitia James; Rochester Mayor Lovely Warren; Lt. Gov. Kathy Hochul; U.S. Rep. Sean Patrick Maloney; and Fordham law professor and Cuomo adversary Zephyr Teachout. Manny Alicandro, a Republican corporate attorney from Manhattan, had announced on Monday, before four women’s accusations of abuse by Schneiderman were revealed by The New Yorker. Other GOP hopefuls include: Rockland County Attorney Thomas Humbach; former Pataki administration aide John Cahill, who lost to Mr. Schneiderman in 2014; and Syracuse Sen. John DeFrancisco, who recently shelved his gubernatorial aspirations.

The brightest star out there, though, may be former U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara. The Democrat has called for the Legislature to choose Underwood, and has not ruled out a possible run in the fall: “That’s for another day.”

We agree that Underwood is the best choice for now. It’s not the time to grant the gift of incumbency.

The nationwide political stakes are high, too, from Schneiderman’s downfall. He was a key leader in resisting Trump agenda items like environmental rollbacks and lost immigrant protections. Remember, though, other state AGs joined those efforts - a unity that makes those challenges so powerful.

It’s time to think about preserving the stature of the office, so badly torn apart by Schneiderman’s alleged acts, over playing politics. Let Underwood lead and provide a real choice for votes in November.

Online: https://lohud.us/2wJjdiY

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The Gloversville Leader-Herald on Hillary Clinton’s warning about North Korea

May 15

For once, Hillary Clinton is right on target. Her warning about negotiations over North Korea’s weapons buildup is absolutely correct.

Clinton, during a visit to Australia last week, said U.S. officials should make no concessions to the North Korean regime without seeing concrete action from Pyongyang.

She should know. Most of the progress made by North Korea in developing long-range missiles and nuclear weapons came while she was secretary of state under then-President Barack Obama. And while her husband, Bill, was president, he did nothing to prevent the buildup.

So Clinton apparently has learned by bitter experience.

To date, North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un has done nothing concrete. He claims to have shut down a nuclear research facility that already was on its last legs. He has turned on the charisma in meetings with both U.S. and South Korean officials. And last week, he ordered the release of three Americans who had been held captive by his regime.

But he has done nothing that would indicate he plans to give up his nuclear weapons or long-range missiles. Fortunately, President Donald Trump seems to recognize the lack of real progress toward the goal of lessening North Korea’s threat to peace.

The late Ronald Reagan had a good policy on weapons control talks. “Trust, but verify,” he said.

With North Korea, however, there can be no trust.

Online: https://bit.ly/2rKW6je

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The Utica Observer-Dispatch on protecting state wilderness

May 13

It’s not so lonely at the top.

And when it comes to protecting and preserving one of New York state’s greatest treasures, that’s a problem that must be fixed.

A survey done last fall by the Adirondack Council found that people really DO love NY, particularly the Adirondack High Peaks region, where close to 80 percent of all trailheads leading there and to surrounding Wilderness areas were routinely above their capacity on fall weekends.

John F. Sheehan, the Council’s director of communications, reported that 35 parking lots designed to accommodate fewer than 1,000 cars frequently had more than 2,100 cars trying to park there. As a result, over 1,000 cars were repeatedly parked along roads, on private property, and in other unsafe locations.

Summer numbers are even higher, says Sheehan, because kids are out of school and families can find good, inexpensive recreation throughout a 6 million-acre playground that is the largest park in the contiguous United States - the size of Yellowstone, Yosemite, Grand Canyon, Glacier and Great Smokey Mountains national parks combined.

Make no mistake, drawing large numbers into the Park is a good problem to have. But it is a problem. From a tourism standpoint, bringing people here is a good thing. But from an environmental and ecological standpoint, overuse of the wilderness areas - trails, campsites and summits - has already led to erosion, soil compaction, loss of fragile vegetation and impacts on sensitive wildlife.

The state needs to find a way to find a balance and keep it in check.

“What we can do is help spread hikers throughout the Adirondacks to mitigate the over-crowding and safety issues,” said Town of Keene Supervisor Joe Pete Wilson. “An example of this is the governor’s plan to open up once again Frontier Town that will capture some of the hikers that would otherwise be heading to the High Peaks.”

Baby Boomers might recall Frontier Town, a western-themed fun park at Schroon Lake, near Lake George, that went bust decades ago after outliving its time. Gov. Andrew Cuomo wants to resurrect it - not as a theme park but as a campground, day use area and, more important, a place that can help guide more visitors into new public lands in other parts of the Adirondacks in an effort to mitigate the overflow elsewhere.

It’s little secret that some of the High Peaks are overused and the recent survey bears that out. For instance, the trail to Cascade Mountain - one of the more popular climbs - has a parking lot capacity of 73 cars. Last fall, that lot had an average of 240 cars parked there, according to the Council survey.

“They say you can follow a conga line up the trail,” Sheehan said.

The answer to that, as suggested by Newcomb Town Supervisor Robin DeLoria, is to expand opportunities, not parking lots. One way to do that could be to improve access and direct visitors to some of the newer public lands recently acquired by the state such as MacIntyre and Boreas Ponds Tracts in the southern High Peaks region.

Another idea would be to have some sort of reservation system similar to state campgrounds but without fees so hikers would know in advance whether a particular area was at capacity or not. Phone apps could be developed to let people know what’s available - or what else is available - and how to get there.

Finally, as with any good management plan, there’s public education. Neil Woodworth, executive director of the Adirondack Mountain Club, said his group’s programs and members “strongly promote education as an indispensable technique in stewarding the Adirondack Park.”

The state Department of Environmental Conservation has held four public discussions on the issue of land use in the High Peaks region and has gathered a wide range of ideas and suggestions. As has always been the case, the priority is to protect the wilderness while finding a way to balance it with maintaining a healthy economy throughout the Adirondack community. The state is expected to announce proposed actions soon.

Remember, too, that there are more than 2,000 miles of trails through these mountains to accommodate all levels of ability. Whether you challenge yourself on one of the 46 High Peaks or simply take the kids along an easy forested trail, stewardship of the land should always be the No. 1 priority. After all, we’re just guests here.

Online: https://bit.ly/2GnY6Cz

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The Poughkeepsie Journal on election meddling

May 15

The scope of the analysis is breathtaking. The findings are alarming. The aftermath must lead to change.

USA Today Network reporters - including Amy Wu from the Poughkeepsie Journal - reviewed more than 3,500 Facebook ads created by the Russian-based Internet Research Agency. This is the company at the center of Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s indictment of 13 Russians and three companies seeking to influence the 2016 presidential election.

This social media blitz focused on many wedge issues, including race relations in this country. Think of it. This, in part, is how the country is getting pulled apart on social media - by Russian interference. The U.S. intelligence community already has determined that Russia was behind the hacking of emails belonging to Hillary Clinton campaign aides and the Democratic National Committee.

A federal grand jury indicted 13 individuals accused of working for the Internet Research Agency to produce the ads. The indictment alleges their effort “included supporting the presidential campaign of then-candidate Donald J. Trump and disparaging Hillary Clinton.” The reporters found that the company consistently promoted ads designed to inflame race-related tensions before the 2016 presidential election. Regardless of political affiliation, everyone in this country should be appalled and angered about this foreign intrusion into the U.S. election process.

The House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence not only made a list of ads available to the public, the panel included information that showed the targeted audience, when the ads were posted and about how many times they were viewed.

“Separate ads, launched simultaneously, would stoke suspicion about how police treat black people in one ad, while another encouraged support for pro-police groups,” according to the USA Today story on the analysis.

In another words, people were being preyed upon and duped. Social media is a wonderful invention, but it’s also a dangerous tool. Two social-media giants - Facebook and Twitter - have been rightly wrestling with what to do about the perpetuation of fake news after facing stinging criticisms connected to the last presidential election. But individuals need to take responsibility also, by not sharing “fake news” from undisclosed and obscure sources.

True, there are no easy solutions here. Fact-checking can be difficult. There can be many nuances and layers to getting at the truth, and that includes in advertising messaging. For instance, of the more than 3,500 ads in question, only about 100 of them overtly mentioned support for Trump or opposition to Clinton.

Nevertheless, people shouldn’t let their guard down and be so easily fooled. Foreign influence and intrusion into the U.S. elections process must be identified, rejected - and punished.

Online: https://pojonews.co/2L3N0pM

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