Monday 14 April 2014

World's best pizza not in Italy


In just his second year at the annual Pizza World Championship, Johnny Di Francesco took home the award for top margherita pizza.


In just his second year at the annual Pizza World Championship, Johnny Di Francesco took home the award for top margherita pizza.






  • An Australian chef has taken home top honors at the World Pizza Championship in Italy

  • Winning chef Johnny Di Francesco learned to make pizza in Naples, Italy

  • The winning pizza is made daily at Di Francesco's 400 Gradi restaurant in a Melbourne suburb




(CNN) -- Australian pizza is now officially the best in the world.


Well, sort of.


Judges at last weekend's Campionato Mondiale Della Pizza (Pizza World Championship) held in Parma, Italy, awarded the world's top margherita pizza title to Australian chef Johnny Di Francesco, owner of the 400 Gradi restaurant in Brunswick, a Melbourne suburb.


Di Francesco, 36, beat more than 600 competitors from 35 countries to take home the Specialita Traditionale Garantita pizza prize in the annual competition.


The win and subsequent publicity has made the small restaurant he owns in his hometown an overnight sensation.


"It's been an amazing reaction," Di Francesco tells CNN. "Honestly, I just went to Naples to do what I love. I didn't think it was going to make such a stir."


"A lot of people think it is easy to produce a margherita but it is one of the hardest (pizzas) to produce," Di Francesco told Australian website Good Food.


"With a lot of other pizzas it's easy to mask the flavor with toppings so you don't really get the flavor out of the dough. With a margherita there is no hiding anything that isn't right."


Competition rules are strict on what ingredients can top the dough on the margherita: only peeled tomatoes, certain types of mozzarella, garlic, olive oil, salt and fresh basil leaves are used.




The price on Di Francesco\'s margherita pizza (pictured) won\'t be going up anytime soon.

The price on Di Francesco's margherita pizza (pictured) won't be going up anytime soon.



Pizza the traditional way


Di Francesco, who says he's been making pizza since was 12 years old and studied pizza-making at the highly regarded Associazione Verace Pizza Napoletana in Naples, Italy, calls himself a traditionalist when it comes to making pizza.


"It's an honor to be part of what (Verace Pizza Napoletana) does, striving to preserve a traditional way of making pizza the way they've done it in Naples for hundreds of years."


Although he's claimed the world title, Di Francesco has no plans to raise the A$20.50 ($19.30) price on the margherita pizza made daily at 400 Gradi.


"No, not at all," he says with a laugh.


Italian chefs weren't entirely shut out of the winner's circle at the competition.


As reported by Good Food, Italian chef Julius Scialpi took home the "classic pizza" prize for a pizza made with mozzarella, eggplant, nostrana, breadcrumbs and anchovies with burrata.


400 Gradi , 99 Lygon St., Brunswick East, Victoria, Australia; +61 (0)3 9380 2320; daily, midday-11 p.m.



Most photographed places are ...






Sightsmap.com has revealed the destinations tagged most often on Panoramio, a Google photo-sharing website. European cities dominate the list with Budapest ranking 10th.Sightsmap.com has revealed the destinations tagged most often on Panoramio, a Google photo-sharing website. European cities dominate the list with Budapest ranking 10th.

One of only two locations outside Europe, Buenos Aires made the top 10, with the Caminito street its most photo-tagged attraction. One of only two locations outside Europe, Buenos Aires made the top 10, with the Caminito street its most photo-tagged attraction.

The Ponte Vecchio (Old Bridge) is beautiful, but it isn't as Panoramio-popular as Piazzale Michelangelo (Michelangelo Square).The Ponte Vecchio (Old Bridge) is beautiful, but it isn't as Panoramio-popular as Piazzale Michelangelo (Michelangelo Square).

The historic Hotel de Paris helps make Monte Carlo one of the most popular places on Google's geolocation-oriented photo sharing site.The historic Hotel de Paris helps make Monte Carlo one of the most popular places on Google's geolocation-oriented photo sharing site.

Ponte dell'Accademia (Academy Bridge) outranks St. Mark's Basilica as the most-photo-tagged Venice location.Ponte dell'Accademia (Academy Bridge) outranks St. Mark's Basilica as the most-photo-tagged Venice location.


The most popular place for pics in Istanbul, the tower of Kiz Kulesi, sits on an islet on the Bosporus between the European and Asian sides of Istanbul.

The most popular place for pics in Istanbul, the tower of Kiz Kulesi, sits on an islet on the Bosporus between the European and Asian sides of Istanbul.

The Eiffel Tower isn't as popular as Moulin Rouge.The Eiffel Tower isn't as popular as Moulin Rouge.

Park Guell, one of Antoni Gaudi's ingenius marvels, is tops in Barcelona.Park Guell, one of Antoni Gaudi's ingenius marvels, is tops in Barcelona.

The Church of Trinita dei Monti (in the background) is the most photographed attraction in Rome, according to Sightsmap.com.The Church of Trinita dei Monti (in the background) is the most photographed attraction in Rome, according to Sightsmap.com.

New York is the most tagged city and the Guggenheim Museum its most tagged attraction on Panoramio. New York is the most tagged city and the Guggenheim Museum its most tagged attraction on Panoramio.









  • A new information map reveals the most photographed cities in the world and top attractions

  • Moulin Rouge not Eiffel Tower scored as the most popular picture place in Paris

  • European cities dominate the list with eight out of 10 positions in the list




(CNN) -- The Eiffel Tower isn't the most popular place for pictures in Paris, nor is the Empire State Building the top photo destination in New York.


At least, that's the case among users of Google's geolocation-oriented photo-sharing website, Panoramio, according to Sightsmap.com, which has ranked 15,000 cities and their attractions according to photos tagged.


The result is a "heatmap" with bright areas indicating more photos.


New York tops the list as the most photographed -- or the highest Panoramio-penetrated -- city in the world.


Europe dominates the chart with eight places in the top 10.


Among them are three cities in Italy, including Rome, which ranked second.


Barcelona rounds out the top three cities, with Park Guell as its top attraction.


More photos are tagged of the Guggenheim Museum and the Tweed Courthouse than the Empire State Building in New York City, according to the poll. (Perhaps because the Empire State Building is a tougher picture to take?)


The Church of the Santissima Trinita dei Monti triumphs in Rome and the city's favorite wishing pond, Trevi Fountain, follows.


Moulin Rouge is the most Panoramio-photographed attraction in Paris -- the Eiffel Tower came fifth.


Istanbul, recently named the world's top destination by TripAdvisor, was the fifth hottest city on Sightsmap.com -- Kiz Kulesi (Maiden's Tower) is the city's top attraction.


MORE: World's top 25 destinations according to TripAdvisor


Top 10 cities (and their most photographed attractions)


1. New York (Guggenheim Museum)


2. Rome (Church of the Santissima Trinita dei Monti)


3. Barcelona, Spain (Park Guell)


4. Paris (Moulin Rouge)


5. Istanbul (Kiz Kulesi)


6. Venice, Italy (Ponte dell'Accademia)


7. Monte Carlo, Monaco (Hotel de Paris)


8. Florence, Italy (Piazzale Michelangelo)


9. Buenos Aires (Caminito)


10. Budapest, Hungary (St. Stephen's Basilica)


MORE: Most dramatic wedding photos from exotic destinations



The most deadly extremists in the U.S.






Frazier Glenn Cross, a 73-year-old Missouri man with a long history of spouting anti-Semitic rhetoric, is seen in a police car Sunday, April 13. He is suspected of fatally shooting three people: a boy and his grandfather outside a Jewish community center in Overland Park, Kansas, and a woman at a nearby assisted-living facility.Frazier Glenn Cross, a 73-year-old Missouri man with a long history of spouting anti-Semitic rhetoric, is seen in a police car Sunday, April 13. He is suspected of fatally shooting three people: a boy and his grandfather outside a Jewish community center in Overland Park, Kansas, and a woman at a nearby assisted-living facility.

People gather to mourn the shooting victims April 13 at St. Thomas the Apostle, an Episcopal church in Overland Park. Overland Park is a suburb of Kansas City.People gather to mourn the shooting victims April 13 at St. Thomas the Apostle, an Episcopal church in Overland Park. Overland Park is a suburb of Kansas City.

Rachel Trout, 16, receives a hug from a friend after addressing the crowd at St. Thomas the Apostle.Rachel Trout, 16, receives a hug from a friend after addressing the crowd at St. Thomas the Apostle.

Storm clouds gather over the Jewish Community Center of Greater Kansas City on April 13. It was the site of the first shooting.Storm clouds gather over the Jewish Community Center of Greater Kansas City on April 13. It was the site of the first shooting.

Investigators work the scene of a shooting at the Village Shalom Retirement Community in Leawood, Kansas, on April 13.Investigators work the scene of a shooting at the Village Shalom Retirement Community in Leawood, Kansas, on April 13.

A police car is seen at the entrance of the Jewish Community Center on April 13.A police car is seen at the entrance of the Jewish Community Center on April 13.

A Kansas state trooper controls traffic at the entrance of the Jewish Community Center on April 13.A Kansas state trooper controls traffic at the entrance of the Jewish Community Center on April 13.









  • Peter Bergen, David Sterman: Man killed three at Jewish centers in Kansas

  • Suspect shouted "Heil Hitler;" if it had been "Allahu Akbar" media would cover it more, they say

  • Since 9/11, right wing extremists have killed more in U.S. than those motivated by al Qaeda

  • Writers: Given this, why do we not give more national security attention to right wing attacks?




Editor's note: Peter Bergen is CNN's national security analyst, a director at the New America Foundation and the author of "Manhunt: The Ten-Year Search for bin Laden -- From 9/11 to Abbottabad." David Sterman is a research assistant at the New America Foundation.


(CNN) -- On Sunday, a man shot and killed a 14-year-old boy and his grandfather at the Jewish Community Center of Greater Kansas City and then drove to a nearby Jewish retirement community where he shot and killed a third person. Police arrested a suspect, Frazier Glenn Cross, who shouted "Heil Hitler" after he was taken into custody.


Cross, who also goes by Frazier Glenn Miller, is a well-known right wing extremist who founded the Carolina Knights of the Ku Klux Klan and the White Patriot Party, according to the Southern Poverty Law Center.


Now let's do the thought experiment in which instead of shouting "Heil Hitler" after he was arrested, the suspect had shouted "Allahu Akbar." Only two days before the first anniversary of the Boston Marathon bombings, this simple switch of words would surely have greatly increased the extent and type of coverage the incident received.



Peter Bergen


Yet the death toll in the shootings in Kansas is similar to that of last year's Boston Marathon bombings, where three people were killed and the suspects later killed a police officer as they tried to evade capture. (Many more, of course, were also wounded in the Boston attacks; 16 men, women and children lost limbs.)


In fact, since 9/11 extremists affiliated with a variety of far-right wing ideologies, including white supremacists, anti-abortion extremists and anti-government militants, have killed more people in the United States than have extremists motivated by al Qaeda's ideology. According to a count by the New America Foundation, right wing extremists have killed 34 people in the United States for political reasons since 9/11. (The total includes the latest shootings in Kansas, which are being classified as a hate crime).





"Since 9/11 extremists affiliated with a variety of far-right wing ideologies...have killed more people in the United States than have extremists motivated by al Qaeda's ideology."




By contrast, terrorists motivated by al Qaeda's ideology have killed 23 people in the United States since 9/11.


(Although a variety of left wing militants and environmental extremists have carried out violent attacks for political reasons against property and individuals since 9/11, none have been linked to a lethal attack, according to research by the New America Foundation.)


Moreover, since 9/11 none of the more than 200 individuals indicted or convicted in the United States of some act of jihadist terrorism have acquired or used chemical or biological weapons or their precursor materials, while 13 individuals motivated by right wing extremist ideology, one individual motivated by left-wing extremist ideology, and two with idiosyncratic beliefs, used or acquired such weapons or their precursors.


A similar attack to the one that Frazier Glenn Cross is accused of in Kansas occurred in August 2012 when Wade Michael Page killed six people in a shooting at a Sikh temple in Wisconsin. Page was a member of a white supremacist band and associated with the Hammerskins, a white supremacist group. Page committed suicide during the attack.


Page is not, of course, the only right wing extremist to have used lethal violence to achieve political ends. In 2009, for instance, Shawna Forde, Albert Gaxiola, and Jason Bush raided a house in Arizona, killing Raul Flores and his daughter Brisenia. The three attackers sought to use the burglary to finance their anti-immigration vigilante group, Minutemen American Defense. Forde and Bush were convicted and sentenced to death. Gaxiola was sentenced to life in prison.


Also in 2009, Scott Roeder murdered Dr. George Tiller, who ran an abortion clinic in Wichita, Kansas. In 2010 Roeder was convicted of first-degree murder. According to the Southern Poverty Law Center, Roeder not only had ties to the extreme anti-abortion movement, but he also had been pulled over while driving with a fake license plate bearing the markings of the Sovereign Citizens, a movement of individuals who deny that the government has authority over them.





Kansas shooting victim loved to sing




Expert: Suspect hated by supremacists




Son of shooting victim speaks to CNN

Of course, the deadliest terrorist attack on American soil prior to 9/11 was the Oklahoma City bombing, which was masterminded by Timothy McVeigh, a man with deep ties to far-right militant circles. McVeigh killed 168 people when he bombed the Alfred P. Murrah federal building on April 19, 1995.


Despite this history of deadly violence by individuals motivated by political ideologies other than al Qaeda, it is jihadist violence that continues to dominate the news and the attention of policy makers.


Some of this is quite understandable. After all, on 9/11 al Qaeda's 19 terrorists killed almost 3,000 people in the space of a morning. Since then al Qaeda's branch in Yemen tried to bring down with a bomb secreted on a passenger an American commercial jet flying over Detroit on Christmas Day 2009 and al Qaeda's branch in Pakistan tried to launch bombings on the New York subway system a few months earlier. Luckily those plots didn't succeed, but certainly if they had the death toll would have been on a large scale.


Yet the disparity in media coverage between even failed jihadist terrorist attacks and this latest incident in Kansas is emblematic of a flawed division in the public's mind between killing that is purportedly committed in the name of Allah and killing that is committed for other political ends, such as neo-Nazi beliefs about the need to kill Jews.


Part of the reason for this disconnect might be that when a Department of Homeland Security report warning of violent right wing extremism was leaked in 2009, it generated a substantial political controversy.


In a 2011 interview with the Southern Poverty Law Center, Daryl Johnson, the leader of the team that produced the report, argued that following the controversy, DHS's examination of such threats suffered, stating "Since our report was leaked, DHS has not released a single report of its own on this topic. Not anything dealing with non-Islamic domestic extremism—whether it's anti-abortion extremists, white supremacists, 'sovereign citizens,' eco-terrorists, the whole gamut."


The threat from al Qaeda and its associated forces has changed significantly since 9/11. Today, almost 13 years after 9/11, al Qaeda has not successfully conducted another attack inside the United States. And since 2011, no individual charged with plotting to conduct an al Qaeda-inspired terrorist attack inside the United States has acted with more than one accomplice. This demonstrates the difficulties today of forming a jihadist group sufficiently large enough to conduct a complex attack anything on the scale of 9/11, and is a tribute to the success of law enforcement agencies in detecting and deterring jihadist terrorist activity.


Today in the United States, al Qaeda-type terrorism is the province of individuals with no real connection to foreign terrorists, aside from reading their propaganda online. Given this, it becomes harder to explain, in terms of American national security, why violence by homegrown right wing extremists receives substantially less attention than does violence by homegrown jihadist militants.


Tyler Hite contributed research support for this article.


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Flavor Flav pleads guilty to charges


Flavor Flav poses at his Flavor Flav House of Flavor Take Out Restaurant on March 14, 2012 in Las Vegas, Nevada.


Flavor Flav poses at his Flavor Flav House of Flavor Take Out Restaurant on March 14, 2012 in Las Vegas, Nevada.






  • Flavor Flav avoids a trial on felony charges with misdemeanor plea

  • The rapper was arrested after an argument at his Las Vegas home in October 2012

  • Sentence includes domestic counseling with his girlfriend's teen son

  • He gained fame as Public Enemy's hype man, but now makes reality TV shows




(CNN) -- Rapper and reality TV star Flavor Flav pleaded guilty to misdemeanor domestic violence charges in Las Vegas Monday.


The plea deal allows the Public Enemy hype man to avoid a trial on felony charges, which could have sent him to prison for several years.


Instead, Flav -- real name William Jonathan Drayton Jr. -- must stay out of trouble during a year of probation and attend 12 domestic counseling sessions with his longtime girlfriend's teenage son.


He was arrested after an argument involving a kitchen knife in his Las Vegas home in October 2012. Flav, 55, was initially charged with child abuse, assault with a deadly weapon and battery domestic violence.


Las Vegas prosecutors agreed to reduce the charges to two misdemeanors counts, including attempted battery with substantial bodily harm and battery constituting domestic violence, according to Tess Driver, spokeswoman for the Clark County, Nevada, district attorney.


Along with the year of probation and counseling requirement, he was given credit for the time he served in jail after he was arrested and before he was released on bond, Driver said.


Although he gained fame with the groundbreaking rap group Public Enemy starting in the late 1980s, Flav, with his collection of clock necklaces, became a reality TV star over the last decade. He began as a cast member of VH1's "Surreal Life" in 2004, which spawned "Strange Love" in 2005 and three seasons of "Flavor of Love" from 2006 to 2008.



Rabbi: Hate, violence threatens us all






Frazier Glenn Miller, a 73-year-old Missouri man with a long history of spouting anti-Semitic rhetoric, is seen in a police car Sunday, April 13. He is suspected of fatally shooting three people: a boy and his grandfather outside a Jewish community center in Overland Park, Kansas, and a woman at a nearby assisted-living facility.Frazier Glenn Miller, a 73-year-old Missouri man with a long history of spouting anti-Semitic rhetoric, is seen in a police car Sunday, April 13. He is suspected of fatally shooting three people: a boy and his grandfather outside a Jewish community center in Overland Park, Kansas, and a woman at a nearby assisted-living facility.

People gather to mourn the shooting victims April 13 at St. Thomas the Apostle, an Episcopal church in Overland Park. Overland Park is a suburb of Kansas City.People gather to mourn the shooting victims April 13 at St. Thomas the Apostle, an Episcopal church in Overland Park. Overland Park is a suburb of Kansas City.

Rachel Trout, 16, receives a hug from a friend after addressing the crowd at St. Thomas the Apostle.Rachel Trout, 16, receives a hug from a friend after addressing the crowd at St. Thomas the Apostle.

Storm clouds gather over the Jewish Community Center of Greater Kansas City on April 13. It was the site of the first shooting.Storm clouds gather over the Jewish Community Center of Greater Kansas City on April 13. It was the site of the first shooting.

Investigators work the scene of a shooting at the Village Shalom Retirement Community in Leawood, Kansas, on April 13.Investigators work the scene of a shooting at the Village Shalom Retirement Community in Leawood, Kansas, on April 13.

A police car is seen at the entrance of the Jewish Community Center on April 13.A police car is seen at the entrance of the Jewish Community Center on April 13.

A Kansas state trooper controls traffic at the entrance of the Jewish Community Center on April 13.A Kansas state trooper controls traffic at the entrance of the Jewish Community Center on April 13.









  • Mark Levin: Shootings point to culture of hate-filled violence tolerated in U.S.

  • He says incident threatens Jews but also shows bolstering support of larger community

  • He says wanton hate in U.S. affects many; at least two of those targeted were not Jews

  • Levin: Society is guilty; it should address weapons, mental health and culture of violence




Editor's note: Mark H. Levin is the pulpit rabbi at Congregation Beth Torah in Overland Park, Kansas. He has lived in the greater Kansas City area since 1976. The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of the author.


(CNN) -- As Jews prepare for Passover, our community has been hauled into the violence that plagues our nation. At this moment, we don't know for certain whether the killings Sunday at two Jewish Centers in Overland Park, Kansas, were aimed exclusively at Jews, but it certainly feels that way.


In a larger sense, we have been victimized by the random, hate-filled violence that steals lives and futures in this country daily.



Mark Levin


Perhaps it is no coincidence that this hateful attack occurs at Passover. It surely threatens Jews' sense of security and multiplies the fear that we are persecuted. I wish, however, that you could know of the loving calls I am receiving from friends and clergy all over the wider metropolitan area and indeed around the world. Our neighbors: Jews, Christians and Muslims are outraged that senseless murder would be aimed at our community.


We live among friends, and that is very different from Pharaoh's Egypt, Nazi Germany or any other place in which Jews have suffered persecution. We are being singled out, but in a larger sense we are not, because this is no longer a unique act of terror. Rather, the scourge of violence in America threatens us all. Those who hate as a way of life must be rooted out, isolated and punished.


As Jews, we are no strangers to violence or wanton hatred. Many of us grew up with the fear of persecution. But we are not alone, either in our suffering or in our fears. Our newspapers report daily murderous acts against one group or another: blacks, gays, children, Muslims, minorities of all sorts. Many of the perpetrators are not sane; many of the victims are unsuspecting. The more proximate we are to the event, as the Jews of Overland Park were on Sunday, the more vulnerable and violated we feel.





Suspect described as 'anti-Semite'




Shooting suspect due in court today




Mom shocks at vigil for slain family




Deadly shooting rattles Jewish community

But look at the reality. At least two of those killed were not the apparent intended targets: Jewish people. They attended a nearby Methodist church. They were, tragically, in the line of fire because they had come to the Jewish Center to be part of an event, further evidence that this nation does not single us out as a hated minority but accepts us as beloved members of society and friends.


Rather, our fear and our concern should be directed at a society that will not spend the resources to provide care for the mentally ill, will not limit the means by which violence is perpetrated and does not share common social purpose sufficient to protect us all from these random killings. For that, we are all guilty.


We need to search our souls to ask why we, as a society, allow these daily murders to continue. On Sunday, Jews were apparently singled out. Tomorrow, it could well be another group, and Overland Park will recede in memory. But the truth is that we are all bound by our human experience and the tragic violence that is overwhelming the United States, ending lives and destroying families.


Our prayers are with the victims and their families. They must be our main concern, as well as those who feel threatened by random violence. Sunday demonstrated that any of us could be singled out, and therefore we see we are one people that must be united in our conviction that we will not tolerate the hatred that murders innocent people and tears at the body of our nation.


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Pakistan baby attempted murder charge dropped


Attempted murder charges against a baby in Pakistan have been dropped.


The allegations against the nine-month-old were withdrawn after a massive public outcry.


Photographs taken at an earlier court hearing of Musa Khan screaming as he was being fingerprinted provoked a storm of public outcry and prompted calls for an inquiry into the case.


People around the world claimed the case exposed the "incompetence" of the police force, leading to authorities admitting "human error" in the case.


The attempted murder charge, which has been thrown out by a judge, followed allegations that the little boy had thrown rocks at gas workers.


In Pakistan the minimum age of criminal responsibility is 12, except for in cases of terrorism, so the charges against Musa were in contradiction of the country’s laws.


Musa Khan appeared at a Lahore court, sitting on his grandfather's lap and drinking from a bottle of milk.


Pakistan police had accused the baby, along with other members of his family, of attacking officers, bailiffs, and gas company staff when they arrived to disconnect the supplies of households who had failed to pay their bills.


The boy’s grandfather, Muhammad Yassen, said: "He does not even know how to pick up his milk bottle properly. How can he stone the police?"


At the hearing, defence lawyer Irfan Sadiq said: "Police told the court that the nomination of Musa in the case of attacking police and gas company officials was a human error and Musa is not required."


The child’s grandfather and his three sons are still charged with for the alleged offences.



Frum: U.S. giving Putin green light?






Russian supporters attend a rally in front of the security service building occupied by pro-Russian activists in Luhansk, Ukraine, on Monday, April 14. Ukraine has seen a sharp rise in tensions since a new pro-European government took charge of the country in February. Moscow branded the new government illegitimate and annexed Ukraine's Crimea region last month, citing threats to Crimea's Russian-speaking majority.Russian supporters attend a rally in front of the security service building occupied by pro-Russian activists in Luhansk, Ukraine, on Monday, April 14. Ukraine has seen a sharp rise in tensions since a new pro-European government took charge of the country in February. Moscow branded the new government illegitimate and annexed Ukraine's Crimea region last month, citing threats to Crimea's Russian-speaking majority.

A man places a Russian flag over a police station after storming the building in Horlivka, Ukraine, on April 14.A man places a Russian flag over a police station after storming the building in Horlivka, Ukraine, on April 14.

Men besiege the police station in Horlivka.Men besiege the police station in Horlivka.

The Horlivka police station burns on April 14.The Horlivka police station burns on April 14.

A Ukrainian police officer receives medical care after being attacked at the police station in Horlivka on April 14.A Ukrainian police officer receives medical care after being attacked at the police station in Horlivka on April 14.

Pro-Russia supporters beat a pro-Ukraine activist during a rally in Kharkiv on Sunday, April 13.Pro-Russia supporters beat a pro-Ukraine activist during a rally in Kharkiv on Sunday, April 13.

Pro-Russian activists escort a man outside the secret service building in Luhansk on April 13.Pro-Russian activists escort a man outside the secret service building in Luhansk on April 13.

Pro-Russia protesters guard a barricade in Slaviansk, Ukraine, on April 13 outside a regional police building seized by armed separatists the day before.Pro-Russia protesters guard a barricade in Slaviansk, Ukraine, on April 13 outside a regional police building seized by armed separatists the day before.

Armed pro-Russian activists carrying riot shields occupy a police station on April 12. The unidentified armed men arrived at the building in the town of Slaviansk in the morning and took control of it without any casualties. Armed pro-Russian activists carrying riot shields occupy a police station on April 12. The unidentified armed men arrived at the building in the town of Slaviansk in the morning and took control of it without any casualties.

A group of pro-Russian activists warm themselves by a fire Friday, April 11, in front of a Ukrainian Security Service office in Luhansk, Ukraine.A group of pro-Russian activists warm themselves by a fire Friday, April 11, in front of a Ukrainian Security Service office in Luhansk, Ukraine.

Ukrainian Prime Minister Arseniy Yatsenyuk speaks April 11 during his meeting with regional leaders in Donetsk, Ukraine. Yatsenyuk flew into Donetsk on Friday, where pro-Russian separatists are occupying the regional administration building and calling for a referendum.Ukrainian Prime Minister Arseniy Yatsenyuk speaks April 11 during his meeting with regional leaders in Donetsk, Ukraine. Yatsenyuk flew into Donetsk on Friday, where pro-Russian separatists are occupying the regional administration building and calling for a referendum.

Pro-Russian young men look over the fence of a military recruitment office in Donetsk on Thursday, April 10.Pro-Russian young men look over the fence of a military recruitment office in Donetsk on Thursday, April 10.

Armed pro-Russian protesters occupy the Security Service building in Luhansk on April 10.Armed pro-Russian protesters occupy the Security Service building in Luhansk on April 10.

Members of the self-proclaimed government the "Donetsk Republic" vote April 10 during a meeting at the seized regional administration building in Donetsk.Members of the self-proclaimed government the "Donetsk Republic" vote April 10 during a meeting at the seized regional administration building in Donetsk.

Ukrainian lawmakers from different parties scuffle during a Parliament session in Kiev, Ukraine, on Tuesday, April 8.Ukrainian lawmakers from different parties scuffle during a Parliament session in Kiev, Ukraine, on Tuesday, April 8.

Workers clean up on April 8 after pro-Russian separatists and police clashed overnight in Kharkiv, Ukraine.Workers clean up on April 8 after pro-Russian separatists and police clashed overnight in Kharkiv, Ukraine.

Pro-Russian protesters burn tires near a regional administration building in Kharkiv after police cleared the building on Monday, April 7.Pro-Russian protesters burn tires near a regional administration building in Kharkiv after police cleared the building on Monday, April 7.

A masked man stands on top of a barricade at the regional administration building in Donetsk on April 7.A masked man stands on top of a barricade at the regional administration building in Donetsk on April 7.

Protesters wave a Russian flag as they storm the regional administration building in Donetsk on Sunday, April 6. Protesters seized state buildings in several east Ukrainian cities, prompting accusations from Kiev that Moscow is trying to "dismember" the country.Protesters wave a Russian flag as they storm the regional administration building in Donetsk on Sunday, April 6. Protesters seized state buildings in several east Ukrainian cities, prompting accusations from Kiev that Moscow is trying to "dismember" the country.

Pro-Russian protesters clash with police as they try to occupy a regional administration building in Donetsk on April 6. Pro-Russian protesters clash with police as they try to occupy a regional administration building in Donetsk on April 6.

Pro-Russian activists hold a rally in front of a Ukrainian Security Service office in Luhansk, Ukraine, on April 6. Pro-Russian activists hold a rally in front of a Ukrainian Security Service office in Luhansk, Ukraine, on April 6.

A young demonstrator with his mouth covered by a Russian flag attends a pro-Russia rally outside the regional government administration building in Donetsk on Saturday, April 5. A young demonstrator with his mouth covered by a Russian flag attends a pro-Russia rally outside the regional government administration building in Donetsk on Saturday, April 5.

A Ukrainian soldier guards a road not far from Prokhody, a village near the Russian border, on April 5. Ukrainian and Western officials have voiced alarm about Russia's reported military buildup on Ukraine's eastern border. A Ukrainian soldier guards a road not far from Prokhody, a village near the Russian border, on April 5. Ukrainian and Western officials have voiced alarm about Russia's reported military buildup on Ukraine's eastern border.

Ukrainian cadets at the Higher Naval School embrace a friend who has decided to stay in the school during a departure ceremony in Sevastopol, Crimea, on Friday, April 4. Some 120 cadets who refused to take Russian citizenship left the school to return to Ukraine.Ukrainian cadets at the Higher Naval School embrace a friend who has decided to stay in the school during a departure ceremony in Sevastopol, Crimea, on Friday, April 4. Some 120 cadets who refused to take Russian citizenship left the school to return to Ukraine.

Soviet military veterans take part in a flower-laying ceremony at the Soviet-era World War II memorial in Sevastopol on Thursday, April 3. Soviet military veterans take part in a flower-laying ceremony at the Soviet-era World War II memorial in Sevastopol on Thursday, April 3.

Ukrainian soldiers conduct a training session on the Desna military shooting range northeast of Kiev on Wednesday, April 2. Ukrainian soldiers conduct a training session on the Desna military shooting range northeast of Kiev on Wednesday, April 2.

Russian soldiers prepare for diving training in front of a Tarantul-III class missile boat Tuesday, April 1, in Sevastopol.Russian soldiers prepare for diving training in front of a Tarantul-III class missile boat Tuesday, April 1, in Sevastopol.

People pass by barricades near the Dnipro Hotel in Kiev on April 1. People pass by barricades near the Dnipro Hotel in Kiev on April 1.

People walk past a train loaded with Russian tanks Monday, March 31, in the Gvardeyskoe railway station near Simferopol, Crimea.People walk past a train loaded with Russian tanks Monday, March 31, in the Gvardeyskoe railway station near Simferopol, Crimea.

A Russian solder sits in a tank at the Ostryakovo railway station, not far from Simferopol on March 31.A Russian solder sits in a tank at the Ostryakovo railway station, not far from Simferopol on March 31.

Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev speaks about the economic development of Crimea during a meeting March 31 in Simferopol.Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev speaks about the economic development of Crimea during a meeting March 31 in Simferopol.

Members of the Ukrainian National Guard take part in military exercises on a shooting range near Kiev on March 31.Members of the Ukrainian National Guard take part in military exercises on a shooting range near Kiev on March 31.

A woman cries Sunday, March 30, during a gathering to honor those who were killed during protests in Kiev's Independence Square.A woman cries Sunday, March 30, during a gathering to honor those who were killed during protests in Kiev's Independence Square.

A woman and child walk past a line of police officers during a rally in Kharkiv, Ukraine, on March 30.A woman and child walk past a line of police officers during a rally in Kharkiv, Ukraine, on March 30.

Ukrainian soldiers take part in a training exercise at a military base in Donetsk, Ukraine, on Saturday, March 29.Ukrainian soldiers take part in a training exercise at a military base in Donetsk, Ukraine, on Saturday, March 29.

Demonstrators protest Friday, March 28, in Kiev, displaying police vehicles they seized during earlier clashes with authorities.Demonstrators protest Friday, March 28, in Kiev, displaying police vehicles they seized during earlier clashes with authorities.

Members of the Right Sector group block the Ukrainian parliament building in Kiev on Thursday, March 27. Activists called for Interior Minister Arsen Avakov to step down after the <a href='http://ift.tt/1o7zbbG'>recent killing of radical nationalist leader Oleksandr Muzychko</a>, who died during a police operation to detain him. Muzychko and the Right Sector are credited with playing a lead role in the protests that toppled Ukrainian President Victor Yanukovych.Members of the Right Sector group block the Ukrainian parliament building in Kiev on Thursday, March 27. Activists called for Interior Minister Arsen Avakov to step down after the recent killing of radical nationalist leader Oleksandr Muzychko, who died during a police operation to detain him. Muzychko and the Right Sector are credited with playing a lead role in the protests that toppled Ukrainian President Victor Yanukovych.

Ukrainian tanks are transported from their base in Perevalne, Crimea, on Wednesday, March 26. After Russian troops seized most of Ukraine's bases in Crimea, interim Ukrainian President Oleksandr Turchynov ordered the withdrawal of armed forces from the Black Sea peninsula, citing Russian threats to the lives of military staff and their families.Ukrainian tanks are transported from their base in Perevalne, Crimea, on Wednesday, March 26. After Russian troops seized most of Ukraine's bases in Crimea, interim Ukrainian President Oleksandr Turchynov ordered the withdrawal of armed forces from the Black Sea peninsula, citing Russian threats to the lives of military staff and their families.

Ukrainian marines wave as they leave a base in Feodosia, Crimea, on Tuesday, March 25. Ukrainian marines wave as they leave a base in Feodosia, Crimea, on Tuesday, March 25.

Russian sailors stand on the deck of the corvette ship Suzdalets in the bay of Sevastopol on March 25.Russian sailors stand on the deck of the corvette ship Suzdalets in the bay of Sevastopol on March 25.

Pro-Russian militia members remove a resident as Russian troops assault the Belbek air base, outside Sevastopol, on Saturday, March 22. After its annexation of Crimea, Russian forces have consolidated their control of the region.Pro-Russian militia members remove a resident as Russian troops assault the Belbek air base, outside Sevastopol, on Saturday, March 22. After its annexation of Crimea, Russian forces have consolidated their control of the region.

Soldiers in unmarked uniforms sit atop an armored personnel carrier at the gate of the Belbek air base on March 22. Soldiers in unmarked uniforms sit atop an armored personnel carrier at the gate of the Belbek air base on March 22.

A Russian sailor holds the Russian Navy's St. Andrew's flag while standing on the bow of the surrendered Ukrainian submarine Zaporozhye on March 22 in Sevastopol.A Russian sailor holds the Russian Navy's St. Andrew's flag while standing on the bow of the surrendered Ukrainian submarine Zaporozhye on March 22 in Sevastopol.

Russian President Vladimir Putin signs the final decree completing the annexation of Crimea on Friday, March 21, as Upper House Speaker Valentina Matviyenko, left, and State Duma Speaker Sergei Naryshkin watch. Russian President Vladimir Putin signs the final decree completing the annexation of Crimea on Friday, March 21, as Upper House Speaker Valentina Matviyenko, left, and State Duma Speaker Sergei Naryshkin watch.

A Ukrainian serviceman leaves a Ukrainian military unit that Russian soldiers took control of in Perevalne on March 21.A Ukrainian serviceman leaves a Ukrainian military unit that Russian soldiers took control of in Perevalne on March 21.

Ukrainian border guards run during training at a military camp in Alekseyevka, Ukraine, on March 21.Ukrainian border guards run during training at a military camp in Alekseyevka, Ukraine, on March 21.

Russian soldiers patrol the area surrounding a Ukrainian military unit in Perevalne on Thursday, March 20.Russian soldiers patrol the area surrounding a Ukrainian military unit in Perevalne on Thursday, March 20.

Pro-Russian protesters remove the gate to the Ukrainian navy headquarters as Russian troops stand guard in Sevastopol on Wednesday, March 19.Pro-Russian protesters remove the gate to the Ukrainian navy headquarters as Russian troops stand guard in Sevastopol on Wednesday, March 19.

Pro-Russian forces walk inside the Ukrainian navy headquarters in Sevastopol on March 19.Pro-Russian forces walk inside the Ukrainian navy headquarters in Sevastopol on March 19.

A member of pro-Russian forces takes down a Ukrainian flag at the Ukrainian navy headquarters in Sevastopol on March 19. A member of pro-Russian forces takes down a Ukrainian flag at the Ukrainian navy headquarters in Sevastopol on March 19.

Alexander Vitko, chief of the Russian Black Sea Fleet, leaves the Ukrainian navy headquarters in Sevastopol after pro-Russian forces took it over on March 19.Alexander Vitko, chief of the Russian Black Sea Fleet, leaves the Ukrainian navy headquarters in Sevastopol after pro-Russian forces took it over on March 19.

A Russian flag waves as workers install a new sign on a parliament building in Simferopol, Crimea's capital, on March 19.A Russian flag waves as workers install a new sign on a parliament building in Simferopol, Crimea's capital, on March 19.

Russian military personnel surround a Ukrainian military base in Perevalne on March 19.Russian military personnel surround a Ukrainian military base in Perevalne on March 19.

Nameplates on the front of the Crimean parliament building get removed Tuesday, March 18, in Simferopol.Nameplates on the front of the Crimean parliament building get removed Tuesday, March 18, in Simferopol.

From left, Crimean Prime Minister Sergey Aksyonov; Vladimir Konstantinov, speaker of the Crimean parliament; Russian President Vladimir Putin; and Alexei Chaly, the new de facto mayor of Sevastopol, join hands in Moscow on March 18 after signing a treaty to make Crimea part of Russia.From left, Crimean Prime Minister Sergey Aksyonov; Vladimir Konstantinov, speaker of the Crimean parliament; Russian President Vladimir Putin; and Alexei Chaly, the new de facto mayor of Sevastopol, join hands in Moscow on March 18 after signing a treaty to make Crimea part of Russia.

Demonstrators hold a Crimean flag at Lenin Square in Simferopol on March 18.Demonstrators hold a Crimean flag at Lenin Square in Simferopol on March 18.

Ukrainian soldiers stand guard at a checkpoint near Strilkove, Ukraine, close to Crimea on Monday, March 17.Ukrainian soldiers stand guard at a checkpoint near Strilkove, Ukraine, close to Crimea on Monday, March 17.

Former boxer and Ukrainian politician Vitali Klitschko addresses reporters in Kiev on March 17.Former boxer and Ukrainian politician Vitali Klitschko addresses reporters in Kiev on March 17.

Ukrainian troops stand guard in front of the Ukrainian Parliament building in Kiev on March 17.Ukrainian troops stand guard in front of the Ukrainian Parliament building in Kiev on March 17.

A Ukrainian man applies for the National Guard at a mobile recruitment center in Kiev on March 17.A Ukrainian man applies for the National Guard at a mobile recruitment center in Kiev on March 17.

Civilians walk past riot police in Simferopol on March 17.Civilians walk past riot police in Simferopol on March 17.

A Ukrainian soldier stands on top of an armored vehicle at a military camp near the village of Michurino, Ukraine, on March 17.A Ukrainian soldier stands on top of an armored vehicle at a military camp near the village of Michurino, Ukraine, on March 17.

Policemen stand guard outside the regional state administration building in Donetsk during a rally by pro-Russia activists March 17.Policemen stand guard outside the regional state administration building in Donetsk during a rally by pro-Russia activists March 17.

Armed soldiers stand guard outside a Ukrainian military base in Perevalne on March 17.Armed soldiers stand guard outside a Ukrainian military base in Perevalne on March 17.

A man holds a Crimean flag as he stands in front of the Crimean parliament building in Simferopol on March 17.A man holds a Crimean flag as he stands in front of the Crimean parliament building in Simferopol on March 17.

Crimeans holding Russian flags celebrate in front of the parliament building in Simferopol on Sunday, March 16.Crimeans holding Russian flags celebrate in front of the parliament building in Simferopol on Sunday, March 16.

A Ukrainian police officer tries to shield himself from a road block thrown by pro-Russia supporters in Kharkiv on March 16.A Ukrainian police officer tries to shield himself from a road block thrown by pro-Russia supporters in Kharkiv on March 16.

Pro-Russia demonstrators storm the prosecutor general's office during a rally in Donetsk on March 16.Pro-Russia demonstrators storm the prosecutor general's office during a rally in Donetsk on March 16.

A woman leaves a voting booth in Sevastopol on March 16. <a href='http://ift.tt/1gSMq89' target='_blank'>See the crisis in Ukraine before Crimea voted</a>A woman leaves a voting booth in Sevastopol on March 16. See the crisis in Ukraine before Crimea voted








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  • Gunmen seize key parts of eastern Ukraine; pro-Russian forces create instability

  • David Frum: Remark that military intervention won't work implies West will look away

  • Frum: Russia threatens stability of Europe; NATO observers need to monitor events

  • He says sanctions must hurt Russian investments; Ukraine's weak military needs help




Editor's note: David Frum, a CNN contributor, is a contributing editor at The Daily Beast. He is the author of eight books, including a new novel, "Patriots," and a post-election e-book, "Why Romney Lost." Frum was a special assistant to President George W. Bush from 2001 to 2002. The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of the author.


(CNN) -- When Russia invaded and annexed Crimea, Western leaders warned Russia against trying the same trick in mainland Ukraine. Russia is now trying the same trick in mainland Ukraine.


Over the past several days, masked, heavily armed men have seized strategic locations in eastern Ukraine.


In Kharkiv, pro-Russian armed forces have occupied City Hall. In Donetsk, they have taken control of the regional legislature building and the interior ministry. In Luhansk, they have taken the compound of the state security agency. In the city of Kramatorsk, in the Donetsk region, armed men shot their way into police headquarters.



David Frum


Cell phone towers are being toppled through the area, according to Ukraine's acting interior minister, apparently with a view to silencing nonmilitary communications.


Uniformed men have established checkpoints around the city of Sloviansk, also near Donetsk. A gunfight erupted at one checkpoint on Sunday, apparently leaving two dead.


The Russians have infiltrated special forces into Ukraine over the past weeks and months. Now they are busily creating conditions of "instability" that could provide a pretext for outright Russian intervention, followed most likely by a partition of Ukraine and alignment of the eastern provinces toward Russia. In Crimea, Russian intervention has been followed by a campaign of "disappearances" of opposition and potential opposition figures. Inside Russia too, policy is turning again sharply repressive, symbolized by the spread of hammer-and-sickle flags at pro-Putin demonstrations.





Russia: Ukraine heading for civil war




Pro-Russian gunmen seize building




What's next for Ukraine and Russia?

Europe outside the Balkans has known profound peace since 1991. Even the murderous wars in the former Yugoslavia, atrocious as they were, never threatened the general European peace. The Russians' actions in Ukraine do threaten the general peace. Russia is using military force -- as opposed to its usual tool kit of corruption, intimidation, and no-return-address assassination -- to reclaim former Soviet-occupied territory. In Ukraine, Russia has launched a war of reconquest. It's very hard to predict where that war will stop.


President Obama was very wrong in his speech in Brussels on March 26 to suggest that the United States had no national interest in Ukraine. What's at stake in Ukraine is the peace and stability of the European continent, an issue over which the United States fought two world wars. Yet the president has signaled to Russia that it need not fear any very robust U.S. or NATO response to its depredations in Ukraine.


Opinion: The West must not blame itself for Putin's revanchism


More from the March 26 speech: "Of course, Ukraine is not a member of NATO -- in part because of its close and complex history with Russia. Nor will Russia be dislodged from Crimea or deterred from further escalation by military force."


When a president announces that he does not think a foreign aggressor's actions can be deterred, what message does that foreign aggressor hear? "Green light!" Unsurprisingly, Russia is driving right through that green light. The U.S. response? Over the weekend, the White House announced that Vice President Joe Biden will visit Ukraine on April 22, or not for another 10 days. Ten days from now, Putin could be standing under a "Mission Accomplished" banner in Kharkiv.


Every supposed benefit we receive from Obama's famed Russia "reset" is disintegrating before our eyes. News is arriving of another Syrian chemical attack, in the village of Kfar Zeita, 125 miles northeast of Damascus. Syria still holds most of the chemical warfare arsenal that was supposed to have been entirely surrendered to Russia by February 5. Russia has announced plans to bust up the international sanctions regime against Iran with purchases of 500,000 barrels of Iranian oil a day, potentially nearly doubling Iran's oil exports.


This is a rampage of mischief, far beyond one remote region of southeast Europe. And yet even as the threat to peace intensifies, the Western leaders and Western alliances charged with keeping the peace dither, fidget, and hem and haw.


The most urgent necessity now: deploy teams of NATO observers to the cities that are targets of Russian activity in eastern Ukraine. NATO needs eyes and ears on the ground -- and Russia must confront that it is fomenting an international crisis.


NATO needs rapidly to expand its permanent presence with the exposed eastern members of the alliance, especially the three Baltic republics. Such a move would violate the terms of the 1997 agreement with Russia on NATO expansion, which is precisely why it's an apt response to Russia's violation of the 1994 agreement on Ukraine's territorial integrity.


Ukraine needs help improving its military and police capacities. Russia is infiltrating forces across the border with pathetic ease. This is partly because Ukraine's wretchedly underpaid officials are easily bribed and partly because Ukraine's forces are too small, ill-equipped and untrained to do much even when not bribed.


The next round of sanctions on Russia should focus on banks and financial institutions that move the ill-gotten wealth of Russia's corrupt leadership to safe havens in the West. Putin's fortune is not stored in rubles. He's all too aware that someday, the kind of rebellion that toppled his Ukraine stooges might topple him.


It won't be easy to find that money, although of course NATO authorities should start the search. What is easier is to target institutions, Russian and Western, that move money out of Russia -- or that have suspicious clients from Russia.


In the longer term, Europe needs to shift its natural gas sourcing away from Russia. The U.S. will have to allow natural gas exports, and both Canada and the United States will need to induce private actors to build the liquid natural gas facilities that make exports feasible.


It's a big job. But we face a big threat.


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