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Russia-Ukraine: Fog lifts, now it's war
8/30/2014 11:48:31 AM

STORY HIGHLIGHTS

The U.S. this week said Russian forces were "directly involved" in fighting in Ukraine
Ulrich Speck writes that this moves the eastern Ukraine conflict from a proxy war to war
It also likely ends Berlin's attempts to use diplomatic means to prevent the worst, he says
Speck says Russia and Europe are now heading towards a much less cordial relationship

Editor's note: Ulrich Speck is a visiting scholar at the Carnegie Europe think tank in Brussels. The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely his. Follow @uli_speck and @Carnegie_Europe on Twitter. The views expressed in this commentary are solely the author's.

(CNN) -- The fog has been lifted. There is no serious doubt left that Russia is "now directly involved in the fighting" in Ukraine, as Geoffrey Pyatt, U.S. Ambassador in Ukraine has said on Twitter.

"Russian supplied tanks, armored vehicles, artillery and multiple rocket launchers have been insufficient to defeat Ukraine' armed forces. So now an increasing number of Russian troops are intervening directly in fighting on Ukrainian territory. Russia has also sent its newest air defense systems including the SA-22 into eastern Ukraine," he wrote.

Ulrich Speck

This is the step from proxy war to war. It is also probably the end of German Chancellor Angela Merkel's attempts to prevent the worst through diplomacy. She spoke to Russian President Vladimir Putin more than 30 times this year on the phone, much more often than any other Western leader.

What Germany tried was to convince Putin to step back from war in eastern Ukraine by using carrots and sticks: Western economic sanctions on the one hand, and on the other the promise of a return to a close partnership with the West if Russia were to stop supporting separatists in Ukraine.

For Berlin, which was in the lead in Western negotiations with Russia, the goal of the talks was to give Putin a face-saving exit option that wouldn't look like a defeat. But for Moscow, those talks were meant to achieve Russia's goal -- control over Ukraine.

While Russia talked about "federalization", which was meant to give regions a veto over the country's core political decisions, Germany talked about "decentralization," a system of administration that would leave the capital in control of Ukraine.

Putin's choices

German tactics were built on Russian deniability of any direct involvement. The diplomatic game was based on the pretense that both sides were not much more than concerned neighbors, that Russia was not part of the conflict.

The West's grand strategy of transforming Russia into a liberal democracy by weaving it into a web of interconnectedness has failed.
Ulrich Speck

But indirect involvement was not enough to hold territory in Ukraine. That's why Putin either had to accept defeat or to step up his efforts and end the pretense of Russian non-involvement. He chose the latter.

Putin did so knowing that this would lead to more Western sanctions, more costs for Russia. But he may have gambled that the West would not massively increase sanctions, as the appetite for conflict with Russia is low in many European countries, especially in Western Europe. It is also possible that he may even be ready to accept economic divorce with the West.

The West has tried everything to convince Putin to step back from the brink of open war in Ukraine. But it has not worked. The success of the Ukrainian army on the ground has forced Russia to make a choice between ending efforts to bring back Ukraine under Moscow's control -- or moving to open war. Putin had to leave the fog and make a move.

The German approach now looks like a failure, but it was worth trying nevertheless. It might have worked. Diplomatic efforts may also have kept Russian involvement to a minimum in the last few months -- they may have caused Putin to keep a low profile, thus allowing Kiev to recover and win back territory.

A pause in diplomacy

The West has no "Plan B." Merkel's carrot and stick approach had the great advantage of being "sellable" domestically: to her coalition partner in Germany, SPD, and in the EU to countries like France, Spain and Italy, which are much less concerned about Russian neo-imperialism than Germany or Poland.

More robust tactics won't fly in Germany or in the wider EU. Anything that appears to raise the risk of direct military confrontation with Russia will be vetoed. The only possible option now is to increase sanctions. Diplomacy will take a pause. And every hope of a return to the way relations with Russia used to be will be buried.

What is clear now is that Russia and Europe are heading towards a much less cordial relationship. The next few years are going to be characterized by a mix of confrontation and cooperation. The West's grand strategy of transforming Russia into a liberal democracy by weaving it into a web of interconnectedness has failed.

By moving from proxy war to open war, by giving up pretense and deniability in Ukraine, Russia has very clearly made that point.

Germany has taken the lead in the crisis because it has become a central player in Europe, and because it had a lot at stake. Its attempts to put the genie back in the bottle were ultimately unsuccessful. But in that process, Berlin has taken responsibility for Western relations with Russia.

It should now take the lead on the long game as well: by building a new strategy that balances confrontation where necessary with cooperation where possible.

Russia nearing 'point of no return' in Ukraine, warns EU
8/30/2014 12:46:55 PM

STORY HIGHLIGHTS

NEW: Jose Manuel Barroso: 'Point of no return' can come if escalation continues
Ukraine's President says thousands of foreign troops are on Ukrainian soil
Ukrainian forces bolster defenses around southern port city of Mariupol
EU leaders meet in Brussels to consider possible new sanctions against Russia

Mariupol, Ukraine (CNN) -- Russia's actions in eastern Ukraine -- including what Western officials say is the incursion of hundreds of Russian troops as the Ukrainian military battles pro-Russian rebels -- could lead to a "point of no return" if a political solution isn't found, the European Commission's President said Saturday.

The situation "has worsened considerably," European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso said in a joint press conference with Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko in Brussels, where European leaders were meeting Saturday to discuss possible new sanctions against Moscow.

"The opening of new fronts and use of regular Russian forces is not acceptable and represents a grave transgression," Barroso said.

"We may see a situation where we reach the point of no return," he added. "If the escalation of the conflict continues, this point of no return can come."

Poroshenko also said the situation had worsened since Wednesday and that thousands of foreign troops and hundreds of foreign tanks are now on Ukrainian territory.

"Ukraine now is a subject for foreign military aggression and terror," he said. But European leaders have shown their support for Ukraine, he said, and Russian aggression will not go unanswered.

Barroso said he had urged Russia's President Vladimir Putin to "change course" in a phone call Friday.

"No one's interest is served by new wars on our continent, no one's interest is served by confrontation," he said. "This is simply not the way that responsible, proud nations should behave in the 21st century."

Putin: Russia is powerful nuclear nation

However, Putin appeared defiant Friday in the face of a chorus of Western condemnation over what NATO says is clear evidence of Russian military aggression in Ukraine.

Moscow doesn't want or intend to wade into any "large-scale conflicts," Putin said at a youth forum, state-run Itar-Tass reported. A few breaths later, he made the point that Russia is "strengthening our nuclear deterrence forces and our armed forces," making them more efficient and modernized.

"I want to remind you that Russia is one of the most powerful nuclear nations," the President said. "This is a reality, not just words."

His comments came as a British government source claimed that Russian troops had significantly ratcheted up their military incursion into Ukraine.

The source told CNN on Friday that Russia has moved 4,000 to 5,000 military personnel into Ukraine -- a figure far higher than one U.S. official's earlier claim of 1,000 troops.

The soldiers are aligned in "formed units" and fighting around the eastern cities of Luhansk and Donetsk, said the UK source. Some 20,000 more troops are on the border and "more may be on the way" to the border, the source added.

'New Russian aggression'

The EU leaders meeting Saturday in Brussels may decide what action to take as soon as Saturday evening, EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton said, speaking after an informal meeting of foreign ministers in Milan, Italy.

Swedish Foreign Minister Carl Bildt, in Milan for the two-day talks, tweeted that they had been dominated by "new Russian aggression in Ukraine and consequences."

"Very little doubt now that Russia will use also its regular armed forces to try to carve out a Novorossyia semi-state from Ukraine," he said. "Novorossiya" is a Russian term meaning "New Russia" that has historical associations with the Russian Empire and has been embraced by the separatists.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel and U.S. President Barack Obama agreed in a phone call Thursday that they would have to consider tougher action against Russia.

The European Union and the United States have already slapped economic sanctions on targeted Russian individuals and businesses. The EU also has sanctioned certain sectors of the Russian economy, prompting Russia to retaliate with its own measures.

Russia is a major supplier of natural gas to European nations, complicating efforts to exert pressure on Moscow -- especially as colder weather approaches.

Russia has repeatedly denied either supporting the rebels, or sending its own troops over the border. But its assertions have been roundly rejected by the West.

Troops dig trenches by Mariupol

A new front in the conflict opened up Wednesday around the southern coastal town of Novoazovsk, about 12 miles (20 kilometers) from the Russian border, with Kiev accusing Russian troops of seizing the town.

Col. Andriy Lysenko, spokesman for the Ukrainian National Defense and Security Service, told reporters Saturday that the Ukrainian military is working to fortify the port city of Mariupol, after Russian intelligence groups were observed there.

Many fear the city, which lies between Novoazovsk and Crimea, may be next in the rebels' sights.

A CNN team in Mariupol saw Ukrainian forces strengthening defensive positions on the eastern outskirts of the city, reinforcing checkpoints and digging trenches along roads leading toward the Russian border.

Beyond these checkpoints, the team found a small advance detachment of Ukrainian troops on the main road about halfway between Mariupol and Novoazovsk. The soldiers said it had been quiet Saturday.

The CNN team encountered the first pro-Russian rebel roadblock a short distance outside Novoazovsk, with concrete blocks across the road and a heavy machine gun among the weaponry.

The Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe has sent observers to Mariupol to monitor the situation.

Long queues formed at one Ukrainian checkpoint out of Mariupol on Saturday as people from rural areas tried to get in and out of the city.

Analysts suggest that Russia may have sent its forces into Novoazovsk to secure a land route from the border to the Crimean peninsula it annexed from Ukraine in March, and in order to throw Ukrainian forces making gains against besieged rebel forces in the cities of Donetsk and Luhansk off balance.

Fighting continued in the Luhansk area Saturday, Lysenko said.

The latest military escalation followed a meeting between Putin and Poroshenko in Belarus on Tuesday which had seemed to offer the prospect of diplomatic progress.

Denials 'without credibility'

Russia annexed Ukraine's Crimean peninsula in March, following the ouster of pro-Moscow President Viktor Yanukovych the previous month.

Violence broke out in the eastern Donetsk and Luhansk regions in April, as separatist leaders declared independence from the government in Kiev. Since mid-April, the conflict between the pro-Russia rebels and the Ukrainian military has cost more than 2,500 lives, according to the United Nations.

White House spokesman Josh Earnest said Friday that -- whatever the Kremlin says -- the reality is Russian troops are inside Ukraine and have fired on Ukrainian military positions.

NATO, which on Thursday produced what it says are satellite images showing Russian troops engaged in military operations inside Ukraine, also gave short shrift to Russia's claims.

See the NATO satellite images

In response, Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said NATO had previously used "images from computer games" to -- in his view -- falsely make the case that Russian troops are in Ukraine, and said the "latest accusations are pretty similar."

Russia accuses Ukraine of creating a humanitarian crisis in eastern Ukraine by launching a military operation to recapture the territory taken by the rebels. Russia has sent one aid convoy into the country without Ukraine's permission and has said it intends to send more such convoys.

Barroso said there was an urgent need for international assistance but that it must be provided "in coordination with Ukrainian authorities and but also with respect to Ukraine's sovereignty."

Europe has already mobilized hundreds of millions in loans and grants for Ukraine, Barroso said, and over 1 billion euros more in loans could follow in the coming months.

CNN's Tim Lister reported from Mariupol and Laura Smith-Spark wrote and reported in London. CNN's Lindsay Isaac, Max Foster, Alla Eshchenko, Barbara Starr and Greg Botelho contributed to this report, as did journalist Victoria Butenko in Kiev.

Putin issues 'warning' to Russia critics
8/30/2014 12:13:16 PM

STORY HIGHLIGHTS

NEW: Putin: Russia doesn't want big conflicts, but it will be ready if they happen
NEW: Russia is a "powerful nuclear nation," he says
UK source: Up to 5,000 Russian troops are in Ukraine, 20,000 more on border
NATO chief says Russia is trying to "destabilize Ukraine as a sovereign nation"

(CNN) -- Don't mess with Russia.

That was President Vladimir Putin's message on Friday, the same day a British government source claimed that Russian troops had significantly ratcheted up their military incursion into Ukraine.

Moscow doesn't want or intend to wade into any "large-scale conflicts," Putin insisted at a youth forum, state-run Itar-Tass reported. A few breaths later, he made the point that Russia is "strengthening our nuclear deterrence forces and our armed forces," making them more efficient and modernized.

"I want to remind you that Russia is one of the most powerful nuclear nations," the President said. "This is a reality, not just words."

He later warned, "We must always be ready to repel any aggression against Russia and (potential enemies) should be aware ... it is better not to come against Russia as regards a possible armed conflict."

The comments came the same day that Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov accused NATO of using "images from computer games" to -- in his view -- falsely make the case that Russian troops are in Ukraine. Lavrov said "hiding the evidence is an outstanding characteristic of the U.S. and many EU countries" with regard to Ukraine.

See the NATO satellite images

The thing is, many in the West don't believe much of anything coming out of Russia.

White House spokesman Josh Earnest said Friday that -- whatever the Kremlin says -- the reality is Russian troops are inside the Ukraine and have fired on Ukrainian military positions.

"Those denials are completely without credibility," Earnest said.

And Russia's military may be getting digging in deeper in Ukraine. The British government source told CNN on Friday that Russia has moved 4,000 to 5,000 military personnel -- a figure far higher than one U.S. official's earlier claim of 1,000 troops.

The soldiers are aligned in "formed units" and fighting around Luhansk and Donetsk, said the UK source. And they may soon have company: Some 20,000 troops are on border and "more may be on the way," the source adds.

So what's Russia's endgame? Does it simply want to protect civilians or ethnic Russians in Ukraine? Or does it endeavor to develop a land bridge between Crimea -- which split from Ukraine to become part of Russia months ago, amid the unrest following President Viktor Yanukovych's ouster -- and the Russian border? Or perhaps take over all of Ukraine now?

The UK source, giving his government's analysis of Russian troop movements, surmised that right now "the primary role of the current Russian deployments inside Ukraine is probably to assist, support and take the pressure off the separatist forces in order to maintain pressure on Kiev to decentralize.

"However, we are not ruling out more ambitious plans, including a land corridor from the Russian border to Crimea."

After 8 months of conflict, what's next for Ukraine?

NATO chief blasts Russia's 'hollow denials'

Ukraine has been in crisis since last fall, when political upheaval preceded widespread violence that threatened to tear the Eastern Europe nation apart.

If anything, that violence has worsened the past several months -- as pro-Russian rebels dug in and Ukraine's military stepped up its offensive to retake its territory. The U.N. human rights office reports at least 2,593 people killed between mid-April and August 27, and that many innocent civilians have been killed, hurt or trapped in urban areas.

Predictably, both sides have taken the high road while blaming each other for humanitarian crisis and for perpetrating violence rather than having fair, sincere negotiations toward a cease-fire.

"When Kiev said that negotiations would begin only after the surrender of those whom they call 'separatists,' the militia are left with no choice but to defend their homes, their families," Russia's foreign ministry said in a statement.

Western officials say that Moscow hasn't taken any responsibility, whether for its military's on-the-ground involvement or how it can influence rebels.

Speaking after a meeting of NATO ambassadors in Brussels, Belgium, Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen said what he called "the serious escalation of Russia's military aggression against Ukraine" violates Ukraine's territorial integrity and "defies all diplomatic efforts for a peaceful solution."

"Despite Moscow's hollow denials, it is now clear that Russian troops and equipment have illegally crossed the border into eastern and southeastern Ukraine," Rasmussen said. "This is not an isolated action but part of a dangerous pattern over many months to destabilize Ukraine as a sovereign nation."

Fighting raging on multiple fronts

Whoever is to blame, whoever is involved, two things that are not in question is that the fighting is continuing and that there's no end in sight.

Ukrainian troops have been fighting on two fronts: southeast of rebel-held Donetsk, and along the nation's southern coast in the town of Novoazovsk, about 12 miles (20 kilometers) from the Russian border.

Mykhailo Lysenko, deputy commander of the Ukrainian Donbas battalion, on Thursday described the fighting in the south as "a full-scale invasion."

In a statement issued by the Kremlin, Putin said the rebels had halted a Ukrainian military operation in eastern Ukraine that he said had endangered the civilian population and caused many casualties.

The UK government source said Russian forces are fighting alongside rebels around Luhansk and Donetsk. It's too early to gauge their impact, though even if propping up the pro-Russian separatists for months longer so that Ukraine's military doesn't next turn its attention to taking back Crimea could be considered a victory.

"At the very least, the Russian deployments are creating the conditions for a frozen conflict going into winter and .. ensure that Kiev is sufficiently distracted ... to prevent it from refocusing its attention on Crimea," the source said.

Retired Lt. Gen. Mark Mark Hertling, a 37-year veteran who once commanded U.S. soldiers in Europe, thinks that Russia may be aiming higher than that. If Ukraine folds easily to Russia's military might, neighboring nations might have good reason to worry. On the other side, Moscow could lose sway if its efforts fail.

"He is trying to influence the Europeans, and it won't stop just with Ukraine," the military analyst told CNN, predicting more Russian military intervention elsewhere. "This is something where he is trying to counter the influence of the West, and he can't afford to lose in Ukraine."

Map: Europe's thirst for Russian gas

6 questions -- an answers -- about the crisis in Ukraine

CNN's Max Foster, Alla Eshchenko, Elaine Ly and Barbara Starr as well as journalist Victoria Butenko contributed to this report.

U.S. Open: Qualifier humbles Kvitova
8/30/2014 5:18:11 PM

STORY HIGHLIGHTS

Reigning Wimbledon champion the latest top seed to fall
World No. 4 loses in straight sets to world No. 145 Aleksandra Krunic
Serena Williams through to last 16 following win over Varvara Lepchenko
Andy Murray and Novak Djokovic through to last 16 in men's draw

(CNN) -- Day six of the U.S. Open at Flushing Meadows and the shocks just keep on coming in the women's draw.

Reigning Wimbledon champion Petra Kvitova is the latest casualty after crashing out in the third round to Aleksandra Krunic, a woman ranked 145 in the world.

The Serbian qualifier made light work of the heavy-hitting opponent from the Czech Republic winning in straight sets 6-4 6-4 in one hour 34 minutes.

To say that Kvitova was off her game is an understatement as she lost serve five times and racked up 34 unforced errors. But rather than focus on the shortcomings in her on game on Saturday, Kvitova chose to praise her opponent.

"I think she played really unbelievable tennis, and she put a lot of balls back," Kvitova said.

"I did mistakes, and I was really trying everything that I could in that moment. I was trying to fight and fighting every point, but it was so difficult. It wasn't really my day. She played really great tennis today."

By her standards, Kvitova has a poor record at the U.S. Open having never got further than the fourth round.

But the 24-year-old had reason to hope that this year might be different after claiming a second Wimbledon title in July and her win at the New Haven tournament last week.

But her dreams have been extinguished for another 12 months as she becomes the fifth top 10 seed to depart the women's tournament.

Kvitova joins second seed Simona Halep, fourth seed Agnieszka Radwanska, sixth seed Angelique Kerber and Ana Ivanovic, the eight seed -- all of whom have already packed their bags.

For Krunic, who will now play Belarussian Victoria Azarenka in the fourth round, it was victory to savor.

"It was an honor for me to be in the same court with Petra. Of course, I didn't expect to win. Of course, I was hoping at least to win a set, but I managed to win a match somehow."

Azarenka, seeded 16 at Flushing Meadows this year, eased through to the last 16 with 6-1 6-1 win over Russia's Elena Vesnina.

Reigning champion Serena Williams is also safely through to the second week following a 6-3 -6-3 win over Varvara Lepchenko while 11th-seed Flavia Pennetta from Italy will face Australia's Casey Dellacqua for a place in the quarter finals.

Pennetta saw off Nicole Gibbs of the U.S. in straight sets 6-4 6-0, while Dellacqua, the 29th seed, needed three sets to get past Karolina Pliskova, winning 6-3 3-6 6-4 in one hour 54 minutes.

In the men's competition, the top seeds are faring better.

Champion of two years ago Andy Murray, seeded eighth this year, progressed to the fourth round with a four-set win over Russia's Andrey Kuznetsov 6-1 7-5 4-6 6-2.

"I got off to a good start, then had a bit of a cushion when he started to get back in the match," Murray said. "I just tried to stay solid in the fourth set and thankfully it paid off."

The 27-year-old Scot's reward is a match up against Jo-Wilfried Tsonga.

The French ninth seed beat Spain's Pablo Carreno Busta in straight sets 6-4 6-4 6-4.

World No. 1 Novak Djokovic didn't break sweat against Sam Querrey, beating his American opponent 6-3 6-2 6-2 to set up last 16 tie against either Philipp Kohlschreiber or American 13th seed John Isner.

Earlier on Saturday, Milos Raonic won in straight sets against Victor Estrella Burgos of the Dominican Republic.

The number five seed from Canada will now play 10th seed Kei Nishikori in the last 16. The Japanese No. 1 beat Argentina's Leonardo Mayer 6-4 6-2 6-3.

Marquez on pole at Silverstone
8/30/2014 5:20:59 PM

Marc Marquez is in pole position to seal an 11th win of the season at the British MotoGP on Sunday.

STORY HIGHLIGHTS

Spanish rider takes 10th pole in 12 attempts this season
Reigning world champion has dominated 2014 and leads championship by 77 points
Honda rider won opening 10 races, finished fourth in 11th GP in Czech Republic

(CNN) -- Spain's Marc Marquez claimed a 10th pole position in 12 attempts this season at qualifying for the British Grand Prix at Silverstone on Saturday.

The Honda rider, who currently leads the MotoGP championship by 77 points, was 0.311 faster than his nearest rival, Italy's Andrea Dovizioso.

The Ducati rider was narrowly quicker than Jorge Lorenzo who finished third -- the Spaniard will be looking to complete a third successive victory at the Silverstone circuit.

Lorenzo's compatriot Aleix Espargaro is one place further back in fourth with Marquez's nearest rival in the title race, Dani Pedrosa, finishing qualifying in fifth.

Marquez, who became the sport's youngest world champion last year, has utterly dominated 2014 winning the opening 10 races.

The only blot on an otherwise perfect season came at the Czech Republic MotoGP earlier this month where he finished fourth.

Read more: Marquez seeks to banish Brno blip in Britain

First openly gay NFL player released
8/30/2014 5:12:18 PM

STORY HIGHLIGHTS

Michael Sam tweets: "The journey continues"
Rams coach Jeff Fisher: "It was a football decision"
Sam was an All-American defensive end at the University of Missouri
Sam could be picked up by another team or return to the Rams as a practice player

(CNN) -- The St. Louis Rams announced Saturday that Michael Sam, who made history as the first openly gay player to be drafted into the NFL, has been waived and did not make the team's final 53-man roster.

Sam, an All-American defensive end who played for the University of Missouri, made history when he was picked by the Rams in the seventh and final round. He was the 249th of 256 players selected.

The Rams' move does not necessarily mean the end of Sam's professional career. He could still be picked up by another team, possibly on waivers, or return to the Rams as a player on the practice squad, coach Jeff Fisher said.

At a press conference, Fisher said releasing Sam was "a football decision. It was a football decision back in May when we drafted Mike."

Sam said on Twitter @MichaelSamNFL:

I want to thank the entire Rams organization and the city of St. Louis for giving me this tremendous opportunity and allowing me to (1/2)
— Michael Sam (@MichaelSamNFL) August 30, 2014

show I can play at this level. I look forward to continuing to build on the progress I made here toward a long and successful career (2/2)
— Michael Sam (@MichaelSamNFL) August 30, 2014

"I want to thank the entire Rams organization and the city of St. Louis for giving me this tremendous opportunity and allowing me to show I can play at this level. I look forward to continuing to build on the progress I made here toward a long and successful career."

Another Tweet read: "The most worthwhile things in life rarely come easy, this is a lesson I've always known. The journey continues."

Fisher said Sam has the ability play somewhere. "It needs to be the right place and a good fit."

Sam, at 6-foot-2 and 260 pounds, starred in college football last season. Besides being first team All-American, he was named the top defensive player in the Southeastern Conference, considered the nation's best league. Teammates named him the team's most valuable player.

On Saturday, Sam returned to his college in Columbia, Missouri, to be honored at the game against South Dakota State.

Obama congratulates Michael Sam

The most worthwhile things in life rarely come easy, this is a lesson I've always known. The journey continues.
— Michael Sam (@MichaelSamNFL) August 30, 2014

Fisher said Sam worked hard, but the team already had a lot of strong defensive ends.

"Mike fit in very, very well" at training camp, Fisher said. "He was fun to be around and he was a good teammate."

Bleacher Report said the contracts of players on waivers can be picked up by other teams within 48 hours. If the contracts are not picked up, the players can become unrestricted free agents.

Teams, including the Rams, could put Sams on their practice squads.

Sam worked with the second and third units during the preseason and made 11 tackles and recorded three sacks, said Bleacher Report.

Sam told his college teammates he was gay and made a public announcement shortly before the NFL draft in May. When he was drafted, he made waves kissing his boyfriend in celebration as cameras looked on.

Sam sets out to make it in the NFL

Being drafted was historic and Sam received a congratulatory phone call from President Barack Obama.

"I'm determined to be great," Sam told reporters after the draft. "So I'm going to train hard and try to make the team."

Fisher said the talked one-one-one with all the players who were released except Sam. He said he will talk to him in person Sunday.

Other athletes have come out as gay, but they didn't have Sam's profile. Among them are the NBA's Jason Collins, the WNBA's Brittney Griner, WWE's Darren Young, UFC's Liz Carmouche, MMA's Fallon Fox and Major League Soccer's Robbie Rogers.

The road to football stardom was not an easy one for Sam.

One of eight children, he grew up in Hitchcock, Texas, where he was raised primarily by his mother. At one point, he has said, he lived out of his mother's car and briefly stayed with another family.

Three of Sam's siblings have died, including an older brother he saw die from a gunshot wound. Two of his brothers are serving prison sentences.

Champ Bailey released by the New Orleans Saints

Drew Iden of CNN contributed to this report.

Siege broken after strikes, aid drop near threatened town
8/31/2014 7:15:04 AM

STORY HIGHLIGHTS

The siege of Amerli has been broken, a retired general says
The U.S. has been dropping aid to the Iraqi town that was surrounded by ISIS
The town of Amerli is home to many of Iraq's Shiite Turkmen
Australia, France and the UK also participated in the aid drop

(CNN) -- Iraqi security and volunteer forces have broken the siege of Amerli and have entered the town, retired Gen. Khaled al-Amerli, an Amerli resident and member of its self-defense force, told CNN on Sunday.

Iraqi state TV also reported that the siege had been broken.

The news prompted a wave of celebrations across the town, which had been besieged by fighters from the terror group ISIS. Residents waved the Iraqi flag and fired celebratory shots into the air, al-Amerli said.

"Today is a day of victory for Iraq and the resilient people of Amerli," the retired general said.

The breakthrough came after the United States said it carried out airstrikes and dropped humanitarian aid in Amerli to protect an ethnic minority that one official said faced the threat of an "imminent massacre."

Amerli is home to many of Iraq's Shiite Turkmen.

Australia, France and the UK also participated in the aid drop.

The U.S. military conducted "coordinated airstrikes" against ISIS targets as part of an effort to support the humanitarian operation, Pentagon press secretary Rear Adm. John Kirby said.

Video released by the Iraqi Ministry of Defense was strikingly similar to the scenes of the dire situation faced by the Yazidis, who were trapped on Mount Sinjar by ISIS earlier this month. Dozens of people crowded helicopters, hoping to be rescued. Scores more waited in the scorching summer sun for the arrival of lifesaving supplies.

ISIS fighters had surrounded Amerli, 70 miles north of Baquba, since mid-June. The town's fewer than 20,000 residents have been without power.

"Residents are enduring harsh living conditions with severe food and water shortages, and a complete absence of medical services -- and there are fears of a possible imminent massacre," U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights Navi Pillay said last week.

ISIS has called the Shiite Turkmen heretics and vowed to push them out.

Turkmen are descendants of a Turkic-speaking, traditionally nomadic people, who share culture ties with Turkey. There are Sunni and Shiite Turkmen in Iraq, and they account for up to 3% of Iraq's population.

Turkmen have been subjected to violence before at the hands of Sunni extremists.

What is ISIS?

Iraqi forces under a Shiite-led regime, as well as ethnic Kurdish forces, have been battling ISIS, which this year took over large portions of northern and western Iraq and eastern Syria for what it calls its new caliphate.

Well before ISIS made gains, Iraq was beset for years by sectarian violence, with Sunnis feeling politically marginalized under a Shiite-led government since the U.S.-led ouster of longtime leader Saddam Hussein in 2003.

Kerry: 'The cancer of ISIS will not be allowed to spread'

CNN's Yousuf Basil, Raja Razek, Joshua Berlinger and Chelsea J. Carter contributed to this report.

Chelsea win thriller as rivals stumble
8/30/2014 5:19:00 PM

Chelsea striker Diego Costa battles with Everton's Seamus Coleman during the Premier League match at Goodison Park.

STORY HIGHLIGHTS

Chelsea maintain 100% start to new English Premier League season
Diego Costa scores twice as Everton are beaten 6-3 at Goodison Park
Manchester City suffer shock defeat against Stoke
Manchester United play out goalless draw at newly-promoted Burnley

(CNN) -- Others may already be faltering, but Chelsea march on.

Jose Mourinho's side continued their impressive early season form with a 6-3 win against Everton in the English Premier League on Saturday.

After comfortable wins against Leicester City and Burnley in their opening two league fixtures, the Blues traveled to Goodison Park.

Roberto Martinez's side were expected to provide a stern test of Mourinho's newly-modeled side but were ultimately swept aside in a thrilling encounter on Merseyside.

The home side's interest in the match threatened to be curtailed inside three minutes as Chelsea raced into a 2-0 lead.

Diego Costa struck after just 35 seconds, guiding a low shot underneath Everton keeper Tim Howard with Branislav Ivanovic doubling the lead two minutes later.

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Everton regrouped and thought they'd pulled one back in the 16th minute when Sylvain Distin turned the ball in after Romelu Lukaku's header had rebounded off the post. But the French defender's effort was ruled offside.

The Toffees stuck at and their perseverance paid off on the stroke of halftime as Seamus Coleman's cross was met by Kevin Mirallas who headed past Chelsea keeper Thibaut Courtois.

Everton started the second half brightly, but Chelsea were soon in control of the match once more when Coleman deflected Eden Hazard's cross into his own net in the 67th minute.

Despondency soon turned to hope again as Steven Naismith scored two minutes later only for Nemanja Matic to restore Chelsea's two-goal cushion in the 74th minute.

Substitute Samuel Eto'o made an immediate impact against his former club with a headed goal to make the score 4-3, only for Ramires to score for the visitors again moments later.

Diego Costa confirmed the inevitable with his second goal of the match in the 90th minute -- his fourth league goal of the season.

As one Spanish striker settles in at Stamford Bridge another has departed after it was announced that Fernando Torres will join Serie A side AC Milan on a two-year loan deal subject to the 30-year-old passing a medical.

Torres has endured a torrid time in London since his £50 million ($83 million) move from Liverpool in 2011 scoring just 20 times in 110 appearances.

The unsettled Spaniard leaves an increasingly settled Chelsea side who are now top of the league with nine points from three games.

Their main rivals for the title this season has so far endured mixed fortunes with Manchester City the latest to slip up.

The Sky Blues slumped to a shock 1-0 defeat to Stoke City earlier on Saturday.

Following comfortable wins over Newcastle United and Liverpool, Manuel Pellegrini's side were hot favorites to make light work the Potters who had lost all previous 12 matches at the Etihad Stadium.

But it was Stoke who walked away with all three points after Senegal striker Mame Biram Diouf's fine solo effort in the 58th minute settled the game.

Stoke's first win of the new campaign lifts them to ninth in the table while City slip to fourth.

The red side of Manchester will be equally blue this weekend as Louis van Gaal's search for a first Premier League win goes on.

Despite fielding new signing Angel Di Maria for the first time, United were unable to break down the defenses of newly promoted Burnley in a game that ended goalless.

The result leaves United languishing in 14th place in the table with two points from a possible nine.

The lackluster display caps another dismal week for United who suffered a shock exit from the English League Cup in midweek at the hands of MK Dons, a team two divisions below them.

In Sunday's matches, Mario Balotelli is expected to make his debut for Liverpool as the Merseysiders take on Tottenham Hotspur at White Hart Lane.

Arsenal are also in action against Leicester City, while Aston Villa take on Hull City.

ISIS militants 'selling Yazidi women'
8/30/2014 5:20:15 PM

STORY HIGHLIGHTS

Syrian Observatory for Human Rights says ISIS has sold Yazidi girls and women
About 300 have been abducted, the rights group says
Syria monitors: ISIS sees them as "captives of the spoils of war with the infidels"

(CNN) -- Hundreds of Yazidi women abducted by ISIS have either been sold or handed out to members of the Sunni extremist group, according to an organization that monitors the crisis.

In the past few weeks, ISIS has "distributed" to its rank and file about 300 female members of the persecuted religious minority, says the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a UK-based monitoring group aligned with the opposition in Syria.

Those women were initially kidnapped in Iraq before being taken to Syria.

In ISIS' eyes, the girls and women are "captives of the spoils of war with the infidels," the Syria monitors said, claiming that some had converted to Islam so ISIS fighters can marry them.

SOHR says it could confirm at least 27 cases in which women were "sold and married" for about $1,000 each to ISIS militants in Aleppo and Raqqa suburbs and Al-Hassakah.

Who are the Yazidis and why does ISIS want to kill them?

Tens of thousands of Yazidis fled to Mount Sinjar in northern Iraq as ISIS fighters made deadly advances on their villages. They became trapped on the mountain, leading to air drops of water, food and other supplies, and eventually airstrikes to dislodge ISIS from the area.

Peshmerga forces managed to help most of the Yazidis escape into Iraqi Kurdistan.

U.S. President Barack Obama declared an end to the ISIS siege at Mount Sinjar on August 15, citing the success of the airstrikes.

Since early August, nearly 122,600 people in the Sinjar district -- mostly Yazidis -- have taken refuge in Kurdistan, according to USAID.

A U.N. report warned of increasing kidnappings by armed groups in Mosul and the area of Mount Sinjar.

The U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) reported that some of the victims reportedly have been forced to convert to Islam and have been trafficked by the terrorist groups inside and outside of Iraq.

A number of villages in Sinjar remain besieged by ISIS and other armed groups, the refugee agency reported.

ISIS, which calls itself the Islamic State, was previously referred to as the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria.

Who are ISIS?

Attacks in Iraq

At least three Iraqi soldiers were killed Saturday in a suicide car bombing south of Iraq's capital, police said, dealing a blow to the military in that area for a second straight day as government forces fight ISIS militants across the country.

Seven other soldiers were injured in the attack, which happened at an army checkpoint in Yousifiya, a predominantly Sunni Muslim area about 35 kilometers (22 miles) south of Baghdad, police in Baghdad said.

It wasn't immediately clear who conducted the bombing.

The blast came a day after nine Iraqi soldiers and Shiite Muslim militiamen were killed in clashes with suspected ISIS militants in nearby Mahmoudiya, a Sunni Muslim community about 29 kilometers south of Baghdad.

During the height of Iraq's insurgency last decade following a U.S.-led invasion, Yousifiya and Mahmoudiya, along with the town of Latifiya, made up the Sunni area known as the "Triangle of Death" because it was an al Qaeda stronghold and a lair for criminals.

More U.S. airstrikes

U.S. forces conducted more airstrikes against ISIS targets near the Mosul on Saturday, according to the U.S. military, destroying a militant fighting position and armed vehicle.

"The strikes were conducted under the authority to support Iraqi security force and Kurdish defense force operations, as well as to protect critical infrastructure, U.S. personnel and facilities, and support humanitarian efforts," U.S. Central Command said in a press release.

CENTCOM said it has carried 115 strikes across Iraq.

Kerry: 'The cancer of ISIS will not be allowed to spread'

CNN's Jomana Karadsheh, Mariano Castillo and Joshua Berlinger contributed to this report.

First openly gay NFL player dropped
8/30/2014 9:52:10 PM

STORY HIGHLIGHTS

Michael Sam tweets: "The journey continues"
Rams coach Jeff Fisher: "It was a football decision"
Sam was an All-American defensive end at the University of Missouri
Sam could be picked up by another team or return to the Rams as a practice player

Sam, an All-American defensive end who played for the University of Missouri, made history when he was picked by the Rams in the seventh and final round. He was the 249th of 256 players selected.

At a press conference, Fisher said releasing Sam was "a football decision. It was a football decision back in May when we drafted Mike."

Sam said on Twitter @MichaelSamNFL:

I want to thank the entire Rams organization and the city of St. Louis for giving me this tremendous opportunity and allowing me to (1/2)
— Michael Sam (@MichaelSamNFL) August 30, 2014

show I can play at this level. I look forward to continuing to build on the progress I made here toward a long and successful career (2/2)
— Michael Sam (@MichaelSamNFL) August 30, 2014

Another Tweet read: "The most worthwhile things in life rarely come easy, this is a lesson I've always known. The journey continues."

Fisher said Sam has the ability play somewhere. "It needs to be the right place and a good fit."

On Saturday, Sam returned to his college in Columbia, Missouri, to be honored at the game against South Dakota State.

Obama congratulates Michael Sam

The most worthwhile things in life rarely come easy, this is a lesson I've always known. The journey continues.
— Michael Sam (@MichaelSamNFL) August 30, 2014

Fisher said Sam worked hard, but the team already had a lot of strong defensive ends.

"Mike fit in very, very well" at training camp, Fisher said. "He was fun to be around and he was a good teammate."

Bleacher Report said the contracts of players on waivers can be picked up by other teams within 48 hours. If the contracts are not picked up, the players can become unrestricted free agents.

Teams, including the Rams, could put Sams on their practice squads.

Sam worked with the second and third units during the preseason and made 11 tackles and recorded three sacks, said Bleacher Report.

Sam sets out to make it in the NFL

Being drafted was historic and Sam received a congratulatory phone call from President Barack Obama.

"I'm determined to be great," Sam told reporters after the draft. "So I'm going to train hard and try to make the team."

Fisher said the talked one-one-one with all the players who were released except Sam. He said he will talk to him in person Sunday.

The road to football stardom was not an easy one for Sam.

One of eight children, he grew up in Hitchcock, Texas, where he was raised primarily by his mother. At one point, he has said, he lived out of his mother's car and briefly stayed with another family.

Three of Sam's siblings have died, including an older brother he saw die from a gunshot wound. Two of his brothers are serving prison sentences.

Champ Bailey released by the New Orleans Saints

Drew Iden of CNN contributed to this report.

U.S. begins aid drops to Iraqi town surrounded by ISIS
8/30/2014 9:33:46 PM

STORY HIGHLIGHTS

U.S. begins aid drops to Iraqi town surrounded by ISIS, the Pentagon says
Syrian Observatory for Human Rights says ISIS has sold Yazidi girls and women
About 300 have been abducted, the rights group says
Syria monitors: ISIS sees them as "captives of the spoils of war with the infidels"

(CNN) -- The United States says it has carried out airstrikes and dropped humanitarian aid in the Iraqi town of Amerli to protect an ethnic minority that one official says faces the threat of an "imminent massacre."

The town of Amerli, which has been besieged by ISIS fighters, is home to many of Iraq's Shiite Turkmen.

To help the trapped people, the United States has carried out humanitarian airdrops, Pentagon press secretary Rear Adm. John Kirby said late Saturday.

Australia, France and the UK also participated in the aid drop.

The U.S. military conducted "coordinated airstrikes" against ISIS targets as part of an effort to support the humanitarian operation, Kirby said.

Video released by the Iraqi Ministry of Defense was strikingly similar to the scenes of the dire situation faced by the Yazidis, who were trapped on the Sinjar Mountains by ISIS, earlier this month. Dozens of people crowded helicopters, hoping to be rescued. Scores more awaited the arrival life-saving supplies in the scorching summer sun.

ISIS fighters have surrounded Amerli, 70 miles north of Baquba, since since mid-June. The town's fewer than 20,000 residents are without power.

ISIS has called the Shiite Turkmen heretics and vowed to push them out.

Turkmen have been subjected to violence before at the hands of Sunni extremists.

A truck bomb explosion in 2008 Amerli killed more than 100 people -- an attack that was considered one of the single deadliest attacks of the Iraq War at the time.

Report: ISIS selling Yazidi women in Syria

Hundreds of Yazidi women abducted by ISIS have either been sold or handed out to members of the Sunni extremist group, according to an organization that monitors the crisis.

Those women were initially kidnapped in Iraq before being taken to Syria.

In ISIS' eyes, the girls and women are "captives of the spoils of war with the infidels," the Syria monitors said, claiming that some had converted to Islam so ISIS fighters can marry them.

SOHR says it could confirm at least 27 cases in which women were "sold and married" for about $1,000 each to ISIS militants in Aleppo and Raqqa suburbs and Al-Hassakah.

Who are the Yazidis and why does ISIS want to kill them?

Peshmerga forces managed to help most of the Yazidis escape into Iraqi Kurdistan.

U.S. President Barack Obama declared an end to the ISIS siege at Mount Sinjar on August 15, citing the success of the airstrikes.

Since early August, nearly 122,600 people in the Sinjar district -- mostly Yazidis -- have taken refuge in Kurdistan, according to USAID.

A U.N. report warned of increasing kidnappings by armed groups in Mosul and the area of Mount Sinjar.

A number of villages in Sinjar remain besieged by ISIS and other armed groups, the refugee agency reported.

ISIS, which calls itself the Islamic State, was previously referred to as the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria.

Who are ISIS?

Attacks across Iraq

It wasn't immediately clear who conducted the bombing.

More U.S. airstrikes

U.S. forces conducted more airstrikes against ISIS targets near the Mosul on Saturday, according to the U.S. military, destroying a militant fighting position and armed vehicle.

CENTCOM said it has carried 115 strikes across Iraq.

Kerry: 'The cancer of ISIS will not be allowed to spread'

CNN's Chelsea J. Carter, Jomana Karadsheh and Mariano Castillo contributed to this report.

U.S. airstrikes hit ISIS near besieged town
8/31/2014 12:55:54 AM

STORY HIGHLIGHTS

U.S. begins aid drops to Iraqi town surrounded by ISIS, the Pentagon says
Syrian Observatory for Human Rights says ISIS has sold Yazidi girls and women
About 300 have been abducted, the rights group says
Syria monitors: ISIS sees them as "captives of the spoils of war with the infidels"