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☆ State Department official resigns over Biden administration’s handling of Israel-Hamas conflict
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-19 | by ( Sharif Paget | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

CNN —A State Department official has resigned from the agency over the Biden administration’s approach to the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas, the official announced on LinkedIn Wednesday. “Hamas’ attack on Israel was not just a monstrosity; it was a monstrosity of monstrosities. I also believe that potential escalations by Iran-linked groups such as Hezbollah, or by Iran itself, would be a further cynical exploitation of the existing tragedy. Decades of the same approach have shown that security for peace leads to neither security, nor to peace. “There’s a moment where you can say, OK, well, you know, it’s out of my hands, but I know Congress is going to push back,” he told the Times.

Persons: Josh Paul, ”, ” Paul, “, ’, Paul Organizations: CNN, State Department, Biden, Hamas, LinkedIn, Political, Military Affairs, The New York Times, Times Locations: Israel, “ Hamas, Iran, Gaza, “

While a Hamas spokesman told the BBC that Iran did assist in the attack, officials in Tehran have denied responsibility while praising the outcome. "If you had a large end-of-year bonus payment coming your way, might you start spending more money in the meantime? “This money belongs to the Iranian people, the Iranian government, so the Islamic Republic of Iran will decide what to do with this money,” Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi told NBC News. While the Biden administration renewed talks with Iran to reenter the pact, the discussions have led nowhere and U.S. negotiators publicly walked away. Though not believed to be directly connected, some analysts have speculated that the Biden administration move to free up the $6 billion could have been an incentive to continue talking even as Tehran slowed the pace of development of a nuclear weapon.

Persons: Trump, State Anthony Blinken, Benjamin Netanyahu, Richard Goldberg, Matthew Kroenig, Joe Biden, Nikki Haley, Ebrahim Raisi, ”, Biden, Adrienne Watson, Aaron David Miller, Obama, –, Donald Trump Organizations: White, Hamas, Biden, BBC, Treasury Department, “, ”, State, Israeli, Foundation for Defense of Democracies, Wall, Georgetown University, GOP, NBC News, Former State Department, –, Trump, U.S Locations: Israel, Iran, Tehran, South Korea, Qatar, Tel Aviv, Gaza, Islamic Republic of Iran, Washington, U.S

☆ Why didn't Israel's sophisticated border security stop Saturday's attack? `
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-07 | by ( Joshua Berlinger | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

A day that began with air raid sirens blaring out in the early morning had by lunchtime turned into one of the most terrifying attacks Israel has known in the 75 years of its existence. Though Israel is no stranger to terrorist attacks, Saturday’s assault was unprecedented – not least because of the lack of warning. Since Israel withdrew from Gaza in 2005, it has spent billions of dollars securing the border from attacks. To stop rocket attacks, Israel has used the Iron Dome, an effective rocket defense system developed with help from the United States. The Israel Defense Forces have already begun airstrikes in Gaza targeting Hamas infrastructure, resulting in hundreds of dead and injured.

Persons: Israel, It’s, ”, Jonathan Conricus, Richard Hecht, “, ” Hecht, Aaron David Miller, CNN’s Wolf Blitzer, ” Miller, Benjamin Netanyahu, Ghassan Alian, Conricus Organizations: CNN, Israel Defense Forces, IDF, Reuters, State Department, Hamas Locations: Gaza, Israel, Israeli, Pearl, Yom Kippur, United States, Middle, Palestinian

Many of the formal speeches delivered before the green stone in the General Assembly could have been performed straight to camera, with few other people in the room (and in 2020, they were). The General Assembly, she said, actually “overshadows what the U.N. does well." In-person relations are as important, if not more so, for non-governmental organizations with stakes in the outcomes, attendees said. Many at the General Assembly, and those observing it closely from afar, declined to discuss the substance of negotiations that may never ultimately come to fruition. But the General Assembly week “provides a critical mass that allows you to do all the things that you would prefer to do in person,” Rathke said.

Persons: Volodomyr Zelenskyy, weren't, ’, Katie Laatikainen, that's, that’s, ”, Kathryn Mengerink, Scott Hamilton, Joe Biden, —, “ We’re, Stéphane Dujarric, António Guterres, we’re, “, ” Laatikainen, Jeff Rathke, ” Rathke, ” Hamilton, Michael Weissenstein Organizations: UNITED NATIONS, General, Council, Adelphi University, Assembly, General Assembly, Waitt, State Department, United Nations Security, United Nations, “ Technology, - German Institute, Johns Hopkins University, Associated Press Locations: East, Jolla , California, midtown Manhattan, Cuba, China, France, Russia, United Kingdom, Europe, New York, Britain, Mexico

☆ Analysis-Republican-Proposed Attacks on Mexican Cartels Could Lead to American Casualties
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-22 | by ( Sept. | At A.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +6 min

They argued that cartels could retaliate in U.S. territory and U.S. troops and Mexican civilians could die in firefights with heavily armed cartel members. This could create the blowback effect of fracturing the cartels," said a U.S. military officer with experience in Mexico, speaking on condition of anonymity. In a recent Reuters/Ipsos poll, 52% of respondents supported "sending U.S. military personnel to Mexico to fight against drug cartels," while 26% were opposed. Still, most Americans - including most Republicans - said they would oppose such actions if the Mexican government did not approve, the poll found. It would be easy to send them in, a couple of (special forces) teams that could go and extract in extraordinary renditions," said the military officer.

Persons: Jonathan Landay, Idrees Ali, Gram Slattery WASHINGTON, Donald Trump, Ron DeSantis, Nikki Haley, Earl Anthony Wayne, Joaquin, El, Guzman, Jason Blazakis, Mark Esper, Trump, Esper, We're, Haley, Alex Conant, Marco Rubio's, Sergio Alcocer, Alcocer, Gram Slattery, Dave Graham, Ross Colvin, Rosalba O'Brien Organizations: Republican, Reuters, U.S . Customs, U.S . Centers for Disease, State Department, U.S, SEAL, Woodrow Wilson International Center, IDEA, Trump Locations: Mexico, Trump , Florida, United States, U.S, firefights, Culiacan, New Jersey, Mexican, North America, Mexico City

Persons: Daniel Becerril, Donald Trump, Ron DeSantis, Nikki Haley, Earl Anthony Wayne, Joaquin, El, Guzman, Jason Blazakis, Mark Esper, Trump, Esper, We're, Haley, Alex Conant, Marco Rubio's, Sergio Alcocer, Alcocer, Jonathan Landay, Idrees Ali, Gram Slattery, Dave Graham, Ross Colvin, Rosalba O'Brien Organizations: Villa Union, REUTERS, Rights, Republican, Reuters, U.S . Customs, U.S . Centers for Disease, State Department, U.S, SEAL, Woodrow Wilson International Center, IDEA, Trump, Thomson Locations: Villa, Coahuila, Mexico, Trump , Florida, United States, U.S, firefights, Culiacan, New Jersey, Mexican, North America, Mexico City

Now, the man who had been tasked with reviving a nuclear deal to constrain that program has been sidelined. Progress on nuclear talks, as well as the fate of detained Americans in Iran, is likely to boost the incumbents in the polls, analysts have said. Malley was one of the architects of the 2015 nuclear deal reached with Iran under the Obama administration. The administration began negotiations to re-enter an Iran nuclear agreement later that year. “US policy is informed by the administration’s national security calculations, and not any one person in the national security apparatus,” Vaez said.

Persons: Biden, Rob Malley, Malley, Abram Paley, Paley, Jake Sullivan, sidelining, Obama, Donald Trump, Obama’s, Israel, Malley’s sidelining, Nasser Kanani, Javed Gurban Oghli, Israel ”, Gabriel Noronha, Trump, “, ” Noronha, ”, Ali Vaez, Vaez, ” Vaez, Foad Izadi, Ebrahim Raisi, Brett McGurk, McGurk, ” McGurk Organizations: CNN — United, CNN, State Department, Representative, US National, Crisis Group, ICG, Islamic, Iranian Foreign Ministry, Iranian, Jewish Institute for National Security of, Iran, US State Department, “, University of Tehran’s Faculty of World Studies, US National Security Council, Middle, National Security Council Locations: Iran, Tehran, Republic, Russia, Ukraine, Israel, Islamic Republic, Iranian, Middle East, Oman, Syria

☆ NATO unity will be tested at upcoming summit. Ukraine's possible entry may be the biggest challenge
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-09 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +8 min

Patriot long-range air defence systems of the German Bundeswehr armed forces are deployed at Vilnius Airport ahead of the upcoming NATO Summit in Vilnius, Lithuania on July 7, 2023. "I don't think it's ready for membership in NATO," President Joe Biden told CNN in an interview airing Sunday. More than two-thirds of alliance members have banned the weapon because it has a track record for causing many civilian casualties. As for Ukraine's possible entry into NATO, the alliance said in 2008 that Kyiv eventually would become a member. "That's an issue that will cause tension and dissent, and that's not what the Vilnius summit is all about," he said.

Persons: NATO's, Joe Biden, Donald Trump, Biden, Douglas Lute, Barack Obama, Vladimir Putin, Wagner, Lute, Mitch McConnell, Putin, Daniel Fried, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Finland, Erdogan, It's, Anders Fogh Rasmussen, Max Bergmann, They've, Bergmann, Viktor Orban, Idaho Sen, Jim Risch, aren't, Risch, I'm, we've, Jens Stoltenberg, who's, Mette Frederiksen, Stoltenberg, Rasmussen, Skip Davis, that's Organizations: German Bundeswehr, Vilnius Airport, NATO Summit, NATO, CNN, Republican, Kentucky, Associated Press, Putin, Atlantic Council, Ukraine, State Department, Center for Strategic, International Studies, Senate Foreign Relations, Danish, Center for Locations: German, Vilnius, Lithuania, Russian, Ukraine, Sweden, Eastern Europe, United States, Israel, Moscow, Finland, U.S, Russia, Kyiv, Poland, Estonia, Latvia, Czech Republic, Turkey, Stockholm, Idaho, Hungary, Baltic, Norwegian, Danish

☆ Biden is heading to Europe. A king and a war are on his agenda
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-08 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

After arriving at night in London, Biden will meet the next day with King Charles III for the first time since he was crowned. Next is the centerpiece of the trip, the NATO summit in Vilnius, Lithuania. The final stop is in Helsinki, where Biden on Thursday is expected to celebrate the expanding alliance, with Finland as the newest member of NATO. Biden did not attend Charles' coronation — first lady Jill Biden went in his place — so this will be their first encounter since then. VilniusBiden will spend two days in the capital of Lithuania, which is hosting the annual NATO summit.

Persons: Joe Biden, Kevin Wurm, Biden, King Charles III, Jake Sullivan, London Biden, Max Bergmann, Rishi Sunak, Sunak, Bergmann, Sunak's, Boris Johnson, Charles, Jill Biden, They're, Jens Stoltenberg, Sen, Thom Tillis, bicker, Tillis, Jeanne Shaheen, Vladimir Putin Organizations: Air Force, Joint Base Andrews, NATO, Alliance, State Department, Center for Strategic, International Studies, Downing St, Conservative Party, Vilnius Biden, Vilnius University, Helsinki Locations: Washington, Dover , Delaware, Joint Base Andrews , Maryland, Europe, Ukraine, London, Vilnius, Lithuania, Helsinki, Finland, Sunak, Windsor, U.S, Turkey, Hungary

WASHINGTON, June 16 (Reuters) - U.S. rights groups plan protests next week against Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi's state visit to Washington over what they call India's deteriorating human rights record, even though experts do not expect Washington to be publicly critical of New Delhi. Washington hopes for closer ties with the world's largest democracy, which it sees as a counterweight to China, but rights advocates worry that geopolitics will overshadow human rights issues. The United States has said its human rights concerns related to India include the Indian government's targeting of religious minorities, dissidents and journalists. In a letter to Biden, Human Rights Watch's Asia Division director Elaine Pearson urged the White House to raise concerns, both publicly and privately, about human rights in India during Modi's visit. Advocacy groups have also raised concerns over alleged human rights abuses under Modi's Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

Persons: Narendra Modi's, Modi, Joe Biden, Washington, Howdy Modi, Donald Trump, Biden, Elaine Pearson, Donald Camp, Camp, George W, Bush, Antony Blinken, Michael Kugelman, Kanishka Singh, Simon Lewis, Shilpa Jamkhandikar, Don Durfee, Heather Timmons, Alistair Bell Organizations: Indian, Indian American Muslim Council, Veterans, Bethesda African Cemetery Coalition, House, United, Hindu, Amnesty, Human Rights Watch, Asia, Reuters, Biden, State Department, Strategic, International Studies, U.S . State Department, World Press, 161st, Bharatiya Janata Party, BJP, South Asia Institute, Wilson, Thomson Locations: Washington, New Delhi, Peace, China, United States, India, New York, Texas, Gujarat, U.S, Karnataka

☆ Revealed: Vladimir Putin's secret Black Sea bunker
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-17 | by ( Mattathias Schwartz | Anastasiia Carrier | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +12 min

You would think that the architects who designed Vladimir Putin's palace thought of everything. They failed to hide plans showing two elaborate tunnels running beneath the palace complex — plans that any competent state-security apparatus would fight tooth-and-nail to keep secret. The underground complex beneath Putin's palace consists of two separate tunnels connected by an elevator that descends roughly 50 meters below the surface. Gelendzhik is the town closest to the palace complex, a five-hour drive from the resort city of Sochi. "With the war in Ukraine," Kimmage said, "there's speechmaking, there's propaganda, there's exaggeration — there's this performative aspect that plays to Russia's domestic politics.

☆ Israel isn't 'out of the woods' even though Netanyahu paused the plan that pushed his country into chaos
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-28 | by ( John Haltiwanger | Jake Epstein | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +9 min

A judicial overhaul plan pushed by Netanyahu's government sparked a major crisis in Israel. "The crisis was deferred, but definitely not resolved," a former US ambassador to Israel told Insider. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was forced to hit pause on a deeply controversial plan to overhaul the country's judiciary, but Israel's problems are far from over. One piece of the plan has already been passed into law, narrowing the circumstances under which a prime minister can be deemed unfit for office. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu attends a voting session in the Knesset, the Israeli parliament, in Jerusalem, Israel on March 27, 2023.

☆ Op-ed: Oil CEO Sultan Al Jaber is the ideal person to lead the UN climate conference this year
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-14 | by ( Frederick Kempe | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +7 min

Nowhere is this shift among climate activists more evident than in Germany, where Vice Chancellor Robert Habeck, the Green Party leader, is serving as the pragmatist-in-chief. Some climate activists were aghast this Thursday when the UAE named Sultan Al Jaber, the CEO of the Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC), as president of this year's COP 28. Al Jaber, speaking to the Atlantic Council Global Energy Forum on Saturday, captured his ambition to drive faster and more transformative results at COP 28. "We are way off track," said Al Jaber. "We will work with the energy industry on accelerating the decarbonization, reducing methane, and expanding hydrogen," said Al Jaber.

Rep. Judy Chu, D-Calif., the chair of the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus (CAPAC), said she has personally spoken to Jeffries and recommended that Rep. Andy Kim, D-N.J., should be the ranking member. “The Republicans made it very clear that the committee is primarily focused on … counter intelligence and economic espionage issues which have been the focus of my own work, especially on the Intelligence Committee,” Krishnamoorthi said in an interview. Rep. Elissa Slotkin, D-Mich., a former CIA analyst who is eyeing a possible Senate bid in 2024, has also expressed interest in the top role on the China panel. But while CAPAC is divided, its members agree that the ranking member of the new panel should be Asian American. Think about that," said one CAPAC member.

☆ China had a plan to dominate tech and become the world's most powerful country. It's all gone wrong.
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-08 | by ( Linette Lopez | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +15 min

Semiconductor chips are the tiny brains that power our technological world, from cars and cellphones to fighter jets and advanced missile systems. Right now China is awash in money for tech, but you need the right people and customers that trust you. Why China needs the chipsThe Chinese economy is big, but it isn't wealthy. In other words, China needs a more lucrative line of business the same way someone with credit-card debt needs a raise. The Made in China 2025 plan lays out a goal for domestically manufactured chips to meet 70% of China's semiconductor needs within three years.

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