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☆ Reaction to Reuters report on Nigerian military abortion programme
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-07 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Dec 7 (Reuters) - A Reuters investigation published on Wednesday revealed that the Nigerian Army has run a secret, systematic and illegal abortion programme in the country's northeast since at least 2013. It's a concerning report, and for that reason we are seeking further information." ALICIA KEARNS, CHAIR OF UK PARLIAMENT FOREIGN AFFAIRS COMMITTEE"The stories in this report are heartbreaking and - if verified - represent a large-scale, and deeply concerning, abuse of human rights. "It is the responsibility of UK authorities to ensure that their support of the Nigerian military does not aid human rights abuses and we expect the Government to take these allegations seriously. JIM RISCH, LEADING REPUBLICAN ON U.S. SENATE FOREIGN RELATIONS COMMITTEE"This is a deeply disturbing report.

☆ Biden nominee to be ambassador to Russia pledges to prioritize prisoner release
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-30 | by ( Patricia Zengerle | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

WASHINGTON, Nov 30 (Reuters) - President Joe Biden's nominee to be ambassador to Russia, Lynne Tracy, pledged on Wednesday to make the release of detained Americans a priority if she is confirmed to one of most important, and challenging, U.S. diplomatic posts. Tracy, a career diplomat and current ambassador to Armenia, promised to visit detained Americans, including basketball star Brittney Griner and former Marine Paul Whelan. It was not immediately clear when Tracy would assume the post, if she is confirmed as Russia must agree to accept her. A Russian speaker, she would be the first woman to serve as U.S. ambassador to Russia. "She's tested, she's eminently qualified," said Senator Rob Portman, who represents Tracy's home state of Ohio and introduced her at the hearing.

The United States on Saturday granted Chevron a six-month license to operate in Venezuela, reinstating oil trading privileges it had, while preventing exchanges of cash and requiring the crude cargoes go to U.S. refiners. Executives at Venezuelan state firm PDVSA initially welcomed the authorization for a partial return to the United States, once the country's most important market. In addition, European oil companies Eni (ENI.MI) and Repsol won U.S. approvals to take Venezuelan crude for debt repayment. Chevron's Venezuelan oil cargoes face potential seizures by creditors that have arbitration claims and court judgments, said trading experts and lawyers. Washington placed tight reins on the oil imports to win support from a Congress skeptical of deals with Maduro.

☆ Biden eases Venezuela sanctions as opposition talks resume
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-26 | by ( The Associated Press | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +2 min

WASHINGTON — The Biden administration on Saturday eased some oil sanctions on Venezuela in an effort to support newly restarted negotiations between President Nicolás Maduro’s government and its opposition. The Treasury Department is allowing Chevron to resume “limited” energy production in Venezuela after years of sanctions that have dramatically curtailed oil and gas profits that have flowed to Maduro’s government. Under the new policy, profits from the sale of energy would be directed to paying down debt owed to Chevron, rather than providing profits to PDVSA. Talks between the Maduro government and the “Unitary Platform” resumed in Mexico City on Saturday after more than a yearlong pause. The official said the U.S. would closely monitor Maduro’s commitment to the talks and reserved the right to reimpose stricter sanctions or to continue to ease them depending on how the negotiations proceed.

☆ Wife of Sen. Bob Menendez Draws Scrutiny in Federal Probe
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-18 | by ( Corinne Ramey | James Fanelli | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Bob Menendez has been a U.S. senator since 2006 and is chair of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. Federal prosecutors investigating U.S. Sen. Bob Menendez are examining whether his wife received gifts or services from individuals who sought favors from the New Jersey politician, according to people familiar with the matter. The U.S. attorney’s office for the Southern District of New York has subpoenaed associates of Mr. Menendez’s wife, Nadine Arslanian , whom he married in 2020, the people said. Subpoenas issued in recent months have asked for information about both Ms. Arslanian and Mr. Menendez, according to the people.

☆ A fatal strike in Poland involving a 'Russian-made missile' could pose biggest test yet to Biden's vow to defend 'every inch' of NATO territory
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-16 | by ( John Haltiwanger | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

Poland is a NATO member, and there's rampant speculation about the implications of this incident. The reported strike could pose a major test to Biden's vow to defend "every inch" of NATO territory. Biden's vow could be facing its biggest test yet following fatal strike in Poland, a NATO ally, that the Polish foreign ministry said involved a "Russian-made missile." "When it comes to our security commitments and Article 5 we've been crystal clear that we will defend every inch of NATO territory," Pentagon spokesperson Brig. To fire missiles at NATO territory!

☆ A top Senate Democrat warns that if Russia is behind the fatal strike in Poland then it's 'definitely an enlargement' of the Ukraine war and raises questions for NATO: report
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-15 | by ( John Haltiwanger | Lloyd Lee | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

A US intelligence official told The AP that Russian missiles landed in Poland and killed two people. Poland is a NATO member, which means an attack against it could trigger a response from allies. Sen. Bob Menendez told Politico that the attack could mark an escalation of the Ukraine war. Obviously, if it was intentional, that has all kinds of consequences to it," Menendez told Politico. It stipulates that an attack against one NATO country, such as Poland, is considered an attack against all members of the alliance.

☆ Erdogan says Republican Senate control would help Turkey's F-16 buy: media
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-12 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

ISTANBUL, Nov 12 (Reuters) - Turkey's effort to complete its purchase of F-16 jets would be "much easier" if Republicans end up controlling the U.S. Senate, President Tayyip Erdogan was quoted by Turkish media as saying on Saturday. "My hope is that the next month is filled with some good news and we progress in a very positive direction on the F-16 issue," state-run Anadolu and other media quoted Erdogan as telling reporters on a flight from Uzbekistan. "If the Republicans claim the few seats they need in Senate, things will be much easier for us." While the F-16 purchase has critics and supporters in both parties, Bob Menendez, Democratic chair of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, could stand in the way given his repeated criticism of Turkey's human rights record under Erdogan. Erdogan said in September that he had received "positive" feedback from two U.S. senators he met in New York on their potential support for the F-16 sale.

In the wake of Greene’s statement and other Republicans aligned with former President Donald Trump questioning the amount of U.S. aid delivered to Ukraine in recent weeks, Sens. A key supporter of Kyiv, Portman is the co-chair and co-founder of the Senate Ukraine Caucus and a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. His departure from Congress is seen as a potential blow for Ukrainian support. Some Ukrainian officials have expressed nervousness in recent weeks, as news stories indicated potential GOP opposition to continued support for Kyiv. Barry Reeger / AP fileYuriy Saks, adviser to Ukraine Minister of Defense Oleksii Reznikov, told NBC News on Monday that he hoped the results of the U.S. election would not affect the country’s continued support of Ukraine.

WASHINGTON — Which party controls Congress next year could have big implications for Twitter — and its new “Chief Twit,” Elon Musk. A Jordan spokesman had no comment about Musk and Twitter, but Republicans expect the company will be more cooperative with any future GOP investigations with Musk at the helm. But upon taking control of Twitter, Musk said he would first form a “content moderation council,” and Yoel Roth, head of Safety and Integrity at Twitter, insisted that the company’s policies on hate speech have not changed. “If Elon Musk has said now that he’s going to start a content moderation board, that was one good sign, but I continue to be concerned about that,” Klobuchar said. Other Democrats are raising national security concerns about how Musk financed the $44 billion Twitter deal.

WASHINGTON — Sen. Chris Murphy on Monday called for an immediate investigation into the national security implications of Saudi Arabia's stake in Twitter after Elon Musk’s takeover of the social media company. “The purpose of these reviews is clear: to protect the national security interests of the United States and American citizens,” Murphy wrote to Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen, who leads CIFIUS. Late last week, Saudi Arabia’s Kingdom Holding Company and the private office of Prince Alwaleed bin Talal said they would help Musk finance his Twitter deal by rolling over their ownership of shares of the company worth about $1.89 billion, according to a statement tweeted by Alwaleed. Together all the way @Twitter,” Prince Alwaleed tweeted. Saudi Arabia’s sovereign wealth fund, led by Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman, owns nearly 17 percent of Kingdom Holding, according to Reuters.

Dozens of federal grand jury subpoenas have been issued in the past several months as part of the federal criminal investigation involving several people in New Jersey and the powerful Democratic chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Bob Menendez, three people familiar with the matter told NBC News. Two people familiar with the matter said one of the entities involved in the investigation is IS EG Halal of Edgewater, New Jersey. According to a filing by Lustberg, federal agents seized cellphones, computers, tablets, USB drives, business documents, notepads, a photo album, $5,943 dollars in cash, jewelry and Hana’s passport. The court filings do not specify why federal investigators conducted the search, and NBC News could not confirm whether it was tied to the current investigation involving Menendez. Federal prosecutors decided in 2018 not to retry him.

WASHINGTON — Sen. Robert Menendez, D-N.J., is under federal criminal investigation by the U.S. Attorney's Office in Manhattan, according to two people familiar with the matter and a spokesperson for the senator. "Senator Menendez is aware of an investigation that was reported on today, however he does not know the scope of the investigation," Menendez’s adviser Michael Soliman said Wednesday in a statement. News of the investigation was first reported by the website Semafor. A spokesperson for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York declined to comment. He has served in the Senate since 2006 and previously served in the House.

☆ Biden will act 'methodically' in re-evaluating Saudi relationship
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-16 | by ( David Lawder | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

WASHINGTON, Oct 16 (Reuters) - U.S. President Joe Biden will act "methodically" in deciding how to respond to Saudi Arabia over oil output cuts, but options include changes to U.S. security assistance, White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan said on Sunday. Sullivan, speaking on CNN, said no changes to the U.S.-Saudi relationship were imminent as Biden re-evaluates it. Senator Bob Menendez, a Democrat who chairs the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, called for a halt to most U.S. arms sales to Saudi Arabia after the OPEC+ move. Biden's options "include changes to our approach to security assistance to Saudi Arabia, but I'm not going to get ahead of the president. "The use of a nuclear weapon on the battlefield in Ukraine is the use of a nuclear weapon on the battlefield in Ukraine.

☆ The US should punish Saudi Arabia by taking away its air-defense systems and putting them in Ukraine, Sen. Chris Murphy says
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-14 | by ( Tom Porter | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

US Sen. Chris Murphy said the US should halt arms sales to Saudi Arabia. In a series of tweets Thursday, Murphy, a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, said he supported halting US arms exports to Saudi Arabia, and two further measures, in response to the recent decision by Saudi Arabia. Second, he said, US Patriot missile defense systems in Saudi Arabia should be removed and sent to Ukraine. "If Saudi Arabia isn't willing to take the side of Ukraine and U.S. over Russia, why should we keep these Patriots in Saudi Arabia when Ukraine and our NATO allies need them?" Saudi Arabia imports most of its weapons from the US, a relationship underpinning the geopolitical status quo in the region.

☆ Biden threatens 'consequences' for Saudi Arabia after OPEC cut, but his options are limited
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-12 | by ( Natasha Turak | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

Washington has since the 1940s provided billions of dollars in military and security aid to Saudi Arabia. A file photo of cannisters containing Patriot missiles to intercept missiles fired at Saudi Arabia or its neighboring countries. We must pull all US troops out of Saudi Arabia, stop selling them weapons & end its price-fixing oil cartel." "The White House has few good options despite Biden's warning of 'consequences' after the cut," he said, noting U.S. lawmakers' threats of anti-trust legislation and removal of U.S. military assets from Saudi Arabia. While both courses of action would send a clear message, this could backfire for both the U.S. and for crude prices.

☆ U.S. Senate kicks off debate on massive defense bill, targets China, Russia
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-11 | by ( Patricia Zengerle | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

WASHINGTON, Oct 11 (Reuters) - The U.S. Senate formally kicked off debate on Tuesday on the 2023 National Defense Authorization Act, a must-pass $817 billion bill setting policy for the Pentagon and including provisions to compete with China and Russia and boost Taiwan and Ukraine. The text of the latest version of the NDAA was not immediately available, but Senate aides said it would include elements of a bill to significantly enhance security assistance for Taiwan that was passed by the Senate Foreign Relations Committee in September. The NDAA also includes new funding for the Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative, authorizations for new weapons systems and a host of other provisions. This NDAA confronts China and Russia by fully investing in the Pacific Deterrent Initiative, the European Deterrent Initiative and Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative," Senator Jack Reed, chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, said in a Senate speech. The NDAA has passed every year since 1961.

☆ Democratic senator seeks 'freeze' on U.S.-Saudi cooperation after OPEC cuts production
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-11 | by ( Zoë Richards | Zoë Richards Is The Evening Politics Reporter For Nbc News. | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +3 min

The top Democrat on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee is calling on the Biden administration to "immediately freeze" U.S. cooperation with Saudi Arabia after OPEC+ announced it would reduce daily oil production. The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia chose the latter in a terrible decision driven by economic self-interest," Menendez said. “The United States must immediately freeze all aspects of our cooperation with Saudi Arabia, including any arms sales and security cooperation beyond what is absolutely necessary to defend U.S. personnel and interests,” he added. The alliance said it would cut oil production by 2 million barrels a day, which is likely to increase gas prices. 2 Democrat in the Senate, accused Saudi Arabia of “conspiring with Vladimir Putin to punish the U.S. with higher oil prices” last week.

☆ Biden re-evaluating U.S. relationship with Saudis after OPEC decision -official
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-11 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

WASHINGTON, Oct 11 (Reuters) - President Joe Biden is re-evaluating the U.S. relationship with Saudi Arabia after OPEC+ announced last week that it would cut oil production, White House national security spokesman John Kirby said on Tuesday. "And certainly in light of the OPEC decision, I think that's where he is." Biden is willing to work with Congress on the future of Saudi relations, Kirby added. Biden was disappointed in the OPEC+ decision, Kirby said, and "he's willing to work with Congress to think through what that relationship ought to look like going forward." "And I think he's going to be willing to start to have those conversations right away.

☆ Senior U.S. senator wants 'freeze' on Saudi cooperation, blasts Riyadh
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-10 | by ( Patricia Zengerle | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

"The United States must immediately freeze all aspects of our cooperation with Saudi Arabia, including any arms sales and security cooperation beyond what is absolutely necessary to defend U.S. personnel and interests," Senator Bob Menendez said in a statement. "As Chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, I will not green-light any cooperation with Riyadh until the Kingdom reassesses its position with respect to the war in Ukraine. "The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia chose the latter in a terrible decision driven by economic self-interest." The leaders of the Senate Foreign Relations and House Foreign Affairs committees review major international arms deals, which generally do not go ahead without their approval. Saudi Arabia is the largest customer for U.S.-made military equipment.

☆ A top Senate Democrat threatens to block US cooperation with Saudi Arabia as MBS deepens ties with Putin
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-10 | by ( John Haltiwanger | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Sen. Bob Menendez threatened to block cooperation with Saudi Arabia. Menendez went on to excoriate Saudi Arabia, OPEC's leading member, accusing it of helping "underwrite Putin's war through the OPEC+ cartel." The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia chose the latter in a terrible decision driven by economic self-interest," Menendez said. Relations between the US and Saudi Arabia have been on shaky ground for years, largely since the brutal 2018 murder of Jamal Khashoggi by agents of the Saudi government. On the campaign trail, President Joe Biden pledged to make Saudi Arabia a "pariah" over Khashoggi's murder.

☆ Mark Meadows told incoming Biden chief of staff Ron Klain during the presidential transition that 'no president' received a daily intelligence briefing: book
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-09 | by ( John L. Dorman | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Meadows told Klain that "no president" received a daily briefing, per Maggie Haberman's new book. In "Confidence Man," Haberman detailed how Klain asked for Biden to get a daily intelligence brief. "I know the president's saying these things," Meadows told Klain at the time, per the book. "How many days a week is Vice President Biden gonna want this daily brief?" Biden also received daily briefings during his time as vice president under then-President Barack Obama from 2009 to 2017.

Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com RegisterWhite House spokesperson Karine Jean-Pierre said the measures would include penalties on individuals and entities both inside and outside of Russia that support the annexation. Jean-Pierre said the United States will not recognize Russian-annexed areas across Ukraine. But senators pressed O'Brien and Elizabeth Rosenberg, Treasury assistant secretary for terrorist financing and financial crimes, on U.S. sanctions on Russia's energy sector. Washington and its G7 partners have said they will put a price cap on Russian oil in place, but have held back from directly targeting major Russian energy companies over concerns about energy prices and supply. O'Brien also said Washington will continue working with China to ensure it understands U.S. sanctions and the effect they have on China's engagement with Russia.

CNN —The Senate ratified an international climate treaty to phase out hydrofluorocarbons – potent greenhouse gases used in air conditioning and refrigeration. In 2016, the United Nations struck an agreement known as the Kigali Amendment to the 1987 Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer. The Kigali amendment is supported by business groups like the Chamber of Commerce and environmental groups like the Natural Resources Defense Council. “Today’s Senate vote was a decade in the making and a profound victory for the climate and the American economy,” said US Special Presidential Envoy for Climate John Kerry. And in May, the Senate Foreign Relations Committee sent the ratification of the Kigali Amendment to the Senate floor without opposition.

☆ Why Joe Biden thinks he's never too old to be your president
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-13 | by ( Nicole Gaudiano | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +28 min

As the oldest sitting president, he's raising concerns about how long he can continue governing. Republicans — including Trump — have gleefully seized on Biden's verbal misadventures, such as when he called his vice president "President Harris." President Joe Biden drives the Ford's new all-electric F-150 Lightning in Dearborn, Michigan. Ruggerio described the idea that Joe Biden is diminished or can't remember things as "bull crap." Cox said that while he thinks Biden is "still Joe" and still capable, he worries that Biden's age is a problem.

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