Friday, March 31, 2017

OAS Chief Decries ‘Dictatorship’ After Venezuela’s Supreme Court Seizes Power From Parliament

Venezuela lurched deeper into crisis Thursday after the government-controlled supreme court stripped the elected legislature of its lawmaking powers, prompting the head of the Organization of American States (OAS) to decry a “self-inflicted coup” and describe Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro’s Socialist regime as a “dictatorship.” Read

Former UN Secretary General Says Trump Will 'Fail'--Faces 'Reality Therapy'

President Trump may have short-term successes but will ultimately fail, and “reality therapy” – including checks and balances in the U.S. system – will make him realize that “things are not as simple” as they appear, former U.N. secretary-general Kofi Annan said this week. Read

Thursday, March 30, 2017

North Korea: McCain’s ‘Crazy Fat Kid’ Comment ‘Little Short of Declaration of War’

Sen. John McCain’s characterization of Kim Jong-un as a “crazy fat kid” drew a sharp response this week from Pyongyang’s foreign ministry, which called the remark “a grave provocation little short of declaration of war.” Read

UN Monitors Murdered in Congo--Where $18.3B Spent on Peacekeeping

The murder in the Democratic Republic of Congo of two U.N. experts, one of whom was decapitated, has drawn renewed attention to a convoluted conflict that is estimated to have caused more than five million deaths from violence, disease and malnutrition since the late 1990s. Read

Wednesday, March 29, 2017

UK Foreign Secretary: WH Bugging Claim Won’t Damage Ties; ‘A Gnat Against a Rhinoceros’

Fresh from his trip to Washington, British Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson on Tuesday did some careful juggling as lawmakers in the House of Commons challenged him on U.S. policy positions at odds with those traditionally held by the U.K. Read

U.S. Joins Allies in Welcoming Montenegro to NATO: Only 2 Republicans Vote 'No'

The United States on Tuesday became the second to last NATO member to ratify the accession of Montenegro, paving the way for the alliance to grow to 29 allies, in its first expansion in eight years. Read

Tuesday, March 28, 2017

U.N. Human Rights Adviser: Trump Won’t Last Four Years

A left-wing Swiss sociologist who advises the U.N. Human Rights Council predicts that President Trump will not serve a full term, saying that his tenure will be cut short either by psychiatric problems or insurmountable pressure. Read

U.S. Ambassador to the UN: ‘I Wear Heels' for 'Kicking'

U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley said Monday that by putting countries there “on notice,” and by “actually act[ing] on what we say,” the new administration is working on changing the culture at the world body, and demonstrating that “we can do a lot.” Read

Monday, March 27, 2017

More Than 8 Years Later, US Kills Pakistani Terrorist Blamed for Deadly Hotel Bombing

A Pakistani terrorist killed by a U.S. missile fired from a drone over Afghanistan last week was blamed for attacks including a bombing during the George W. Bush administration that killed at least 53 people, including a U.S. sailor and airman. Read

Bolton: Counter-Terror Cooperation With Russia 'Difficult if Not Impossible' Because of Russia’s Partnership With Iran

The deepening ties between Russia and Iran makes U.S.-Russia counter-terror cooperation “difficult if not impossible,” since Iran remains the world’s foremost sponsor of terrorism, former U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. John Bolton said Sunday. Read

Friday, March 24, 2017

Contrary to NYT Claim, Obama’s Use of ‘Islamic Republic of Iran’ in Nowruz Messages Was Erratic

President Trump’s Persian new year (Nowruz) message this week drew comparisons with his predecessor’s statements over the previous eight years, with the New York Times commenting that Trump’s greetings ignored the Iranian government and did not use the formal term Islamic Republic of Iran, “as Mr. Obama did.” Read

Stalinist North Korea Blasts Trump’s Immigration Policies: Treating Aliens 'Like Criminals'

President Trump’s executive orders pausing immigration from six countries and proposing wall along the southern border attracted criticism Thursday from an unusual source – North Korea’s Kim Jong-un regime. Read

Thursday, March 23, 2017

Tillerson: Many ISIS Terrorists ‘Come From Middle-Class or Even Upper-Class Backgrounds’

Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said Wednesday that many ISIS terrorists are not attracted to the terrorist group because of impoverished backgrounds, but by “a radical and false utopian vision that purports to be based upon the Qur’an.” Read

Susan Rice Warns White House Not to Put Out ‘Inaccurate If Not Deliberately False’ Information

Former Obama administration national security adviser Susan Rice was castigated on social media over a Washington Post op-ed accusing the Trump White House of dissembling and contorting the facts, but doubled down in a PBS interview Wednesday, saying when the White House puts out information seen to be “inaccurate if not deliberately false, it shakes the credibility and the confidence of our allies.” Read

Wednesday, March 22, 2017

Iranian Opposition Leader Says US ‘Appeasement’ Has Helped the Regime

Nothing has been more helpful to the fundamentalist regime ruling Iran over the past several years than the U.S. policy of “appeasement,” the head of the exiled Iranian opposition movement said this week. Read

Turkey Bristles at Being Included in Airline Laptop Ban

As Britain followed the United States’ lead in banning the carrying of electronic devices onboard inbound flights from selected airports in Islamic nations, Turkey is demanding that it not be lumped together with the other affected countries. Read

Tuesday, March 21, 2017

EU Official 'Particularly Worried' About Trump's 'Destabilizing' Foreign Aid Budget Cuts

European Union foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini on Monday expressed deep concern about the Trump administration’s proposed foreign aid cuts, warning that reductions in humanitarian and peacekeeping funding could result in destabilization. Read

Israel Accused of ‘Apartheid’ at the UN Human Rights Council

As the U.N. Human Rights Council on Monday held its once-a-session condemnation of Israel, the word “apartheid” featured frequently, as members drew attention to the recent verdict of an obscure U.N. body declaring Israel “guilty of the crime of apartheid.” Read

Monday, March 20, 2017

US Pays 22.1% of NATO Budget; Germany 14.7%; 13 Allies Pay Less Than 1%

While President Trump’s weekend Twitter assertion that “Germany owes vast sums of money to NATO” is disputed by experts – and by Berlin – it draws attention to the fact that Germany, like the majority of the 28 members of the alliance, has yet to meet a NATO-agreed commitment to devote two percent of GDP to defense spending. Read

Erdogan Urges Turks in Europe to be Continent's Future: 'Have 5 Children, Not 3'

The crisis between Turkey and European countries deepened over the weekend, with President Recep Tayyip Erdogan doubling down on Nazi analogies while lashing out at critical governments, and repeating earlier advice to Turks in Europe to have more children “because you are the future of Europe.” Read

Friday, March 17, 2017

WH on Global Climate Change: ‘We’re Not Spending Money on That Anymore’

In line with campaign pledges that riled environmental activists and the Obama administration, President Trump is seeking to eliminate funding for global climate programs including the Green Climate Fund, which the White House on Thursday described as “a waste of your money.” Read

UN, Christian Leaders Warn Against Steep Cuts to UN, Foreign Aid Funding

Shaken by confirmation that the new administration of its biggest contributor is proposing sweeping reductions to its funding, the United Nations on Thursday warned that “abrupt funding cuts” could harm long-term reform efforts. Read

Thursday, March 16, 2017

Ex-Sen. Lieberman Welcomes ‘Change in the White House Attitude’ on Iran

Former Sen. Joe Lieberman supported Hillary Clinton’s presidential campaign, but on Wednesday, he called the shift from President Obama to President Trump “enormously significant and hopeful” when it comes to Iran. Read

On 6th Anniversary of Syria Civil War, UN Body Releases Report – Accusing Israel of ‘Apartheid’

On the day that the Syrian civil war entered its seventh year, a United Nations body focusing on the Arab world launched a report in neighboring Lebanon charging that Israel is “guilty of the crime of apartheid” in its dealings with the Palestinians. Read

Wednesday, March 15, 2017

Palestinian Terrorists Have Killed at Least 64 Americans Since 1993; US Finally Indicts a Perp

At least 64 Americans have been killed in Palestinian terror attacks since 1993, but U.S. authorities up until now have never prosecuted any of the perpetrators in U.S. courts. Read

US Indicts Terrorist Who Boasted ‘Allah Granted Me Success’ in Attack That Killed 15, Including 2 Americans

A month before 9/11, a female Hamas terrorist directed a Palestinian suicide bomber to a busy pizza restaurant in downtown Jerusalem where his detonated device killed 15 people, including U.S. citizens Malka Roth, 15, and Judith Greenbaum, 31. Seven of the victims were children, aged two, four, eight, ten, 14, 15 and 16. Read

Tuesday, March 14, 2017

$2.4 Billion for Peacekeeping? Trump Administration Mulls UN Funding Cuts

With the Trump administration looking at ways to reduce U.S. contributions to the United Nations, the approximately $2.4 billion of taxpayers’ money that goes towards peacekeeping missions each year is in the spotlight. Read

Turkey-EU Row: Turkish Politician Urges Turks in Netherlands to Vote in Large Numbers

Amid an ongoing row over Turkish propaganda rallies in European countries, a Turkish party leader is urging ethnic Turks to turn out in large numbers in Wednesday’s elections in the Netherlands, to send a message to those parties that “insult the Turkish nation.” Read

Monday, March 13, 2017

Hoax Resolution Hints at What the U.N. Could Look Like If It Lived Up to Its Own Charter

A draft U.N. General Assembly “resolution” circulating on social media at the weekend called for some of the world’s most severe human rights abusers to be removed from top U.N. agencies such as the U.N. Human Rights Council. Read

Turkey’s Autocratic President Tells NATO Allies, ‘Nazism Is Alive in the West’

In one of the worst diplomatic rows between NATO allies in decades, Turkey’s Islamist president has compared the Dutch government to Nazis after it prevented two Turkish ministers from addressing rallies in the Netherlands in support of the Turkish leader’s attempts to significantly expand his powers. Read

Friday, March 10, 2017

Iranian-Backed Militia in Syria Vows to ‘Liberate’ Golan Heights

Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu sought Moscow’s understanding Thursday to prevent a malevolent future role for Iran in Syria – one day after an Iranian-backed Shi’ite militia fighting there announced the formation of a special “brigade to liberate the Golan Heights.” Read

Analysts: Iran Has Been Put ‘On Notice’; Time to Show U.S. Means Business

Iran’s provocations in the Persian Gulf and fresh ballistic missile tests indicate that the regime is testing the Trump administration and watching carefully to see whether and how it responds, policy analysts say. Read

Thursday, March 09, 2017

UN Human Rights Chief: Trump Trying to ‘Intimidate or Undermine’ Journalists and Judges

In fresh criticism of President Trump, the top United Nations human rights official on Wednesday condemned the “vilification of entire groups such as Mexicans and Muslims” in the U.S. and accused the president of trying to “intimidate or undermine journalists and judges.” Read

UN Tourism Boss Blasts Trump’s Travel Ban, Praises Iran

The head of a United Nations agency that promotes tourism has joined a chorus of criticism directed at President Trump’s travel executive order, calling it an “ill-conceived” action that will lead not to enhanced security but increased tension. Read

Wednesday, March 08, 2017

Profits Funding Terror: New Reports Examine Financial Tentacles of Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard

Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) has exclusive control over nearly half of the country’s official shipping docks and uses them to evade sanctions, export arms to proxies in violation of international embargoes, and carry out other illicit activities. Read

Administration Slaps Down Chinese Protests, Hints at Tougher Response to N. Korean Provocations

China responded testily to the unfolding deployment in South Korea of a U.S.-supplied missile defense system, but the Trump administration pushed back Tuesday, calling the shield a defensive measure against the North Korean threat and hinting that new options against the Stalinist regime may go beyond sanctions. Read

Tuesday, March 07, 2017

New Travel Order Will Cut Refugee Admissions to Below 2,000 a Month, on Average

President Trump’s new travel executive order issued on Monday maintains the original’s ceiling of 50,000 refugees to be resettled in the United States this fiscal year, meaning that just 12,639 more refugees are set to be admitted over the next seven months. Read

CAIR Blames White House ‘Islamophobes’ and ‘White Supremacists’ for New Travel Order

The Council on American-Islamic Relations on Monday blamed “Islamophobes” and “white supremacists” in the White House for President Trump’s new travel executive order – or what CAIR has dubbed “Muslim ban 2.0.” Read

Monday, March 06, 2017

Taunting US and Allies, N. Korea Fires Missiles Dangerously Close to Japan

Three days after warning the United States that it has taken “the road of horrible death” by holding annual joint military exercises with South Korea, North Korea’s Stalinist regime on fired four ballistic missiles into the Sea of Japan. Read

Obama’s Intelligence Chief Says ‘No Evidence’ of Trump-Russian Collusion; Media Focus on Wiretap Denial

Former Director of National Intelligence James Clapper on Sunday denied knowledge of any wire-tapping of then-nominee or president-elect Donald Trump – but in an assertion receiving considerably less press attention also stated he had no knowledge of evidence of collusion between Russia and the Trump campaign. Read

Friday, March 03, 2017

Islam on Track to Overtake Christianity, Become the World’s Biggest Religion

By the middle of this century, the number of Muslims worldwide will roughly equal those of Christians and by the century’s end will exceed them, making Islam the world’s largest religion. Read

Europeans Rally to Help Abortion-Supporting Groups After Trump Targets Funding

A European initiative aimed at helping abortion-supporting groups denied funding under the Mexico City Policy restored by President Trump raised pledges Thursday of some $190 million – roughly one-third of the amount needed annually to make up for the U.S. cut. Read

Thursday, March 02, 2017

Trump Administration Puts UN Human Rights Council on Notice; 'Obsession With Israel'

The Trump administration put the U.N. Human Rights Council on notice Wednesday, criticizing the Geneva-based body for its “obsession with Israel” and also taking a swipe at the presence among its members of rights-abusing regimes. Read

American Muslim’s Oscar Win Highlights Religious Bigotry in Pakistan

American actor Mahershala Ali was hailed in world headlines this week as the first Muslim to win an Academy Award for acting, but in Pakistan, his achievement generated controversy, reinforcing that country’s reputation as a leading violator of religious freedom. Read

Wednesday, March 01, 2017

Russia, China Veto Syria Measure in First UNSC Standoff of Trump Presidency

President Trump’s ambassador to the United Nations lashed out at Russia and China Tuesday for vetoing a U.N. Security Council resolution imposing sanctions on Syria over chemical weapons attacks, accusing them of putting “their friends in the Assad regime ahead of our global security.” Read

Trump: ‘My Job is Not to Represent the World; My Job is to Represent the United States of America’

Foreign policy did not feature prominently in President Trump’s first address to a joint session of Congress, but he did pledge “direct, robust and meaningful engagement with the world” even while signaling a more hands-off policy, saying that “America respects the right of all nations to chart their own path.” Read