Pompeo: Dep’t Has Received 20,000 Messages From Iranians About Regime Abuses During Protests

Iranians have sent the State Department nearly 20,000 messages, images and video clips showing regime abuses since the U.S. five days ago urged them to do so amid Internet blackouts, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said on Tuesday. Read

No Apology From Britain’s Labour Leader as Anti-Semitism Row Rumbles Ahead of Election

Two weeks out from a general election, the left-wing politician hoping to be Britain’s next prime minister was under fire on Tuesday night over claims of deep-seated anti-Semitism in his party, but in an interview sidestepped several invitations to apologize to the Jewish community. Read

After Leaks Shed More Light on China’s Abuses in Xinjiang, Islamic Bloc Remains Silent

The Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) has raised eyebrows this year for its silence over the mass incarceration of minority Muslims in China’s Xinjiang province. Days after the publication of leaked documents laying out the scale and nature of the abuses, that silence continues. Read

Pompeo: Economic Woes Driving Protests in Iran the Result of Regime Policies, Not US Pressure

Secretary of State Mike Pompeo at the weekend denied that the U.S. pressure campaign on Iran was responsible for the economic grievances that sparked the current wave of protests, saying regime policies predating the restoration of sanctions were to blame. Read

‘There is Only 1 Pro-Israel Party,’ GOP Activist Says After Democrats Criticize Settlements Move

Secretary of State Mike Pompeo’s announcement last week that the U.S. does not view Israeli settlements in disputed territory as inherently illegal under international law is sparking some partisan ill feeling, after almost half of the House Democratic caucus signed a letter urging Pompeo to reverse course. Read

Despite Claims, U.S. Engagement Did Not Improve Makeup of U.N. Human Rights Council

The quality of the membership of the U.N. Human Rights Council did not tangibly improve when the United States was a member, despite claims to that effect during a Senate panel hearing this week. Read

State Dep’t: Turkey Must ‘Destroy, Return or Somehow Get Rid of’ Russian Missile Defense System

With Turkey showing no sign of backing down on its purchase of a Russian-made missile defense system, a senior State Department official said Thursday the Turks know what they have to do to avoid further consequences for their action – “either destroy, return, or somehow get rid of the S-400” batteries. Read

Internet Blackout in Iran: Pompeo Urges Protesting Iranians to Send Images of Regime Crackdown

As the reported death toll in the Iranian protests rises amid ongoing Internet blackouts, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on Thursday urged Iranians to send imagery and information on the crackdown to enable the U.S. to “expose and sanction the abuses.” Read

Bernie Sanders: Get Iranians and Saudis ‘In a Room’ to Work Out Their Disputes

Democrat presidential hopeful Sen. Bernie Sanders indicated during Wednesday night’s MSNBC debate that as president he would get the Iranians and Saudis together “in a room” to sort out the differences between them. Read

Administration Announcement on Israeli Settlements Was Not a Reversal of ‘Decades’ of US Policy

The Trump administration’s announcement that it does not view Israeli settlements in disputed territory as inherently illegal under international law is being characterized – misleadingly – as a reversal of “decades” of U.S. policy. Read

‘Great Bipartisan Moment’: Senate Unanimously Passes Bill Rebuking Beijing Over Hong Kong

Amid the rancorous House impeachment inquiry, Senate Republicans and Democrats on Tuesday evening united behind legislation aimed at protecting the people of Hong Kong and passed it unanimously, prompting Minority Leader Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.) to hail what he called a “great bipartisan moment on the floor of the Senate for a very important issue.” Read

Trump: ‘Grossly Incompetent’ Pelosi Is Holding Up Trade Deal Because of Impeachment Push

President Trump on Tuesday berated House Speaker Nancy Pelosi for a lack of movement over the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA), and suggested a link between the purported holdup and the Democrats’ impeachment inquiry. Read

EU Foreign Policy Chief Repudiates Pompeo on Legality of Israeli Settlements; Silent on Iran Protests

It took European Union foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini about an hour to issue a statement in response to Secretary of State Mike Pompeo’s announcement Monday that the Trump administration does not view Israeli settlements in disputed West Bank as illegal under international law. Read

Reversing Obama Policy, US Will No Longer View Israeli Settlements as ‘Inconsistent with Int’l Law’

In another major reversal of the Obama administration’s policies on the Mideast dispute, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said Monday the U.S. will no longer view the existence of Israeli communities (“settlements”) in disputed territory as inherently illegal under international law, unleashing a wave of reaction, both positive and negative. Read

Esper: U.S., S. Korea Call Off Air Drills, But It’s Not a ‘Concession’ to Kim

Defense Secretary Mark Esper and his South Korean counterpart announced Sunday that a joint air exercise planned for the coming weeks will no longer take place, a decision which Esper characterized as an “act of goodwill,” but not a “concession,” to the Stalinist regime in Pyongyang. Read

US Backs Iranian Protesters Against ‘Corrupt’ Regime; Regime Blames Hardships on US Sanctions

Amid reports of a rising death toll in protests across Iran, the regime’s foreign ministry on Sunday criticized Secretary of State Mike Pompeo for voicing support for the protestors, accusing the administration of responsibility for the “economic terrorism” causing suffering to the Iranian people in the first place. Read

‘No Int’l Right to Abortion’: US, Ten Other Countries Reject UN Summit Outcome

The Trump administration on Thursday joined a handful of other governments at a U.N. population conference, reiterating that there is no “right” to abortion, and rejecting an outcome document which they said had not been sufficiently negotiated among governments or been the result of a consensus process. Read

Margaret Thatcher Out, Greta Thunberg In: Hillary Clinton’s ‘Book of Gutsy Women’

During a visit to Britain this week, Hillary Clinton explained why she and daughter Chelsea chose not to include Margaret Thatcher in their new book featuring “gutsy women” – and why the teenage Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg did make the cut. Read

Trump State Dep’t, Unlike its Predecessor, Links EU Labeling Directive to Anti-Israel Boycotts

The Trump administration on Wednesday threw its support behind Israel after the European Union’s highest court mandated the labeling of goods produced in Israeli settlements in disputed areas. Read

Trump to Turkish Questioner: ‘Are You Sure You Are a Reporter?’

President Trump during his press conference with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Wednesday asked a Turkish woman whether she was a journalist or working “for Turkey,” after she asked a question that mirrored Erdogan’s talking points on Syrian Kurdish fighters and terrorism. Read

Hillary Clinton on Running Again: No, But ‘I Never Say Never to Anything’

Keeping speculation about another possible presidential campaign alive, Hillary Clinton in two British radio interviews on Tuesday said she thinks “all the time” about how much better a president she would have made than “the current incumbent in the White House.” Read

Heading to D.C., Turkey's President Erdogan Wants Trump to See Terrorism His Way

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan is placing at the top of his agenda for his talks with President Trump on Wednesday the issue of terrorism, and what he sees as Washington’s failure to fall in line with Turkey’s views on the matter. Read

Nat'l Security Advisor: Unlike Obama, Trump Did Provide Lethal Military Aid to Ukraine

The fact that President Trump – unlike his predecessor – sent lethal military aid to Ukraine in the face of Russia’s aggression is “the real story that’s been lost in all this,” National Security Advisor Robert O’Brien said Sunday, in reference to Democrats’ drive to impeach the president. Read

Bernie Sanders: Resignation of Bolivia’s Socialist President ‘Appears to be a Coup’

Presidential hopeful Sen. Bernie Sanders said Monday the resignation of Bolivia’s socialist president “appears to be a coup,” a position in stark contrast to President Trump’s assessment that Evo Morales’ departure marks “a significant moment for democracy in the Western Hemisphere.” Read

Haley Describes Efforts by Tillerson, Kelly to ‘Undermine’ President Trump

Former U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. Nikki Haley said Sunday she found “offensive” attempts by former Secretary of State Rex Tillerson and former White House Chief of Staff John Kelly to get her to help “undermine” President Trump. Read

Cuba, Maduro Regime Denounce ‘Coup’ After Bolivia’s Leftist Leader Resigns

Leftist leaders in Latin America reacted heatedly Sunday to the decision by Bolivian President Evo Morales to resign after three weeks of unrest over disputed election results, alleging the socialist leader was the victim of a “coup” carried out by right-wing forces, backed by the United States. Read

In Annual Ritual, UN Condemns US Embargo of Cuba by Huge Margin, Then Applauds Itself

The U.N. General Assembly on Thursday voted by an overwhelming margin to condemn the U.S. embargo of Cuba, in an annual ritual that sees delegate after delegate criticize Washington’s policies towards the communist-ruled island, and then applaud their lopsided vote. Read

As Bloomberg Mulls Entering 2020 Race, Warren Draws His Attention to Her Wealth Tax Calculator

Michael Bloomberg, the billionaire who won three terms as New York City mayor as a Republican, is considering a late entry into the Democratic 2020 presidential primary, after ruling out a run earlier this year. Read

Amid Simmering Tensions, Trump Confirms Erdogan White House Visit Will Go Ahead

President Trump confirmed Wednesday that a proposed White House meeting with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan will go ahead next week, at a time when many in Congress have been sharply critical of the authoritarian Islamist leader. Read

Two Men Plead Guilty to Spying for Iran on Targets in U.S.

Two men accused of spying on Iranian dissidents in the United States have pleaded guilty in a Washington court to various charges, in a case that offered glimpses of attempts by the regime in Tehran to track – and possibly target – its exiled enemies. Read

GOP Lawmakers to Trump: ‘Tear Up the [Iran] Nuclear Deal Once and For All’

As the Iranian regime prepares to resume uranium enrichment at its Fordow plant – a further move away from its commitments in the 2015 nuclear deal – Republican lawmakers Tuesday called on the administration to end waivers which critics view as keeping the agreement on life support. Read

Pompeo Accuses China of Punishing Uighurs Whose Relatives Have Spoken Out in the U.S.

At a time when China has won support from dozens of governments for its controversial treatment of Muslims in Xinjiang province, the U.S. voiced concern Tuesday about reports that the communist authorities are targeting relatives of Uighurs who speak out publicly in the U.S. about those policies. Read

Turkey, Whose President Fetes Hamas, Complains About US Terror Report

Turkey’s Islamist government is unhappy that the State Department’s latest terrorism report does not adequately align with its views on two key security issues – Syrian Kurdish fighters and a U.S.-based Turkish cleric whom Ankara accuses of masterminding a failed coup attempt. Read

0 Refugees Admitted to the United States in October

Not one refugee has arrived in the United States since fiscal year 2020 began 35 days ago, a State Department spokesperson confirmed on Monday, adding that the last time there had been an “extended pause” in admissions was in November 2001. Read

Terror, Hostage-Taking Are in Iran's DNA, Critics Say, 40 Years After U.S. Embassy Seized

As the United States marks the 40th anniversary Monday of the takeover of the U.S. Embassy in Tehran, opponents of the regime said terrorism and hostage taking remains part of its “DNA,” and noted a recent call by a confidant of the supreme leader for Shi’ite militias in Iraq to seize the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad. Read

Trump Signs New Record-Low Refugee Admission Ceiling; No Arrivals Since Oct. 1

Three days after President Trump signed a presidential determination limiting the number of refugees to be resettled in the United States in FY 2020 to a record-low 18,000, State Department data show that not one refugee has been admitted into the U.S. in the 35 days since the fiscal year began. Read

US Reportedly Withholding Military Aid From Lebanon, Where Hezbollah is Deeply Entrenched

The Trump administration is reportedly withholding $105 million in military aid from Lebanon, a move that comes after Israel called on Western countries to make assistance conditional on the Lebanese government clamping down on Hezbollah’s attempts to acquire precision guided missiles. Read

Senate Republicans Accuse Democrats of Blocking Aid to Ukraine for Political Reasons

Senate Republicans accused Democrats Thursday of prioritizing “picking fights with the White House” over funding for America’s armed forces, after the minority blocked a defense spending bill for the second time. Read