US Policy

‘Trump Trying to Distance Himself From Criticism of Saudi Crown Prince – Scholar
US President Donald Trump has stated that he has been briefed on the recording but he didn’t have to listen to the actual tape of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi's murder. The Washington Post reported, citing CIA findings, that the Saudi Crown Prince had ordered journalist’s assassination in Istanbul last month. [...]
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‘It’s a suffering tape’: Sensitive Trump says he won’t listen to audio record of Khashoggi killing
Donald Trump said he has no desire to listen to an audio allegedly depicting the murder of Saudi journalist, Jamal Khashoggi, but added that he had been briefed that it was a “very violent, very vicious and terrible” recording. [...]
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Netanyauhu Thanks US for Opposing UN Resolution on Golan Heights
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu thanked the United States on Sunday for voting against the UN resolution condemning Israel for occupying the Golan Heights area located at the Israeli-Syrian border. "On Thursday, US Ambassador to Israel David Friedman informed me on the US decision to vote against the regular resolution slamming us for our presence in the Golan Heights. [...]
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US to expand Pacific military base together with Australia in bid to stop China’s growing influence
The US has said it will join Australia in the development of a naval base on Papua New Guinea’s Manus Island to “protect the freedom of the seas,” in a move apparently aimed at curbing China’s presence in the Pacific. Australia, a staunch US ally in the Pacific, had already set its sights on Papua New Guinea’s Lombrum Naval Base on Manus Island earlier in November, seeking to build a de [...]
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Trump ‘bashes’ UK’s May after she calls to congratulate him on midterm results
Donald Trump’s turbulent European visit started with an “acrimonious” conversation with British Prime Minister Theresa May, who called to celebrate the Republican wins in the midterm elections, a Washington Post report claims. The conversation, which was never officially reported by either side, came on Friday as Trump was travelling to Paris aboard Air Force One, the newspaper claims citin [...]
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Big giants in the room? APEC failure as leaders cancel joint statement amid US-China spat
For the first time, leaders of 21 Asia-Pacific economies have failed to issue a joint communique, as tensions between the US and China over trade and investment poisoned their annual summit. Pointing to the “two big giants in the room,” the Asia-Pacific Economic Co-operation’s (APEC) chair, Papua New Guinea (PNG) Prime Minister Peter O’Neill, informed Sunday’s closing news conference [...]
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Trump reportedly ‘skeptical’ of CIA determination that Saudi Crown Prince ordered Khashoggi murder
"CIA doesn't just contradict the Saudis, but also the Trump WH." All the circumspection, laughter, and Trump administration statements that even at the time seemed bizarre and gullible, say critics, appear even more damning on Friday night after the Washington Post reported that the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency believes the evidence shows that Mohammed bin Salman, the Crown Prince of Saudi [...]
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Trump Summit No-Shows Point to Waning US Influence in Region – Report
By not showing up, the US president - and thereby the nation he represents - loses ‘face’ in Asia, according to reports. US President Donald Trump skipped two major summits in Asia: the East Asian Summit hosted by the Association of Southeast Asian Nations in Singapore, and the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) meetings in Papua New Guinea, leaving US Vice President Mike Pence and [...]
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German Ex-Chancellor Brands US Ambassador in Berlin ‘Occupant Officer’
Amid growing disagreements between Washington and Berlin, ranging from the tariff dispute to the row over the NATO spending and US withdrawal from the Iran nuclear deal, Gerhard Schroeder has demanded convergence with China. [...]
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Trump Calls Saudi Arabia ‘Great Ally’ Amid CIA Report on Khashoggi Case – Media
Trump opted not to speculate about the role which CIA claims the Saudi prince played in the Khashoggi case, saying that he first needs to confer with the intelligence officials and hear what they have to say. [...]
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US Attempts to Pull ASEAN Nations Away From China – Journalist
The 33rd summit of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) in Singapore concluded on Thursday, focusing on the increasingly unstable South China Sea and on free trade across the region. US leaders used the event to try and draw countries away from China. [...]
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US, Ukraine to Work Together to Stop Nord Stream 2 Project – Pompeo
WASHINGTON (Sputnik) - The United States and Ukraine will cooperate on halting the construction of the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said after a meeting with his Ukrainian counterpart Pavlo Klimkin in Washington, DC. "We will keep working together to stop the Nord Stream 2 project that undermines Ukraine's economic and strategic security," Pompeo stated on Friday. [...]
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US continues imports of Russian gas which it insists Europe should stop buying
Several cargo ships carrying liquefied natural gas (LNG) from Russia’s Yamal LNG plant have arrived in the US, Russia’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova announced, highlighting the obvious weirdness of the situation. [...]
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US sanctions 17 Saudis for involvement in Khashoggi murder including Crown Prince aide
The US has sanctioned 17 Saudi nationals for their alleged role in the murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi. The list includes a former top aide to Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, and Saudi Consul General Mohammed Alotaibi. [...]
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US Will Defeat EU Army
The testy slap-down by US President Donald Trump to the idea of a European army was telling. Any notion of the Europeans stepping away from American "protection" would be anathema to Washington. That's because American power is not about "protecting" Europe. That's just the vainglorious, propaganda mythology. [...]
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Trump fires back at European leaders after damp reception in France
President Trump lashed out at European leaders after French President Emmanuel Macron denounced his ‘America First’ brand of nationalism and called for the creation of a European army, independent from the US. Just returned from France where much was accomplished in my meetings with World Leaders,” Trump tweeted on Monday. [...]
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Iranian central bank disconnected from SWIFT messaging – US treasury
The Iranian Central Bank has been cut off the SWIFT financial messaging system, the US Treasury Department has said. Disconnection makes it more difficult for the Islamic Republic to settle import and export bills. [...]
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US directs Iran to act like a ‘normal’ country. What is a normal country?
After reimposing crippling sanctions on Iran this week, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo threatened that Iran should “act like a normal country, or see its economy crumble.” But, how exactly does a ‘normal’ country act? Since the dictat was issued from Washington DC, it seems only fair to start there. Is the United States itself a ‘normal’ country? What makes a ‘normal’ country as [...]
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‘Trump means war’: Hundreds protest US president’s WWI centenary visit to Paris (VIDEO)
Hundreds of people protested against US President Donald Trump in Paris, condemning what they called his belligerent policies and aggressive nationalism – the latest instance of a not-so-welcoming French response to Trump’s visit. [...]
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Protesters Hold Rally Against Trump During His Visit to Paris
US President Donald Trump is one of the world leaders that has come to Paris to take part in commemorating events marking the 100th anniversary of the armistice signed on 11 November 1918 between Germany and the Allies. [...]
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Rain, Rain Go Away: Armistice Day Backlash Against Trump Grows
US President Donald Trump’s no-show at a Saturday WW1 commemoration outside of Paris - on the 100th anniversary of Armistice Day - has resulted in rising criticism worldwide, according to reports. Adding to a growing wave of derision, a UK minister of defense expressed his critique of Trump's decision to avoid a key commemorative event on Saturday due to the rain. [...]
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‘Umbrellas Are Hard:’ Trump Shamed Over Skipping WWI Cemetery Visit in France
The news provoked a flood of comments online, most of which were meant to rebuke the current “pathetic” “White House occupant,” whereas others butted in with more light-hearted remarks, calling attention to Trump’s earlier reported “inability” to operate umbrellas. [...]
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