FOREIGN POLICY/NORTH KOREA/STATE/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “The Trump administration acknowledged on Saturday [9-30-17] for the first time that it was in direct communication with the government of North Korea over its missile and nuclear tests, seeking a possible way forward beyond the escalating threats of a military confrontation from both sides… The two countries have been […]
Category: Foreign Policy
9/30/2017
FOREIGN POLICY/NATIONAL SECURITY/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “The White House said on Saturday [9-30-17] it had ordered that Iran, Venezuela and four African nations be added to a U.S. list of countries accused of failing to crack down on human trafficking, a step that further isolates them from the United States. The White House said it also […]
9/29/2017
CUBA/FOREIGN POLICY: “It was grim, unsettling news: the United States warned Americans on Friday [9-29-17] not to travel to Cuba and ordered the withdrawal of more than half its diplomats in Havana. The announcement, which spread around the island in spurts, largely by word of mouth, dealt a harsh blow to Cubans who had hoped […]
9/29/2017
FOREIGN POLICY/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “President Donald Trump will travel to South Korea, Japan and China in a 12-day swing through Asia later this year, his first trip to the continent as president, the White House said Friday [9-29-17]. In the November trip, Mr. Trump and First Lady Melania Trump will also visit Vietnam, the Philippines […]
9/26/2017
DHS/FOREIGN POLICY/IMMIGRATION/TRAVEL BAN/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “President Trump’s decision to impose his updated travel ban on Chad came over the objections of Pentagon and State Department officials, who argued that alienating the nation, one of America’s more reliable counterterrorism allies in Africa, risked harming long-term national security interests, administration officials said on Tuesday [9-26-17]. Mr. Trump […]
9/26/2017
FOREIGN POLICY/NORTH KOREA/TREASURY/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “The United States added eight North Korean banks and 26 individuals operating in four countries to its sanctions blacklist on Tuesday [9-26-17], part of an intensified effort to starve North Korea financially in response to the country’s nuclear weapons and missile testing. The action by the Treasury Department came less […]
9/26/2017
FOREIGN POLICY/NORTH KOREA/STATE/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “U.S. officials emphasized the urgency of attempts at diplomacy to ease tensions with North Korea on Tuesday [9-26-17], while the U.S. stepped up sanctions amid an escalating war of words between Washington and Pyongyang. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson will travel to Beijing on Thursday as the U.S. continues to […]
9/26/2017
FOREIGN POLICY/MILITARY/RUSSIA/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “U.S. officials are preparing to announce restrictions to Russian military flights over American territory under the Treaty on Open Skies in the latest sign of strain in U.S.-Russia relations. The treaty, part of a suite of arms-control, transparency and confidence-building agreements that proliferated in the late stages of the Cold War, […]
9/25/2017
FOREIGN POLICY/NATIONAL SECURITY/NORTH KOREA/NUCLEAR: “North Korea’s foreign minister escalated tensions with the United States on Monday [9-25-17], saying that President Trump’s threatening comments about the country and its leadership were ‘a declaration of war’ and that North Korea had the right to shoot down American warplanes, even if they are not in North Korean air […]
9/25/2017
FOREIGN POLICY/MILITARY/RUSSIA/SYRIA/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov said on Monday that the ‘two-faced policy’ of the United States was to blame for the death of Russian Lieutenant-General Valery Asapov in Syria, the RIA news agency quoted him as saying. The Russian Defence Ministry said on Sunday that Asapov had been killed by […]
9/23/2017
FOREIGN POLICY/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT/UN: “Just heard Foreign Minister of North Korea speak at U.N. If he echoes thoughts of Little Rocket Man, they won’t be around much longer!” -Donald Trump, Twitter.com, September 23, 2017 10:08pm […]
9/23/2017
FOREIGN POLICY/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “Iran just test-fired a Ballistic Missile capable of reaching Israel.They are also working with North Korea.Not much of an agreement we have!” -Donald Trump, Twitter.com, September 23, 2017 04:59pm […]
9/22/2017
FOREIGN POLICY/IRAN/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “Escalating a war of words with the United States, President Hassan Rouhani of Iran declared on Friday [9-22-17] that his country would continue to develop new missiles and ‘would not seek anyone’s permission to defend our land.’ As he spoke at a military parade in Tehran, the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps […]
9/22/2017
FOREIGN POLICY/NORTH KOREA/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “Kim Jong Un of North Korea, who is obviously a madman who doesn’t mind starving or killing his people, will be tested like never before!” -Donald Trump, Twitter.com, September 22, 2017 05:28am […]
9/21/2017
FOREIGN POLICY/IRAN/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “President Donald Trump kept world leaders guessing for a second day on what he is going to do about the Iran nuclear accord after describing it this week at the United Nations as ‘an embarrassment’ to the U.S. But the options facing his administration aren’t as simple as staying in the […]
9/21/2017
FOREIGN POLICY/NORTH KOREA/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “President Donald Trump launched a new phase of a crackdown on North Korea on Thursday [9-22-17], expanding sanctions to hit any individuals, companies and financial institutions doing business with Pyongyang, not only those involved in aiding its weapons program or laundering funds… President Trump on Thursday signed an executive order […]
9/21/2017
FOREIGN POLICY/NORTH KOREA/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “Today, I announced a new Executive Order with re: to North Korea. We must all do our part to ensure the complete denuclearization of #NoKo. https://t.co/igjOSM7N7h” -Donald Trump, Twitter.com, September 21, 2017 12:58pm […]
9/21/2017
FOREIGN POLICY/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT/UKRAINE: “It was wonderful to have President Petro Poroshenko of Ukraine with us in New York City today. #UNGA ?https://t.co/UKOMUj0ZuL https://t.co/GpkERy8Wi” -Donald Trump, Twitter.com, September 21, 2017 10:17am […]
9/21/2017
AFGHANISTAN/FOREIGN POLICY/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “It was a pleasure to have President Ashraf Ghani of Afghanistan with us this morning! #USAatUNGA #UNGA https://t.co/HOEVfnMn14” -Donald Trump, Twitter.com, September 21, 2017 10:15am […]
9/21/2017
FOREIGN POLICY/NORTH KOREA/SOUTH KOREA: “South Korea’s government said it would send $8 million in new humanitarian aid to North Korea, despite the nuclear standoff on the peninsula. The left-leaning administration approved the new aid tranche Thursday, after a meeting of government officials chaired by unification minister Cho Myoung-gyon. Since taking office in May, President Moon […]
9/20/2017
FOREIGN POLICY/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “Honored to host a luncheon for African leaders this afternoon. Great discussions on the challenges & opportunities facing our nations today. https://t.co/AbnBJtKCAI” -Donald Trump, Twitter.com, September 20, 2017 02:05pm […]
9/20/2017
FOREIGN POLICY/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “It was a great honor to be with King Abdullah II of Jordan and his delegation this morning. We had a GREAT bilateral meeting!???? https://t.co/6tYDHswKa3” -Donald Trump, Twitter.com, September 20, 2017 10:23am […]
9/20/2017
FOREIGN POLICY/HILLARY CLINTON/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “After allowing North Korea to research and build Nukes while Secretary of State (Bill C also), Crooked Hillary now criticizes.” -Donald Trump, Twitter.com, September 20, 2017 05:40am […]
9/20/2017
FOREIGN POLICY/IRAN/REX TILLERSON/STATE/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said the U.S. would remain a part of the 2015 Iran nuclear agreement only if it is modified, a position that could heighten tension at a planned meeting Wednesday [9-20-17] of countries that are part of the accord, including Iran. Mr. Tillerson’s demand for modifications, […]
9/20/2017
ECONOMY/FOREIGN POLICY/HUMAN RIGHTS/IMMIGRATION/NATIONAL SECURITY/NORTH KOREA/NUKES/SANCTIONS/SECRETARY OF STATE/TREASURY/TRUMP EXECUTIVE ORDERS: “I, DONALD J. TRUMP, President of the United States of America, find that: The provocative, destabilizing, and repressive actions and policies of the Government of North Korea, including its intercontinental ballistic missile launches of July 3 and July 28, 2017, and its nuclear test of September […]
9/19/2017
FOREIGN POLICY/IRAN/NORTH KOREA/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT/UN: “President Donald Trump threatened to annihilate North Korea if the U.S. has to defend itself or its allies against the Pyongyang regime, delivering the dire warning Tuesday during his first address to the United Nations General Assembly. Mr. Trump began his speech by espousing a form of international cooperation based […]
9/18/2017
FOREIGN POLICY/ISRAEL/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “Such an honor to have my good friend, Israel PM @Netanyahu, join us w/ his delegation in NYC this afternoon. #UNGA https://t.co/YEHWjdtQx8 https://t.co/jwU4e8Yk8A” -Donald Trump, Twitter.com, September 18, 2017 06:31pm […]
9/19/2017
FOREIGN POLICY/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT/VENEZUELA: “U.S. President Donald Trump threatened new sanctions on Venezuela as his administration stepped up efforts to build an international alliance against President Nicolás Maduro. ‘We are prepared to take further action if the government of Venezuela persists on its path to impose its authoritarian rule on the Venezuelan people,’ Mr. Trump […]
9/18/2017
FOREIGN POLICY/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT/VENEZUELA: “We call for the full restoration of democracy and political freedoms in Venezuela, and we want it to happen very, very soon! https://t.co/bMJDOtAesl” -Donald Trump, Twitter.com, September 18, 2017 11:18pm […]
9/18/2017
FOREIGN POLICY/FRANCE/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “It was a great honor to be with President @EmmanuelMacron of France this afternoon with his delegation. Great bilateral meeting! #UNGA https://t.co/HnxDDU5d5F” -Donald Trump, Twitter.com, September 18, 2017 10:01pm […]
9/18/2017
FOREIGN POLICY/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT/UN: “President Donald Trump’s first address to the United Nations General Assembly on Tuesday [9-19-17] will lay out a foreign policy rooted in his view of nationalism and sovereignty and anchored by ‘America First’ principles, according to a senior White House official. Mr. Trump will call for more burden sharing and cooperation […]
9/18/2017
FOREIGN POLICY/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT/VENEZUELA: “President Donald Trump said on Monday [9-18-17] he wanted democracy restored soon in Venezuela and warned that the United States might take additional measures to apply pressure on the oil-producing nation. At a dinner with Latin American leaders on the fringes of the U.N. General Assembly, Trump said the Venezuelan people […]
9/18/2017
FOREIGN POLICY/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “Looking forward to meeting with Prime Minister @Netanyahu shortly. Peace in the Middle East would be a truly great legacy for ALL people!” -Donald Trump, Twitter.com, September 18, 2017 11:57am […]
9/18/2017
FOREIGN POLICY/IRAN/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “Iranian Vice President Ali Akbar Salehi on Monday [9-18-17] accused the U.S. of violating the spirit and letter of the 2015 nuclear deal, escalating a clash between the two countries at the start of a crucial week of talks on the accord’s future. President Donald Trump has said he expects not […]
9/18/2017
FOREIGN POLICY/NATO/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT/UN: “President Donald Trump’s debut at the United Nations’ annual gathering of world leaders was set to kick off with a U.S.-hosted event on overhauls at the world body. Monday’s [9-18-17] summit, set to be attended by world leaders and senior officials from more than 100 countries, comes a day before Mr. […]
9/17/2017
FOREIGN POLICY/NATIONAL SECURITY/NORTH KOREA/NUCLEAR/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “The White House on Sunday [9-17-17] reiterated its position that North Korean leader Kim Jong Un must give up his nuclear weapons, days after President Donald Trump hinted again at a military strike on the North. White House National Security Adviser H.R. McMaster said Sunday the U.S. policy remains […]
9/17/2017
FOREIGN POLICY/SOUTH KOREA/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “I spoke with President Moon of South Korea last night. Asked him how Rocket Man is doing. Long gas lines forming in North Korea. Too bad!” -Donald Trump, Twitter.com, September 17, 2017 06:53am […]
9/14/2017
COLOMBIA/DRUGS/FOREIGN POLICY/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “The U.S. and Colombia, longtime allies in the war on drugs, clashed after President Donald Trump warned he was considering removing Colombia from Washington’s list of drug-fighting partners because of a surge in the coca crop. American officials, who say more than 90% of the cocaine in the U.S. originates in […]
9/14/2017
CRISIS/FOREIGN POLICY/MEXICO/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “U.S. President Donald Trump said that he reached Mexican President Enrique Peña Nieto by telephone Thursday [9-14-17] to express his condolences for the earthquake that struck his country a week ago, citing poor cellphone reception for the delay. The White House had previously cited technical issues when a planned phone call […]
9/14/2017
FOREIGN POLICY/IRAN/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “The Trump administration imposed new sanctions against 11 firms and individuals for allegedly aiding Tehran’s ballistic missile program and helping it to conduct cyberattacks and support terrorism, the U.S. Treasury said Thursday [9-14-17]. The new sanctions come as the administration is set to waive sanctions related to the 2015 international nuclear […]
9/14/2017
FOREIGN POLICY/IRAN/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “President Donald Trump on Thursday [9-14-17] is expected to extend sanctions relief to Iran, U.S. officials said, retaining for now the U.S. commitment to the landmark 2015 nuclear agreement, whose fate nonetheless remains uncertain. As part of the international deal, the U.S. agreed to waive a wide range of sanctions on […]
9/12/2017
FOREIGN POLICY/MALAYSIA/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “President Donald Trump touted what he described as a plan by Malaysia Airlines Bhd. to spend between $10 billion and $20 billion on Boeing Co. jets and General Electric Co. engines as he opened a White House meeting with Malaysia’s prime minister. Mr. Trump, in a public appearance with Prime Minister […]
9/12/2017
FOREIGN POLICY/MALAYSIA/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “When President Trump welcomed Malaysia’s prime minister, Najib Razak, to the White House on Tuesday [9-12-17], he thanked him for ‘all the investment you’ve made in the United States.’ Mr. Trump did not single out Mr. Najib’s patronage of his hotel two blocks from the White House, but he could have: […]
9/12/2017
FOREIGN POLICY/NORTH KOREA/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “The last time South Korea is known to have plotted to assassinate the North Korean leadership, nothing went as planned. In the late 1960s, after North Korean commandoes tried to ransack the presidential palace in Seoul, South Korea secretly trained misfits plucked from prison or off the streets to sneak […]
9/11/2017
FOREIGN POLICY/NIKKI HALEY/NORTH KOREA/TRADE DEALS/UN: “The United Nations Security Council unanimously adopted new sanctions against North Korea on Monday [9-11-17] after U.S. officials eased their demands to convince China and Russia to approve the measure. The U.S., which drafted the initial resolution while pledging the harshest possible sanctions yet, rolled back its initial insistence on […]
9/11/2017
FOREIGN POLICY/NORTH KOREA/TRADE DEALS/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT/UN: “The Trump administration has backed away from some of the most stringent penalties it had sought to impose on North Korea, in an apparent effort to draw Russian and Chinese backing for a new raft of sanctions over the country’s nuclear weapons advances. Whether the administration will garner the […]
9/10/2017
FOREIGN POLICY/JUSTICE DEPARTMENT/MALAYSIA/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “President Donald Trump will host Malaysia’s premier this week, in a visit that shows how hard his administration is working to court Asian allies to pressure North Korea over its nuclear-weapons program. Tuesday’s [9-12-17] visit by Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak comes as a U.S. Justice Department investigation into the […]
9/7/2017
FOREIGN POLICY/MILITARY/NORTH KOREA/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “President Donald Trump refused to rule out military action against North Korea on Thursday [9-7-17], but he stopped short of answering a reporter’s question as to whether he would tolerate a nuclearized North Korean state if the threat were contained… Continuing several months of rhetoric between the U.S. and North […]
9/7/2017
FOREIGN POLICY/SAUDI ARABIA: “During my trip to Saudi Arabia, I spoke to the leaders of more than 50 Arab & Muslim nations about the need to confront our shared enemies.. https://t.co/8oeAQfIeX8” -Donald Trump, Twitter.com, September 7, 2017 03:18pm […]
9/7/2017
FOREIGN POLICY/MILITARY/NORTH KOREA/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “President Donald Trump downplayed the possibility of military action against North Korea on Thursday, saying such an event is neither inevitable nor preferable. ‘Military action would certainly be an option,’ he said during a White House news conference, but added later: ‘It would be great if something else could be […]
9/5/2017
FOREIGN POLICY/RUSSIA/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT/UKRAINE: “President Vladimir Putin said Tuesday [9-5-17] that any delivery of weapons by the Trump administration to Ukraine’s government could inflame hostilities and cause Russia-supported separatists to expand the theater of conflict. The comments are the Kremlin’s starkest warning yet about the potential consequences of any deliveries, and underscore the dilemma the […]
9/3/2017
FOREIGN POLICY/NORTH KOREA/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “The United States is considering, in addition to other options, stopping all trade with any country doing business with North Korea.” -Donald Trump, Twitter.com, September 3, 2017 11:14am […]
9/1/2017
FOREIGN POLICY/NORTH KOREA/RUSSIA/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “President Vladimir Putin warned on Friday [9-1-17] that the standoff between North Korea and the United States was close to spilling into a large-scale conflict and said it was a mistake to try to pressure Pyongyang into halting its nuclear missile program. Putin, due to attend a summit of the […]
8/31/2017
FOREIGN POLICY/MILITARY/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “The United States and South Korea wrapped up their annual joint military exercises on Thursday [8-31-17] by flying some of their most powerful warplanes in bombing drills in a show of force two days after North Korea fired a ballistic missile over Japan. Two B-1B supersonic bombers and four F-35 stealth […]
8/31/2017
FOREIGN POLICY/RUSSIA/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “The US announced Thursday [8-31-17] it will shutter the Russian consulate in San Francisco, as well as annexes in Washington and New York, in response to mandated staff cuts at the US mission in Russia. The move comes one day before Moscow’s deadline for US personnel to leave their positions and […]
8/31/2017
FOREIGN POLICY/MILITARY/NORTH KOREA: “The U.S. sent four of its most advanced fighter jets and a pair of B-1B bombers over the Korean Peninsula, alongside Japanese and South Korean jets, as a show of force in direct response to North Korea firing a missile over Japan. The Air Force flyover Thursday [8-31-17], which included a bombing […]
8/30/2017
FOREIGN POLICY/NORTH KOREA/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “In a post on Twitter on Wednesday [8-30-17], President Trump accused past administrations of paying ‘extortion money’ to North Korea and said diplomatic talks are not sufficient… It was not clear what money the president was referring to. Mr. Trump has been both open to and against talks with North […]
8/30/2017
FOREIGN POLICY/NORTH KOREA/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “President Trump vowed on Wednesday [8-30-17] that he would not talk to Kim Jong-un, cooling off what has become his on-again, off-again cultivation of North Korea’s rogue dictator. But if Mr. Trump’s tweet, in which he said, ‘talking is not the answer!,’ seemed to reignite tensions with North Korea, it […]
8/30/2017
FOREIGN POLICY/NORTH KOREA/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “The U.S. has been talking to North Korea, and paying them extortion money, for 25 years. Talking is not the answer!” -Donald Trump, Twitter.com, August 30, 2017 07:47am […]
8/25/2017
DEBT/FOREIGN POLICY/TRADE DEALS/VENEZUELA: “The U.S. on Friday [8-25-17] restricted the ability of Venezuela to tap American debt markets for funding, escalating Washington’s economic crackdown against Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro’s cash-strapped government. President Donald Trump’s executive order prohibits institutions in the U.S. from trading new bonds with Mr. Maduro’s government, including through the state-owned oil company, […]
8/25/2017
FOREIGN POLICY/TRUMP FAMILY/JARED KUSHNER: “The U.S. described Jared Kushner’s whistle-stop diplomatic tour of the Middle East as ‘productive’ as he tried to make progress with President Donald Trump’s plan to revive peace talks between Israelis and Palestinians. Mr. Kushner, who is also the president’s son-in-law, and other U.S. officials met with a number of regional […]
8/24/2017
BANKING/DOLLAR/FOREIGN POLICY/LEGAL: “United States authorities on Thursday [8-24-17] charged two managers at the French bank Société Générale with taking part in a scheme to manipulate a global benchmark interest rate known as Libor. Danielle Sindzingre, 54, the bank’s former global head of treasury, and her subordinate, Muriel Bescond, 49, the bank’s former head of treasury […]
8/24/2017
BUSINESS/FOREIGN POLICY/IRAN: “Officially, Apple has no presence in Iran. Because of American sanctions against the country, the company’s iPhones are not legally available for sale here, and Apple does not offer a version of its App Store in the country. That has not stopped Iranians from snapping up millions of iPhones smuggled in from places […]
8/24/2017
EGYPT/FOREIGN POLICY/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “U.S. President Donald Trump called Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi on Thursday [8-24-17] and said he was keen to overcome any obstacles in the way of cooperation, just days after the U.S. said it would withhold some financial aid to Egypt… On Tuesday, two U.S. sources familiar with the matter told […]
8/24/2017
FOREIGN POLICY/MILITARY/RUSSIA: “Two US B-1 bombers and one B-52 Stratofortress arrived in the United Kingdom on Wednesday [8-23-17] for an annual international war games event taking place at the same time as a controversial Russian military exercise. The long-range B-1s, from the 7th Bomb Wing at Dyess Air Force Base, Texas, and the B-52, from […]
8/23/2017
DHS/FOREIGN POLICY/STATE: “The United States could impose additional penalties on four unidentified countries that do not cooperate with requests to return their citizens, a Department of Homeland Security (DHS) spokesman said Wednesday [8-23-17]. The State Department and the DHS can sanction countries that do not cooperate with removals, but has only used that punishment authority […]
8/23/2017
FOREIGN POLICY/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT/TRUMP FAMILY/JARED KUSHNER: “President Donald Trump, who has pledged to broker the ‘ultimate deal’ between the Israelis and Palestinians, faces major obstacles to getting them to even negotiate as his son-in-law and adviser Jared Kushner arrives in Israel this week. The White House says the discussions will focus on ‘the path to […]
8/23/2017
FOREIGN POLICY/TRUMP FAMILY/JARED KUSHNER: “Jared Kushner has spent eight months as his father-in-law’s point person in the Middle East, relying primarily on one envoy, former Trump Organization lawyer Jason Greenblatt, to do the diplomatic heavy lifting in the region. But just over a month ago, National Security Adviser H.R. McMaster held a meeting in his […]
8/22/2017
FOREIGN POLICY/NATIONAL SECURITY/VENEZUELA: “The U.S. government is considering restricting trades in Venezuelan debt as it seeks to punish President Nicolás Maduro for undermining the country’s democracy, according to people familiar with the matter. The unprecedented move would temporarily ban U.S.-regulated financial institutions from buying and selling dollar-denominated bonds issued by the Republic of Venezuela and […]
8/22/2017
EGYPT/FOREIGN POLICY/MILITARY/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “The Trump administration on Tuesday [8-22-17] denied Egypt $96 million in aid and delayed $195 million in military funding because of concerns over Egypt’s human rights record and its cozy relationship with North Korea. Analysts said they were surprised by the moves, which followed an Oval Office meeting in April between […]
8/21/2017
CHINA/FOREIGN POLICY/NORTH KOREA: “U.S. federal prosecutors are preparing new actions targeting Chinese firms that officials say are critical financial conduits for North Korea’s government, according to people familiar with the matter, an effort that could provide muscle to the Trump administration’s plans to rein in Pyongyang’s weapons program. The Washington U.S. attorney’s office in May […]
8/21/2017
FOREIGN POLICY/RUSSIA: “The U.S. is sharply cutting back visa services in Russia after the Kremlin responded to fresh U.S. sanctions by capping the number of U.S. diplomats in the country. The U.S. embassy said on its website that it would suspend all nonimmigrant visa operations across Russia on Aug. 23 and restart them on Sept. […]
8/20/2017
FOREIGN POLICY/MILITARY/NORTH KOREA/SOUTH KOREA: “A new cycle of escalation on the Korean Peninsula looked set to begin this week as the U.S. and South Korea kicked off annual military exercises that have a history of enraging Pyongyang. The long-planned drills follow weeks of belligerent rhetoric between the U.S. and North Korea that stoked fears of […]
8/17/2017
FOREIGN POLICY/SOUTH KOREA/TRADE DEALS: “U. S. and South Korean negotiators will meet next week in Seoul to potentially amend a five-year-old trade agreement, which President Donald Trump has called ‘horrible’ and blamed for a larger American trade deficit. The agreement, known as Korus FTA—which has been in place since 2012—has been a source of tension […]
8/16/2017
FOREIGN POLICY/MIKE PENCE: “U.S. Vice President Mike Pence urged Latin American countries to sever diplomatic ties with Pyongyang and step up economic sanctions against the North Korean regime in a speech here. Mr. Pence on Wednesday [8-16-17] urged Chile, Mexico, Peru and Brazil to break off diplomatic and commercial relations with the regime of Kim Jong […]
8/15/2017
FOREIGN POLICY/INTELLIGENCE/NORTH KOREA: “The U.S. believes that North Korea produces its own rocket engines rather than relying on foreign imports, a U.S. intelligence official said Tuesday [8-15-17]. The comments from the intelligence community come as experts have questioned if Kim Jong Un’s regime obtained Soviet-designed rocket engines through illicit channels in Ukraine or Russia. A […]
8/15/2017
FOREIGN POLICY/IRAN/NATIONAL SECURITY/NUCLEAR: “Iranian President Hassan Rouhani on Tuesday [8-15-17] threatened to revive his country’s nuclear program if the U.S. continues to pile on sanctions, in a direct warning he is prepared to tear up a deal that set the stage for Iran’s opening to the West. Mr. Rouhani didn’t specify a threshold that would […]
8/15/2017
CHINA/FOREIGN POLICY/NORTH KOREA/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “By ordering his first trade action against Beijing, while amping up pressure on Chinese leaders to rein in Pyongyang’s nuclear menace, U.S. President Donald Trump is bringing to a head two of the most intractable problems that bedevil U.S.-China relations. There are hints that Mr. Trump’s hard-nosed strategy could be […]
8/14/2017
FOREIGN POLICY/NORTH KOREA/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has decided not to launch a threatened missile attack on Guam, Pyongyang’s state media reported on Tuesday, but warned that he could change his mind ‘if the Yankees persist in their extremely dangerous reckless actions.’ The report, published early Tuesday [8-15-17], could help dial […]
8/14/2017
FOREIGN POLICY/MILITARY/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT/VENEZUELA: “President Nicolás Maduro of Venezuela had become a pariah among fellow Latin American leaders as his beleaguered country staggered toward dictatorship. But a threat by President Trump to use the American military against Mr. Maduro’s government has united those leaders in a different direction: demanding that the United States keep out […]
8/14/2017
FOREIGN POLICY/MILITARY/NORTH KOREA: “Gen. Joe Dunford, chairman of the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff, said the U.S. must take threats from North Korea seriously, despite fresh skepticism from South Korea that Pyongyang has the ability to reliably deliver an intercontinental ballistic missile to the U.S… Gen. Dunford noted that North Korea had conducted missile and […]
8/12/2017
FOREIGN POLICY/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT/VENEZUELA: “President Trump’s remarks on Friday [8-11-17] that he would not rule out a ‘military option’ to quell the chaos in Venezuela set off a late-night diplomatic duel, with the defense minister accusing Mr. Trump of ‘an act of madness’ and the White House saying it had turned away a call from […]
8/12/2017
CHINA/FOREIGN POLICY/TRADE DEALS/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “The Trump administration announced plans Saturday [8-12-17] to pressure China over alleged intellectual property theft, adding the threat of trade retaliation to an ongoing campaign seeking greater cooperation from Beijing in the North Korean nuclear crisis. Aides said President Donald Trump will sign a directive Monday ordering his trade representative […]
8/11/2017
FOREIGN POLICY/TRUMP FAMILY/JARED KUSHNER: “Jared Kushner, President Trump’s son-in-law and senior adviser, will soon travel to the Middle East for yet another foray into trying to forge a peace deal between Israelis and Palestinians, one of the most difficult diplomatic assignments of the Trump administration. Mr. Kushner, who traveled to the region in June, will […]
8/11/2017
CUBA/FOREIGN POLICY/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “The University of Miami received a nervous call from the Trump administration: American diplomats in Havana were getting sick with headaches, dizziness and hearing loss. Washington needed answers. At least six patients were flown from Cuba to the university’s hospital this year to determine the cause of a medical mystery that […]
8/11/2017
FOREIGN POLICY/NORTH KOREA/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “President Donald Trump issued his starkest warning yet against North Korea, saying that ‘military solutions’ were ‘in place, locked and loaded’ should Pyongyang ‘act unwisely.’ From his working vacation at his golf resort in Bedminister, N.J., the president made the warning Friday [8-11-17] on Twitter just before 7:30 a.m. Eastern […]
8/11/2017
FOREIGN POLICY/NORTH KOREA/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “The United States has been engaging in back-channel diplomacy with North Korea for several months, the Associated Press reported on Friday [8-11-17], as President Donald Trump stepped up his warnings to Pyongyang amid rising tensions in the region. The dialogue involved Joseph Yun, the U.S. envoy for North Korea policy, […]
8/11/2017
FOREIGN POLICY/GERMANY/NATO/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “On the outskirts of this small town in southern Germany, the U.S. is spending $1 billion on a hospital an Army general describes as the most ambitious medical construction project the military has ever undertaken. The excavators rumbling across an expanse of red soil close to the size of 90 football […]
8/10/2017
FOREIGN POLICY/GOP/OIL/VENEZUELA: “Four U.S. Senate Republicans from oil refining states urged the Trump administration on Thursday [8-10-17] to not block oil shipments from Venezuela as part of U.S. sanctions against the country, saying it could raise costs for U.S. fuel consumers. The United States sanctioned President Nicolas Maduro and other Venezuelan officials after Maduro established […]
8/10/2017
CUBA/FOREIGN POLICY/STATE: “The U.S. has expelled two Cuban diplomats in retaliation for a bizarre incident purportedly involving a covert sonic device that allegedly left a group of American diplomats in Havana with severe hearing loss. State Department spokesperson Heather Nauert on Wednesday [8-9-17] spoke only cryptically about the matter, referring to an ‘incident’ without elaboration. […]
8/10/2017
CHINA/FOREIGN POLICY/NORTH KOREA: “To many Americans, China bears a huge responsibility for the North Korea crisis because of its failure to rein in its volatile ally in Pyongyang. But in Beijing, the view is different. Here, a large slice of the blame goes to Washington, because of its consistently hostile attitude toward North Korea — […]
8/7/2017
FOREIGN POLICY/TRADE DEALS: “The French carmaker Renault signed a multimillion-dollar deal in Tehran on Monday [8-7-17], agreeing to raise vehicle production in Iran just days after President Trump signed into law new sanctions against the country. The roughly $780 million agreement to produce as many as 150,000 additional cars a year is the largest foreign […]
8/7/2017
FOREIGN POLICY/NATIONAL SECURITY/NORTH KOREA/NUCLEAR/UN: “North Korea on Monday [8-7-17] threatened to use nuclear weapons against the U.S. if provoked militarily and said it would ‘under no circumstances’ negotiate on its nuclear and missile weapons programs. In a written statement handed to reporters on the sidelines of a regional security forum in Manila, North Korean Foreign […]
8/6/2017
FOREIGN POLICY/SOUTH KOREA/UN: “Just completed call with President Moon of South Korea. Very happy and impressed with 15-0 United Nations vote on North Korea sanctions.” -Donald Trump, Twitter.com, August 6, 2017 08:22pm […]
8/3/20217
CHINA/FOREIGN POLICY/TRADE DEALS/WTO: “China urged the Trump administration to back off plans for tough trade actions, calling on the U.S. to remain cooperative and warning that conflict would hurt both sides. Beijing hopes to avoid a trade war with the U.S., but is preparing to target American businesses if Washington moves forward with trade sanctions, […]
8/2/2017
FOREIGN POLICY/IRAN/UN: “Joined by three Western allies, the United States on Wednesday [8-2-17] escalated pressure on Iran over its space launch last week, saying the act disregarded a United Nations Security Council resolution on the use of missiles and was ‘threatening and provocative.’ In a letter to the Security Council and Secretary General António Guterres, […]
8/2/2017
FOREIGN POLICY/RUSSIA/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “President Trump signed legislation on Wednesday [8-2-17] imposing sanctions on Russia and limiting his own authority to lift them, but asserted that the measure included ‘a number of clearly unconstitutional provisions’ and left open the possibility that he might choose not to enforce them as lawmakers intended. The legislation, which also […]
8/2/2017
FOREIGN POLICY/STATE/TERRORISM: “The Trump administration on Wednesday [8-2-17] told Congress it didn’t need a revision of the law underpinning the global war on terrorism and ongoing armed conflict in Iraq and Afghanistan, arguing the Pentagon already has the legal authority it needs under a war authorization passed shortly after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. […]
8/2/2017
FOREIGN POLICY/RUSSIA: “President Donald Trump on Wednesday [8-2-17] called the Russia sanctions legislation he signed into law ‘significantly flawed’ and urged Congress to not use the measure to hinder U.S. efforts to resolve the Ukraine conflict with its European allies. ‘While I favor tough measures to punish and deter aggressive and destabilizing behavior by Iran, […]
8/1/2017
FOREIGN POLICY/MIKE PENCE/RUSSIA/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “President Trump will ‘very soon’ sign a law limiting his ability to lift sanctions against Russia, even though he has ‘concerns’ about the measure, Vice President Mike Pence said on Tuesday [8-1-17]. The announcement during a visit to Tbilisi, Georgia, comes as no surprise, because the Trump administration had signaled […]