Biden says US troops could stay longer in Kabul to rescue last Americans
Biden says US troops could stay longer in Kabul to rescue last Americans.....»»
Americans dismayed by Biden-Trump 2024 rematch, Reuters/Ipsos poll finds
A survey finds 67% of Americans are 'tired of seeing the same candidates in presidential elections and want someone new.' But only 18% said they would not vote if Biden and Trump were their choice......»»
Deceased Maine shooter had mental health problems: police
Police in Maine said Saturday that the man who gunned down 18 people at a bar and a bowling alley and later committed suicide, suffered serious mental health issues, but was able to buy weapons legally because he had never been forcibly committed to treatment. The body of Robert Card, a 40-year-old army reservist, was discovered Friday night inside a tractor-trailer near a recycling center where he used to work, said Maine public safety commissioner Mike Sauschuck. Card had shot himself. Investigators are still struggling to determine Card's motive for carrying out Wednesday's massacre in the town of Lewiston. However, Sauschuck said that Card had reportedly been hearing voices and suffering from paranoia. "Clearly there's a mental health component to this," Sauschuck told reporters. Investigators found a "paper-style" note that Card had left to a loved one which contained a password to his phone and bank account information, Sauschuck said, adding that the note had the tone of a suicide letter. Card was found in possession of three weapons, one of them a long gun, all purchased legally because he had never been forcibly committed to a mental institution. Despite the apparently clear mental health issues and a reportedly recent psychiatric evaluation undergone by Card, "a background check is not going to ping that this individual was prohibited," Sauschuck added. The sigh of relief The discovery of Card's body ended a massive two-day manhunt, which had this quiet city of 38,000 people on lockdown, with businesses and schools closed and residents terrified. Sauschuck acknowledged the help Card's family had provided to the investigation, saying his relatives were among the first people to call the police and identify the suspect. "This family has been incredibly cooperative with us," he said. Lewiston finally breathed a sigh of relief with businesses beginning to open and people appearing on the streets Saturday. Several posters reading "Lewiston strong" were seen in the city. Shukri Abasheikh, 60, was finally able to reopen her halal grocery store after the lockdown. "This morning I'm so happy because the last two days, we were worried a lot and we were scared," Abasheikh told AFP. "My customers were calling me saying we don't have milk, we don't have anything, can you open and I said, 'I'm scared.'" Upon learning that Card was dead, Sheri Withers, 44, owner of a Lewiston art gallery, said she felt "a balance of relief and remembering how to breathe, but also just being sad because, you know, it was a human life." For now, residents are "just trying to rebuild the pieces, and getting on from here is gonna be the next step for our community," she added. A local resident named Danica, who was buying coffee at a drive-through, said she was happy Card was dead, but at the same time wished he had first been brought to justice. "I think he took the coward's way out of doing it by suicide," Danica, who declined to give her last name, told AFP. "I think he should be held accountable for his crimes." In a statement issued shortly after Card's body was discovered Friday night, President Joe Biden vowed to renew efforts to curb gun violence in the United States. "Americans should not have to live like this," Biden said. "I will continue to do everything in my power to end this gun violence epidemic." Biden said the shooting brought "a tragic two days -- not just for Lewiston, Maine, but for our entire country." Authorities on Friday identified the victims, ranging from a husband and wife in their 70s to a 14-year-old boy killed alongside his father. This was one of the deadliest shootings in the United States since 2017, when a gunman opened fire on a crowded music festival in Las Vegas, killing 60 people Mass shootings are alarmingly common in the United States, a country where there are more guns than people and where attempts to clamp down on their spread are always met with stiff resistance. The United States has recorded over 500 mass shootings this year, according to the Gun Violence Archive, a non-governmental organization that defines a mass shooting as four or more people wounded or killed. Efforts to tighten gun controls have for years run up against opposition from Republicans, staunch defenders of the constitutional right to bear arms. The political paralysis endures despite widespread outrage over recurring shootings. The post Deceased Maine shooter had mental health problems: police appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Israel aims to crush Hamas but vague on Gaza’s post-war future
Israel is determined to crush Hamas but has said little about what would replace its rule in Gaza after the war, with observers expecting Washington will play a decisive role. "One thing is clear: the Gaza Strip will not be ruled by Hamas once this war is over," Israeli government spokesman Eylon Levy told AFP as Israel's military steps up strikes in preparation for a widely-expected ground offensive. In the wake of the 7 October attacks, when militants from the Palestinian Islamist movement began a deadly cross-border assault that has killed 1,400 people, Israel has laid out just one objective: "Destroying Hamas". Since then, it has embarked on a brutal retaliatory bombing campaign, which Gaza's Hamas-run health ministry says has now killed more than 5,000 people. Despite four previous wars with Gaza's Hamas rulers -- in 2008, 2012, 2014 and 2021 -- Israel has never before threatened to completely overthrow the movement which rules this tiny territory of 2.4 million people. The territory, which has been languishing under an Israeli and Egyptian blockade since Hamas took control in 2007, has since October 7 suffered a spiraling humanitarian crisis, largely deprived of water, food and other basic supplies and more than a million people displaced. Although Israel withdrew its soldiers and settlers from Gaza in 2005, ending an occupation that began in 1967, the international community considers it responsible for the tiny territory's primary needs -- energy, food and medicine. 'Handing over the keys' Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has called it a "do or die" war. And his government is hoping to end all responsibility for Gaza as part of a "new regional reality" it hopes will emerge after the war. After the current air strikes and action inside Gaza, Defence Minister Yoav Gallant said a "third phase" would involve "the removal of Israel’s responsibility for life in the Gaza Strip, and the establishment of a new security reality for the citizens of Israel". But no minister talks about Gaza's future government. And nobody has raised the possibility of a new Israeli occupation of the enclave, the military and financial burden of such an eventuality being too high to bear. "We are discussing possibilities with our partners," said government spokesman Levy. Israel wants to "hand over the keys" to a third party, a foreign ministry source said, speaking on condition of anonymity. According to Eitan Shamir, a former Israeli government security specialist and now director of Jerusalem's Begin-Sadat Center for Strategic Studies, Washington will have a decisive say in Gaza's future. The US, he said, already has an "overview" role in Israel's action against Hamas. "The favourite option of the Americans and Israelis would be an international structure with Palestinian Authority, with Saudi funding, for example," Shamir told AFP, saying it could include US and European administrative help. Regional players silent US President Joe Biden has given Netanyahu strong support, visiting Israel last week and warning other regional players not to get involved while lining up almost $15 billion in military aid, even if he has warned Israel against letting its "rage" go too far. But Washington has also not been clear about how it sees Gaza's future. "Something needs to be found that ensures Hamas can't do this again but also doesn't reverse to an Israeli governance of Gaza which they do not want," US Secretary of State Antony Blinken told CBS television on Sunday. "There are different ideas out there about what could follow and all of that needs to be worked, even as Israel is dealing with the current threat." The Israeli foreign ministry source raised Egypt as a possible saviour, although Cairo has resisted decades of pressure to take a greater role. Egypt and Jordan are deeply concerned about the war unleashing a new flood of Palestinian refugees. No Arab or Muslim state has so far proposed an intervention. One option supported by Israeli opposition leader Yair Lapid is for Mahmud Abbas' Palestinian Authority to take control. The authority already cooperates with Israel in running parts of the occupied West Bank, but the ageing Palestinian leader has faced growing criticism since the war began. But a report by the International Crisis Group said there was "little hope that the already deeply unpopular PA could return to Gaza on the back of an Israeli invasion and not be treated as an enemy. "Moreover, it is not clear that Israel would want the West Bank and Gaza under a single authority," the think tank said. The post Israel aims to crush Hamas but vague on Gaza’s post-war future appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
US welcomes aid to Gaza, urges parties to keep Rafah crossing open
The United States on Saturday welcomed the arrival of aid trucks from Egypt in the war-torn Gaza Strip, and urged all parties to keep the Rafah crossing open. "The opening of this essential supply route was the result of days of diplomatic engagement at the highest levels," President Joe Biden said in a statement. "I made it clear from the outset of this crisis -- in both my public statements and private conversations -- that humanitarian assistance was a critical and urgent need that had to get moving," he said. US Secretary of State Antony Blinken earlier urged "all parties to keep the Rafah crossing open to enable the continued movement of aid that is imperative to the welfare of the people of Gaza." AFP journalists on Saturday saw 20 trucks from the Egyptian Red Crescent, which is responsible for delivering aid from various UN agencies, pass through the Rafah border crossing from Egypt into Gaza. "We have been clear: Hamas must not interfere with the provision of this life-saving assistance," Blinken said. "Palestinian civilians are not responsible for Hamas's horrific terrorism, and they should not be made to suffer for its depraved acts." The opening of the supply route came after days of intense negotiations and an agreement reached by Biden with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi during Biden's visit to Israel earlier this week. Saturday's was the first such delivery since the war broke out two weeks ago between Israel and Hamas, the Islamist militant movement which rules the Palestinian enclave of 2.4 million people. On October 7, Hamas militants stormed into Israel from Gaza and killed at least 1,400 people, mostly civilians who were shot, mutilated or burned to death on the first day of the raid, according to Israeli officials. Since then, more than 4,300 Palestinians, mainly civilians, have been killed in relentless Israeli bombardments, according to Gaza's Hamas-run health ministry. Biden said Washington would "continue working to protect civilians, consistent with obligations under international humanitarian law." He added that US diplomatic efforts were continuing to allow for Americans and their immediate families in Gaza to safely leave the territory. The post US welcomes aid to Gaza, urges parties to keep Rafah crossing open appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
EU, U.S. unite to support Israel
European Union and United States leaders met in Washington Friday to show their united stance in supporting Israel’s war on the Palestinian militant group Hamas. “We stood together to support the brave people of Ukraine in the face of (Russian President Vladimir) Putin’s aggression. We’re standing together now to support Israel in the wake of Hamas’s appalling terrorist attack,” US President Joe Biden said at the White House. “These conflicts show democracies must stand together,” European Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen told reporters as she and European Council chief Charles Michel met Biden. “Today, the world faces enormous challenges. And today, more than ever, the world needs a strong EU-US alliance to tackle these challenges,” Michel said. EU leaders were looking for reassurance of continued US support for Ukraine, which is fighting to repel the Russian invasion launched in February 2022. That reassurance was evident Thursday when Biden urged Americans to back a $106 billion aid package including military assistance for Ukraine and Israel. The US is by far the biggest supplier of military aid to Ukraine. Aid to Israel and Ukraine, however, faces hurdle as the US Congress has been paralyzed for more than two weeks divided Republicans, who hold the majority in the House of Representatives, failed for a third time to elect a new House speaker. Congress also faces a 17 November deadline to act on the budget, so as to avoid a possible government shutdown. House crisis In the 17 days since US House speaker Kevin McCarthy was ousted in a rebellion by right-wing hard-liners from within his own party, no other Republican has been able to muster enough votes to replace him, sparking one of the worst institutional crises Washington has seen in decades. The US legislature is unable to perform even basic functions like funding the government and addressing growing national security concerns. The party dropped Ohio conservative Jim Jordan, chairman of the influential Judiciary Committee, in a secret ballot Friday after he again failed to secure victory on the House floor on his third attempt. Despite backing from former president and leading 2024 Republican hopeful Donald Trump, Jordan was defeated by 25 colleagues from his own side who joined every Democrat to deny him the gavel for the third time in four days. Lawmakers told reporters as they left Capitol Hill for the weekend they would hold a “candidate forum” to choose a new standard-bearer on Monday, with several hopefuls expected to be announced on Sunday. WITH AFP The post EU, U.S. unite to support Israel appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
First relief convoy enters Gaza devastated by ‘nightmare’ war
The first aid trucks arrived in war-torn Gaza from Egypt on Saturday, bringing urgent humanitarian relief to the Hamas-controlled Palestinian enclave suffering what the UN chief labelled a "godawful nightmare". Israel has vowed to destroy Hamas after the Islamist militant group carried out the deadliest attack in the country's history on October 7. Hamas militants killed at least 1,400 people, mostly civilians who were shot, mutilated or burnt to death, and took more than 200 hostages, according to Israeli officials. Israel has retaliated with a relentless bombing campaign on Gaza that has killed more than 4,300 Palestinians, mainly civilians, according to the Hamas-run health ministry. An Israeli siege has cut food, water, electricity and fuel supplies to the densely populated and long-blockaded territory of 2.4 million people, sparking fears of a humanitarian catastrophe. AFP journalists on Saturday saw 20 trucks from the Egyptian Red Crescent, which is responsible for delivering aid from various UN agencies, pass through the Rafah border crossing from Egypt into Gaza. The crossing -- the only one into Gaza not controlled by Israel -- closed again after the trucks passed. The lorries had been waiting for days on the Egyptian side after Israel agreed to a request from its main ally the United States to allow aid to enter. UN chief Antonio Guterres warned Friday that the relief supplies were "the difference between life and death" for many Gazans, more than one million of whom have been displaced. "Much more" aid needs to be sent, he told a peace summit in Egypt on Saturday. US Secretary of State Antony Blinken welcomed the aid and urged "all parties" to keep the Rafah crossing open. But a Hamas spokesman said "even dozens" of such convoys could not meet Gaza's needs, especially as no fuel was being allowed in to help distribute the supplies to those in need. 'Reeling in pain' Tens of thousands of Israeli troops have deployed to the Gaza border ahead of an expected ground offensive that officials have pledged will begin "soon". As international tensions soar, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi was hosting a peace summit in Cairo on Saturday attended by regional and some Western leaders. "The time has come for action to end this godawful nightmare," Guterres told the summit, calling for a "humanitarian ceasefire". The region "is reeling in pain and one step from the precipice", he said. Guterres said "the grievances of the Palestinian people are legitimate and long" after "56 years of occupation with no end in sight". But he stressed that "nothing can justify the reprehensible assault by Hamas that terrorised Israeli civilians". "Those abhorrent attacks can never justify the collective punishment of the Palestinian people," he added. Egypt, historically a key mediator between Hamas and Israel, has urged "restraint" and the relaunch of the long-frozen peace process. But diplomatic efforts to end the violence have made little headway, without the participation of Israel and its enemy Iran, a supporter of Hamas and other armed groups. 'Sliver of hope' A full-blown Israeli ground offensive carries many risks, including to the hostages Hamas took and whose fate is shrouded in uncertainty. So the release of two Americans among the hostages -- mother and daughter Judith and Natalie Raanan -- offered a rare "sliver of hope", said Mirjana Spoljaric, president of the International Committee of the Red Cross. US President Joe Biden thanked Qatar, which hosts Hamas's political bureau, for its mediation in securing the release. He said he was working "around the clock" to win the return of other Americans being held. Natalie Raanan's half-brother Ben told the BBC he felt an "overwhelming sense of joy" at the release after "the most horrible of ordeals". Hamas said Egypt and Qatar had negotiated the release and that it was "working with all mediators to implement the movement's decision to close the civilian (hostage) file if appropriate security conditions allow". Traumatised families with loved ones missing in Gaza demanded more action. "We ask humanity to interfere and bring back all those young boys, young girls, mothers, babies," Assaf Shem Tov, whose nephew was abducted from a music festival where Hamas killed hundreds, said Friday. Devastation Almost half of Gaza's residents have been displaced, and at least 30 percent of all housing in the territory has been destroyed or damaged, the United Nations says. Thousands have taken refuge in a camp set up in the city of Khan Yunis in southern Gaza. Fadwa al-Najjar said she and her seven children walked for 10 hours to reach the camp, at some points breaking into a run as missiles struck around them. "We saw bodies and limbs torn off and we just started praying, thinking we were going to die," she told AFP. In Al-Zahra in central Gaza, Rami Abu Wazna was struggling to take in the destruction wreaked by Israeli missile strikes. "Even in my worst nightmares, I never thought this could be possible," he said. Israel's operation will take not "a day, nor a week, nor a month" and will result in "the end of Israel's responsibilities in the Gaza Strip", Defence Minister Yoav Gallant warned on Friday. Regional tensions flare In Gaza, retired general Omar Ashour said the destruction was "part of a clear plan for people to have no place left to live". "This will cause a second Nakba," he added, referring to the 760,000 Palestinians who were expelled from or fled their homes when Israel was created in 1948. The United States has moved two aircraft carriers into the eastern Mediterranean to deter Iran or Lebanon's Hezbollah, both Hamas allies, amid fears of a wider conflagration. Fire across Israel's border with Lebanon continued overnight, with one Israeli soldier killed, Israeli public radio said. The military said it hit Hezbollah targets after rocket and missile fire. Violence has also flared in the West Bank, where 84 Palestinians have been killed since October 7, according to the Palestinian health ministry. The post First relief convoy enters Gaza devastated by ‘nightmare’ war appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
2 American hostages freed
Gaza’s Hamas rulers freed two Americans among the 200 hostages they kidnapped in the deadly 7 October attacks in Israel. More hostages may be released, the group hinted. According to the Israeli government, Judith Tai Raanan and her daughter, Natalie Shoshana Raanan, were returned to Israel late Friday. There was no word on their condition, but US President Joe Biden was “overjoyed” by the news. Biden called the two women after they were released. Hamas also announced it was working with Qatar and Egypt to free its “civilian” hostages, implying that more could be released. An Israeli emissary met the couple at the Gaza border and took them to a military base in central Israel “where their families are waiting to meet them.” The Ranaan family, like many of the captives, had begun a worldwide campaign to pressure Hamas to release them. Hamas said the “al-Qassam Brigades released two American citizens for humanitarian reasons” after being approached by Qatar and Egypt. The Islamist rulers of Gaza said they were “working with all mediators to implement the movement’s decision to close the civilian (hostage) file if appropriate security conditions permit.” It provided no specifics about its demands. Israel claims that Hamas militants took 203 people during the bloodiest attacks in Israel’s 75-year history, including Israelis, dual nationals and foreigners. According to the authorities, at least 1,400 individuals were killed, mostly civilians. Relentless bombing Israel has retaliated with a continuous bombing campaign against Gaza, killing at least 4,137 people, mostly civilians. The hostages have become a massive problem in Israel, with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office stating that the government will use “any means available to locate all those missing and bring all those kidnapped home.” The International Committee of the Red Cross said it helped transport the freed Americans to Israel. US Secretary of State Antony Blinken called for more releases “immediately and unconditionally.” “Every single one of them should be released,” said Blinken, adding that a team from the US Embassy would visit the two freed women. Qatar is a major aid donor to Gaza, and two Hamas leaders are based in the Gulf state. A Qatari foreign ministry spokesperson said the country had mediated between Hamas and the United States and that the release followed “many days of continuous communication between all the parties involved.” The Israeli military said earlier Friday that most of those abducted to Gaza were still alive even though some dead bodies have been found on incursions into Gaza. The military said more than 20 hostages were minors, while between 10 and 20 were over the age of 60. Saudi factor Biden said Friday he believed Hamas’ brutal attack on Israel two weeks ago aimed to disrupt the warming ties between the country and Saudi Arabia. “One of the reasons they acted like they did... why Hamas moved on Israel... (was) because they knew I was about to sit down with the Saudis,” Biden told guests at a campaign fundraiser. “The Saudis want to recognize Israel... unite the Middle East,” he said. The momentum toward a landmark US-brokered deal to normalize relations between Israel and Saudi Arabia — the guardian of Islam’s two holiest sites — was shattered by the 7 October attack by Hamas militants on Israel. A bombing campaign launched in response by Israel has leveled entire city blocks in Gaza, so far killing 4,137 Palestinians, mostly civilians, according to the Hamas-run health ministry. Saudi officials announced on 14 October during a visit to Riyadh by US Secretary Blinken that the country had suspended talks with Israel on the normalization of relations. Saudi Arabia’s de facto ruler, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, had spoken of progress with Israel but also insisted on movement on the Palestinian cause. The Gulf kingdom has never recognized Israel and did not join the 2020 Abraham Accords, brokered by the United States, which led neighboring Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates, as well as Morocco, to establish diplomatic ties with Israel. With AFP The post 2 American hostages freed appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Gazans await ‘life and death’ aid, Israel readies invasion
Thousands of tonnes of "life and death" aid for Gaza should be delivered soon, the United Nations said Friday, to relieve a "beyond catastrophic" situation after unrelenting Israeli bombing in response to an unprecedented Hamas attack. Some 175 lorries stuffed with vital medicines, food, and water stretched into the distance at the Rafah crossing with Egypt, which has removed concrete roadblocks and is scrambling to repair the route into besieged Gaza -- the only one not controlled by Israel. Overseeing operations personally, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres told reporters: "These trucks are not just trucks, they are a lifeline, they are the difference between life and death for so many people in Gaza." Israel has vowed to destroy Hamas after the Islamist militant group launched a shock raid from the Gaza Strip on October 7, killing at least 1,400 people, mostly civilians shot, mutilated or burned to death, according to Israeli officials. Hamas gunmen also kidnapped some 200 hostages including foreigners from around two dozen countries. The Islamist group said Friday that its armed wing had released two Americans among the captives, a mother and her daughter, the first fruit of mediation efforts by the Gulf state of Qatar. The Islamist group did not detail how or when the hostages were released. The Israeli military said earlier Friday that most of those abducted to Gaza were still alive. It said more than 20 were minors. In response to the Hamas attack, Israeli bombers have levelled entire city blocks in Gaza in preparation for a ground invasion they say is coming soon. The Hamas-run health ministry said 4,137 Palestinians, mostly civilians, have died in the onslaught. Israeli jets pounded more than 100 Hamas targets in Gaza overnight, the army said, with AFP reporters hearing loud explosions and witnessing plumes of smoke billowing from the northern Gaza Strip. Embracing front-line soldiers and clad in body armour, Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu urged them to "fight like lions" and "win with full force". Fists clenched and voice raised, Netanyahu told cheering troops: "We will deal harsh blows to our enemies in order to achieve victory." Defence Minister Yoav Gallant told some of the tens of thousands of personnel preparing the ground invasion that "the order will come soon". 'Beyond catastrophic' US President Joe Biden said Friday he expected the first aid for Gaza to pass through the Rafah crossing from Egypt within the next two days, under a deal he clinched to allow in 20 trucks of supplies for civilians. Medicine, water purifiers and blankets were being unloaded at El Arish airport near Gaza, an AFP reporter saw, with Ahmed Ali, head of the Egyptian Red Crescent, saying he was getting "two to three planes of aid a day". But World Health Organization emergencies director Michael Ryan said Biden's 20-truck deal was "a drop in the ocean of need" and that 2,000 trucks were required. The UN says more than one million of Gaza's 2.4 million people are displaced, with the humanitarian situation "beyond catastrophic" and deteriorating daily. Refugees from northern Gaza told harrowing tales of bombs, profiteering and extreme temperatures as whole families trekked on foot to flee the violence. Mother of seven Fadwa Al-Najjar walked for 10 hours with her family from northern Gaza to reach a UN camp in the southern city of Khan Yunis, saying she saw cars hit by a strike just in front of them. "We saw bodies and limbs torn off and we just started praying, thinking we were going to die," she said. 'It's unimaginable' On the other side of the conflict, the full horror of what Israel suffered on October 7 and following days was still emerging, as traumatised residents recounted their stories. Shachar Butler, a security chief at the Nir Oz kibbutz, where Hamas militants killed or kidnapped a quarter of the 400 residents, recalls more than a dozen gunmen spraying bullets indiscriminately and lobbing grenades at homes. "It's unimaginable," the 40-year-old told AFP as part of a trip organised by the Israeli military. "Anytime someone tried to touch my window, I shot him," he said. "The people who came out got kidnapped, killed, executed, slaughtered." Butler estimated as many as 200 militants attacked the kibbutz, entering from three sides before going house-to-house. Homes there were still charred with burnt personal belongings strewn everywhere. Israel says around 1,500 Hamas fighters were killed in clashes before its army regained control. 'No safe place' Biden requested a massive $105 billion security package Friday, including $14 billion for Israel, but paralysis in the still speakerless Congress means it will hit an immediate wall. Fresh from a whirlwind trip to Israel this week, Biden is hoping to staunch the possibility of a wider Middle East war. The United States has moved two aircraft carriers into the eastern Mediterranean to deter Iran or Lebanon's Hezbollah, both Hamas allies, from getting involved. After days of clashes with Hezbollah fighters along the Lebanese border, Israeli authorities announced the evacuation of Kiryat Shmona, a nearby town which is home to some 25,000 residents, many of whom have already left. The conflict has inflamed passions across the region, with protests held in several countries. Thousands flooded into Egypt's iconic Tahrir Square in support of Gaza, an AFP correspondent said. Protests were also held outside the French and US embassies in Tunis. Following a strike at a church compound late Thursday, the Hamas-controlled interior ministry said several people sheltering at the church were killed and wounded, blaming an Israeli strike. The Israeli army acknowledged a church wall had been damaged in one of its air strikes targeting a "command and control centre belonging to a Hamas terrorist". "This place is dedicated for praying, a place of love and peace," said witness Abu Khalil Jahshan. "There is no safe place here in Gaza." The post Gazans await ‘life and death’ aid, Israel readies invasion appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Prosecutors reject Trump claim of ‘absolute immunity’
Federal prosecutors on Thursday rejected Donald Trump's attempt to have election conspiracy charges dismissed on the grounds that he enjoys immunity for actions he took while in the White House. "No one in this country, not even the president, is above the law," special counsel Jack Smith's team wrote in a 54-page motion filed with the judge presiding over the landmark case. Trump, the frontrunner for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination, is to go on trial in Washington in March of next year for allegedly conspiring to subvert the results of the November 2020 election won by Democrat Joe Biden. The former president's lawyers, in a motion two weeks ago to US District Judge Tanya Chutkan, argued that the charges should be thrown out because Trump is "absolutely immune from criminal prosecution." Prosecutors in the special counsel's office dismissed that argument and urged Chutkan to deny Trump's request. "He is subject to the federal criminal laws like more than 330 million other Americans," they said. "No court has ever alluded to the existence of absolute criminal immunity for former presidents. "The implications of the defendant's unbounded immunity theory are startling," they added. "It would grant absolute immunity from criminal prosecution to a president who accepts a bribe in exchange for a lucrative government contract for a family member," they said, or "a president who sells nuclear secrets to a foreign adversary." Trump's bid to invoke the presidential immunity defense is seen as a long shot by legal observers but it could result in a delay to the start of the trial as the argument potentially winds its way up to the conservative-dominated Supreme Court. Trump's attempts to use the "absolute immunity" defense in other cases have been rebuffed by judges, but the nation's highest court has never ruled directly on whether a former chief executive is immune from criminal prosecution. Trump is the first former US president to face criminal charges. 'Unsettled question' Trump's attorneys, citing a Supreme Court case involving former president Richard Nixon, said the law provides "absolute immunity" to the president "for acts within the 'outer perimeter' of his official responsibility." As chief executive, they argued, Trump had a responsibility to "ensure election integrity" and was within his rights to challenge the results of the 2020 vote. "As President Trump is absolutely immune from criminal prosecution for such acts, the Court should dismiss the indictment," they said. While making the argument that Trump cannot be prosecuted, his lawyers acknowledged the Nixon case they cited involved the civil liability of a former president and not alleged criminal conduct. "The question remains a 'serious and unsettled question' of law," they said. The case before Chutkan accuses Trump of conspiracy to defraud the United States and conspiracy to obstruct an official proceeding -- the January 6, 2021 joint session of Congress that was attacked by a mob of Trump supporters. Other criminal cases against Trump include racketeering charges in Georgia for allegedly conspiring to upend the election results in the southern state and a trial in Florida in May 2024 on charges of mishandling top-secret government documents. Trump and his two eldest sons are also currently involved in a civil fraud trial in New York for allegedly inflating the value of their real estate assets to receive more favorable bank loans and insurance terms. The post Prosecutors reject Trump claim of ‘absolute immunity’ appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
War in Israel a new front in US election campaign
The surprise Hamas assault on Israel has opened up a new front in the US election campaign as Republicans accuse President Joe Biden of being soft in his defense of Israel and in his handling of Iran. "I think this is a great opportunity for our candidates to contrast where Republicans have stood with Israel -- time and time again –- and Joe Biden has been weak," Ronna McDaniel, chairwoman of the Republican National Committee, said Saturday on Fox News. Americans will choose a new president and control of Congress in November 2024, with Biden, 80, seeking another term in a race that looks likely to pit him against former president Donald Trump as the Republican candidate. Trump used the stunning Hamas attack by land, sea, and air at dawn Saturday to target Biden. “The Israeli attack was made because we are perceived as weak and ineffective and with a very weak leader,” he said. Other Republican presidential hopefuls, like Florida Governor Ron DeSantis and former Vice President Mike Pence, also dismissed Biden as weak. US stands with Israel A stern-faced Biden gave a short speech from the White House on Saturday to stress firm US support for Israel. "Today, the people of Israel are under attack, orchestrated by a terrorist organization, Hamas," Biden said. "In this moment of tragedy, I want to say to them and to the world and to terrorists everywhere that the United States stands with Israel. We will not ever fail to have their back." Republicans zeroed in on a recent decision by the Biden administration to release $6 billion in Iranian oil revenue frozen in South Korea in exchange for the release of five Americans who were being held prisoner in Iran. Tehran is the main sponsor of Hamas, which the United States and other countries classify as a terrorist group. Senator Rick Scott, for instance, said that in unfreezing that money -- it was transferred to a bank account in Qatar for use only for humanitarian purposes -- the United States had in effect financed the Hamas attack, which won praise from Iran. That charge angered the White House, which called it a "shameful lie" and insisted that the money was tightly controlled in how it could be used and none of it had been spent. A senior administration official speaking to reporters on Saturday accused Republicans of spreading disinformation. Help from congress The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, stressed it was too early to say whether Iran was directly involved in Hamas' large-scale attack, but that there was "no doubt Hamas is funded, equipped and armed by Iran and others." Aside from the 2024 election, the Republican attacks pose political problems for Biden. The United States already provides billions of dollars a year for Israel but Biden will need Congress if he wants to send more now that Israel has declared itself at war with Hamas. That means Biden has to work with the Republicans, who are blocking passage of a yearly budget. Making matters worse, the House of Representatives is in chaos and limbo now because of the ouster of its speaker, Kevin McCarthy, last week in a revolt by a handful of far right Republicans. The White House would also like the Senate to approve Jack Lew soon to be the new American ambassador to Israel. His nomination was announced more than a month ago. This will require goodwill from the Republican minority in that chamber. The post War in Israel a new front in US election campaign appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
What we know about the Hamas assault on Israel
Gun battles raged Sunday between Hamas militants and Israeli forces a day after the Islamist group launched a surprise attack on Israel from Gaza, in a dramatic escalation of the Israel-Palestinian conflict. Hundreds of people have been killed on both sides since the Iran-backed Hamas launched the multi-pronged assault at dawn on Saturday, with Israeli forces fighting holdout militants and pounding the Gaza Strip with air strikes. This is what we know about the conflict so far: How it unfolded The army said hundreds of Hamas militants attacked Israel from around 6:30 am (0330 GMT) on Saturday, the Jewish holiday of Simchat Torah, in an assault that also came 50 years after the outbreak of the 1973 Arab-Israeli war. The Islamist group fired thousands of rockets into Israel from Gaza as its militants used explosives and bulldozers to break through the fence surrounding the blockaded Palestinian enclave. Using motorbikes, pickup trucks, motorized gliders, and speed boats, the militants streamed into Israeli urban areas including Ashkelon, Sderot, and Ofakim, which is about 22 kilometers (13 miles) from Gaza. The gunmen attacked a rave party attended by hundreds of young Israelis near Kibbutz Reim, close to Gaza, Israeli media reported. Israel said Hamas has taken more than 100 hostages in Israel. They include an unknown number of Americans and Germans. The militants overran several locations inside Israel, including a Sderot police station where they engaged in a shootout with Israeli forces on Sunday. How Israel is responding Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has vowed to reduce to "rubble" Hamas hideouts in Gaza, an impoverished enclave of 2.3 million people hemmed in by an Israeli blockade for more than 15 years. The army said it has deployed tens of thousands of soldiers to fight the militants who were still "on the ground" Sunday on Israel territory. It has also carried out air strikes on Hamas positions inside Gaza, in an operation it has dubbed "Swords of Iron". Army spokesman Richard Hecht said the air raids had struck 800 targets including Gaza tunnels, buildings, and other infrastructure. The military said it aims to rescue Israeli hostages and then evacuate the entire region within 24 hours. Almost 1000 killed Israel says Hamas gunmen have killed more than 600 people and wounded over 2,000 in Israeli cities, towns, and kibbutz communities. AFP journalists have seen the bullet-riddled bodies of civilians lying on the streets in at least three locations in Israel: the city of Sderot, the nearby kibbutz of Gevim, and Zikim beach north of the Palestinian coastal enclave. An unknown number of people were reportedly killed at the rave. On the Gaza side, at least 370 people have been killed and more than 2,200 wounded, taking the combined toll to almost 1,000 dead. A British man who had been serving in Israel's army was among those killed in the Hamas attack, his family said. Two Ukrainian women who had been living in Israel were also killed, Ukraine said. Thailand has said two of its citizens were killed, while Cambodia reported the death of a Cambodian student. What Hamas said about the offensive Hamas said it fired 5,000 rockets in an offensive it has branded "Operation Al-Aqsa Flood". Its chief Ismail Haniyeh on Saturday vowed to press ahead with "the battle to liberate our land and our prisoners languishing in occupation prisons". Hamas has called on "resistance fighters in the West Bank" as well as in "Arab and Islamic nations" to join the battle. Early on Sunday, Lebanon's Iran-backed Shiite militant group Hezbollah said it launched missiles and artillery shells into northern Israel "in solidarity" with the Hamas offensive. The Israeli army said it retaliated with artillery fire. Elsewhere, media outlets in Egypt said a policeman opened fire on an Israeli tour group in the northern city of Alexandria on Sunday, killing two Israelis and one Egyptian. How the world has reacted United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres condemned "in the strongest terms" Hamas' attack on Israel and called for "diplomatic efforts to avoid a wider conflagration". The West, much of which has designated Hamas a "terrorist" organization, has also condemned the Islamist group's assault on Israel. President Joe Biden said the United States support for its key ally Israel was "rock solid and unwavering". The White House said on Sunday he had ordered "additional support" for Israel. The European Union chief Ursula von der Leyen said: "I unequivocally condemn the attack carried out by Hamas terrorists against Israel." Iran's President Ebrahim Raisi said the Islamic Republic supported the Palestinians' right to self-defense and warned Israel must be held accountable for "endangering the security of nations in the region". Russia has called for an "immediate ceasefire". Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who strongly supports the Palestinian cause, on Sunday urged both sides "to support peace". Saudi Arabia appealed for an "immediate halt to the escalation between the two sides, protection of civilians, and self-control". The post What we know about the Hamas assault on Israel appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
China opposes sanctions over fentanyl crisis
Beijing said on Wednesday it firmly opposed sanctions placed by the United States on a China-based network for producing and distributing chemicals believed to fuel the fentanyl crisis. The US administration of President Joe Biden had on Tuesday announced sanctions against 25 individuals and entities based in China, alongside three other parties in Canada. The US Justice Department also announced eight indictments charging China-based chemical manufacturing firms and staff, with Attorney General Merrick Garland saying that the global supply chain of fentanyl “often starts with chemical companies in China.” “We firmly oppose the United States’ sanction and prosecution against Chinese entities and individuals, and the severe infringement of the lawful rights and interests of the relevant enterprises and persons,” Beijing’s foreign ministry told Agence France-Presse. “The fentanyl crisis in the United States is rooted in the country itself,” it said, adding that Beijing has “lodged solemn representations to the United States.” Biden’s administration has made the fight against fentanyl a priority, with the synthetic opioid blamed for tens of thousands of deaths in recent years. “We know that this global fentanyl supply chain, which ends with the deaths of Americans, often starts with chemical companies in China,” Attorney General Merrick Garland told a press briefing. He said it was “critical” that Beijing stops the “unchecked flow” of precursor chemicals coming from the country, adding that US officials will also raise the manufacturing and trafficking of fentanyl with their Mexican counterparts. Tuesday’s actions are aimed at exposing and disrupting a network “responsible for manufacturing and distributing illicit drugs,” said Deputy Treasury Secretary Wally Adeyemo said. The post China opposes sanctions over fentanyl crisis appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
US sanctions China-based drug network over fentanyl
The United States announced sanctions Tuesday on a China-based network for producing and distributing chemicals used to make drugs including those fueling a deadly national fentanyl crisis. President Joe Biden's administration has made the fight against fentanyl a priority, with the synthetic opioid blamed for tens of thousands of deaths in recent years. The sanctions targets include 25 individuals and entities based in China, alongside three other parties in Canada, the Treasury Department said in a statement. In a separate notice, the Justice Department announced eight indictments charging China-based chemical manufacturing firms and staff with crimes related to drug production and distribution. "We know that this global fentanyl supply chain, which ends with the deaths of Americans, often starts with chemical companies in China," Attorney General Merrick Garland told a press briefing. He said it was "critical" that Beijing stops the "unchecked flow" of precursor chemicals coming from the country, adding that US officials will also raise the manufacturing and trafficking of fentanyl with their Mexican counterparts. Tuesday's actions are aimed at exposing and disrupting a network "responsible for manufacturing and distributing illicit drugs," said Deputy Treasury Secretary Wally Adeyemo. The China-based network is "responsible for the manufacturing and distribution of ton quantities of fentanyl, methamphetamine, and MDMA precursors," according to the Treasury. The parties designated are also allegedly involved in trafficking xylazine -- a veterinary sedative known as "tranq" -- and nitazenes, which are often mixed with fentanyl or other drugs, posing a higher risk of a fatal overdose. Via Mexico cartels US authorities have noted that fentanyl is often coming from Mexican drug cartels that use precursor chemicals from China. The Biden administration has imposed sanctions on cartels, although some politicians call for tougher actions. Among the individuals designated on Tuesday are Wang Shucheng and Du Changgen -- members of a Chinese "syndicate" -- as well as their affiliates. Wang was said to have directed others to establish companies used as cover to move pharmaceutical goods globally, while Du maintains the most influence over the organization, Treasury said. The network is the "source of supply" for many US-based narcotics traffickers, dark web vendors, virtual currency money launderers and Mexico-based criminal organizations, Treasury added. "Du Changgen and persons operating under him have been responsible for approximately 900 kilograms of seized fentanyl and methamphetamine precursors shipped to the United States and Mexico," the department said. Companies Du owns have also been designated. Hanhong Pharmaceutical Technology Co, found to be linked to several members of the network, was targeted -- alongside three representatives who were involved in its sale of fentanyl precursors and protonitazene. Among others impacted were punch and die manufacturer Jinhu Minsheng Pharmaceutical Machinery and its part-owner, as well as other illicit drug distributors. The United States has also blocked over a dozen virtual currency wallets. The sanctions effectively stop those named from using the US financial system, and US citizens are barred from transacting with them. The post US sanctions China-based drug network over fentanyl appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Biden joins FAHM celebration
October is recognized as Filipino American History Month (FAHM) in the United States. US President Joe Biden took to social media to pen a message to Filipino-Americans as they celebrate the occasion. “Jill and I are thrilled to celebrate Filipino American History Month, honoring the rich heritage and traditions of millions of Filipino Americans,” Biden posted on X. “To our Filipino American community: Thank you for all you do to ensure our nation continues to be the land of opportunity,” he added. The post Biden joins FAHM celebration appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
‘Extremist’ Trump threatens U.S. democracy, Biden warns
With House Republicans launching an impeachment inquiry against him, United States President Joe Biden went into offensive on Thursday with a chilling warning to Americans planning to elect Donald Trump in next year’s presidential election. In a speech in the battleground state of Arizona Thursday, the 80-year-old Biden accused the Republican primary frontrunner and his followers of attacking the free press and the rule of law, and planning to gut US institutions if he wins a second term. “Trump says the constitution gave him ‘the right to do what he wants’,” Biden said, referring to statements by Trump about how he saw his powers in office. “I’ve never even heard a president say that in jest — not guided by the constitution or by common service and decency towards our fellow Americans, but by vengeance and vindictiveness.” The reelectionist president rallied Americans who are silent to stand up for democracy before it was too late. Biden also turned the table on Trump for the former president’s remark that US soldiers captured or killed in action as “suckers and losers.” “Was he a sucker for volunteering to serve his country?” Biden asked, referring to his son Beau, who served in Iraq and died of brain cancer in 2015 aged 46, and the late Arizona senator and Vietnam war hero John McCain. Biden and Trump were in early campaign mode this week with both men visiting the swing state of Michigan to speak to auto workers. Conservatives have accused Biden of trading on the power of his office when he was vice president under Barack Obama to help his younger son Hunter secure lucrative foreign business deals, and of benefiting personally from alleged corruption. Democrats have dismissed the hearings as a stunt but they will add to the pressure on Biden as he battles poor approval ratings and polls showing him neck-and-neck with Trump. WITH AFP The post ‘Extremist’ Trump threatens U.S. democracy, Biden warns appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
New film on historical Native American murders reflects universal themes: Scorsese
Martin Scorsese, best known for his action-packed thrillers and gangster epics, now depicts an investigation into the murders of Native Americans in his latest film, "Killers of the Flower Moon", which previewed in New York on Wednesday. Adapted from a nonfiction book of the same name, "Killers of the Flower Moon" tells the true story of the 1920s murders and disappearances of members of Osage Nation on oil-rich lands in the central US state of Oklahoma. At a red carpet event at Manhattan's Lincoln Center, Scorsese told AFP his film about the 100-year-old crimes touched on broad themes. "It's about a clash of cultures, misunderstanding each other, the sense of entitlement -- and it could be (about) not only Americans," Scorsese told AFP about the film, which he shot on Oklahoma's prairies with around 40 Osage Native Americans included in the cast. The $200-million film stars Leonardo DiCaprio as Ernest Burkhart, a man in love with a Native American woman (played by Lily Gladstone) who finds himself embroiled in a plot hatched by oil-hungry cattle magnate William Hale, played by Robert De Niro. An FBI agent, Jesse Plemons, is assigned to solve the murders. "Killers of the Flower Moon" will be released in North American cinemas on October 20, before being made available on Apple TV+. The violence and crimes depicted in the film "could be in any part of the world," Scorsese said. "It just so happens to be a story that actually reflects through the millennia." "It's good to tell this kind of story now because people are trying to shy away from this stuff. Show it, talk about it," the "Gangs of New York" and "Taxi Driver" director added. American writer David Grann, whose book the film was based on, told AFP that the story covers "one of the most monstrous crimes and racial injustices committed by white settlers against Native Americans for their oil money." "What it is fundamentally about is what happens when greed is fused together with the dehumanization of other people," the New Yorker journalist said. "And what that led to were these genocidal crimes." Grann believes that the history of the Osage Tribe, and of many Native Americans across the United States, has been "largely erased from our conscious". "It was not taught in any of my schoolbooks. I never learned about it," he said. In 2021, President Joe Biden became the first US president to issue a proclamation for Indigenous Peoples' Day, which coincides with the increasingly controversial national holiday celebrating explorer Christopher Columbus. Principal Chief of the Osage Nation Geoffrey Standing Bear also appeared at the red carpet event. "It's not just the Osage people -- all of the Native peoples have had their hard times for 500 years," the North American leader said. "And this movie shows us it still goes on. "It wasn't that long ago. It was my grandparents' generation when this movie, the facts in it, occurred." The post New film on historical Native American murders reflects universal themes: Scorsese appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Fighting gun violence, Kamala’s new task
“We know true freedom is not possible if people are not safe,” United States Vice President Kamala Harris said Friday in announcing her new role to combat gun violence. The 58-year-old Democrat will lead the new White House Office of Gun Violence Prevention, which will coordinate on the issue but lacks significant enforcement authority to combat the epidemic in a nation with more firearms than people. “We do not have a moment to spare nor a life to spare” while the United States is “torn apart” by gun violence, she said at the White House on Friday. “After every mass shooting, we hear a simple message, the same message all over the country,” she added, saying Americans are begging for their leaders to “‘do something, please do something.’” Despite the new push, the White House does not have unilateral power to meaningfully limit gun use in the United States, such as by banning assault weapons. Any substantial moves would have to come from Congress, where fiercely anti-gun regulation Republicans control the House of Representatives. Biden has tried to work around legislative requirements and imposed certain regulatory and administrative restrictions, which have only a limited scope. The new role adds a significant job to Harris’s portfolio just a little over a year ahead of the 2024 race, in which she and the 80-year-old president are facing re-election. The vice president has already been tasked with handling other politically sensitive issues such as immigration. Tackling gun violence gives the former California prosecutor the chance to work on a visible issue that often garners more widespread consensus from the American public. According to the Gun Violence Archive, a non-governmental organization, 44,374 people were killed by guns across the United States last year. Gun deaths have slowed slightly this year, at 28,793 for the first eight months, according to the archive. Harris — the first woman to become vice president as well as the first Black person and person of South Asian descent to hold the job — also recently embarked on the so-called Fight for Our Freedoms College Tour, in which she visited several US universities. She was generally received with enthusiasm, in contrast to her often-flagging favorability poll numbers. with AFP The post Fighting gun violence, Kamala’s new task appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Mexico seeks Biden meeting over migration crisis
Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador has requested a bilateral meeting with his United States counterpart to discuss the migration crisis that has “overwhelmed” his country, his foreign minister said Friday. The meeting would occur in Washington when Lopez Obrador attends a summit of Latin American leaders, to be convened by US President Joe Biden on 3 November. Lopez Obrador wants to discuss “legal paths” to address the humanitarian situation facing hundreds of thousands of people who have recently attempted to make their way to the United States and to study the ways in which they can request asylum, as well as work visas for the agricultural sector. Mexico is being “overwhelmed” by the arrival of migrants to its territory, Mexican Foreign Minister Alicia Barcena said at a press conference during the UN General Assembly in New York. Around 9,000 arrive at the country’s southern border every day, around 3,000 of whom have traversed the Darien Gap, a dense jungle on the border between Colombia and Panama. Another 8,000 arrive at the northern border with the United States every day. “Yesterday 11,000 arrived,” Barcena said. “This exceeds any capacity, no matter how much Mexico wants to do a good job.” This year Mexico expects to process 140,000 asylum applications. “It’s overwhelming,” Barcena stated, pointing to the money she said Mexico spends to support these migrants while they apply for documents to enter the United States, find employment, or return to their countries of origin after rejection by the United States. “We need help,” she said, urging Washington to lift sanctions on Venezuela to help curb the exodus of migrants. She also called for action in the Darien Gap, because “it is where the largest flow of migrants” from Venezuela comes through, pushing for coordination with Panama and Colombia. The Mexican president wants to focus above all on “the structural causes of migration” and articulate a policy with regional states, said Barcena, who will represent Lopez Obrador at the UN General Assembly on Saturday. Most migrants come from Ecuador, Colombia, Haiti, Cuba, Venezuela, Guatemala and Honduras. Fentanyl and its cross-border transportation will also be on the agenda for talks with Biden, with the powerful opioid having caused the deaths of more than 110,000 Americans. With AFP The post Mexico seeks Biden meeting over migration crisis appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Zelensky Expresses Gratitude to Americans in Heartfelt Speech, Concludes Washington Visit
Title: President Biden Assures President Zelensky of Continued Support in Ukraine-Russia War Washington D.C. – President Biden reiterated his commitment to stand by Ukraine as.....»»
US, Iran release prisoners in $6 billion swap deal
The United States and Iran on Monday swapped five prisoners each in one of the arch-foes' first deals in years as Tehran gained access to $6 billion in frozen funds. The five Americans freed by Iran, including one held for eight years, flew out of Tehran in a Qatari jet, hours after the unblocked funds were deposited in accounts also managed by Qatar. The White House said it was "pleased to confirm" the plane carrying the freed Americans had left Doha, Qatar for the United States, and that President Joe Biden had spoken with the families of the Americans in an "emotional call". The five had walked in the setting sun on the tarmac in Doha, three of them with arms around one another's shoulders. One of them praised Biden for ignoring the political backlash and taking the "incredibly difficult decisions" that freed them. "Thank you, President Biden, for ultimately putting the lives of American citizens above politics," Siamak Namazi, a businessman held since 2015, said in a statement. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, who spoke to the released Americans by telephone after they landed in Doha, insisted the Biden administration had "no higher priority" than freeing US citizens. "It's very good to be able to say that our fellow citizens are free," Blinken told reporters in New York, where he and Biden are taking part in UN meetings. Two of the Iranian detainees arrived in Qatar, Iranian media said. The other three released by the United States have opted to remain there or in a third country. After quiet discussions led in part by Qatar, the two countries completed the exchange after the transfer of $6 billion in funds, frozen by US ally South Korea. The Biden administration has rejected criticism at home that it is paying "ransom," insisting the money will be used only humanitarian purposes, with a threat to re-freeze the funds if not. But Iranian foreign ministry spokesman Nasser Kanani, speaking earlier in Tehran, said the clerical state will have "total access" to the assets. Political risks for Biden Biden's Republican rivals have roundly denounced the deal. Republican Senator Mitt Romney said it would lead to "kidnappings". "The idea of basically paying to release, in this effect, a hostage is a terrible idea," he said. Mindful of political risks, Biden in a statement said he would "continue to impose costs" on Iran and announced sanctions against former president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and the country's intelligence ministry. The sanctions were imposed over alleged deceit in the disappearance of Bob Levinson, a former FBI agent who disappeared in Iran in mysterious circumstance and is presumed dead. Biden in his statement did not mention that he granted clemency to five Iranians. A US official said that all were convicted or changed with non-violent crimes, with one already set to be released soon. Iran had generated the revenue through oil sales. South Korea froze the funds after Biden's Republican predecessor Donald Trump withdrew from a landmark nuclear accord and imposed unilateral US sanctions on buying oil from Iran. Iran's central bank governor said Iran would seek damages from South Korea. "We're making a complaint on behalf of Iran against South Korea for not giving access to these funds and the reduction in value of these funds in order to receive damages," Mohammadreza Farzin said on state television. The five Americans of Iranian descent -- all considered Iranian nationals by Tehran, which rejects dual nationality -- were released to house arrest when the deal was agreed last month. Besides Namazi, they include wildlife conservationist Morad Tahbaz, venture capitalist Emad Sharqi and two others who wished to remain anonymous. All were accused of spying or other crimes that they strongly reject. Tahbaz also holds UK nationality. Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said Britain was not involved in the deal but that he was "extremely pleased" he was free. A US official said that two more US citizens flew out of Tehran -- Namazi's mother and Sharqi's wife, who were not in prison but had ont been allowed to leave. According to Tehran, the freed Iranians include Reza Sarhangpour and Kambiz Attar Kashani, both accused of violating US sanctions against Tehran. A third prisoner, Kaveh Lotfolah Afrasiabi, was detained at his home near Boston in 2021 and charged with being an Iranian government agent, according to US officials. The two others, Mehrdad Moein Ansari and Amin Hasanzadeh, were said to have links to Iranian security forces. Nudge on nuclear? The swap was the first deal sealed by Biden with Iran's clerical rulers, who toppled the pro-Western shah in 1979 and are deeply hostile to the United States. Biden took office with hopes of restoring the 2015 nuclear agreement, under which Iran promised to constrain its contested nuclear work in return for sanctions relief. But months of talks failed to produce a breakthrough. Prospects to restore the deal sank further after protests broke out almost exactly a year ago in Iran following the death in custody of Mahsa Amini, who had been arrested for allegedly violating the country's Islamic dress code for women. Blinken said that the release of the prisoners "doesn't speak to anything else in the relationship," with the nuclear issue "a different track." Biden is not expected to meet in New York with Iran's president, Ebrahim Raisi, who arrived Monday. The post US, Iran release prisoners in $6 billion swap deal appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»