Al-Shabaab: How Somalia's Al-Qaeda-linked terror outfit terrorises Africa

The top Democrat in Congress on Wednesday urged <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/stupid-to-suggest-trump-is-working-for-russia-top-putin-aide-190814">President Donald Trump</a> to postpone his upcoming annual State of the Union address, citing security shortcomings due to the ongoing partial government shutdown.

Trump was due to deliver his speech, in which a president lays out his legislative agenda and provides an economic status report to the nation, on January 29.

"Sadly, given the security concerns and unless government re-opens this week, I suggest that we work together to determine another suitable date after government has re-opened for this address or for you to consider delivering (it) in writing to the Congress on January 29th," House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said in a letter to the president.

The United States is in the grips of its longest-ever government shutdown, with about 25 per cent of federal agencies and offices shuttered.&nbsp;

The US Secret Service, which is charged with the protection of the president, provides security for what are known as national special security events, including the State of the Union.&nbsp;

"However, both the US Secret Service and the Department of Homeland Security have not been funded for 26 days now -– with critical departments hamstrung by furloughs," Pelosi noted in her letter.

She also said that "since the start of modern budgeting in Fiscal Year 1977, a State of the Union address has never been delivered during a government shutdown."

The notion that Trump, a billionaire businessman who dramatically boosted his national prominence through his reality television show "The Apprentice," would send in a written version of his address seems quaint in today's screen-dominated digital era.

But Pelosi pointed out that up until Woodrow Wilson's presidency in the early 20th century, "these annual State of the Union messages were delivered to Congress in writing."

The top Democrat in Congress on Wednesday urged President Donald Trump to postpone his upcoming annual State of the Union address, citing security shortcomings due to the ongoing partial government shutdown.

The top Democrat in Congress on Wednesday urged President Donald Trump to postpone his upcoming annual State of the Union address, citing security shortcomings due to the ongoing partial government shutdown. Trump was due to deliver his speech, in which a president lays out his legislative agenda and provides an economic status report to the nation, on January 29. "Sadly, given the security concerns and unless government re-opens this week, I suggest that we work together to determine another suitable date after government has re-opened for this address or for you to consider delivering (it) in writing to the Congress on January 29th," House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said in a letter to the president. The United States is in the grips of its longest-ever government shutdown, with about 25 per cent of federal agencies and offices shuttered. The US Secret Service, which is charged with the protection of the president, provides security for what are known as national special security events, including the State of the Union. "However, both the US Secret Service and the Department of Homeland Security have not been funded for 26 days now -– with critical departments hamstrung by furloughs," Pelosi noted in her letter. She also said that "since the start of modern budgeting in Fiscal Year 1977, a State of the Union address has never been delivered during a government shutdown." The notion that Trump, a billionaire businessman who dramatically boosted his national prominence through his reality television show "The Apprentice," would send in a written version of his address seems quaint in today's screen-dominated digital era. But Pelosi pointed out that up until Woodrow Wilson's presidency in the early 20th century, "these annual State of the Union messages were delivered to Congress in writing."

Top Democrat urges Trump to delay State of Union until government reopens

There’s one thing Turkey and the US can definitely agree on these days: Unreliability is now the bedrock of their relationship. It’s perhaps not surprising when the two powers are led by notably unpredictable men — US President Donald Trump and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

In the latest antagonism, Erdogan’s close adviser, Yasin Aktay, has spoken of the US as a “highly unreliable partner” due to its efforts to safeguard the Syrian Kurdish forces who have partnered with the US in defeating the Islamic State (IS) in Syria.

The criticism is a further illustration of the echo chambers in which diplomacy is being conducted at the moment. Far from seeking to reduce friction (the usual role of diplomacy), such statements are part of the new prickly nationalism that is everywhere in the ascendant.

The most glaring dimension of Aktay’s statement is its subjectivity. Trump’s announcement in December 2018 of the US troop withdrawal from Syria really did put America’s Syrian Kurdish allies in potential harm’s way, at the hands of the Turkish army. The recent move to safeguard that ally could be viewed, in fact, as reliability.

But of course, Atkay is speaking from within the echo chamber of Turkish politics. Within that chamber, the US has deserted its NATO ally in favour of a Syrian Kurdish militia with strong ties to the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) — a movement within Turkey designated a terrorist organisation.

His assessment discounts the fact that the threat from IS was very real. The US needed local allies on the ground in order to counter it. Indeed, it was a long time before the Turkish government decided to give the fight against the Islamic State the same priority that it gave the fight against Kurdish groups.

Yet the Turkish displeasure with its NATO ally is not all paranoia and blinkered Turkish nationalism. President Trump has been cavalier in his diplomacy within the international body. He has also been transparently shortsighted in his engagement with the Middle East.

In line with his “America First” policies, Trump was quick to single out IS as a grave threat to be addressed, largely because it had the capacity to impact America itself and American lives. Trump and his predecessor, Barack Obama, have been far less eager to address Syria’s civil war.

From the Turkish viewpoint, this looks a lot like abandonment. The war on its southern frontier has been highly porous. It has deeply impacted Turkey in terms of terrorist atrocities, refugee flows, political destabilisation, economic impact and the very real threat of escalation from the Assad regime’s allies, Russia and Iran. None of this seems to have moved the US greatly.

Every man for himself

The result is a zero-sum environment in which all the key actors have gradually amassed leaders who see the best strategy as entrenchment and national defence. This may have been led by Russian President Vladimir Putin — the past master of such tactics — but it has been a domino effect.

President Erdogan has veered sharply in the same direction ever since the start of the Syrian conflict in 2011. With the election of Donald Trump to the US presidency in November 2016, the world’s key superpower has followed suit. In the current dispute, the only real losers are likely to be the Kurds.

The Turkish government position has ossified. It cannot easily roll back on its war with the Syrian Kurdish militia now. The US position is more fluid. As President Trump as demonstrated, Washington is quite capable of dropping the Syrian Kurdish militia.

The reason the US government has so far stepped back from leaving the Syrian Kurds at the full mercy of other powers in Syria is not altruism. The Syrian Kurds merely offered the right guns for hire at the right time. But to drop them would hand valuable power to US adversaries.

In the cases of Russia and Iran, that would stick in the craw of the US administration. The irony is, as things stand, the other “adversary” who would clearly benefit is a country — Turkey — that is supposed to be an erstwhile NATO ally and a bulwark in the Middle East.

(Nathaniel Handy is a writer and academic)

(This article was originally published on The DNA. Read the <a href="https://www.fairobserver.com/region/middle_east_north_africa/turkey-us-relations-syrian-kurds-syria-civil-war-islamic-state-world-news-57293/">original article</a>)

(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

There’s one thing Turkey and the US can definitely agree on these days: Unreliability is now the bedrock of their relationship. It’s perhaps not surprising when the two powers are led by notably unpredictable men — US President Donald Trump and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

There’s one thing Turkey and the US can definitely agree on these days: Unreliability is now the bedrock of their relationship. It’s perhaps not surprising when the two powers are led by notably unpredictable men — US President Donald Trump and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. In the latest antagonism, Erdogan’s close adviser, Yasin Aktay, has spoken of the US as a “highly unreliable partner” due to its efforts to safeguard the Syrian Kurdish forces who have partnered with the US in defeating the Islamic State (IS) in Syria. The criticism is a further illustration of the echo chambers in which diplomacy is being conducted at the moment. Far from seeking to reduce friction (the usual role of diplomacy), such statements are part of the new prickly nationalism that is everywhere in the ascendant. The most glaring dimension of Aktay’s statement is its subjectivity. Trump’s announcement in December 2018 of the US troop withdrawal from Syria really did put America’s Syrian Kurdish allies in potential harm’s way, at the hands of the Turkish army. The recent move to safeguard that ally could be viewed, in fact, as reliability. But of course, Atkay is speaking from within the echo chamber of Turkish politics. Within that chamber, the US has deserted its NATO ally in favour of a Syrian Kurdish militia with strong ties to the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) — a movement within Turkey designated a terrorist organisation. His assessment discounts the fact that the threat from IS was very real. The US needed local allies on the ground in order to counter it. Indeed, it was a long time before the Turkish government decided to give the fight against the Islamic State the same priority that it gave the fight against Kurdish groups. Yet the Turkish displeasure with its NATO ally is not all paranoia and blinkered Turkish nationalism. President Trump has been cavalier in his diplomacy within the international body. He has also been transparently shortsighted in his engagement with the Middle East. In line with his “America First” policies, Trump was quick to single out IS as a grave threat to be addressed, largely because it had the capacity to impact America itself and American lives. Trump and his predecessor, Barack Obama, have been far less eager to address Syria’s civil war. From the Turkish viewpoint, this looks a lot like abandonment. The war on its southern frontier has been highly porous. It has deeply impacted Turkey in terms of terrorist atrocities, refugee flows, political destabilisation, economic impact and the very real threat of escalation from the Assad regime’s allies, Russia and Iran. None of this seems to have moved the US greatly. Every man for himself The result is a zero-sum environment in which all the key actors have gradually amassed leaders who see the best strategy as entrenchment and national defence. This may have been led by Russian President Vladimir Putin — the past master of such tactics — but it has been a domino effect. President Erdogan has veered sharply in the same direction ever since the start of the Syrian conflict in 2011. With the election of Donald Trump to the US presidency in November 2016, the world’s key superpower has followed suit. In the current dispute, the only real losers are likely to be the Kurds. The Turkish government position has ossified. It cannot easily roll back on its war with the Syrian Kurdish militia now. The US position is more fluid. As President Trump as demonstrated, Washington is quite capable of dropping the Syrian Kurdish militia. The reason the US government has so far stepped back from leaving the Syrian Kurds at the full mercy of other powers in Syria is not altruism. The Syrian Kurds merely offered the right guns for hire at the right time. But to drop them would hand valuable power to US adversaries. In the cases of Russia and Iran, that would stick in the craw of the US administration. The irony is, as things stand, the other “adversary” who would clearly benefit is a country — Turkey — that is supposed to be an erstwhile NATO ally and a bulwark in the Middle East. (Nathaniel Handy is a writer and academic) (This article was originally published on The DNA. Read the original article) (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

Why the US is still losing Turkey

A new US-bound caravan of <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/migrant-caravan-presses-on-towards-us-despite-offer-of-jobs-from-mexico-173922">Honduran migrants</a> grew to nearly 1,000 people as it neared the Guatemalan border on Tuesday, a Honduran official said, while US President Donald Trump seized on news of the group to try to drum up <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/trump-threatens-to-use-emergency-power-to-build-wall-end-shutdown-189577">support for a border wall</a>.

Honduran Deputy Foreign Minister Nelly Jerez told reporters that there were between 800 and 1,000 people travelling together and headed towards the Agua Caliente border crossing into Guatemala.&nbsp;

Central American migrant caravans heading towards the United States have inflamed the debate over US immigration policy, with Trump using the groups to seek backing for his plan to build a wall on the US-Mexico border.&nbsp;

Television footage on Tuesday showed groups of mostly young men, carrying bags of belongings, leaving the notoriously violent Honduran city of San Pedro Sula and flagging down rides to catch up with the caravan that left the same city on Monday.

"I am going to the United States to see if there is an opportunity to work because here in Honduras there is nothing," a 25-year old named Cristian told reporters.

The group will likely face weeks of travel to get to the US border.&nbsp;

Around 2,500 migrants from a previous wave of Central Americans who crossed Mexico have been camping in squalid shelters in the Mexican border city of Tijuana.

Trump has described the migrants as an invading force and sent troops to reinforce the border last year. On Monday, the Pentagon announced it would extend the deployment of around 2,350 troops to the US border through the end of September.&nbsp;

As a partial government shutdown dragged into its 25th day on Tuesday, Trump invoked the new caravan on Twitter to pressure US lawmakers. Democrats have resisted Trump`s insistence that Congress shell out $5.7 billion for wall funding.

"A big new Caravan is heading up to our Southern Border from Honduras," Trump said. "Only a Wall, or Steel Barrier, will keep our Country safe! Stop playing political games and end the Shutdown!" 
&nbsp;

A new US-bound caravan of Honduran migrants grew to nearly 1,000 people as it neared the Guatemalan border on Tuesday, a Honduran official said, while US President Donald Trump seized on news of the group to try to drum up support for a border wall.

A new US-bound caravan of Honduran migrants grew to nearly 1,000 people as it neared the Guatemalan border on Tuesday, a Honduran official said, while US President Donald Trump seized on news of the group to try to drum up support for a border wall. Honduran Deputy Foreign Minister Nelly Jerez told reporters that there were between 800 and 1,000 people travelling together and headed towards the Agua Caliente border crossing into Guatemala. Central American migrant caravans heading towards the United States have inflamed the debate over US immigration policy, with Trump using the groups to seek backing for his plan to build a wall on the US-Mexico border. Television footage on Tuesday showed groups of mostly young men, carrying bags of belongings, leaving the notoriously violent Honduran city of San Pedro Sula and flagging down rides to catch up with the caravan that left the same city on Monday. "I am going to the United States to see if there is an opportunity to work because here in Honduras there is nothing," a 25-year old named Cristian told reporters. The group will likely face weeks of travel to get to the US border. Around 2,500 migrants from a previous wave of Central Americans who crossed Mexico have been camping in squalid shelters in the Mexican border city of Tijuana. Trump has described the migrants as an invading force and sent troops to reinforce the border last year. On Monday, the Pentagon announced it would extend the deployment of around 2,350 troops to the US border through the end of September. As a partial government shutdown dragged into its 25th day on Tuesday, Trump invoked the new caravan on Twitter to pressure US lawmakers. Democrats have resisted Trump`s insistence that Congress shell out $5.7 billion for wall funding. "A big new Caravan is heading up to our Southern Border from Honduras," Trump said. "Only a Wall, or Steel Barrier, will keep our Country safe! Stop playing political games and end the Shutdown!"

US-bound Honduran migrant caravan grows as Trump argues for wall

Several hundred Honduran <a href="https://www.google.com/url?q=http://www.wionews.com/world/mexico-demands-us-probe-on-use-of-force-against-migrants-188204&amp;sa=U&amp;ved=0ahUKEwjUofG8x_HfAhWIro8KHVqDBe4QFggFMAA&amp;client=internal-uds-cse&amp;cx=006054055338965708568:09spwrlibei&amp;usg=AOvVaw2LCj7WHGU-g13DtHrIrDra">migrants</a> in a new US-bound caravan crossed into Guatemala on Tuesday, as<a href="https://www.google.com/url?q=http://www.wionews.com/world/trump-says-record-long-government-shutdown-could-be-resolved-in-15-minutes-189918&amp;sa=U&amp;ved=0ahUKEwibirubx_HfAhUL2o8KHWfvCJ4QFggFMAA&amp;client=internal-uds-cse&amp;cx=006054055338965708568:09spwrlibei&amp;usg=AOvVaw2eiwVWy8P_hAybgiaQRpi0"> US President Donald Trump</a> seized on news of the advancing group to try to build support for a wall along with his country's border with Mexico.

About 200 Hondurans presented documents in the morning to pass through the Agua Caliente border crossing separating the two Central American nations. The group included entire families and young men, plus parents carrying small children.

An additional 350 Hondurans crossed into Guatemalan territory but were being detained by migration officials checking their documents, according to pro-migrant activists travelling with them.

Some migrants ran toward the port of entry where they were met by a large group of Guatemalan police, and nearly 150 were turned away because they lacked proper documents, police said.

"Those who (lack documents) will be turned back," said Alejandra Mena, a spokeswoman for Guatemala's migration authority.

The second group of about 300 Honduran migrants walked along a highway and expected to reach the same border crossing on Tuesday night, activists said.

Earlier on Tuesday, Honduran Deputy Foreign Minister Nelly Jerez told reporters that the caravan at the border numbered between 800 and 1,000 people.&nbsp;

Central American caravans heading toward the United States have inflamed the debate over US immigration policy, with Trump drawing attention to the bedraggled migrants to try to win backing for his plan to build a wall on the US-Mexico border.&nbsp;

As a partial US government shutdown reached its 25th day, Trump invoked the new caravan on Twitter to pressure US lawmakers. Democrats have resisted Trump's insistence that Congress provide $5.7 billion for wall funding.

"A big new Caravan is heading up to our Southern Border from Honduras," Trump tweeted on Tuesday. "Only a Wall, or Steel Barrier, will keep our Country safe! Stop playing political games and end the Shutdown!"

Trump has described the migrants as an invading force and sent troops to reinforce the border last year. On Monday, the Pentagon announced it would extend the deployment of about 2,350 troops to the US border through the end of September.

Television footage on Tuesday showed mainly younger migrants leaving the notoriously violent Honduran city of San Pedro Sula. Some flagged down rides to catch up with the caravan that left the same city on Monday.

"We're asking them to let us cross on our way to Mexico," said Honduran migrant Josue Hernandez ahead of the checkpoint guarded by Guatemalan police.

The group will likely face weeks of travel to get to the US border.&nbsp; 
US Secretary of Homeland Security Kirstjen Nielsen said in a post on Twitter that her agency was closely monitoring the new caravan.

"To be clear - participation in a caravan does not grant you a special status or provide you special treatment," she added.

About 2,500 migrants from a previous wave of Central Americans who crossed Mexico have been camping in squalid shelters in the Mexican border city of Tijuana.

Several hundred Honduran migrants in a new US-bound caravan crossed into Guatemala on Tuesday, as US President Donald Trump seized on news of the advancing group to try to build support for a wall along with his country's border with Mexico.

Several hundred Honduran migrants in a new US-bound caravan crossed into Guatemala on Tuesday, as US President Donald Trump seized on news of the advancing group to try to build support for a wall along with his country's border with Mexico. About 200 Hondurans presented documents in the morning to pass through the Agua Caliente border crossing separating the two Central American nations. The group included entire families and young men, plus parents carrying small children. An additional 350 Hondurans crossed into Guatemalan territory but were being detained by migration officials checking their documents, according to pro-migrant activists travelling with them. Some migrants ran toward the port of entry where they were met by a large group of Guatemalan police, and nearly 150 were turned away because they lacked proper documents, police said. "Those who (lack documents) will be turned back," said Alejandra Mena, a spokeswoman for Guatemala's migration authority. The second group of about 300 Honduran migrants walked along a highway and expected to reach the same border crossing on Tuesday night, activists said. Earlier on Tuesday, Honduran Deputy Foreign Minister Nelly Jerez told reporters that the caravan at the border numbered between 800 and 1,000 people. Central American caravans heading toward the United States have inflamed the debate over US immigration policy, with Trump drawing attention to the bedraggled migrants to try to win backing for his plan to build a wall on the US-Mexico border. As a partial US government shutdown reached its 25th day, Trump invoked the new caravan on Twitter to pressure US lawmakers. Democrats have resisted Trump's insistence that Congress provide $5.7 billion for wall funding. "A big new Caravan is heading up to our Southern Border from Honduras," Trump tweeted on Tuesday. "Only a Wall, or Steel Barrier, will keep our Country safe! Stop playing political games and end the Shutdown!" Trump has described the migrants as an invading force and sent troops to reinforce the border last year. On Monday, the Pentagon announced it would extend the deployment of about 2,350 troops to the US border through the end of September. Television footage on Tuesday showed mainly younger migrants leaving the notoriously violent Honduran city of San Pedro Sula. Some flagged down rides to catch up with the caravan that left the same city on Monday. "We're asking them to let us cross on our way to Mexico," said Honduran migrant Josue Hernandez ahead of the checkpoint guarded by Guatemalan police. The group will likely face weeks of travel to get to the US border. US Secretary of Homeland Security Kirstjen Nielsen said in a post on Twitter that her agency was closely monitoring the new caravan. "To be clear - participation in a caravan does not grant you a special status or provide you special treatment," she added. About 2,500 migrants from a previous wave of Central Americans who crossed Mexico have been camping in squalid shelters in the Mexican border city of Tijuana.

Watch: US-bound migrant caravan crosses into Guatemala

The longest<a href="https://www.google.com/url?q=http://www.wionews.com/world/pompeo-hopes-for-imminent-end-to-us-government-shutdown-190082&amp;sa=U&amp;ved=0ahUKEwj_uPef5_HfAhULq48KHQVpCXoQFggFMAA&amp;client=internal-uds-cse&amp;cx=006054055338965708568:09spwrlibei&amp;usg=AOvVaw0sv2mLJznc4v3IkEgQluTW"> US government shutdown</a> in history reached its 25th day on Tuesday, with most of the 800,000 employees who have been furloughed or are working without pay having missed their first paychecks last week.

The White House and congressional Democrats remain divided over Republican <a href="https://www.google.com/url?q=http://www.wionews.com/world/trump-stops-short-of-emergency-declaration-in-border-wall-fight-189699&amp;sa=U&amp;ved=0ahUKEwijhu2-5_HfAhUPSY8KHa9TARsQFggFMAA&amp;client=internal-uds-cse&amp;cx=006054055338965708568:09spwrlibei&amp;usg=AOvVaw2RncalnvrSrpTlEI4KO3sE">President Donald Trump</a>'s demand for money for a border wall.

The shutdown, which began on December 22, is the 19th since the mid-1970s, although most have been brief. A 1995-1996 shutdown over a funding battle between Democratic President Bill Clinton and Republican House of Representatives Speaker Newt Gingrich lasted 21 days. The current one has not affected three-quarters of the government, including the Department of Defense and the Postal Service, which have secure funding.&nbsp;

But some 800,000 employees from the departments of Homeland Security and Transportation, among others, have been furloughed or are working without pay. Private contractors working for many government agencies are also without pay and private companies that rely on business from federal workers or other consumers - such as national park visitors - are affected across the country.&nbsp;

The following is what is happening around the federal government:

INTERNAL REVENUE SERVICE&nbsp;

Nearly 70,000 IRS employees, or about 88 per cent of the workforce, have been furloughed, raising concerns about American taxpayer filings and refunds and the ability of the agency to manage government revenues ahead of the April 15 income tax filing deadline.&nbsp;

The US Internal Revenue Service said on Tuesday it intended to bring back more than 46,000 furloughed workers to process annual tax returns and refunds and other tasks.

HOMELAND SECURITY

The department that oversees Customs and Border Protection, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, the Transportation Security Administration, the Coast Guard, and the Secret Service are affected.

Of 245,000 agency employees, nearly 213,000 have been deemed "essential," according to the department`s contingency plan, so they are working without pay until a funding bill is passed.&nbsp;

More than 50,000 TSA officers are working without pay, but Democratic lawmakers have expressed concern about some transportation employees failing to show up for work or calling in sick.&nbsp;

HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT (HUD)

Most of the department's 7,500 employees are "non-essential" and only about 340 are working. Nearly 1,000 others may be called in for specific tasks, without pay.

The shutdown has left administration officials scrambling to prevent the eviction of thousands of people covered by a HUD program that expired on January 1 and now cannot be renewed, according to the Washington Post. 
&nbsp; 
Public housing authorities and Native American tribal housing entities are not part of the federal government and so are not required to shut down. But the federal government provides some of their funding, so some have reduced services or changed operating hours.

HUD, which oversees some housing loan and low-income housing payment programs, warned that a protracted shutdown could result in a decline in home sales.&nbsp;

INTERIOR

The Interior Department intends to temporarily recall some furloughed workers to prepare an upcoming Gulf of Mexico oil lease sale, using funds left over from last year, according to a department document.

The National Park Service, under the umbrella of the Interior Department, is operating with a skeleton staff. Under its contingency plan, some parks may be accessible, with others closed completely. The park service is providing no visitor services such as restrooms, facility and road maintenance and trash collection.

&nbsp;Some volunteers have worked to clean up sites, according to media reports, and some states and other localities have also pitched in funding to keep parks operating. There has been damage to fragile lands by unmonitored visitors. Some campgrounds have closed because of sanitation issues.

The parks are losing about $400,000 a day in fees because no rangers are staffing the entrances, according to Senate appropriators. The park service has authorized using previously collected entrance fees to bring in additional staff to clean up trash and other tasks in a move some critics have said are illegal, the Washington Post reported.&nbsp;

The Smithsonian museums and the National Zoo in Washington, which receive US government funding, are also closed.

COMMERCE DEPARTMENT

The Department of Commerce`s Bureau of Economic Analysis and Census Bureau is not publishing economic data, including figures on a gross domestic product, inflation, personal income, spending, trade, and new home sales, during the shutdown.

OFFICE OF PERSONNEL MANAGEMENT

The agency that oversees the federal workforce has given advice to workers on dealing with landlords, mortgage lenders and other creditors, including sample letters explaining severe income loss because of the lack of federal funding. Some federal workers are applying for unemployment benefits, according to media reports.&nbsp;

JUDICIARY

The US court system said on Tuesday it could operate until January 25 and that most proceedings would continue as scheduled. Cases involving furloughed lawyers from the executive branch of government may be delayed. Initially, the courts had estimated funding would be exhausted on January 18, but "aggressive efforts to reduce expenditures" bought extra time.

Immigration judges are among those furloughed, leading to thousands of long-delayed deportation cases being rescheduled.

HEALTH

The Food and Drug Administration and other agencies under the Department of Health and Human Services are partially affected by the shutdown. Some food and drug inspections are on hold, but the FDA says it is still able to respond to emergencies, such as foodborne illness outbreaks. The Indian Health Service is not able to provide most of its funds to Tribes and Urban Indian Health programs. Some scientific research projects also cannot continue in full.&nbsp;

AGRICULTURE

The Department of Agriculture has said that US farmers could have more time to apply for aid aimed at mitigating any harm during ongoing trade disputes with China, among others, adding that farmers who had already applied would continue to receive payments.

USDA has also delayed several key reports on major domestic and world crops that were due to be released on January 11.&nbsp;

Funding for food aid for low-income Americans, known as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program or SNAP, will continue in February, Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue said last week, but he warned the outlook for March was uncertain if there was no end to the shutdown.

FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION&nbsp;

The FCC, which regulates radio and television broadcast and cable systems, has suspended most operations. Work for "the protection of life and property" will continue as well operations at the agency`s Office of Inspector General, the FCC`s internal watchdog.&nbsp;

TRANSPORTATION DEPARTMENT

Of its 55,000 employees, 20,400 have been put on leave. That excludes most of the Federal Aviation Administration, where 24,200 are working and the Federal Highway Administration, where all 2,700 employees are funded through other sources.

The FAA said on Tuesday it was calling back 1,700 aviation safety inspectors "to perform duties to ensure continuous operational safety of the entire national airspace."

Air traffic control, hazardous material safety inspections and accident investigations continue, but some rule-making, inspections, and audits have been paused.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has furloughed nearly 60 per cent of its staff, halting auto safety investigations and new vehicle recall notices. The agency said it would recall furloughed employees if it "becomes aware of an imminent threat to the safety of human life."

Air traffic controllers and other aviation industry workers protested on the Capitol grounds last week.

EXECUTIVE OFFICE OF THE PRESIDENT

An estimated 1,100 of the office's 1,800 employees are on leave. That includes most of the Office of Management and Budget, which helps implement budget and policy goals.

NASA

Most employees at the National Aeronautics and Space Administration are on furlough. The small percentage who remain are working without pay. Work on any satellite mission that has not yet launched will be suspended until the agency receives funding, according to its contingency plan.

The longest US government shutdown in history reached its 25th day on Tuesday, with most of the 800,000 employees who have been furloughed or are working without pay having missed their first paychecks last week.

The longest US government shutdown in history reached its 25th day on Tuesday, with most of the 800,000 employees who have been furloughed or are working without pay having missed their first paychecks last week. The White House and congressional Democrats remain divided over Republican President Donald Trump's demand for money for a border wall. The shutdown, which began on December 22, is the 19th since the mid-1970s, although most have been brief. A 1995-1996 shutdown over a funding battle between Democratic President Bill Clinton and Republican House of Representatives Speaker Newt Gingrich lasted 21 days. The current one has not affected three-quarters of the government, including the Department of Defense and the Postal Service, which have secure funding. But some 800,000 employees from the departments of Homeland Security and Transportation, among others, have been furloughed or are working without pay. Private contractors working for many government agencies are also without pay and private companies that rely on business from federal workers or other consumers - such as national park visitors - are affected across the country. The following is what is happening around the federal government: INTERNAL REVENUE SERVICE Nearly 70,000 IRS employees, or about 88 per cent of the workforce, have been furloughed, raising concerns about American taxpayer filings and refunds and the ability of the agency to manage government revenues ahead of the April 15 income tax filing deadline. The US Internal Revenue Service said on Tuesday it intended to bring back more than 46,000 furloughed workers to process annual tax returns and refunds and other tasks. HOMELAND SECURITY The department that oversees Customs and Border Protection, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, the Transportation Security Administration, the Coast Guard, and the Secret Service are affected. Of 245,000 agency employees, nearly 213,000 have been deemed "essential," according to the department`s contingency plan, so they are working without pay until a funding bill is passed. More than 50,000 TSA officers are working without pay, but Democratic lawmakers have expressed concern about some transportation employees failing to show up for work or calling in sick. HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT (HUD) Most of the department's 7,500 employees are "non-essential" and only about 340 are working. Nearly 1,000 others may be called in for specific tasks, without pay. The shutdown has left administration officials scrambling to prevent the eviction of thousands of people covered by a HUD program that expired on January 1 and now cannot be renewed, according to the Washington Post. Public housing authorities and Native American tribal housing entities are not part of the federal government and so are not required to shut down. But the federal government provides some of their funding, so some have reduced services or changed operating hours. HUD, which oversees some housing loan and low-income housing payment programs, warned that a protracted shutdown could result in a decline in home sales. INTERIOR The Interior Department intends to temporarily recall some furloughed workers to prepare an upcoming Gulf of Mexico oil lease sale, using funds left over from last year, according to a department document. The National Park Service, under the umbrella of the Interior Department, is operating with a skeleton staff. Under its contingency plan, some parks may be accessible, with others closed completely. The park service is providing no visitor services such as restrooms, facility and road maintenance and trash collection. Some volunteers have worked to clean up sites, according to media reports, and some states and other localities have also pitched in funding to keep parks operating. There has been damage to fragile lands by unmonitored visitors. Some campgrounds have closed because of sanitation issues. The parks are losing about $400,000 a day in fees because no rangers are staffing the entrances, according to Senate appropriators. The park service has authorized using previously collected entrance fees to bring in additional staff to clean up trash and other tasks in a move some critics have said are illegal, the Washington Post reported. The Smithsonian museums and the National Zoo in Washington, which receive US government funding, are also closed. COMMERCE DEPARTMENT The Department of Commerce`s Bureau of Economic Analysis and Census Bureau is not publishing economic data, including figures on a gross domestic product, inflation, personal income, spending, trade, and new home sales, during the shutdown. OFFICE OF PERSONNEL MANAGEMENT The agency that oversees the federal workforce has given advice to workers on dealing with landlords, mortgage lenders and other creditors, including sample letters explaining severe income loss because of the lack of federal funding. Some federal workers are applying for unemployment benefits, according to media reports. JUDICIARY The US court system said on Tuesday it could operate until January 25 and that most proceedings would continue as scheduled. Cases involving furloughed lawyers from the executive branch of government may be delayed. Initially, the courts had estimated funding would be exhausted on January 18, but "aggressive efforts to reduce expenditures" bought extra time. Immigration judges are among those furloughed, leading to thousands of long-delayed deportation cases being rescheduled. HEALTH The Food and Drug Administration and other agencies under the Department of Health and Human Services are partially affected by the shutdown. Some food and drug inspections are on hold, but the FDA says it is still able to respond to emergencies, such as foodborne illness outbreaks. The Indian Health Service is not able to provide most of its funds to Tribes and Urban Indian Health programs. Some scientific research projects also cannot continue in full. AGRICULTURE The Department of Agriculture has said that US farmers could have more time to apply for aid aimed at mitigating any harm during ongoing trade disputes with China, among others, adding that farmers who had already applied would continue to receive payments. USDA has also delayed several key reports on major domestic and world crops that were due to be released on January 11. Funding for food aid for low-income Americans, known as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program or SNAP, will continue in February, Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue said last week, but he warned the outlook for March was uncertain if there was no end to the shutdown. FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION The FCC, which regulates radio and television broadcast and cable systems, has suspended most operations. Work for "the protection of life and property" will continue as well operations at the agency`s Office of Inspector General, the FCC`s internal watchdog. TRANSPORTATION DEPARTMENT Of its 55,000 employees, 20,400 have been put on leave. That excludes most of the Federal Aviation Administration, where 24,200 are working and the Federal Highway Administration, where all 2,700 employees are funded through other sources. The FAA said on Tuesday it was calling back 1,700 aviation safety inspectors "to perform duties to ensure continuous operational safety of the entire national airspace." Air traffic control, hazardous material safety inspections and accident investigations continue, but some rule-making, inspections, and audits have been paused. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has furloughed nearly 60 per cent of its staff, halting auto safety investigations and new vehicle recall notices. The agency said it would recall furloughed employees if it "becomes aware of an imminent threat to the safety of human life." Air traffic controllers and other aviation industry workers protested on the Capitol grounds last week. EXECUTIVE OFFICE OF THE PRESIDENT An estimated 1,100 of the office's 1,800 employees are on leave. That includes most of the Office of Management and Budget, which helps implement budget and policy goals. NASA Most employees at the National Aeronautics and Space Administration are on furlough. The small percentage who remain are working without pay. Work on any satellite mission that has not yet launched will be suspended until the agency receives funding, according to its contingency plan.

Impact on US government widens on 25th day of shutdown

US President Donald Trump was reeling from sharp rebukes at home and abroad over his surprise announcement last month to immediately pull American troops out of <a href="https://www.google.com/url?q=http://www.wionews.com/world/turkey-to-set-up-syria-security-zone-erdogan-190520&amp;sa=U&amp;ved=0ahUKEwi1nLiw4PHfAhUbEnIKHeBhBYgQFggFMAA&amp;client=internal-uds-cse&amp;cx=006054055338965708568:09spwrlibei&amp;usg=AOvVaw1OVjCx2SvnOLtyPsxBW9mW">Syria </a>when he flew into the al Asad airbase in neighbouring Iraq the day after Christmas.

Inside a canvas Quonset hut, one of the arced prefabricated structures used by the military and surrounded by concertina wire, Trump received operational briefs from US commanders suggesting a territorial victory against Islamic State was within sight, but the military needed just a bit more time, US officials said.

"They were upbeat about their ability to wrap things up," one of the officials told Reuters. "I definitely think that was a seminal meeting" in terms of influencing Trump' thinking.

Lieutenant General Paul LaCamera, the commander of the US-led coalition against Islamic State in Syria and Iraq, explained to a president who had lost patience with the war why too rapid a withdrawal could not be done without putting troops at risk, according to three officials familiar with the briefing, the contents of which have not been reported in such detail.

In the chaotic aftermath of Trump's December 19 announcement, which was one of the reasons that Defense Secretary Jim Mattis resigned, the 45-minute briefing appears to have helped crystallize an understanding between Trump and his top brass on the ground. Trump, in remarks to reporters, admitted that he felt better about the situation after talking to commanders in the theatre instead of officials in Washington.

The briefing also helped win the US military and diplomats some breathing room to plan a more deliberate exit from Syria.

It was a novel experience for the president, who was making his first visit to a war zone in his nearly two years in office, fresh from a political pummelling over his decision on Syria from fellow Republicans in Congress and US allies.&nbsp;

Nearly three weeks after the briefing, no troops have withdrawn from Syria and only some equipment has moved out.

In 2015, then-President Barack Obama first ordered US special operations forces into Syria after long hesitating to deploy "boots on the ground" in the midst of the Syrian civil war. What started off as a mission involving dozens of commandos eventually turned into hundreds and then just kept growing. There are about 2,000 US forces in Syria today.

Although Trump initially announced plans for a speedy pullout, he has since said it does not need to go quickly.&nbsp;

"We are pulling back in Syria, we are going to be removing our troops, I never said we are doing it that quickly," Trump told reporters at the White House on January 6.

In fact, Trump said on December 19 that American troops were coming home and they had already defeated Islamic State in Syria. No experts believe Islamic State has been defeated, despite the group having lost almost all of the territory it held in 2014 and 2015 after seizing parts of Syria and Iraq and declaring a "caliphate."

The Pentagon said on Friday that the withdrawal "is not subject to an arbitrary timeline," and would take into account conditions on the ground and talks with allies.&nbsp;

Trump's concession of additional time has set off an apparent scramble by the US military and Trump administration officials to accomplish as much as possible in the twilight of the Syria campaign.

US officials told Reuters that planning for a complete withdrawal from Syria is still underway, despite confusing and sometimes contradictory statements from the White House and tension with Turkey, which was meant to take over the campaign against Islamic State.&nbsp;

Several officials said they expected a withdrawal before the end of March, but would not commit to a date, given fast-evolving policy discussions and hard-to-predict battlefield developments.

FINAL BLOWS

Privately, some US officials worry the final push will not be enough to preserve hard-won gains against Islamic State or ensure protection for US-backed Kurdish YPG allies who helped in the fight. NATO ally Turkey views Kurdish militia as terrorists, an extension of a Kurdish insurgency in Turkey.

Trump himself acknowledged his concerns for the Kurds on Monday, warning Turkey of "economic devastation" if it attacks a US-allied Kurdish militia in Syria. US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said he believed Trump was referring to sanctions.

According to US estimates, Islamic State oversaw about 100,000 square kilometres (39,000 square miles) of territory, with about 8 million people under its control. The group had estimated revenues of nearly one billion dollars a year and used its de facto capital of Raqqa, Syria as a base to plot attacks in Europe.

Backed up by US-led coalition airstrikes, artillery and advisers and equipment, US-supported ground forces in Iraq and Syria clawed back towns and cities from the jihadists. Iraq declared victory against the group in 2017.&nbsp;

US military officials are reluctant to predict how quickly Islamic State militants can be vanquished from their final towns in Syria, recalling how the insurgents fought until the death in Mosul, Iraq. The group still influences about 300 square kilometres in the Middle Euphrates River Valley, according to the US-led coalition.

The persistence of the group was one of the reasons that Trump's decision stunned the Pentagon.&nbsp;

But after the initial shock, military and civilians leaders including Mattis met at the Pentagon the week before Christmas to discuss the quickest, safest and most responsible way they could carry out the troop pullout and protect Kurdish allies.

It became clear that a rapid 30-day withdrawal, as initially suggested by the White House, would not meet the criteria of a "safe and responsible" withdrawal. Before Trump's surprise decision, Pentagon planning had suggested four months would be needed.

One source played down Trump's concerns about whether the drawdown would be done in weeks or months.

"All he wants to know is that it is happening," the source said.

Significantly, Mattis&nbsp;order issued before Christmas did not include a specific timeline, although US officials said military commanders told the White House that a safe and responsible drawdown could not be done in less than 120 days. The order has not been changed since Mattis left office on December 31, when his deputy Patrick Shanahan took over, officials said.&nbsp;

In the meantime, the US-backed forces in Syria, including Kurds, are keeping up the fight - confounding analysts predictions that they would rapidly head north to prepare for an offensive by Turkey.

In fact, since Trump's withdrawal announcement, those forces have been fighting Islamic State with support from US-led coalition air strikes and artillery.&nbsp;

US allies, who were caught entirely off-guard by Trump's announcement, are still seeking clarification about the timing of America' exit.&nbsp;

The troop pullout from Syria dominated discussions by Pompeo during his meetings in Amman, Cairo, Abu Dhabi, Riyadh, and Iraq over the past week, in which he told US allies that withdrawal was a tactical change only.

Allies also want information about any post-withdrawal role by the US military to ensure Islamic State militants do not rise from the ashes of their caliphate, US officials and diplomats said.

But they appear relieved at the apparent slowdown of the pullout.

&nbsp;"It seems that there has been a change that I think is positive," French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian of France said last week.

US President Donald Trump was reeling from sharp rebukes at home and abroad over his surprise announcement last month to immediately pull American troops out of Syria when he flew into the al Asad airbase in neighbouring Iraq the day after Christmas.

US President Donald Trump was reeling from sharp rebukes at home and abroad over his surprise announcement last month to immediately pull American troops out of Syria when he flew into the al Asad airbase in neighbouring Iraq the day after Christmas. Inside a canvas Quonset hut, one of the arced prefabricated structures used by the military and surrounded by concertina wire, Trump received operational briefs from US commanders suggesting a territorial victory against Islamic State was within sight, but the military needed just a bit more time, US officials said. "They were upbeat about their ability to wrap things up," one of the officials told Reuters. "I definitely think that was a seminal meeting" in terms of influencing Trump' thinking. Lieutenant General Paul LaCamera, the commander of the US-led coalition against Islamic State in Syria and Iraq, explained to a president who had lost patience with the war why too rapid a withdrawal could not be done without putting troops at risk, according to three officials familiar with the briefing, the contents of which have not been reported in such detail. In the chaotic aftermath of Trump's December 19 announcement, which was one of the reasons that Defense Secretary Jim Mattis resigned, the 45-minute briefing appears to have helped crystallize an understanding between Trump and his top brass on the ground. Trump, in remarks to reporters, admitted that he felt better about the situation after talking to commanders in the theatre instead of officials in Washington. The briefing also helped win the US military and diplomats some breathing room to plan a more deliberate exit from Syria. It was a novel experience for the president, who was making his first visit to a war zone in his nearly two years in office, fresh from a political pummelling over his decision on Syria from fellow Republicans in Congress and US allies. Nearly three weeks after the briefing, no troops have withdrawn from Syria and only some equipment has moved out. In 2015, then-President Barack Obama first ordered US special operations forces into Syria after long hesitating to deploy "boots on the ground" in the midst of the Syrian civil war. What started off as a mission involving dozens of commandos eventually turned into hundreds and then just kept growing. There are about 2,000 US forces in Syria today. Although Trump initially announced plans for a speedy pullout, he has since said it does not need to go quickly. "We are pulling back in Syria, we are going to be removing our troops, I never said we are doing it that quickly," Trump told reporters at the White House on January 6. In fact, Trump said on December 19 that American troops were coming home and they had already defeated Islamic State in Syria. No experts believe Islamic State has been defeated, despite the group having lost almost all of the territory it held in 2014 and 2015 after seizing parts of Syria and Iraq and declaring a "caliphate." The Pentagon said on Friday that the withdrawal "is not subject to an arbitrary timeline," and would take into account conditions on the ground and talks with allies. Trump's concession of additional time has set off an apparent scramble by the US military and Trump administration officials to accomplish as much as possible in the twilight of the Syria campaign. US officials told Reuters that planning for a complete withdrawal from Syria is still underway, despite confusing and sometimes contradictory statements from the White House and tension with Turkey, which was meant to take over the campaign against Islamic State. Several officials said they expected a withdrawal before the end of March, but would not commit to a date, given fast-evolving policy discussions and hard-to-predict battlefield developments. FINAL BLOWS Privately, some US officials worry the final push will not be enough to preserve hard-won gains against Islamic State or ensure protection for US-backed Kurdish YPG allies who helped in the fight. NATO ally Turkey views Kurdish militia as terrorists, an extension of a Kurdish insurgency in Turkey. Trump himself acknowledged his concerns for the Kurds on Monday, warning Turkey of "economic devastation" if it attacks a US-allied Kurdish militia in Syria. US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said he believed Trump was referring to sanctions. According to US estimates, Islamic State oversaw about 100,000 square kilometres (39,000 square miles) of territory, with about 8 million people under its control. The group had estimated revenues of nearly one billion dollars a year and used its de facto capital of Raqqa, Syria as a base to plot attacks in Europe. Backed up by US-led coalition airstrikes, artillery and advisers and equipment, US-supported ground forces in Iraq and Syria clawed back towns and cities from the jihadists. Iraq declared victory against the group in 2017. US military officials are reluctant to predict how quickly Islamic State militants can be vanquished from their final towns in Syria, recalling how the insurgents fought until the death in Mosul, Iraq. The group still influences about 300 square kilometres in the Middle Euphrates River Valley, according to the US-led coalition. The persistence of the group was one of the reasons that Trump's decision stunned the Pentagon. But after the initial shock, military and civilians leaders including Mattis met at the Pentagon the week before Christmas to discuss the quickest, safest and most responsible way they could carry out the troop pullout and protect Kurdish allies. It became clear that a rapid 30-day withdrawal, as initially suggested by the White House, would not meet the criteria of a "safe and responsible" withdrawal. Before Trump's surprise decision, Pentagon planning had suggested four months would be needed. One source played down Trump's concerns about whether the drawdown would be done in weeks or months. "All he wants to know is that it is happening," the source said. Significantly, Mattis order issued before Christmas did not include a specific timeline, although US officials said military commanders told the White House that a safe and responsible drawdown could not be done in less than 120 days. The order has not been changed since Mattis left office on December 31, when his deputy Patrick Shanahan took over, officials said. In the meantime, the US-backed forces in Syria, including Kurds, are keeping up the fight - confounding analysts predictions that they would rapidly head north to prepare for an offensive by Turkey. In fact, since Trump's withdrawal announcement, those forces have been fighting Islamic State with support from US-led coalition air strikes and artillery. US allies, who were caught entirely off-guard by Trump's announcement, are still seeking clarification about the timing of America' exit. The troop pullout from Syria dominated discussions by Pompeo during his meetings in Amman, Cairo, Abu Dhabi, Riyadh, and Iraq over the past week, in which he told US allies that withdrawal was a tactical change only. Allies also want information about any post-withdrawal role by the US military to ensure Islamic State militants do not rise from the ashes of their caliphate, US officials and diplomats said. But they appear relieved at the apparent slowdown of the pullout. "It seems that there has been a change that I think is positive," French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian of France said last week.

How Trump slowed rush for Syria exits after huddling in Iraq

US President Donald J Trump’s threat to devastate Turkey’s economy if Turkish troops attack Syrian Kurds, allied with the United States in the wake of the announced withdrawal of American forces, potentially serves his broader goal of letting regional forces fight for common goals like countering Iranian influence in Syria.

Trump’s threat coupled with a call on Turkey to create a 26-kilometre buffer zone to protect Turkey from a perceived Kurdish threat was designed to pre-empt a Turkish strike against the People’s Protection Units (YPG) that Ankara asserts is part of the outlawed Kurdish Workers Party (PKK), a Turkish group that has waged a low-intensity war in predominantly Kurdish south-eastern Turkey for more than three decades.

Like Turkey, the United States and Europe have designated the PKK as a terrorist organisation.

Turkey has been marshalling forces for an attack on the YPG since Trump’s announced withdrawal of US forces. It would be the third offensive against Syrian Kurds in recent years.

In a sign of strained relations with Saudi Arabia, Turkish media has been reporting, long before the October 2 killing of journalist Jamal Khashoggi in the Saudi consulate in Istanbul, that Saudi Arabia is funding the YPG. There is no independent confirmation of the Turkish allegations.

Yeni Safak reported in 2017, days after the Gulf crisis erupted pitting a Saudi-UAE-Egyptian alliance against Qatar (supported by Turkey), that US, Saudi, Emirati and Egyptian officials had met with the PKK as well as the Democratic Union Party (PYD), which Turkey says is the Syrian political wing of the PKK, to discuss the future of Syrian oil once the Islamic State had been defeated.

Turkey’s semi-official Anadolu Agency reported last May that Saudi and YPG officials had met to discuss cooperation. Saudi Arabia promised to pay Kurdish fighters that joined an Arab-backed force $200 a month, Anadolu said. Saudi Arabia allegedly sent aid to the YPG on trucks that travelled through Iraq to enter Syria.

In August last year, Saudi Arabia announced that it had transferred $100 million to the United States that was earmarked for agriculture, education, roadworks, rubble removal and water service in areas of north-eastern Syria that are controlled by the US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces of which the YPG is a significant part.

Saudi Arabia said the payment, announced on the day that US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo arrived in the kingdom, was intended to fund stabilization of areas liberated from control by the Islamic State.

Turkish media, however, insisted that the funds would flow to the YPG.

“The delivery of $100 million is considered as the latest move by Saudi Arabia in support of the partnership between the US and YPG. Using the fight against Daesh as a pretext, the US has been cooperating with the YPG in Syria and providing arms support to the group. After Daesh was cleared from the region with the help of the US, the YPG tightened its grip on Syrian soil taking advantage of the power vacuum in the war-torn country,” Daily Sabah said referring to the Islamic State by one of its Arabic acronyms.

Saudi Arabia has refrained from including the YPG and the PKK on its extensive list of terrorist organisations even though then foreign minister Adel al-Jubeir described in 2017 the Turkish organisation as a “terror group.”

Trump's threat and his earlier vow to stand by the Kurds despite the troop withdrawal give Saudi Arabia and other Arab states such as the United Arab Emirates and Egypt, political cover to support the Kurds as a force against Iran’s presence in Syria.

It also allows the kingdom and the UAE to attempt to thwart Turkish attempts to increase its regional influence. Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Egypt have insisted that Turkey must withdraw its troops from Qatar as one of the conditions for the lifting of the 18-month old diplomatic and economic boycott of the Gulf state.

The UAE, determined to squash any expression of political Islam, has long led the autocratic Arab charge against Turkey because of its opposition to the 2013 military coup in Egypt that toppled Mohammed Morsi, a Muslim Brother and the country’s first and only democratically elected president; Turkey’s close relations with Iran and Turkish support for Qatar and Islamist forces in Libya.

Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Egypt support General Khalifa Haftar, who commands anti-Islamist forces in eastern Libya while Turkey alongside Qatar and Sudan supports the Islamists.

Libyan and Saudi media reported that authorities had repeatedly intercepted Turkish arms shipments destined for Islamists, including one this month and another last month. Turkey has denied the allegations.

“Simply put, as Qatar has become the go-to financier of the Muslim Brotherhood and its more radical offshoot groups around the globe, Turkey has become their armourer,” said Turkey scholar Michael Rubin.

Ironically, the fact that various Arab states, including the UAE and Bahrain, recently reopened their embassies in Damascus with tacit Saudi approval after having supported forces aligned against Syrian President Bashar al-Assad for much of the civil war, like Trump’s threat to devastate the Turkish economy, makes Gulf support for the Kurds more feasible.

Seemingly left in the cold by the US president’s announced withdrawal of American forces, the YPG has sought to forge relations with the Assad regime. In response, Syria has massed troops near the town of Manbij, expected to be the flashpoint of a Turkish offensive.

Commenting on last year’s two-month-long Turkish campaign that removed Kurdish forces from the Syrian town of Afrin and Turkish efforts since to stabilise the region, Gulf scholar Giorgio Cafiero noted that “for the UAE, Afrin represents a frontline in the struggle against Turkish expansionism with respect to the Arab world.”

The same could be said from a Saudi and UAE perspective for Manbij not only with regard to Turkey but also Iran’s presence in Syria. Frontlines and tactics may be shifting, US and Gulf geopolitical goals have not. 
 
(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

US President Donald J Trump’s threat to devastate Turkey’s economy if Turkish troops attack Syrian Kurds, allied with the United States in the wake of the announced withdrawal of American forces, potentially serves his broader goal of letting regional forces fight for common goals like countering Iranian influence in Syria.

US President Donald J Trump’s threat to devastate Turkey’s economy if Turkish troops attack Syrian Kurds, allied with the United States in the wake of the announced withdrawal of American forces, potentially serves his broader goal of letting regional forces fight for common goals like countering Iranian influence in Syria. Trump’s threat coupled with a call on Turkey to create a 26-kilometre buffer zone to protect Turkey from a perceived Kurdish threat was designed to pre-empt a Turkish strike against the People’s Protection Units (YPG) that Ankara asserts is part of the outlawed Kurdish Workers Party (PKK), a Turkish group that has waged a low-intensity war in predominantly Kurdish south-eastern Turkey for more than three decades. Like Turkey, the United States and Europe have designated the PKK as a terrorist organisation. Turkey has been marshalling forces for an attack on the YPG since Trump’s announced withdrawal of US forces. It would be the third offensive against Syrian Kurds in recent years. In a sign of strained relations with Saudi Arabia, Turkish media has been reporting, long before the October 2 killing of journalist Jamal Khashoggi in the Saudi consulate in Istanbul, that Saudi Arabia is funding the YPG. There is no independent confirmation of the Turkish allegations. Yeni Safak reported in 2017, days after the Gulf crisis erupted pitting a Saudi-UAE-Egyptian alliance against Qatar (supported by Turkey), that US, Saudi, Emirati and Egyptian officials had met with the PKK as well as the Democratic Union Party (PYD), which Turkey says is the Syrian political wing of the PKK, to discuss the future of Syrian oil once the Islamic State had been defeated. Turkey’s semi-official Anadolu Agency reported last May that Saudi and YPG officials had met to discuss cooperation. Saudi Arabia promised to pay Kurdish fighters that joined an Arab-backed force $200 a month, Anadolu said. Saudi Arabia allegedly sent aid to the YPG on trucks that travelled through Iraq to enter Syria. In August last year, Saudi Arabia announced that it had transferred $100 million to the United States that was earmarked for agriculture, education, roadworks, rubble removal and water service in areas of north-eastern Syria that are controlled by the US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces of which the YPG is a significant part. Saudi Arabia said the payment, announced on the day that US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo arrived in the kingdom, was intended to fund stabilization of areas liberated from control by the Islamic State. Turkish media, however, insisted that the funds would flow to the YPG. “The delivery of $100 million is considered as the latest move by Saudi Arabia in support of the partnership between the US and YPG. Using the fight against Daesh as a pretext, the US has been cooperating with the YPG in Syria and providing arms support to the group. After Daesh was cleared from the region with the help of the US, the YPG tightened its grip on Syrian soil taking advantage of the power vacuum in the war-torn country,” Daily Sabah said referring to the Islamic State by one of its Arabic acronyms. Saudi Arabia has refrained from including the YPG and the PKK on its extensive list of terrorist organisations even though then foreign minister Adel al-Jubeir described in 2017 the Turkish organisation as a “terror group.” Trump's threat and his earlier vow to stand by the Kurds despite the troop withdrawal give Saudi Arabia and other Arab states such as the United Arab Emirates and Egypt, political cover to support the Kurds as a force against Iran’s presence in Syria. It also allows the kingdom and the UAE to attempt to thwart Turkish attempts to increase its regional influence. Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Egypt have insisted that Turkey must withdraw its troops from Qatar as one of the conditions for the lifting of the 18-month old diplomatic and economic boycott of the Gulf state. The UAE, determined to squash any expression of political Islam, has long led the autocratic Arab charge against Turkey because of its opposition to the 2013 military coup in Egypt that toppled Mohammed Morsi, a Muslim Brother and the country’s first and only democratically elected president; Turkey’s close relations with Iran and Turkish support for Qatar and Islamist forces in Libya. Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Egypt support General Khalifa Haftar, who commands anti-Islamist forces in eastern Libya while Turkey alongside Qatar and Sudan supports the Islamists. Libyan and Saudi media reported that authorities had repeatedly intercepted Turkish arms shipments destined for Islamists, including one this month and another last month. Turkey has denied the allegations. “Simply put, as Qatar has become the go-to financier of the Muslim Brotherhood and its more radical offshoot groups around the globe, Turkey has become their armourer,” said Turkey scholar Michael Rubin. Ironically, the fact that various Arab states, including the UAE and Bahrain, recently reopened their embassies in Damascus with tacit Saudi approval after having supported forces aligned against Syrian President Bashar al-Assad for much of the civil war, like Trump’s threat to devastate the Turkish economy, makes Gulf support for the Kurds more feasible. Seemingly left in the cold by the US president’s announced withdrawal of American forces, the YPG has sought to forge relations with the Assad regime. In response, Syria has massed troops near the town of Manbij, expected to be the flashpoint of a Turkish offensive. Commenting on last year’s two-month-long Turkish campaign that removed Kurdish forces from the Syrian town of Afrin and Turkish efforts since to stabilise the region, Gulf scholar Giorgio Cafiero noted that “for the UAE, Afrin represents a frontline in the struggle against Turkish expansionism with respect to the Arab world.” The same could be said from a Saudi and UAE perspective for Manbij not only with regard to Turkey but also Iran’s presence in Syria. Frontlines and tactics may be shifting, US and Gulf geopolitical goals have not. (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

Syrian Kurds: The new frontline in confronting Iran and Turkey

Donald Trump to meet lawmakers over US govt shutdown

The US&nbsp;economy is taking a larger-than-expected hit from the partial government shutdown, White House estimates showed on Tuesday, as the impasse between President Donald Trump and Democrats over a wall on the southern border dragged into its 25th day.

Trump was expected to host some members of Congress for lunch at 12:30 pm&nbsp;EST (1730 GMT) where the shutdown was sure to be discussed. A guest list was not immediately provided and the White House and congressional leaders declined requests to comment.

Neither Trump nor Democratic congressional leaders have shown signs of bending on the issue of funding the wall that he promised to build along the border with Mexico. Trump is insisting Congress shell out $5.7 billion as about 800,000 federal workers go unpaid during the partial shutdown.

The Trump administration had initially estimated the shutdown would cost the economy 0.1 percentage point in growth every two weeks that employees were without pay.

But on Tuesday, there was an updated figure -&nbsp;0.13 percentage point every week because of the impact of work left undone by 380,000 furloughed employees as well as work left aside by federal contractors, a White House official said.

The partial shutdown is the longest in US&nbsp;history and its effects have begun to reverberate across the country.

Longer lines have formed at some airports as more security screeners fail to show up for work while food and drug inspections have been curtailed and farmers, stung by recent trade spats, have been unable to receive federal aid.

Speaking on CNBC, Delta Air Lines Inc Chief Executive Officer Ed Bastian said the partial shutdown will cost the airline $25 million in lost revenue in January because fewer government contractors are travelling.

Trump ran for office in 2016 on a promise to build a wall to stop illegal immigration and drug trafficking. He had toyed with the prospect of declaring a national emergency to circumvent Congress to secure the funding, but this week has backed off from that idea, which would attract a court challenge.

Democrats, who took over the US&nbsp;House of Representatives this month, have rejected the border wall but back other border security measures.

House Democrats have passed a number of bills to fund the roughly one-quarter of federal operations that have been closed, but Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, a Republican, has said the chamber will not consider legislation that Trump will not sign into law.

McConnell, who has mainly stayed out of the public fray on the shutdown, on Tuesday accused Democrats of "acrobatic contortions" to avoid negotiating on the shutdown.

Representative Hakeem Jeffries, who heads the House Democratic Caucus, said it was up to individual lawmakers to decide whether to accept invitations from the White House to discuss the issue.

“The question that I think everyone can reasonably ask - Is he inviting people to 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue to really try to resolve this problem or to create a photo op so he can project a false sense of bipartisanship?” Jeffries told reporters.

Democratic Representative Katherine Clark said Democrats were unified in restarting government before negotiating on border security.&nbsp;

 
&nbsp;

The US economy is taking a larger-than-expected hit from the partial government shutdown, White House estimates showed on Tuesday, as the impasse between President Donald Trump and Democrats over a wall on the southern border dragged into its 25th day.

The US economy is taking a larger-than-expected hit from the partial government shutdown, White House estimates showed on Tuesday, as the impasse between President Donald Trump and Democrats over a wall on the southern border dragged into its 25th day. Trump was expected to host some members of Congress for lunch at 12:30 pm EST (1730 GMT) where the shutdown was sure to be discussed. A guest list was not immediately provided and the White House and congressional leaders declined requests to comment. Neither Trump nor Democratic congressional leaders have shown signs of bending on the issue of funding the wall that he promised to build along the border with Mexico. Trump is insisting Congress shell out $5.7 billion as about 800,000 federal workers go unpaid during the partial shutdown. The Trump administration had initially estimated the shutdown would cost the economy 0.1 percentage point in growth every two weeks that employees were without pay. But on Tuesday, there was an updated figure - 0.13 percentage point every week because of the impact of work left undone by 380,000 furloughed employees as well as work left aside by federal contractors, a White House official said. The partial shutdown is the longest in US history and its effects have begun to reverberate across the country. Longer lines have formed at some airports as more security screeners fail to show up for work while food and drug inspections have been curtailed and farmers, stung by recent trade spats, have been unable to receive federal aid. Speaking on CNBC, Delta Air Lines Inc Chief Executive Officer Ed Bastian said the partial shutdown will cost the airline $25 million in lost revenue in January because fewer government contractors are travelling. Trump ran for office in 2016 on a promise to build a wall to stop illegal immigration and drug trafficking. He had toyed with the prospect of declaring a national emergency to circumvent Congress to secure the funding, but this week has backed off from that idea, which would attract a court challenge. Democrats, who took over the US House of Representatives this month, have rejected the border wall but back other border security measures. House Democrats have passed a number of bills to fund the roughly one-quarter of federal operations that have been closed, but Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, a Republican, has said the chamber will not consider legislation that Trump will not sign into law. McConnell, who has mainly stayed out of the public fray on the shutdown, on Tuesday accused Democrats of "acrobatic contortions" to avoid negotiating on the shutdown. Representative Hakeem Jeffries, who heads the House Democratic Caucus, said it was up to individual lawmakers to decide whether to accept invitations from the White House to discuss the issue. “The question that I think everyone can reasonably ask - Is he inviting people to 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue to really try to resolve this problem or to create a photo op so he can project a false sense of bipartisanship?” Jeffries told reporters. Democratic Representative Katherine Clark said Democrats were unified in restarting government before negotiating on border security.

Government shutdown taking larger-than-expected toll on US economy

Watch: WION Fineprint, 15th January, 2019

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/watch-us-gives-russia-60-days-to-comply-with-nuclear-treaty-181666">US and Russian</a> diplomats were meeting on Tuesday to discuss the fate of a major nuclear missile control treaty that Washington has threatened to ditch over alleged violations by Moscow.&nbsp;

The discussions come amid widespread concern over the fate of the bilateral treaty after US President Donald Trump said in October his country would pull out of the deal unless <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/us-has-no-evidence-to-prove-breach-of-nuclear-treaty-russia-181665">Russia</a> stopped violating it.&nbsp;

"Russia and the United States will hold consultations on the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty #INFtreaty in Geneva on January 15," Russian deputy foreign minister Sergei Ryabkov said in a tweet.&nbsp;

Andrea Thompson, US Under Secretary of State for Arms Control and International Security Affairs, also tweeted that she was leading the American delegation to the talks.&nbsp;

"Looking forward to sitting down with Russian delegation this morning to discuss how #Russia plans to come back into full and verifiable compliance with the #INFTreaty," she said.&nbsp;

The talks are being held inside the Russian mission, a source there who was not authorised to speak to the media told AFP.

Last month, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said Washington would withdraw from the Cold War treaty limiting mid-range nuclear arms within 60 days if Russia does not dismantle missiles that the US claims to breach the deal.

"Recently we have noted that the American side has even hardened its tone, we see that as not a very favourable signal," Ryabkov was quoted as saying by Russia's Interfax news agency ahead of the Geneva talks.&nbsp;

Russian President Vladimir Putin responded to the US hardline by threatening to develop more nuclear missiles banned under the treaty. &nbsp;

The landmark treaty was signed by Ronald Reagan and Mikhail Gorbachev in 1987 and led to nearly 2,700 short- and medium-range missiles being eliminated.

It put an end to a mini-arms race in the 1980s triggered by the Soviet Union's deployment of SS-20 nuclear missiles targeting Western European capitals.

US and Russian diplomats were meeting on Tuesday to discuss the fate of a major nuclear missile control treaty that Washington has threatened to ditch over alleged violations by Moscow.

US and Russian diplomats were meeting on Tuesday to discuss the fate of a major nuclear missile control treaty that Washington has threatened to ditch over alleged violations by Moscow. The discussions come amid widespread concern over the fate of the bilateral treaty after US President Donald Trump said in October his country would pull out of the deal unless Russia stopped violating it. "Russia and the United States will hold consultations on the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty #INFtreaty in Geneva on January 15," Russian deputy foreign minister Sergei Ryabkov said in a tweet. Andrea Thompson, US Under Secretary of State for Arms Control and International Security Affairs, also tweeted that she was leading the American delegation to the talks. "Looking forward to sitting down with Russian delegation this morning to discuss how #Russia plans to come back into full and verifiable compliance with the #INFTreaty," she said. The talks are being held inside the Russian mission, a source there who was not authorised to speak to the media told AFP. Last month, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said Washington would withdraw from the Cold War treaty limiting mid-range nuclear arms within 60 days if Russia does not dismantle missiles that the US claims to breach the deal. "Recently we have noted that the American side has even hardened its tone, we see that as not a very favourable signal," Ryabkov was quoted as saying by Russia's Interfax news agency ahead of the Geneva talks. Russian President Vladimir Putin responded to the US hardline by threatening to develop more nuclear missiles banned under the treaty. The landmark treaty was signed by Ronald Reagan and Mikhail Gorbachev in 1987 and led to nearly 2,700 short- and medium-range missiles being eliminated. It put an end to a mini-arms race in the 1980s triggered by the Soviet Union's deployment of SS-20 nuclear missiles targeting Western European capitals.

US, Russia meet on disputed nuclear treaty in Geneva

The United States and North Korea plan to hold high-level talks in Washington this week to discuss a second meeting between their leaders, South Korean media said on Tuesday, as the old enemies seek an "interim" deal to revitalise nuclear talks.

The meeting, led by US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and senior North Korean official Kim Yong Chol, is due on Thursday or Friday, the Chosun Ilbo newspaper reported, citing an unidentified diplomatic source familiar with the issue.

They are expected to finalise the date and venue of a second summit between US&nbsp;President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, the newspaper said.

The US&nbsp;embassy in Seoul referred questions to the White House. The White House offered no immediate comment on the Chosun Ilbo report, while a State Department official said: "We don't have any meetings to announce."

South Korea's Yonhap news agency quoted an unidentified diplomatic source as saying Pompeo and Kim Yong Chol could meet this week.

The North Korean delegation could visit the United States "as soon as this week" but plans have not been finalised, a CNN reporter, citing an unidentified source, said on Twitter.

Trump wrote Kim Jong Un a letter, which was flown to Pyongyang and hand delivered over the weekend, the CNN reporter added, citing the source.

South Korea's foreign ministry spokesman told reporters the North and the United States were "in contact" but it was "inappropriate" to comment on plans for talks.

A meeting this week could mean the two sides are nearing a compromise after months of standoff over how to move forward in ending North Korea's nuclear and missile programmes.

Trump and Kim pledged at their first summit, in Singapore in June, to work towards denuclearisation "of the Korean peninsula". But there has been little significant progress.

Pompeo, who made several trips to Pyongyang last year, sought to meet his counterpart last November, but the talks were called off at the last minute.

Contact was resumed after Kim's New Year's speech, in which he said he was willing to meet Trump "at any time," South Korea's ambassador to the United States, Cho Yoon-je, told reporters last week.

In Seoul, South Korea deleted a description of North Korea as an "enemy" in its defence white paper released on Tuesday, though it said its weapons of mass destruction posed a threat to peace and stability.

INTERIM MEASURES

The United States and South Korea have been discussing how to respond to any North Korean steps toward denuclearisation, South Korean officials told Reuters.

The United States is considering easing sanctions in exchange for the North's discarding and sending abroad its intercontinental ballistic missiles, in addition to freezing its nuclear programme, the Chosun Ilbo said, citing its source.

US&nbsp;responses could include exemptions from sanctions for inter-Korean business and opening a liaison office, Seoul officials said.

"Those ideas are being discussed as interim measures, not as an end state, in order to expedite the denuclearisation process, because the North wouldn't respond to any demand for a declaration of facilities and weapons," said a senior South Korean official, who declined to be identified.

"The end goal remains unchanged, whether it be complete, verifiable and irreversible denuclearisation, or final, fully verified denuclearisation."

The official said a Trump and Kim meeting could happen by early March, though added: "No one knows what Trump is thinking."

Kim reiterated his resolve to meet Trump during a meeting last week with Chinese President Xi Jinping.

Trump said this month he had received a "great" letter from Kim and would probably meet him again soon.

"At the second summit, they'll probably focus on reaching a possible interim deal, rather than a comprehensive roadmap for denuclearisation," said Cheong Seong-chang, a senior fellow at South Korea's Sejong Institute.

The United States and North Korea plan to hold high-level talks in Washington this week to discuss a second meeting between their leaders, South Korean media said on Tuesday, as the old enemies seek an "interim" deal to revitalise nuclear talks.

The United States and North Korea plan to hold high-level talks in Washington this week to discuss a second meeting between their leaders, South Korean media said on Tuesday, as the old enemies seek an "interim" deal to revitalise nuclear talks. The meeting, led by US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and senior North Korean official Kim Yong Chol, is due on Thursday or Friday, the Chosun Ilbo newspaper reported, citing an unidentified diplomatic source familiar with the issue. They are expected to finalise the date and venue of a second summit between US President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, the newspaper said. The US embassy in Seoul referred questions to the White House. The White House offered no immediate comment on the Chosun Ilbo report, while a State Department official said: "We don't have any meetings to announce." South Korea's Yonhap news agency quoted an unidentified diplomatic source as saying Pompeo and Kim Yong Chol could meet this week. The North Korean delegation could visit the United States "as soon as this week" but plans have not been finalised, a CNN reporter, citing an unidentified source, said on Twitter. Trump wrote Kim Jong Un a letter, which was flown to Pyongyang and hand delivered over the weekend, the CNN reporter added, citing the source. South Korea's foreign ministry spokesman told reporters the North and the United States were "in contact" but it was "inappropriate" to comment on plans for talks. A meeting this week could mean the two sides are nearing a compromise after months of standoff over how to move forward in ending North Korea's nuclear and missile programmes. Trump and Kim pledged at their first summit, in Singapore in June, to work towards denuclearisation "of the Korean peninsula". But there has been little significant progress. Pompeo, who made several trips to Pyongyang last year, sought to meet his counterpart last November, but the talks were called off at the last minute. Contact was resumed after Kim's New Year's speech, in which he said he was willing to meet Trump "at any time," South Korea's ambassador to the United States, Cho Yoon-je, told reporters last week. In Seoul, South Korea deleted a description of North Korea as an "enemy" in its defence white paper released on Tuesday, though it said its weapons of mass destruction posed a threat to peace and stability. INTERIM MEASURES The United States and South Korea have been discussing how to respond to any North Korean steps toward denuclearisation, South Korean officials told Reuters. The United States is considering easing sanctions in exchange for the North's discarding and sending abroad its intercontinental ballistic missiles, in addition to freezing its nuclear programme, the Chosun Ilbo said, citing its source. US responses could include exemptions from sanctions for inter-Korean business and opening a liaison office, Seoul officials said. "Those ideas are being discussed as interim measures, not as an end state, in order to expedite the denuclearisation process, because the North wouldn't respond to any demand for a declaration of facilities and weapons," said a senior South Korean official, who declined to be identified. "The end goal remains unchanged, whether it be complete, verifiable and irreversible denuclearisation, or final, fully verified denuclearisation." The official said a Trump and Kim meeting could happen by early March, though added: "No one knows what Trump is thinking." Kim reiterated his resolve to meet Trump during a meeting last week with Chinese President Xi Jinping. Trump said this month he had received a "great" letter from Kim and would probably meet him again soon. "At the second summit, they'll probably focus on reaching a possible interim deal, rather than a comprehensive roadmap for denuclearisation," said Cheong Seong-chang, a senior fellow at South Korea's Sejong Institute.

US, North Korea to hold talks this week seeking 'interim' deal: Report

Raj Shah, an Indian-origin top spokesman in the White House press office, has left US President Donald Trump's administration to join an arm of a lobbying firm, becoming the latest of <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/us-special-envoy-brett-mcgurk-quits-over-trump-syria-pullout-185899">several senior officials to quit in recent months</a>.

Shah, 34, White House deputy spokesman and a former researcher at the Republican National Committee, was in the administration since president Trump took office in January 2017.

His portfolio recently included helping prepare Justice Brett M Kavanaugh for his Senate confirmation hearings to the Supreme Court.

Shah will lead the Media Group, the press wing of Ballard Partners, a lobbying firm with offices in Florida and Washington, The New York Times reported.

He will work with Jamie Rubin, a Democrat who was a spokesman for Madeleine Albright, the former secretary of state, the report said, quoting the officials.

His departure comes as the White House press and communications teams have been depleted. Several aides have moved on to roles at government agencies or have left the Trump administration entirely.

Shah was born in 1984 to Indian parents of Gujarati origin. His parents moved to Chicago in 1970s and then moved to Connecticut where he was born and raised.

Shah joined the White House right from the day the Trump administration took charge. He was made the Deputy Communications Director at the White House. Previously, he was director of Opposition Research in the Republican National Committee.

Shah is the latest in a number of top officials to leave the Trump administration.

Former Defence Secretary James Mattis left Trump's Cabinet last month after former Attorney General Jeff Sessions was pushed out in November. Former Secretary of State Rex Tillerson was unceremoniously fired in March and national security adviser H R McMaster was replaced last year.&nbsp;

Raj Shah, an Indian-origin top spokesman in the White House press office, has left US President Donald Trump's administration to join an arm of a lobbying firm, becoming the latest of several senior officials to quit in recent months.

Raj Shah, an Indian-origin top spokesman in the White House press office, has left US President Donald Trump's administration to join an arm of a lobbying firm, becoming the latest of several senior officials to quit in recent months. Shah, 34, White House deputy spokesman and a former researcher at the Republican National Committee, was in the administration since president Trump took office in January 2017. His portfolio recently included helping prepare Justice Brett M Kavanaugh for his Senate confirmation hearings to the Supreme Court. Shah will lead the Media Group, the press wing of Ballard Partners, a lobbying firm with offices in Florida and Washington, The New York Times reported. He will work with Jamie Rubin, a Democrat who was a spokesman for Madeleine Albright, the former secretary of state, the report said, quoting the officials. His departure comes as the White House press and communications teams have been depleted. Several aides have moved on to roles at government agencies or have left the Trump administration entirely. Shah was born in 1984 to Indian parents of Gujarati origin. His parents moved to Chicago in 1970s and then moved to Connecticut where he was born and raised. Shah joined the White House right from the day the Trump administration took charge. He was made the Deputy Communications Director at the White House. Previously, he was director of Opposition Research in the Republican National Committee. Shah is the latest in a number of top officials to leave the Trump administration. Former Defence Secretary James Mattis left Trump's Cabinet last month after former Attorney General Jeff Sessions was pushed out in November. Former Secretary of State Rex Tillerson was unceremoniously fired in March and national security adviser H R McMaster was replaced last year.

Indian-origin White House deputy spokesman Raj Shah quits Trump administration

Some weeks ago, it was dismaying to hear the story of a young man from South India, who experienced first hand the sorrow that “Buy American Hire American” is causing in Trump’s not so united - United States of America.&nbsp;

After finishing his engineering in this country, he secured admission to a well-known business school in Texas, finished his MBA and got a job in a good oil company. His H-1B visa came through, his job was secure and he came back to India to get married and returned to the US to pursue the great American dream.&nbsp;

And then his luck turned. He got a query from the authorities that his qualification was not unique enough for him to be hired over a local American and in spite of supporting documents from his employers, his visa was overturned and he was asked to return to India.

This happened a year ago and in the ensuing 12 months, the visa situation has turned gloomier with every passing month. Readers would recall that in November the Trump Administration announced an amendment to the Labor Condition Application (LCA) that requires prospective employers of people entering the US on H-1B visas to disclose all intended places of employment, including any proposed short-term assignments and a large amount of information on the company status.

These comprised identification of secondary entities and locations and the number of H-1B visa workers currently employed in the firm and at third-party work sites of the firm.&nbsp;

There has also been an introduction of legislation by two US lawmakers that seeks to revoke the work authorisation given by the Obama Administration to spouses of H-1B visa holders, making it difficult for career-minded spouses to stay in the US, causing rifts in families seeking to settle in the US.

Amidst these dark clouds over the prospects of tens of thousands of Indian tech aspirants, a sudden ray of hope has come through in the form of a surprising proposal of a merit-based method of awarding visas in future.&nbsp;

Companies are required to register their manpower demand petitions in advance and while the numerical limit of H1-Bs in a year would continue to be capped at 65,000, the first 20,000 petitions filed on behalf of applicants with a US Masters’ degree or higher qualification would be considered after that and exempt from the cap.

The significant benefit of the proposed changes by the Department of Homeland Security are that the selection order would count all normal petitions as needed till the cap is reached and then separately consider registrations or petitions for the advanced degree exemption.&nbsp;

The implication of this is that while advanced degree holders will have a very high chance of qualifying, it would not limit the selection of people under the normal petition scheme.&nbsp;

This may result in an overall increase of persons admitted with advanced degrees and also reduce overall costs for petitioners and improve process efficiency for the immigration agencies, all excellent developments for the growing IT companies and the industry as a whole.

What do all these policy flip-flops and frequent announcements on the visa process imply for the prospects of four million people who are already work in the Indian tech sector and the ten million and more youngsters in engineering and other degree programmes around the country, who have shunned manufacturing and other services jobs in the past couple of decades in favour of the granite and glass, air-conditioned environments and global opportunities available in the IT and IT-enabled services industry.&nbsp;

One is sorry to sound cautious and maybe even alarmist but neither the US nor Europe is ever going to provide an easy passage to mediocre candidates who want to run away from the intensely competitive environment that prevails in academics and jobs in our country and seek easier job options in greener pastures.&nbsp;

The new visa regime will certainly make it easier for exceptional candidates who study in America’s best graduate schools to work and stay there. We have seen in our own family that kids going through Stanford, Yale and Harvard have been welcomed with open arms through the visa, green card and citizenship process in the US.&nbsp;

But for every dozen of these bright sparks, there are hundreds who spend hard earned family money on average engineering colleges in India and mediocre tech and business programmes in the US only to meet closed visa doors at the end.&nbsp;

These are the folks who need to think twice before they throw large rupee chunks towards the chase for dollars.

A word of advice after this note of caution. For many young folks who have not been able to make it to the best institutions in India for their graduate degree, if the money is there it may be best to do a short course in the US and use that as a stepping stone to get into an excellent institution for formal graduate school qualifications.&nbsp;

And that is only if the American dream is still irresistible! Many of us who have built successful careers in India and still travelled all over the world, may inspire you to just work in India and succeed as well! Choose wisely and be happy.

 
(This article was originally published on The DNA. Read the <a href="https://www.dnaindia.com/analysis/column-good-news-for-indian-techies-light-at-the-end-of-the-tunnel-2707574">original article</a>)

(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

Some weeks ago, it was dismaying to hear the story of a young man from South India, who experienced first hand the sorrow that “Buy American Hire American” is causing in Trump’s not so united - United States of America.

Some weeks ago, it was dismaying to hear the story of a young man from South India, who experienced first hand the sorrow that “Buy American Hire American” is causing in Trump’s not so united - United States of America. After finishing his engineering in this country, he secured admission to a well-known business school in Texas, finished his MBA and got a job in a good oil company. His H-1B visa came through, his job was secure and he came back to India to get married and returned to the US to pursue the great American dream. And then his luck turned. He got a query from the authorities that his qualification was not unique enough for him to be hired over a local American and in spite of supporting documents from his employers, his visa was overturned and he was asked to return to India. This happened a year ago and in the ensuing 12 months, the visa situation has turned gloomier with every passing month. Readers would recall that in November the Trump Administration announced an amendment to the Labor Condition Application (LCA) that requires prospective employers of people entering the US on H-1B visas to disclose all intended places of employment, including any proposed short-term assignments and a large amount of information on the company status. These comprised identification of secondary entities and locations and the number of H-1B visa workers currently employed in the firm and at third-party work sites of the firm. There has also been an introduction of legislation by two US lawmakers that seeks to revoke the work authorisation given by the Obama Administration to spouses of H-1B visa holders, making it difficult for career-minded spouses to stay in the US, causing rifts in families seeking to settle in the US. Amidst these dark clouds over the prospects of tens of thousands of Indian tech aspirants, a sudden ray of hope has come through in the form of a surprising proposal of a merit-based method of awarding visas in future. Companies are required to register their manpower demand petitions in advance and while the numerical limit of H1-Bs in a year would continue to be capped at 65,000, the first 20,000 petitions filed on behalf of applicants with a US Masters’ degree or higher qualification would be considered after that and exempt from the cap. The significant benefit of the proposed changes by the Department of Homeland Security are that the selection order would count all normal petitions as needed till the cap is reached and then separately consider registrations or petitions for the advanced degree exemption. The implication of this is that while advanced degree holders will have a very high chance of qualifying, it would not limit the selection of people under the normal petition scheme. This may result in an overall increase of persons admitted with advanced degrees and also reduce overall costs for petitioners and improve process efficiency for the immigration agencies, all excellent developments for the growing IT companies and the industry as a whole. What do all these policy flip-flops and frequent announcements on the visa process imply for the prospects of four million people who are already work in the Indian tech sector and the ten million and more youngsters in engineering and other degree programmes around the country, who have shunned manufacturing and other services jobs in the past couple of decades in favour of the granite and glass, air-conditioned environments and global opportunities available in the IT and IT-enabled services industry. One is sorry to sound cautious and maybe even alarmist but neither the US nor Europe is ever going to provide an easy passage to mediocre candidates who want to run away from the intensely competitive environment that prevails in academics and jobs in our country and seek easier job options in greener pastures. The new visa regime will certainly make it easier for exceptional candidates who study in America’s best graduate schools to work and stay there. We have seen in our own family that kids going through Stanford, Yale and Harvard have been welcomed with open arms through the visa, green card and citizenship process in the US. But for every dozen of these bright sparks, there are hundreds who spend hard earned family money on average engineering colleges in India and mediocre tech and business programmes in the US only to meet closed visa doors at the end. These are the folks who need to think twice before they throw large rupee chunks towards the chase for dollars. A word of advice after this note of caution. For many young folks who have not been able to make it to the best institutions in India for their graduate degree, if the money is there it may be best to do a short course in the US and use that as a stepping stone to get into an excellent institution for formal graduate school qualifications. And that is only if the American dream is still irresistible! Many of us who have built successful careers in India and still travelled all over the world, may inspire you to just work in India and succeed as well! Choose wisely and be happy. (This article was originally published on The DNA. Read the original article) (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

Good news for Indian techies: Light at the end of the tunnel

US&nbsp;President Donald Trump's attorney general nominee William Barr will pledge at his confirmation hearing to protect Special Counsel Robert Mueller's Russia probe and stress his independence from the White House, according to prepared testimony released on Monday.

"On my watch, Bob will be allowed to complete his work," Barr said in the prepared remarks ahead of two days of confirmation hearings before the Senate Judiciary Committee starting on Tuesday morning.

Mueller is investigating Russia's interference in the 2016 US&nbsp;presidential election, possible collusion between the Kremlin and Republican Trump's campaign, and potential obstruction of justice.

Barr, a former attorney general under President George HW&nbsp;Bush, also a Republican, will address his prior criticism of Mueller's probe, telling members of the committee that a memo he sent last year that called the investigation "fatally misconceived" only outlined his concerns that Mueller might be misinterpreting one aspect of the law.

"The memo did not address - or in any way question - the Special Counsel's core investigation," Barr will tell the panel.

Russia has denied US&nbsp;intelligence agencies' findings that it meddled in the election by spreading disinformation and hacking political party emails. Trump has denied any collusion with Moscow and called Mueller's probe a "witch hunt."

Trump said on Monday that he never worked for Russia, his first denial after a media report saying the FBI in 2017 investigated whether or not he acted on Moscow's behalf.

Promises independence

Barr has broad support from Republicans who control the Senate, but some Democrats have questioned whether he is the best choice to serve as the top law enforcement officer in the United States at a time when Trump faces several investigations.

Barr will emphasize his independence, telling lawmakers that he did not seek out the job. He said Trump did not ask him for a promise of loyalty and he did not offer one.

"As Attorney General, my allegiance will be to the rule of law, the Constitution, and the American people," he will say.

Former FBI Director James Comey has said Trump asked him to pledge loyalty before firing him in May 2017. Comey was overseeing a counter-intelligence probe on suspected election interference by Moscow and his dismissal led to the Department of Justice's appointment of Mueller, a former FBI director.

Mueller's investigation and other inquiries have clouded Trump's two years in office. Mueller has secured more than 30 indictments and guilty pleas and has spawned at least four federal investigations.

Democrats have worried that Trump may try to quash Mueller's findings when he concludes his work. Barr will tell lawmakers that he believes it is important that Congress and the public are informed of his results.

"My goal will be to provide as much transparency as I can consistent with the law," according to the prepared remarks.

Barr will say that he supports a new law that eases prison sentences for some criminals, despite his decades-long advocacy of long prison sentences and other aggressive crime-fighting tactics.

Barr also will pledge aggressive enforcement of hate crimes and immigration laws, a Trump priority.

He said he also will prioritize voting rights and efforts to ensure that foreign powers do not interfere with U.S. elections.

Barr has taken steps to address concerns about possible conflicts of interest arising from his decades of work in the private sector, where he amassed $37 million in assets.

Government ethics forms released publicly on Monday show that if confirmed, Barr will resign from the board of Dominion Energy Inc., and will sell off financial interests in other companies, including AT&amp;T Inc, Bristol Myers Squib Co, J.P. Morgan Co, Bank of America Corp, Altria Group Inc, Merck &amp; Co Inc, and Pfizer Inc, among others.

Barr told Democratic Senator Amy Klobuchar last week that he would recuse himself from the Justice Department's efforts to block the merger of AT&amp;T and Time Warner Inc. Barr served on the Time Warner board from 2009 to June 2018.

US President Donald Trump's attorney general nominee William Barr will pledge at his confirmation hearing to protect Special Counsel Robert Mueller's Russia probe and stress his independence from the White House, according to prepared testimony released on Monday.

US President Donald Trump's attorney general nominee William Barr will pledge at his confirmation hearing to protect Special Counsel Robert Mueller's Russia probe and stress his independence from the White House, according to prepared testimony released on Monday. "On my watch, Bob will be allowed to complete his work," Barr said in the prepared remarks ahead of two days of confirmation hearings before the Senate Judiciary Committee starting on Tuesday morning. Mueller is investigating Russia's interference in the 2016 US presidential election, possible collusion between the Kremlin and Republican Trump's campaign, and potential obstruction of justice. Barr, a former attorney general under President George HW Bush, also a Republican, will address his prior criticism of Mueller's probe, telling members of the committee that a memo he sent last year that called the investigation "fatally misconceived" only outlined his concerns that Mueller might be misinterpreting one aspect of the law. "The memo did not address - or in any way question - the Special Counsel's core investigation," Barr will tell the panel. Russia has denied US intelligence agencies' findings that it meddled in the election by spreading disinformation and hacking political party emails. Trump has denied any collusion with Moscow and called Mueller's probe a "witch hunt." Trump said on Monday that he never worked for Russia, his first denial after a media report saying the FBI in 2017 investigated whether or not he acted on Moscow's behalf. Promises independence Barr has broad support from Republicans who control the Senate, but some Democrats have questioned whether he is the best choice to serve as the top law enforcement officer in the United States at a time when Trump faces several investigations. Barr will emphasize his independence, telling lawmakers that he did not seek out the job. He said Trump did not ask him for a promise of loyalty and he did not offer one. "As Attorney General, my allegiance will be to the rule of law, the Constitution, and the American people," he will say. Former FBI Director James Comey has said Trump asked him to pledge loyalty before firing him in May 2017. Comey was overseeing a counter-intelligence probe on suspected election interference by Moscow and his dismissal led to the Department of Justice's appointment of Mueller, a former FBI director. Mueller's investigation and other inquiries have clouded Trump's two years in office. Mueller has secured more than 30 indictments and guilty pleas and has spawned at least four federal investigations. Democrats have worried that Trump may try to quash Mueller's findings when he concludes his work. Barr will tell lawmakers that he believes it is important that Congress and the public are informed of his results. "My goal will be to provide as much transparency as I can consistent with the law," according to the prepared remarks. Barr will say that he supports a new law that eases prison sentences for some criminals, despite his decades-long advocacy of long prison sentences and other aggressive crime-fighting tactics. Barr also will pledge aggressive enforcement of hate crimes and immigration laws, a Trump priority. He said he also will prioritize voting rights and efforts to ensure that foreign powers do not interfere with U.S. elections. Barr has taken steps to address concerns about possible conflicts of interest arising from his decades of work in the private sector, where he amassed $37 million in assets. Government ethics forms released publicly on Monday show that if confirmed, Barr will resign from the board of Dominion Energy Inc., and will sell off financial interests in other companies, including AT&T Inc, Bristol Myers Squib Co, J.P. Morgan Co, Bank of America Corp, Altria Group Inc, Merck & Co Inc, and Pfizer Inc, among others. Barr told Democratic Senator Amy Klobuchar last week that he would recuse himself from the Justice Department's efforts to block the merger of AT&T and Time Warner Inc. Barr served on the Time Warner board from 2009 to June 2018.

Trump's Attorney General pick vows to shield Russia probe from politics

President Donald Trump said Monday he expects to be able to reach a trade deal with China, which is feeling the impact of US tariffs.

"We are doing very well with China. They're having a hard with their economy because of the tariffs," Trump told reporters at the White House.&nbsp;

"I think that we are going to be able to do a deal with China."&nbsp;

US officials were in Beijing last week for talks aimed at ending the bruising trade confrontation that has subjected more than $350 billion in two-way trade to steep tariffs.

Chinese officials said the next round of negotiations would be held in Washington between January 30 and 31.

Trump and Chinese leader Xi Jinping agreed on December 1 to a three-month truce in the escalating spat.

"I can tell you we are getting things that before I became president you would have had no chance at getting," Trump said. "They would have laughed in your president's face."

As Trump has pressed Beijing to increase imports of US goods, China's trade surplus with the United States hit a record last year of $323.3 billion, an 11 per cent increase over 2017, according to Chinese customs data released Monday.

However, in a sign that the White House's punitive measures are having an impact, China's exports to the US sank last month.&nbsp;

And China's total exports fell 4.4 per cent in December from a year earlier, while imports dropped 7.6 per cent, reflecting sluggish demand at home and abroad.

President Donald Trump said Monday he expects to be able to reach a trade deal with China, which is feeling the impact of US tariffs. "We are doing very well with China.

President Donald Trump said Monday he expects to be able to reach a trade deal with China, which is feeling the impact of US tariffs. "We are doing very well with China. They're having a hard with their economy because of the tariffs," Trump told reporters at the White House. "I think that we are going to be able to do a deal with China." US officials were in Beijing last week for talks aimed at ending the bruising trade confrontation that has subjected more than $350 billion in two-way trade to steep tariffs. Chinese officials said the next round of negotiations would be held in Washington between January 30 and 31. Trump and Chinese leader Xi Jinping agreed on December 1 to a three-month truce in the escalating spat. "I can tell you we are getting things that before I became president you would have had no chance at getting," Trump said. "They would have laughed in your president's face." As Trump has pressed Beijing to increase imports of US goods, China's trade surplus with the United States hit a record last year of $323.3 billion, an 11 per cent increase over 2017, according to Chinese customs data released Monday. However, in a sign that the White House's punitive measures are having an impact, China's exports to the US sank last month. And China's total exports fell 4.4 per cent in December from a year earlier, while imports dropped 7.6 per cent, reflecting sluggish demand at home and abroad.

I think we are going to be able to do trade deal with China: Trump

Watch: WION Dispatch, 14th January 2019

Dispatch: 'Will devastate Turkey economically if they hurt Kurds', says Donald Trump

President Donald Trump warned Turkey on Sunday of economic devastation if it attacks Kurdish forces in the wake of the <a href="http://www.wionews.com/photos/in-pictures-us-begins-process-of-pulling-out-from-syria-189878">US troop pullout from Syria</a>, while also urging the Kurds not to "provoke" Ankara.

Trump took to Twitter to reveal some of his latest thoughts in the slow drip-drip of information being released by his administration after his shocking December announcement of the troop withdrawal.

His top <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/pompeo-optimistic-syria-kurds-turkey-can-be-protected-189910">diplomat Mike Pompeo</a> is on a whirlwind regional tour aimed at reassuring allies amid rising tensions between the US and Turkey over the fate of Washington's Syrian Kurdish allies in the fight against the Islamic State group.

Pompeo also sought to reassure Washington's Kurdish allies in the fight against IS, who fear the departure of American troops would allow Turkey to attack them.

Turkey had reacted angrily to suggestions that Trump's plan to withdraw troops was conditional on the safety of the US-backed Kurdish fighters, seen by the Turkish government as terrorists.

"Will devastate Turkey economically if they hit Kurds," Trump tweeted while pushing for the creation of a 20-mile (30-kilometer) "safe zone."

"Likewise, do not want the Kurds to provoke Turkey."

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
Starting the long overdue pullout from Syria while hitting the little remaining ISIS territorial caliphate hard, and from many directions. Will attack again from existing nearby base if it reforms. Will devastate Turkey economically if they hit Kurds. Create 20 mile safe zone....
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) <a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/1084584259510304768?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 13, 2019</a></blockquote>
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....Likewise, do not want the Kurds to provoke Turkey. Russia, Iran and Syria have been the biggest beneficiaries of the long term U.S. policy of destroying ISIS in Syria - natural enemies. We also benefit but it is now time to bring our troops back home. Stop the ENDLESS WARS!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) <a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/1084586625672376322?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 13, 2019</a></blockquote>
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Trump did not detail who would create, enforce or pay for the safe zone, or where it would be located.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/us-led-coalition-withdrawing-equipment-from-syria-189689">US-led operations </a>against IS in Syria have been spearheaded on the ground by the Kurdish-dominated Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF).

Ankara sees the backbone of that alliance, the Kurdish People's Protection Units (YPG), as a terrorist group linked to the Kurdistan Worker's Party (PKK) which has fought a decades-long insurgency against the Turkish state.

On Saturday, more than 600 people were evacuated from the remaining IS holdout in eastern Syria, a monitor said, as US-backed fighters prepare for a final assault on the area.

"Starting the long overdue pullout from Syria while hitting the little remaining ISIS territorial caliphate hard, and from many directions. Will attack again from existing nearby base if it reforms," Trump said.

"Russia, Iran and Syria have been the biggest beneficiaries of the long term US policy of destroying ISIS in Syria - natural enemies. We also benefit but it is now time to bring our troops back home. Stop the ENDLESS WARS!"

Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights head Rami Abdel Rahman said that several dozen jihadist fighters were among those evacuated to areas held by the Kurdish-Arab alliance.&nbsp;

Abdel Rahman said some 16,000 people, including 760 IS fighters, have fled the area since the start of December, though this marked the first time the SDF and the coalition provided buses, suggesting a deal struck between the warring sides.

Civilians still trapped

The United Nations said Friday that overall some 25,000 people have fled the violence over the last six months as the die-hard jihadists have battled to defend their dwindling bastions.&nbsp;

An estimated 2,000 civilians remain trapped in the area around the town of Hajin, the United Nations said.

The US-led coalition on Saturday fired over 20 missiles against jihadist positions, the Observatory said.&nbsp;

The monitor said some 300 SDF combatants had deployed near the village of Sousa in preparations for a final assault.&nbsp;

President Donald Trump warned Turkey on Sunday of economic devastation if it attacks Kurdish forces in the wake of the US troop pullout from Syria, while also urging the Kurds not to "provoke" Ankara.

President Donald Trump warned Turkey on Sunday of economic devastation if it attacks Kurdish forces in the wake of the US troop pullout from Syria, while also urging the Kurds not to "provoke" Ankara. Trump took to Twitter to reveal some of his latest thoughts in the slow drip-drip of information being released by his administration after his shocking December announcement of the troop withdrawal. His top diplomat Mike Pompeo is on a whirlwind regional tour aimed at reassuring allies amid rising tensions between the US and Turkey over the fate of Washington's Syrian Kurdish allies in the fight against the Islamic State group. Pompeo also sought to reassure Washington's Kurdish allies in the fight against IS, who fear the departure of American troops would allow Turkey to attack them. Turkey had reacted angrily to suggestions that Trump's plan to withdraw troops was conditional on the safety of the US-backed Kurdish fighters, seen by the Turkish government as terrorists. "Will devastate Turkey economically if they hit Kurds," Trump tweeted while pushing for the creation of a 20-mile (30-kilometer) "safe zone." "Likewise, do not want the Kurds to provoke Turkey." Starting the long overdue pullout from Syria while hitting the little remaining ISIS territorial caliphate hard, and from many directions. Will attack again from existing nearby base if it reforms. Will devastate Turkey economically if they hit Kurds. Create 20 mile safe zone.... — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 13, 2019 × ....Likewise, do not want the Kurds to provoke Turkey. Russia, Iran and Syria have been the biggest beneficiaries of the long term U.S. policy of destroying ISIS in Syria - natural enemies. We also benefit but it is now time to bring our troops back home. Stop the ENDLESS WARS! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 13, 2019 × Trump did not detail who would create, enforce or pay for the safe zone, or where it would be located. US-led operations against IS in Syria have been spearheaded on the ground by the Kurdish-dominated Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF). Ankara sees the backbone of that alliance, the Kurdish People's Protection Units (YPG), as a terrorist group linked to the Kurdistan Worker's Party (PKK) which has fought a decades-long insurgency against the Turkish state. On Saturday, more than 600 people were evacuated from the remaining IS holdout in eastern Syria, a monitor said, as US-backed fighters prepare for a final assault on the area. "Starting the long overdue pullout from Syria while hitting the little remaining ISIS territorial caliphate hard, and from many directions. Will attack again from existing nearby base if it reforms," Trump said. "Russia, Iran and Syria have been the biggest beneficiaries of the long term US policy of destroying ISIS in Syria - natural enemies. We also benefit but it is now time to bring our troops back home. Stop the ENDLESS WARS!" Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights head Rami Abdel Rahman said that several dozen jihadist fighters were among those evacuated to areas held by the Kurdish-Arab alliance. Abdel Rahman said some 16,000 people, including 760 IS fighters, have fled the area since the start of December, though this marked the first time the SDF and the coalition provided buses, suggesting a deal struck between the warring sides. Civilians still trapped The United Nations said Friday that overall some 25,000 people have fled the violence over the last six months as the die-hard jihadists have battled to defend their dwindling bastions. An estimated 2,000 civilians remain trapped in the area around the town of Hajin, the United Nations said. The US-led coalition on Saturday fired over 20 missiles against jihadist positions, the Observatory said. The monitor said some 300 SDF combatants had deployed near the village of Sousa in preparations for a final assault.

Will devastate Turkey economically if they hit Kurds: Trump

Turkey said Monday it would not be intimidated by threats after US President <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/trump-warns-turkey-of-economic-devastation-if-it-hits-kurds-190087">Donald Trump warned the country of economic devastation</a>&nbsp;if it attacked Kurdish forces.

"We have said repeatedly we are not scared of and will not be intimidated by any threats," news agency AFP quoted Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu as saying.&nbsp;

Trump had on Sunday issued a warning to Turkey (on Twitter) that he "will devastate Turkey economically if they hit Kurds."

"Economic threats against Turkey will get nowhere," Cavusoglu replied Monday.

Cavusoglu added on Monday, he was speaking at a press conference in Ankara with his Luxembourg counterpart Jean Asselborn, that Turkey was "not against" a "security zone" in Syria as suggested by Trump.&nbsp;

"Create 20-mile safe zone..." Trump had suggested on Twitter.&nbsp;

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
Starting the long overdue pullout from Syria while hitting the little remaining ISIS territorial caliphate hard, and from many directions. Will attack again from existing nearby base if it reforms. Will devastate Turkey economically if they hit Kurds. Create 20 mile safe zone....
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) <a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/1084584259510304768?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 13, 2019</a></blockquote>
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<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
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....Likewise, do not want the Kurds to provoke Turkey. Russia, Iran and Syria have been the biggest beneficiaries of the long term U.S. policy of destroying ISIS in Syria - natural enemies. We also benefit but it is now time to bring our troops back home. Stop the ENDLESS WARS!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) <a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/1084586625672376322?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 13, 2019</a></blockquote>
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Trump, however, did not detail who would create, enforce or pay for the safe zone, or where it would be located.

"Likewise, do not want the Kurds to provoke Turkey," the US president added in another tweet.

US-led operations against IS in Syria have been spearheaded on the ground by the Kurdish-dominated Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF).

Ankara sees the backbone of that alliance, the Kurdish People's Protection Units (YPG), as a terrorist group linked to the Kurdistan Worker's Party (PKK) which has fought a decades-long insurgency against the Turkish state.

On Saturday, more than 600 people were evacuated from the remaining IS holdout in eastern Syria, a monitor said, as US-backed fighters prepare for a final assault on the area.

Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights head Rami Abdel Rahman said that several dozen jihadist fighters were among those evacuated to areas held by the Kurdish-Arab alliance.&nbsp;

Abdel Rahman said some 16,000 people, including 760 IS fighters, have fled the area since the start of December, though this marked the first time the SDF and the coalition provided buses, suggesting a deal struck between the warring sides.

(With inputs from agencies)

Turkey said Monday it would not be intimidated by threats after US President Donald Trump warned the country of economic devastation if it attacked Kurdish forces.

Turkey said Monday it would not be intimidated by threats after US President Donald Trump warned the country of economic devastation if it attacked Kurdish forces. "We have said repeatedly we are not scared of and will not be intimidated by any threats," news agency AFP quoted Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu as saying. Trump had on Sunday issued a warning to Turkey (on Twitter) that he "will devastate Turkey economically if they hit Kurds." "Economic threats against Turkey will get nowhere," Cavusoglu replied Monday. Cavusoglu added on Monday, he was speaking at a press conference in Ankara with his Luxembourg counterpart Jean Asselborn, that Turkey was "not against" a "security zone" in Syria as suggested by Trump. "Create 20-mile safe zone..." Trump had suggested on Twitter. Starting the long overdue pullout from Syria while hitting the little remaining ISIS territorial caliphate hard, and from many directions. Will attack again from existing nearby base if it reforms. Will devastate Turkey economically if they hit Kurds. Create 20 mile safe zone.... — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 13, 2019 × ....Likewise, do not want the Kurds to provoke Turkey. Russia, Iran and Syria have been the biggest beneficiaries of the long term U.S. policy of destroying ISIS in Syria - natural enemies. We also benefit but it is now time to bring our troops back home. Stop the ENDLESS WARS! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 13, 2019 × Trump, however, did not detail who would create, enforce or pay for the safe zone, or where it would be located. "Likewise, do not want the Kurds to provoke Turkey," the US president added in another tweet. US-led operations against IS in Syria have been spearheaded on the ground by the Kurdish-dominated Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF). Ankara sees the backbone of that alliance, the Kurdish People's Protection Units (YPG), as a terrorist group linked to the Kurdistan Worker's Party (PKK) which has fought a decades-long insurgency against the Turkish state. On Saturday, more than 600 people were evacuated from the remaining IS holdout in eastern Syria, a monitor said, as US-backed fighters prepare for a final assault on the area. Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights head Rami Abdel Rahman said that several dozen jihadist fighters were among those evacuated to areas held by the Kurdish-Arab alliance. Abdel Rahman said some 16,000 people, including 760 IS fighters, have fled the area since the start of December, though this marked the first time the SDF and the coalition provided buses, suggesting a deal struck between the warring sides. (With inputs from agencies)

Turkey says it will not be 'intimidated' by Trump's threats

By Chris Edelson

If President Donald Trump declares a national emergency to fund some portion of a wall along the US-Mexico border without congressional authorisation, what would happen next?

Would the courts step in? What is Congress’ role?

As I explain in my book “Emergency Presidential Power,” presidents generally claim emergency power in two ways: through inherent or implied authority under the US Constitution or under statutory authority granted by Congress.

Relying on the Constitution as a basis for emergency power is controversial, and less likely to stand up to meaningful congressional or judicial review. The US Constitution says nothing specific about presidential emergency power: Presidents can only claim such authority is implied or inherent.

The emergency powers the Constitution does describe are actually assigned to Congress. Congress has delegated some emergency powers to the president through statutes, including the National Emergencies Act. But Congress retains the power to reject a president’s declaration of a national emergency.

If President Trump does declare an emergency, the question is: Will Congress use the power available to it, or will it play the role of the passive spectator?

Gaining congressional approval

Since presidents lack any specific constitutional emergency power, they often find it necessary to gain congressional authorisation. For instance, at the start of the Civil War, with Congress out of session, President Abraham Lincoln suspended habeas corpus and took other unilateral actions. He later sought and gained retroactive approval from Congress for these actions.

This precedent of gaining congressional approval was put to the test nearly 100 years later. In 1952, President Harry Truman claimed emergency power to take control of steel factories during the Korean War in response to a labour strike. He invoked a “very great inherent power to meet great national emergencies.” Congress took no specific action to approve or disapprove, though a pre-existing statute on the books weighed against Truman.

When factory owners sued the administration, the Supreme Court, by a 6-3 vote, ruled against Truman in the famous Youngstown Sheet decision. Justice Robert H. Jackson’s concurring opinion, in that case, has been especially influential and is often cited by legal scholars and judges. He outlined a three-part test to be used as a starting point in determining when presidential action is constitutionally permissible.

Under Jackson’s test, presidents are on the strongest possible footing when acting with congressional approval. In this case, Jackson said, Truman’s position was weak since he was taking action that did not comply with the relevant legislative framework. In Jackson’s view, Truman’s reliance on inherent emergency power under the Constitution would dangerously concentrate power in the president’s hands, something the framers would not have wanted.

Congress’s role

Jackson’s opinion in Youngstown suggested that emergency power could be defined by Congress in statutes.

Congress took up that suggestion with the National Emergencies Act of 1976. Though the act was designed to set limits on presidential power to declare national emergencies of indefinite length, it has ended up providing a largely unregulated way for presidents to take unilateral action. Congress has failed to fulfill its responsibilities under the law.

The National Emergencies Act permits the president to declare a national emergency without congressional approval, triggering specific statutory powers that the president can use. For instance, presidents have used this law to impose economic sanctions against terrorists after 9/11 or regulate foreign ships in U.S. waters. Thirty-one emergency declarations are currently in effect under the statute.

Congress can vote at any time to terminate a state of emergency, and is required by the statute to meet every six months while an emergency is in effect to consider whether it should continue. However, it has never voted on an emergency declared by a president or held meetings as required by the statute.

Perhaps most importantly for Trump, the National Emergencies Act provides no criteria for deciding whether a national emergency exists. We know from history that presidents can contrive emergencies as a pretext for action.

For example, in 1846 President James Polk falsely claimed that Mexico had spilled American blood on US soil as a pretext for gaining a declaration of war from Congress.

In 1942, President Franklin D Roosevelt justified the decision to intern 110,000 Japanese-Americans without trial based on false claims that time was of the essence, and at least some Japanese-Americans were known to be disloyal.

Although both of these examples pre-date the 1976 Act, they serve as cautionary tales about the wisdom of accepting at face value a president’s claim that an emergency exists. However, because the law now in effect provides no specific standards to define the existence of an emergency, courts might be inclined to defer to presidential discretion. If President Trump declares a national emergency at the border, it is far from clear that courts would strike it down.

By contrast, it would be straightforward for Congress to reverse a declaration of national emergency. The National Emergencies Act gives legislators authority to reject a presidential declaration of national emergency through simple legislation that would require majorities in the House and Senate. President Trump would presumably veto such action. Legislators would have the opportunity to override a presidential veto with a two-thirds majority vote. That, of course, would be no easy task in the current Congress.

Because of the way the National Emergencies Act was drafted, Congress is better positioned to take action than the courts – assuming enough members are moved to act. If Congress does nothing, then the law could become a vehicle for presidential abuse, especially because the act’s language seems to grant the president broad discretion that could insulate an emergency declaration from legal challenge. If the president moves ahead with a controversial plan to declare a national emergency as a way to free up money for construction of a border wall, all eyes should be on Congress.

(Chris Edelson is Assistant Professor of Government, American University School of Public Affairs)

(This article was originally published on The Conversation. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/if-trump-declares-a-national-emergency-could-congress-or-the-courts-reverse-it-109752">original article)</a>

(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

&nbsp;

By Chris Edelson If President Donald Trump declares a national emergency to fund some portion of a wall along the US-Mexico border without congressional authorisation, what would happen next?

By Chris Edelson If President Donald Trump declares a national emergency to fund some portion of a wall along the US-Mexico border without congressional authorisation, what would happen next? Would the courts step in? What is Congress’ role? As I explain in my book “Emergency Presidential Power,” presidents generally claim emergency power in two ways: through inherent or implied authority under the US Constitution or under statutory authority granted by Congress. Relying on the Constitution as a basis for emergency power is controversial, and less likely to stand up to meaningful congressional or judicial review. The US Constitution says nothing specific about presidential emergency power: Presidents can only claim such authority is implied or inherent. The emergency powers the Constitution does describe are actually assigned to Congress. Congress has delegated some emergency powers to the president through statutes, including the National Emergencies Act. But Congress retains the power to reject a president’s declaration of a national emergency. If President Trump does declare an emergency, the question is: Will Congress use the power available to it, or will it play the role of the passive spectator? Gaining congressional approval Since presidents lack any specific constitutional emergency power, they often find it necessary to gain congressional authorisation. For instance, at the start of the Civil War, with Congress out of session, President Abraham Lincoln suspended habeas corpus and took other unilateral actions. He later sought and gained retroactive approval from Congress for these actions. This precedent of gaining congressional approval was put to the test nearly 100 years later. In 1952, President Harry Truman claimed emergency power to take control of steel factories during the Korean War in response to a labour strike. He invoked a “very great inherent power to meet great national emergencies.” Congress took no specific action to approve or disapprove, though a pre-existing statute on the books weighed against Truman. When factory owners sued the administration, the Supreme Court, by a 6-3 vote, ruled against Truman in the famous Youngstown Sheet decision. Justice Robert H. Jackson’s concurring opinion, in that case, has been especially influential and is often cited by legal scholars and judges. He outlined a three-part test to be used as a starting point in determining when presidential action is constitutionally permissible. Under Jackson’s test, presidents are on the strongest possible footing when acting with congressional approval. In this case, Jackson said, Truman’s position was weak since he was taking action that did not comply with the relevant legislative framework. In Jackson’s view, Truman’s reliance on inherent emergency power under the Constitution would dangerously concentrate power in the president’s hands, something the framers would not have wanted. Congress’s role Jackson’s opinion in Youngstown suggested that emergency power could be defined by Congress in statutes. Congress took up that suggestion with the National Emergencies Act of 1976. Though the act was designed to set limits on presidential power to declare national emergencies of indefinite length, it has ended up providing a largely unregulated way for presidents to take unilateral action. Congress has failed to fulfill its responsibilities under the law. The National Emergencies Act permits the president to declare a national emergency without congressional approval, triggering specific statutory powers that the president can use. For instance, presidents have used this law to impose economic sanctions against terrorists after 9/11 or regulate foreign ships in U.S. waters. Thirty-one emergency declarations are currently in effect under the statute. Congress can vote at any time to terminate a state of emergency, and is required by the statute to meet every six months while an emergency is in effect to consider whether it should continue. However, it has never voted on an emergency declared by a president or held meetings as required by the statute. Perhaps most importantly for Trump, the National Emergencies Act provides no criteria for deciding whether a national emergency exists. We know from history that presidents can contrive emergencies as a pretext for action. For example, in 1846 President James Polk falsely claimed that Mexico had spilled American blood on US soil as a pretext for gaining a declaration of war from Congress. In 1942, President Franklin D Roosevelt justified the decision to intern 110,000 Japanese-Americans without trial based on false claims that time was of the essence, and at least some Japanese-Americans were known to be disloyal. Although both of these examples pre-date the 1976 Act, they serve as cautionary tales about the wisdom of accepting at face value a president’s claim that an emergency exists. However, because the law now in effect provides no specific standards to define the existence of an emergency, courts might be inclined to defer to presidential discretion. If President Trump declares a national emergency at the border, it is far from clear that courts would strike it down. By contrast, it would be straightforward for Congress to reverse a declaration of national emergency. The National Emergencies Act gives legislators authority to reject a presidential declaration of national emergency through simple legislation that would require majorities in the House and Senate. President Trump would presumably veto such action. Legislators would have the opportunity to override a presidential veto with a two-thirds majority vote. That, of course, would be no easy task in the current Congress. Because of the way the National Emergencies Act was drafted, Congress is better positioned to take action than the courts – assuming enough members are moved to act. If Congress does nothing, then the law could become a vehicle for presidential abuse, especially because the act’s language seems to grant the president broad discretion that could insulate an emergency declaration from legal challenge. If the president moves ahead with a controversial plan to declare a national emergency as a way to free up money for construction of a border wall, all eyes should be on Congress. (Chris Edelson is Assistant Professor of Government, American University School of Public Affairs) (This article was originally published on The Conversation. Read the original article) (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

US-Mexico wall: If Trump declares a national emergency, could Congress or the courts reverse it?

US begins process of pulling out from Syria

US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo hopes for an imminent end to the longest government shutdown in American history, he said Sunday during a whistle-stop Middle East tour.

"I hope it ends tomorrow," Pompeo said to applause as he addressed US diplomats in Doha, the latest stop on his eight-day regional tour.

The partial US government shutdown entered its 23rd day on Sunday and has seen 800,000 federal employees go without wages being paid -- including embassy staff.

"As I travel these days with the shutdown underway, you all get that we still have a mission," Pompeo told the gathering of diplomats and their families.

US President Donald Trump has refused to back away from his demand that lawmakers approve funding to build a Mexico border wall.

As the shutdown drags on, Trump said Saturday he was holding off on declaring a state of emergency that would allow him to bypass Democrats' opposition and secure billions of dollars for the proposed wall.

"I hope we get it resolved and get everybody back to work and get (their) paycheck," Pompeo told diplomats.

Despite the ongoing crisis, he told journalists on Saturday that morale was good among US staff abroad.

"We're doing our best to make sure it doesn't impact our diplomacy," he said while in Abu Dhabi.

US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo hopes for an imminent end to the longest government shutdown in American history, he said Sunday during a whistle-stop Middle East tour.

US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo hopes for an imminent end to the longest government shutdown in American history, he said Sunday during a whistle-stop Middle East tour. "I hope it ends tomorrow," Pompeo said to applause as he addressed US diplomats in Doha, the latest stop on his eight-day regional tour. The partial US government shutdown entered its 23rd day on Sunday and has seen 800,000 federal employees go without wages being paid -- including embassy staff. "As I travel these days with the shutdown underway, you all get that we still have a mission," Pompeo told the gathering of diplomats and their families. US President Donald Trump has refused to back away from his demand that lawmakers approve funding to build a Mexico border wall. As the shutdown drags on, Trump said Saturday he was holding off on declaring a state of emergency that would allow him to bypass Democrats' opposition and secure billions of dollars for the proposed wall. "I hope we get it resolved and get everybody back to work and get (their) paycheck," Pompeo told diplomats. Despite the ongoing crisis, he told journalists on Saturday that morale was good among US staff abroad. "We're doing our best to make sure it doesn't impact our diplomacy," he said while in Abu Dhabi.

Pompeo hopes for imminent end to US government shutdown

10 Big Impacts of United States Shutdown

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/was-trump-working-for-russia-us-president-blasts-fbi-for-opening-probe-189894">President Donald Trump</a>'s nominee to lead the Department of Justice, Bill Barr, faces tough questions in the Senate next week on whether he intends to curb Special Counsel Robert Mueller's Russia collusion investigation.

After the conservative lawyer criticized Mueller last year, opposition Democrats fear Barr as attorney general will protect Trump from the investigation and a possible impeachment effort arising from it.

Mueller has spent 20 months investigating Russian interference in the 2016 election, and possible collusion between Trump's campaign and Russia, in a probe increasingly focused on Trump and his inner circle.

Mueller has issued indictments for 33 individuals, most of them Russians, and secured convictions of three former top Trump aides.

Barr, a longtime Republican ally who served as attorney general once before from 1991-93, will go before the Senate Judiciary Committee in confirmation hearings on Tuesday and Wednesday. Democrats want him to pledge publicly to protect the investigation.

Barr's approval is likely, given the Republican majority in the committee and the full Senate.

Senators who spoke to Barr in private meetings say he has indicated that he will not interfere with Mueller, but that he also supports Trump using his executive powers to defend himself.

"I think the main thing people want to know is, what's his view of the Mueller investigation?" said the Judiciary Committee's Republican Chairman Lindsey Graham, after meeting with Mueller on Wednesday.

"I can assure you, based on what I heard, that he has a high opinion of Mr Mueller."

He echoed Trump claims&nbsp;

Barr "has no reason for Mr Mueller to stop doing his job, and is committed to allowing Mr Mueller to finish," he added.

Senator Dianne Feinstein, the senior Democrat on the committee, said Thursday that Barr had told her he would not disrupt the probe, according to media reports. But The Washington Times quoted her as saying: "I don't take to the bank anything unless it is in the public sector and everyone can hear, and it's on the record."

Trump nominated Barr in December, a month after sacking Jeff Sessions, who irked the president by recusing himself from overseeing the Mueller probe, which Trump labels a "witch hunt."

Barr has a record of endorsing strong executive powers, which could play into high-stakes legal battles on everything from immigration policy, to war powers, to whether the president can be required to provide testimony or release privileged documents in the Russia investigation.

He expressed support in May 2017 when Trump fired then-FBI director James Comey, which has led Mueller to allegations that Trump obstructed justice.

He has also echoed Trump's own claims that Mueller's team is packed with investigators allied with the Democratic Party.

Barr himself, though, is a strong Republican supporter. Over the past two decades he and his wife donated nearly $800,000 to Republican candidates and groups, according to The Washington Post.

Memo criticized Mueller probe&nbsp;

Last year, he submitted an unsolicited legal criticism of the Mueller probe to the Justice Department, and reportedly to the White House.

It argued that Trump's presidential prerogatives are protection against any obstruction allegation in the Comey firing.

The memo in particular has focused the opposition to Barr's nomination.

Barr is "fatally conflicted... when it comes to the special counsel," Chuck Schumer, the Senate Democratic leader, said, calling for Trump to withdraw the nomination.

The biggest concern is what Barr will do with the report Mueller is expected to prepare on his findings.

According to The Washington Post, the president's lawyers are already planning to use executive privilege to stifle material that could be damaging to Trump or support an impeachment effort by Democrats.

Graham said Barr indicated he would be "erring on the side of transparency."

President Donald Trump's nominee to lead the Department of Justice, Bill Barr, faces tough questions in the Senate next week on whether he intends to curb Special Counsel Robert Mueller's Russia collusion investigation.

President Donald Trump's nominee to lead the Department of Justice, Bill Barr, faces tough questions in the Senate next week on whether he intends to curb Special Counsel Robert Mueller's Russia collusion investigation. After the conservative lawyer criticized Mueller last year, opposition Democrats fear Barr as attorney general will protect Trump from the investigation and a possible impeachment effort arising from it. Mueller has spent 20 months investigating Russian interference in the 2016 election, and possible collusion between Trump's campaign and Russia, in a probe increasingly focused on Trump and his inner circle. Mueller has issued indictments for 33 individuals, most of them Russians, and secured convictions of three former top Trump aides. Barr, a longtime Republican ally who served as attorney general once before from 1991-93, will go before the Senate Judiciary Committee in confirmation hearings on Tuesday and Wednesday. Democrats want him to pledge publicly to protect the investigation. Barr's approval is likely, given the Republican majority in the committee and the full Senate. Senators who spoke to Barr in private meetings say he has indicated that he will not interfere with Mueller, but that he also supports Trump using his executive powers to defend himself. "I think the main thing people want to know is, what's his view of the Mueller investigation?" said the Judiciary Committee's Republican Chairman Lindsey Graham, after meeting with Mueller on Wednesday. "I can assure you, based on what I heard, that he has a high opinion of Mr Mueller." He echoed Trump claims Barr "has no reason for Mr Mueller to stop doing his job, and is committed to allowing Mr Mueller to finish," he added. Senator Dianne Feinstein, the senior Democrat on the committee, said Thursday that Barr had told her he would not disrupt the probe, according to media reports. But The Washington Times quoted her as saying: "I don't take to the bank anything unless it is in the public sector and everyone can hear, and it's on the record." Trump nominated Barr in December, a month after sacking Jeff Sessions, who irked the president by recusing himself from overseeing the Mueller probe, which Trump labels a "witch hunt." Barr has a record of endorsing strong executive powers, which could play into high-stakes legal battles on everything from immigration policy, to war powers, to whether the president can be required to provide testimony or release privileged documents in the Russia investigation. He expressed support in May 2017 when Trump fired then-FBI director James Comey, which has led Mueller to allegations that Trump obstructed justice. He has also echoed Trump's own claims that Mueller's team is packed with investigators allied with the Democratic Party. Barr himself, though, is a strong Republican supporter. Over the past two decades he and his wife donated nearly $800,000 to Republican candidates and groups, according to The Washington Post. Memo criticized Mueller probe Last year, he submitted an unsolicited legal criticism of the Mueller probe to the Justice Department, and reportedly to the White House. It argued that Trump's presidential prerogatives are protection against any obstruction allegation in the Comey firing. The memo in particular has focused the opposition to Barr's nomination. Barr is "fatally conflicted... when it comes to the special counsel," Chuck Schumer, the Senate Democratic leader, said, calling for Trump to withdraw the nomination. The biggest concern is what Barr will do with the report Mueller is expected to prepare on his findings. According to The Washington Post, the president's lawyers are already planning to use executive privilege to stifle material that could be damaging to Trump or support an impeachment effort by Democrats. Graham said Barr indicated he would be "erring on the side of transparency."

Trump's Justice nominee faces questions over Russia probe

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/trump-rejects-report-that-he-hid-details-of-putin-meetings-190050">Trump rejects report he hid details of his meetings with Putin</a>

President Donald Trump has rejected a Washington Post report that he has refused to share details of his conversations with Russian President Vladimir Putin with top US government officials.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/bollywood-director-rajkumar-hirani-accused-of-sexual-assault-filmmaker-denies-190031">#MeToo: Rajkumar Hirani accused of sexual assault, film-maker denies </a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/bollywood-director-rajkumar-hirani-accused-of-sexual-assault-filmmaker-denies-190031">allegation</a>

Filmmaker Rajkumar Hirani has been accused of sexual assault by a woman who worked with him on his 2017 film "Sanju".

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/sports/ind-vs-aus-ambati-rayudu-reported-for-suspect-bowling-action-during-first-odi-190009">IND vs AUS: Ambati Rayudu reported for suspect bowling action during first ODI</a>

India's Ambati Rayudu has been reported for a suspect bowling action during the first one-day international (ODI) against Australia at the Sydney Cricket Ground. India lost the game by 34 runs.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/triple-talaq-ordinance-re-promulgated-190036">Government re-promulgates ordinance banning triple talaq</a>

Under the Muslim Women (Protection of Rights on Marriage) Ordinance, 2019, issued on Saturday, divorcing through instant triple talaq will be illegal, void and would attract a jail term of three years for the husband.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/saudi-arabia-must-hold-khashoggi-killers-accountable-pompeo-190049">Saudi Arabia must hold Khashoggi killers 'accountable': Pompeo</a>

US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on Sunday said that he would ask Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman to ensure the murderers of journalist Jamal Khashoggi are held "accountable".

&nbsp;

Trump rejects report he hid details of his meetings with Putin President Donald Trump has rejected a Washington Post report that he has refused to share details of his conversations with Russian President Vladimir Putin with top US government officials.

Trump rejects report he hid details of his meetings with Putin President Donald Trump has rejected a Washington Post report that he has refused to share details of his conversations with Russian President Vladimir Putin with top US government officials. #MeToo: Rajkumar Hirani accused of sexual assault, film-maker denies allegation Filmmaker Rajkumar Hirani has been accused of sexual assault by a woman who worked with him on his 2017 film "Sanju". IND vs AUS: Ambati Rayudu reported for suspect bowling action during first ODI India's Ambati Rayudu has been reported for a suspect bowling action during the first one-day international (ODI) against Australia at the Sydney Cricket Ground. India lost the game by 34 runs. Government re-promulgates ordinance banning triple talaq Under the Muslim Women (Protection of Rights on Marriage) Ordinance, 2019, issued on Saturday, divorcing through instant triple talaq will be illegal, void and would attract a jail term of three years for the husband. Saudi Arabia must hold Khashoggi killers 'accountable': Pompeo US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on Sunday said that he would ask Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman to ensure the murderers of journalist Jamal Khashoggi are held "accountable".

News brief: Big stories of the day

President Donald Trump has rejected a Washington Post report that <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/i-go-in-with-low-expectations-trump-says-for-putin-meeting-151867">he has refused to share details of his conversations with Russian President Vladimir Putin</a> with top US government officials.

Trump, in a telephone interview late Saturday with Fox News, dismissed as "ridiculous" the Post story that alleged he went to great lengths to hide the content of his talks with Putin, even confiscating the notes of his interpreter and ordering that person to not discuss what was said.

Trump said he had "a great conversation" with Putin in Helsinki in July 2018.

When asked why not release details of the nearly two-hour conversation, Trump said: "I would, I don't with care.&nbsp;

"I mean, I had a conversation like every president does. You sit with the president of various countries... We were talking about Israel and securing Israel and lots of other things ... I'm not keeping anything under wraps, I couldn't care less. I mean, it's so ridiculous."

He added,&nbsp;"Anybody could have listened to that meeting, that meeting is up for grabs."

According to the Post, there is no detailed record of Trump's personal talks with Putin at five locations over the past two years.

The newspaper quotes unnamed current and former government officials as sources for the story.

Trump also told Fox when asked about Putin that "no collusion" has been found between his 2016 campaign and Russia, that he was a better candidate than Democrat Hillary Clinton, that the US economy "is the strongest in the world," and that The Washington Post is "basically the lobbyist for Amazon," as both are owned by billionaire Jeff Bezos.

A national security threat?

Trump also took aim at an earlier story in The New York Times stating that the FBI launched a previously undisclosed counterintelligence investigation to determine whether he posed a national security threat, at the same time that it opened a criminal probe into possible obstruction of justice.

The FBI investigation was later folded into the broader probe by Special Counsel Robert Mueller into Russia's meddling in the 2016 election and possible collaboration by the Trump campaign.

Fox asked if he had ever worked for Russia. "I think it's the most insulting thing I've ever been asked," he said, without directly answering the question.

He slammed the Times story as "the most insulting article I've ever had written and if you read the article, you'd see that they found absolutely nothing."

No evidence has publicly emerged that Trump was secretly in contact with or took direction from Russian officials, the Times said.

The FBI had been suspicious of Trump's ties to Russia during the 2016 campaign, but it held off on opening a probe until the president sacked Comey, who refused to roll back the Russia investigation, the Times said.

Mueller has indicted 33 people in the probe and convicted some of the president's close associates.

Trump's ex-national security advisor, Michael Flynn, has pleaded guilty to lying to investigators about his Moscow ties.

Trump's former personal lawyer, Michael Cohen, has been sentenced to three years in prison for multiple crimes, including felony violations of campaign finance laws that prosecutors allege were carried out under Trump's direction.

And Trump's former presidential campaign chairman, Paul Manafort, has been convicted in one case brought by Mueller and pleaded guilty in another, over financial crimes related to his work in Ukraine before the 2016 campaign, and for witness tampering.

President Donald Trump has rejected a Washington Post report that he has refused to share details of his conversations with Russian President Vladimir Putin with top US government officials.

President Donald Trump has rejected a Washington Post report that he has refused to share details of his conversations with Russian President Vladimir Putin with top US government officials. Trump, in a telephone interview late Saturday with Fox News, dismissed as "ridiculous" the Post story that alleged he went to great lengths to hide the content of his talks with Putin, even confiscating the notes of his interpreter and ordering that person to not discuss what was said. Trump said he had "a great conversation" with Putin in Helsinki in July 2018. When asked why not release details of the nearly two-hour conversation, Trump said: "I would, I don't with care. "I mean, I had a conversation like every president does. You sit with the president of various countries... We were talking about Israel and securing Israel and lots of other things ... I'm not keeping anything under wraps, I couldn't care less. I mean, it's so ridiculous." He added, "Anybody could have listened to that meeting, that meeting is up for grabs." According to the Post, there is no detailed record of Trump's personal talks with Putin at five locations over the past two years. The newspaper quotes unnamed current and former government officials as sources for the story. Trump also told Fox when asked about Putin that "no collusion" has been found between his 2016 campaign and Russia, that he was a better candidate than Democrat Hillary Clinton, that the US economy "is the strongest in the world," and that The Washington Post is "basically the lobbyist for Amazon," as both are owned by billionaire Jeff Bezos. A national security threat? Trump also took aim at an earlier story in The New York Times stating that the FBI launched a previously undisclosed counterintelligence investigation to determine whether he posed a national security threat, at the same time that it opened a criminal probe into possible obstruction of justice. The FBI investigation was later folded into the broader probe by Special Counsel Robert Mueller into Russia's meddling in the 2016 election and possible collaboration by the Trump campaign. Fox asked if he had ever worked for Russia. "I think it's the most insulting thing I've ever been asked," he said, without directly answering the question. He slammed the Times story as "the most insulting article I've ever had written and if you read the article, you'd see that they found absolutely nothing." No evidence has publicly emerged that Trump was secretly in contact with or took direction from Russian officials, the Times said. The FBI had been suspicious of Trump's ties to Russia during the 2016 campaign, but it held off on opening a probe until the president sacked Comey, who refused to roll back the Russia investigation, the Times said. Mueller has indicted 33 people in the probe and convicted some of the president's close associates. Trump's ex-national security advisor, Michael Flynn, has pleaded guilty to lying to investigators about his Moscow ties. Trump's former personal lawyer, Michael Cohen, has been sentenced to three years in prison for multiple crimes, including felony violations of campaign finance laws that prosecutors allege were carried out under Trump's direction. And Trump's former presidential campaign chairman, Paul Manafort, has been convicted in one case brought by Mueller and pleaded guilty in another, over financial crimes related to his work in Ukraine before the 2016 campaign, and for witness tampering.

Trump says he did not hide details of his meetings with Putin

Texas Democrat Julian Castro, a former San Antonio mayor who went on to be the top US housing official, announced his White House bid on Saturday, the first Hispanic in what looks to be a crowded field of <a href="http://www.wionews.com/videos/tulsi-gabbard-to-run-for-president-in-2020-will-make-formal-announcement-soon-189728">candidates vying to challenge President Donald Trump</a> in the November 2020 election.

Castro, 44, the grandson of a Mexican immigrant, served as secretary of Housing and Urban Development under former President Barack Obama and has long been viewed as a rising star in the party. He will seek to position himself as a political outsider with liberal credentials.

Castro has endorsed the "Medicare for all" proposal, which would in effect create a national health care plan by allowing anyone to join the public health care system. That policy point is likely to divide Democrats in the primary, with more moderate candidates favouring a less drastic approach.

Castro, whose grandmother was born in Mexico, has sought to use his family's personal story to criticise Trump's border policies.

More than a dozen potential Democratic candidates are exploring a possible run for president in 2020. Moderates and progressives in the party have been debating about how to best challenge Trump, the likely Republican nominee.

Some Democrats believe an establishment figure who can appeal to centrist voters is the way to win back the White House. Others contend a fresh face is needed to energize the party's increasingly left-leaning base.

Castro, who was considered on the short list to be Hillary Clinton's running mate in the 2016 election, will try to leverage his Obama administration experience while making the case he is still a political newcomer.

Castro's identical twin brother, Joaquin Castro, is a member of the US House of Representatives from Texas. Joaquin Castro's position on the House Intelligence Committee has made him a frequent public critic of the president.

Texas Democrat Julian Castro, a former San Antonio mayor who went on to be the top US housing official, announced his White House bid on Saturday, the first Hispanic in what looks to be a crowded field of candidates vying to challenge President Donald Trump in the November 2020 election.

Texas Democrat Julian Castro, a former San Antonio mayor who went on to be the top US housing official, announced his White House bid on Saturday, the first Hispanic in what looks to be a crowded field of candidates vying to challenge President Donald Trump in the November 2020 election. Castro, 44, the grandson of a Mexican immigrant, served as secretary of Housing and Urban Development under former President Barack Obama and has long been viewed as a rising star in the party. He will seek to position himself as a political outsider with liberal credentials. Castro has endorsed the "Medicare for all" proposal, which would in effect create a national health care plan by allowing anyone to join the public health care system. That policy point is likely to divide Democrats in the primary, with more moderate candidates favouring a less drastic approach. Castro, whose grandmother was born in Mexico, has sought to use his family's personal story to criticise Trump's border policies. More than a dozen potential Democratic candidates are exploring a possible run for president in 2020. Moderates and progressives in the party have been debating about how to best challenge Trump, the likely Republican nominee. Some Democrats believe an establishment figure who can appeal to centrist voters is the way to win back the White House. Others contend a fresh face is needed to energize the party's increasingly left-leaning base. Castro, who was considered on the short list to be Hillary Clinton's running mate in the 2016 election, will try to leverage his Obama administration experience while making the case he is still a political newcomer. Castro's identical twin brother, Joaquin Castro, is a member of the US House of Representatives from Texas. Joaquin Castro's position on the House Intelligence Committee has made him a frequent public critic of the president.

Democrat Julian Castro of Texas launches 2020 US presidential bid

The week that was, in pictures

The US government shutdown that has left 800,000 federal employees without salaries as a result of <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/trump-stops-short-of-emergency-declaration-in-border-wall-fight-189699">President Donald Trump</a>'s row with Democrats over building a Mexico border wall was set to enter a record 22nd day Saturday.

The Democrats' refusal to approve $5.7 billion demanded by Trump for the wall project has paralyzed Washington, with the president retaliating by refusing to sign off on budgets for swaths of government departments unrelated to the dispute.

As a result, workers as diverse as FBI agents, air traffic controllers and museum staff, did not receive paychecks on Friday.

The partial shutdown of the government was about to become the longest on record at midnight Friday&nbsp;when it will overtake the 21-day stretch in 1995-1996, under president Bill Clinton.

Earlier Friday, Trump backed off a series of previous threats to end the deadlock by declaring a national emergency and attempting to secure the funds without congressional approval.

"I'm not going to do it so fast," he said at a White House meeting.

Trump described an emergency declaration as the "easy way out" and said Congress had to step up to the responsibility of approving the $5.7 billion.

"If they can't do it..., I will declare a national emergency. I have the absolute right," he insisted.

Until now, Trump had suggested numerous times that he was getting closer to taking the controversial decision.

Only minutes earlier, powerful Republican ally Senator Lindsey Graham tweeted after talks with Trump: "Mr President, Declare a national emergency NOW."

It was not clear what made Trump change course.

But Trump himself acknowledged in the White House meeting that an attempt to claim emergency powers would likely end up in legal battles going all the way to the Supreme Court.

Opponents say that a unilateral move by the president over the sensitive border issue would be constitutional overreach and set a dangerous precedent in similar controversies.

'Under siege'&nbsp;

The standoff has turned into a test of political ego, particularly for Trump, who came into office boasting of his dealmaking powers and making an aggressive border policy the keystone of his nationalist agenda.

Democrats, meanwhile, seem determined at all costs to prevent a president who relishes campaign rally chants of "build the wall!" from getting a win.

Both Democrats and Republicans agree that the US-Mexican frontier presents major challenges, ranging from the hyper-violent Mexican drug trade to the plight of asylum seekers and poor migrants seeking new lives in the world's richest country.

There's also little debate that border walls are needed: about a third of the frontier is already fenced off.

But Trump has turned his single-minded push for more walls into a political crusade seen by opponents as a stunt to stoke xenophobia in his right-wing voter base, while wilfully ignoring the border's complex realities.

For Trump, who visited the Texas border with Mexico on Thursday, the border situation amounts to an invasion by criminals that can only be solved by more walls.

"We have a country that's under siege," he told the local officials in the White House.

Some studies show that illegal immigrants generally commit fewer crimes than people born in the United States, although not everyone agrees on this.

More certain is that while narcotics do enter the country across remote sections of the border, most are sneaked through heavily guarded checkpoints in vehicles, the government's own Drug Enforcement Administration said in a 2017 report.

It said that most smuggling is done "through US ports of entry (POEs) in passenger vehicles with concealed compartments or commingled with legitimate goods on tractor trailers."

Nancy Pelosi, the Democratic leader in the House of Representatives and a key figure in opposing Trump's agenda, said money should be spent in many areas of border security, but not on walls.

"We need to look at the facts," she said.

But Trump accused the Democrats of only wanting to score points against him with a view to the 2020 presidential elections.

"They think, 'Gee, we can hurt Trump,'" he said. "The Democrats are just following politics."

The US government shutdown that has left 800,000 federal employees without salaries as a result of President Donald Trump's row with Democrats over building a Mexico border wall was set to enter a record 22nd day Saturday.

The US government shutdown that has left 800,000 federal employees without salaries as a result of President Donald Trump's row with Democrats over building a Mexico border wall was set to enter a record 22nd day Saturday. The Democrats' refusal to approve $5.7 billion demanded by Trump for the wall project has paralyzed Washington, with the president retaliating by refusing to sign off on budgets for swaths of government departments unrelated to the dispute. As a result, workers as diverse as FBI agents, air traffic controllers and museum staff, did not receive paychecks on Friday. The partial shutdown of the government was about to become the longest on record at midnight Friday when it will overtake the 21-day stretch in 1995-1996, under president Bill Clinton. Earlier Friday, Trump backed off a series of previous threats to end the deadlock by declaring a national emergency and attempting to secure the funds without congressional approval. "I'm not going to do it so fast," he said at a White House meeting. Trump described an emergency declaration as the "easy way out" and said Congress had to step up to the responsibility of approving the $5.7 billion. "If they can't do it..., I will declare a national emergency. I have the absolute right," he insisted. Until now, Trump had suggested numerous times that he was getting closer to taking the controversial decision. Only minutes earlier, powerful Republican ally Senator Lindsey Graham tweeted after talks with Trump: "Mr President, Declare a national emergency NOW." It was not clear what made Trump change course. But Trump himself acknowledged in the White House meeting that an attempt to claim emergency powers would likely end up in legal battles going all the way to the Supreme Court. Opponents say that a unilateral move by the president over the sensitive border issue would be constitutional overreach and set a dangerous precedent in similar controversies. 'Under siege' The standoff has turned into a test of political ego, particularly for Trump, who came into office boasting of his dealmaking powers and making an aggressive border policy the keystone of his nationalist agenda. Democrats, meanwhile, seem determined at all costs to prevent a president who relishes campaign rally chants of "build the wall!" from getting a win. Both Democrats and Republicans agree that the US-Mexican frontier presents major challenges, ranging from the hyper-violent Mexican drug trade to the plight of asylum seekers and poor migrants seeking new lives in the world's richest country. There's also little debate that border walls are needed: about a third of the frontier is already fenced off. But Trump has turned his single-minded push for more walls into a political crusade seen by opponents as a stunt to stoke xenophobia in his right-wing voter base, while wilfully ignoring the border's complex realities. For Trump, who visited the Texas border with Mexico on Thursday, the border situation amounts to an invasion by criminals that can only be solved by more walls. "We have a country that's under siege," he told the local officials in the White House. Some studies show that illegal immigrants generally commit fewer crimes than people born in the United States, although not everyone agrees on this. More certain is that while narcotics do enter the country across remote sections of the border, most are sneaked through heavily guarded checkpoints in vehicles, the government's own Drug Enforcement Administration said in a 2017 report. It said that most smuggling is done "through US ports of entry (POEs) in passenger vehicles with concealed compartments or commingled with legitimate goods on tractor trailers." Nancy Pelosi, the Democratic leader in the House of Representatives and a key figure in opposing Trump's agenda, said money should be spent in many areas of border security, but not on walls. "We need to look at the facts," she said. But Trump accused the Democrats of only wanting to score points against him with a view to the 2020 presidential elections. "They think, 'Gee, we can hurt Trump,'" he said. "The Democrats are just following politics."

Government shutdown enters 22nd day, longest federal closure in US history

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