#whitehouse – European Affairs Magazine

Trump must move awayfrom Obama's ideals

24 Maggio 2017 BreakingNews @en di

Jerusalem Affairs and Environmental Protection Minister Ze’ev Elkin spoke in an interview with Arutz Sheva about US President Donald Trump’s attempts to restart peace negotiations during his visit to Israel this week. according to Elkin also said that Trump had changed the attitude of the White House towards Iran from what it had been during the Obama years. Where Obama sought to portray Iran as a moderate country which the US should improve its relationship with – even when its allies were opposed to the concessions the Obama Administration made to Iran – Trump spoke forcefully against Iran’s pursuit of nuclear weapons and its exporting of terrorism and violence throughout the region during his visit to Israel.However, Elkin said that Trump still clung to two mistaken assumptions from the Obama Administration. The first was that solving the Arab-Israeli conflict through a peace deal with the PA was essential to solving all other conflicts in the Middle East. Elkin said that anyone who looks at the situation in Syria can clearly see that the Arab-Israeli conflict has nothing to do with the carnage which has claimed approximately half a million lives and created millions of refugees.Trump’s second mistaken assumption,according to Elkin, is that the President has gone along with Abbas’ facade of moderation, including Abbas’ need to be treated with honor as a Middle Eastern leader. “We need to accustom the world to the fact that we, too, are a Middle Eastern country whose honor is also important to it”, he said. Finally, he said that in his opinion Trump can move the amassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem.

Trump says hasn't ruled out visiting Western Wall with Netanyahu

20 Maggio 2017 BreakingNews @en di

Trump says he has not ruled out visiting Western Wall with Netanyahu.In an exclusive interview with Israel Hayom, US President Donald Trump says “I love the people of Israel, I’m working hard to finally have peace for Israel and the Palestinians” US President Donald Trump has not yet decided who will accompany him to the Western Wall during his upcoming visit to Israel, but he told Israel Hayom in an exclusive interview Thursday: “We have great respect and friendship for [Prime Minister Benjamin] Netanyahu”. On Tuesday, the White House said that Netanyahu would not accompany Trump on the first visit to the holy site by an incumbent U.S. president. “No Israeli leaders will join President Trump at the Western Wall,” National Security Adviser H.R. McMaster told reporters.The decision to visit the Western Wall “with the rabbi is more traditional, but that could change”, Trump told Boaz Bismuth at the White House Thursday, when asked why Netanyahu would not accompany him.In the interview, the American president reiterated his desire to reach a peace agreement between Israel and the Palestinians.

High-level Kurdistan Region delegation to meet with security council in US

15 Maggio 2017 BreakingNews @en di

Kurdish Chancellor Masrour Barzani is leading a high-level delegation this week to Washington, D.C., where they will meet principle members of the US National Security Council (NSC). “On Monday, Chancellor Barzani will lead a high-level delegation from the Kurdistan Region to meet principle members of the US National Security Council”, read a statement from the Kurdistan Region Security Council (KRSC). It is Barzani’s second official visit to Washington in the past six months and first since US President Donald Trump took office in January. The Chancellor will underscore Kurdistan’s future bilateral relations with Iraq and the United States, read the statement. “Barzani will discuss the importance of continued US military and political support to the Kurdistan Region and its Peshmerga Forces”. The NSC is the White House’s primary advisory body on foreign and domestic security issues. Its members are selected by the current president and include Vice President Mike Pence, Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, Secretary of Defense James Mattis and Secretary of Energy Rick Perry. In addition to KRSC Chancellor Barzani, the Kurdish delegation includes Fuad Hussein, chief of staff to the Kurdish President, and the Kurdistan Regional Government’s representative to the United States, Her Excellency Bayan Sami Abdul Rahman. On Tuesday, Barzani will speak at the influential and conservative D.C. think tank, the Heritage Foundation. “Chancellor Barzani will also outline strategies to address Iraq’s unending conflict,” the Heritage Foundation wrote”. “[He] will give insights on the anti-ISIL campaign; immediate and long-term political challenges in Iraq and the broader Middle East”. Kurdistan’s Council of Ministers agreed to a joint Peshmerga and US proposed plan that seeks to unify and reorganize the Kurdish Peshmerga forces in the next ten years, a government official told Rudaw on Sunday. In March, the US State Department approved a possible sale of military equipment to the Peshmerga to an estimated cost of $295.6 million. Kurdish officials have also emphasized the need for addressing the defeat of ISIS beyond the battlefield.

White House: Removing Comey will help bring Russia investigation to end

12 Maggio 2017 BreakingNews @en di

The White House said Thursday that removing FBI Director James Comey from his post may hasten the agency’s investigation into Russian meddling. “We want this to come to its conclusion, we want it to come to its conclusion with integrity”, said deputy press secretary Sarah Sanders, referring to the FBI’s probe into Moscow’s interference in last year’s election. “And we think that we’ve actually, by removing Director Comey, taken steps to make that happen”.

Israel, Palestinians battle for votes over Jerusalem resolution at UNESCO.

2 Maggio 2017 BreakingNews @en di

Israel is battling to prevent a public-relations victory for the Palestinians at the UNESCO. Executive Board in Paris, which is expected to disavow Israeli sovereignty over Jerusalem on Independence Day. Such a vote would provide Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas a boost when he meets with US President Donald Trump at the White House just one day later.The resolution’s text stated: “Any action taken by Israel, the occupying power, to impose its laws, jurisdiction and administration on the city of Jerusalem are illegal and therefore null and void and have no validity whatsoever”. This week in Paris, according to diplomatic sources, European diplomats, led by Germany, met with Arab state representatives to amend the text even further so that EU states could either abstain or support the document. The Palestinians are playing a game with the Europeans and others by trying to use UN language that refers to east Jerusalem and, “in their own political determinations, they mean the whole of Jerusalem”, Baker said.Israel’s struggle for votes at UNESCO has put it at odds with Germany, which last year opposed a resolution on Jerusalem but this year is expected to either abstain or support the text.

United States pushes for more sanctions, diplomacy over North Korea threats.

28 Aprile 2017 BreakingNews @en di

The Donald Trump administration is seeking to step up sanctions and pressure as its key drivers to tackle North Korea’s nuclear and missile programs, while engaging the regime through diplomacy, top US officials said Wednesday. Following a two-month review, the administration is said to have recently settled on its North Korea policy, dubbed “maximum pressure and engagement”. Trump hosted a rare closed-door briefing for all 100 senators at the White House, after which Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, Secretary of Defense James Mattis and Director of National Intelligence Dan Coats issued a joint statement, vowing efforts to boost pressure on Pyongyang.

UN-proposed government's PM to meet with Donald Trump in Washington.

26 Aprile 2017 BreakingNews @en di

The Head of the UN-proposed government’s Presidential Council, Fayez Al-Sirraj, has been invited to visit the White House to meet with the US President, Donald Trump, next June. According to first informations, Al-Sirraj could also meet General Haftar during the visit to Washington, which could be the beginning of a reconciliation between both parts of Libya, under US auspicce. However, few days ago, after an official meeting with Italian Prime Minister, Gentiloni, Donald Trump tol that US has no role to play in the Libyan peacemaking process.

Trump provokes Danish response on ‘Worrying’ Climate development.

30 Marzo 2017 BreakingNews @en di

Donald Trump’s pro-fossil fuel executive order may make it harder for the world to honor its climate change commitments but won’t be enough to stop the advance of clean energy, Denmark will tell the U.S. president when its prime minister visits the White House on Thursday. “I think it is worrying that President Trump is rolling back a number of Obama’s climate actions”, Danish Energy Minister Lars Christian Lilleholt told Bloomberg in an emailed response to questions on Wednesday.

White House 'considering potential attack' to liberate Al-Hudaydah port.

28 Marzo 2017 BreakingNews @en di

Key members of the US government will attend a meeting, set this week, to discuss the situation in Yemen since the Arab Alliance requested their participation in the battle to control the port. The proposal was presented last year to the Obama administration, which rejected the plan because it was seen as a direct engagement of US troops in Yemen. Nowadays US officials said there are two plans to intervene in Yemen against the Houthis and their allies, one sponsored by Central District Commander General Votel and the second one by the Defense Secretary Mattis. It will be President Donald Trump to decide wich plan to proceed with. Some details about the plan have leaked and it seems that the US will assist UAE forces with Special Forces, air and sea backup and surveillance. Moreover the plan proposed by the Defense Secretary will not include ground troops or US special units but will include planning, providing coordinates and fuel for the fighters and in fine field commanders will manage the battle without going back to the White House.

US defense chief, Saudi deputy crown prince discuss about military cooperation and terrorism

18 Marzo 2017 BreakingNews @en di

During his visit to the White House, the Saudi Deputy Crown Prince and Defense Minister Mohammed bin Salman on Thursday met US Defense Secretary James Mattis. They discussed about military cooperation and terrorism,which are two connected issue because to fight terrorism and terroristic groups the two countries need to cooperate militarly. They also discussed the biggest threats of the region, which is not only terrorism but also Iran and its “destabilizing regional activities”.