| Flowers, candles for doomed Ukrainian flight crew Posted: 08 Jan 2020 04:49 PM PST  At Ukraine's Boryspil airport, flowers and candles were laid out in front of portraits of the Ukrainian crew killed in the Boeing passenger jet crash in Iran on Wednesday. Squatting down, several flight attendants arranged candles. "I knew them all," said Artem, a Ukraine International Airlines pilot, who laid a bouquet of red roses by the portraits of his deceased colleagues.
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| Trump calls for new nuclear deal while bashing old one with misinformation Posted: 08 Jan 2020 04:28 PM PST  It's an often-repeated line from him, but there was one change in U.S. policy Wednesday: Trump called for other world powers to abandon the nuclear accord, which is barely surviving after he withdrew the U.S. in 2018 and Iran has unraveled its cooperation since 2019. Instead, Trump urged those countries that remain in the deal to pursue negotiations over a new Iran nuclear deal.
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| Analysis: Trump seeks election-year out after Iran strikes Posted: 08 Jan 2020 04:27 PM PST  President Donald Trump said Iran was "standing down" from possible conflict with the U.S. But Trump himself was just as eager for an out. Trump, by declining to take military action in retaliation for Iranian missile strikes against Iraqi bases that house U.S. troops, edged the nation back from the brink of a war that could have destabilized the Middle East.
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| Rep. Duncan Hunter's seat will sit vacant until 2021 Posted: 08 Jan 2020 04:27 PM PST  California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) will not hold a special election to fill the congressional seat that will soon be vacated by Rep. Duncan Hunter (R-Calif.).Hunter, who represents the 50th Congressional District covering parts of San Diego and Riverside counties, announced on Tuesday that he is resigning, effective Monday. In 2018, Hunter and his wife, Margaret Hunter, were indicted and accused of stealing $250,000 in campaign funds, which was used to pay for personal items and his extramarital affair.Hunter made a deal with prosecutors, and in December, pleaded guilty to a single felony count of conspiracy to convert campaign funds to personal use. He could receive up to five years in prison.In a statement Wednesday, Newsom's office said that "based on the timing of the resignation, a special election will not be called." The state's primary is just two months away, and it would be difficult to either set up a special election or consolidate it with the primary, The San Diego Union-Tribune notes. The seat will stay vacant until after the general election in November, with the eventual winner being sworn in next January.More stories from theweek.com Iran has offered Trump an 'off-ramp' from war, and there's growing speculation he might take it Joe Biden's free ride is over Harvey Weinstein's legal team tries to get judge, attorney Gloria Allred removed from proceedings
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| After ripping up Obama’s Iran playbook, Trump quickly pieces it back together Posted: 08 Jan 2020 04:26 PM PST |
| UN envoy: Terrorist attacks surging in Sahel and West Africa Posted: 08 Jan 2020 04:20 PM PST |
| Unswayed by Iran briefings, Democrats seek to check Trump war power Posted: 08 Jan 2020 04:00 PM PST  US Democratic lawmakers pressed ahead Wednesday with plans to check President Donald Trump's ability to take military action against Iran, despite Congress breathing a collective sigh of relief at the de-escalation of conflict with the Islamic republic. Republicans and Democrats alike expressed broad support for the toning down of sabre-rattling rhetoric both by President Donald Trump and Iranian officials, and satisfaction that no Americans were killed in Tehran's missile strike aimed at bases in Iraq housing US troops.
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| Is an Iran cyber attack imminent — and who is at risk? Here’s how to prepare yourself Posted: 08 Jan 2020 03:58 PM PST  Texas was already pummeled with roughly 10,000 cyber attacks from Iran per minute.
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| GOP Sen. Mike Lee blasts officials for 'insulting and demeaning' Iran briefing Posted: 08 Jan 2020 03:56 PM PST  President Donald Trump's close, conservative ally Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah, was livid following a classified briefing that members of Congress received Wednesday by top officials on the decision to order an airstrike that killed Iranian Gen. Qassem Soleimani, which brought tensions with Iran to a boiling point. While most Republicans came out of the briefing with praise for the administration's handling of last week's drone strike that killed Soleimani, Lee said he was left utterly shocked and insulted that administration officials allegedly told senators they shouldn't debate and discuss military action against Iran.
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| What are Iran's military capabilities? Posted: 08 Jan 2020 03:50 PM PST  What are Iran's military strengths and weaknesses? Iran's military strength does not lie in its conventional forces, despite their size, something that Iranian leaders fully realize, according to experts.
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| 2 rockets land in Baghdad's Green Zone Posted: 08 Jan 2020 03:38 PM PST  Two rockets landed inside Baghdad's Green Zone late Wednesday night, the Iraqi military said.The Green Zone is a heavily-fortified area that is home to embassies for the United States and several other countries. The Iraqi military told CNN there are no reports of any casualties. There have been multiple rocket attacks against the Green Zone in recent months.It is unclear where the rockets came from or who fired them. On Tuesday, Iran fired more than a dozen missiles at two Iraqi bases hosting U.S. troops, in response to the killing of Iranian Maj. Gen. Qassem Soleimani last week. Army Gen. Mark Milley, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said on Wednesday evening that he "fully expects" Iranian-backed militias to "conduct terrorist operations against U.S. forces and coalition forces in Iraq and perhaps even elsewhere."More stories from theweek.com Iran has offered Trump an 'off-ramp' from war, and there's growing speculation he might take it Joe Biden's free ride is over Harvey Weinstein's legal team tries to get judge, attorney Gloria Allred removed from proceedings
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| Trump backs away from strikes saying Iran is 'standing down' after missile attack Posted: 08 Jan 2020 03:37 PM PST  Donald Trump backed away from ordering fresh military strikes on Iran on Wednesday after a barrage of missiles fired by the Revolutionary Guard struck American bases in Iraq but failed to cause any casualties. Mr Trump said Iran "appears to be standing down" following the missile attack and as a result he would impose fresh sanctions on the Iranian economy but would not order any immediate retaliatory strikes. "The American people should extremely grateful and happy: no Americans were harmed in last night's attack by the Iranian regime," Mr Trump said. "Iran appears to be standing down, which is a good thing for all parties concerned and a very good thing for the world." Javad Zarif, Iran's foreign minister, said the missile strike "concluded" the Iranian retaliation for the death of Qassim Soleimani, the Quds force commander, and said Iran was not seeking further "escalation or war". However, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, the supreme leader, struck a more aggressive tone and "such military actions are not enough" to avenge Soleimani, implying Iran would continue covert and political action to drive the US out of the Middle East. Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei delivers a speech during a gathering in Tehran Mr Trump also criticised the UK and other states still adhering to the Iran nuclear deal, saying Iran maintained ambitions to develop a nuclear weapon and should be sanctioned further. "The time has come for the United Kingdom, Germany, France, Russia, and China to recognise this reality," he said. At least 22 missiles were fired from Iran towards the al-Asad airbase, which hosts 1,500 American and British troops, and a smaller airbase in Erbil in the northeast of Iraq in the early hours of Wednesday morning, Iraq's military said. Satellite imagery showed several of the missiles stuck buildings at al-Asad, the second largest airbase in Iraq. Mr Trump said casualties were avoided "because of the precautions taken, the dispersal of forces, and an early warning system that worked very well". US defence officials also suggested that Iran may have deliberately tried not to kill US troops to avoid triggering American retaliation and potentially a full-blown war. Iran fires missiles on US military bases in Iraq Credit: IRIB HANDOUT/EPA-EFE/REX On Wednesday night three Katyusha rockets hit Baghdad's heavily fortified Green Zone, one landing 100 metres from the US embassy. There were no casualties and no immediate claim of responsibility. Dr Sidharth Kaushal, an expert at the RUSI think tank, noted that Iran chose not to use the most accurate missiles in their arsenal and instead relied on a set of less accurate Fateh-110 weapons. "It's not inconceivable that they limited the scale and sophistication of the attack to send a message but also minimise casualties," he said. The Iranian strike, dubbed "Operation Martyr Soleimani" by the Revolutionary Guard, was hailed as a success inside Iran and state television triumphantly but falsely proclaimed that US troops were killed. "Such military actions are not sufficient. What is important is ending the corrupting presence of America in the region," Ayatollah Khamenei told a crowd in Tehran several hours after the attack. Western officials believe that while Iran may concluded overt military action against the US in response to Soleimani's death, they are likely to apply continue applying political pressure on Iraq to expel US forces and carry on with attacks through proxies or covert means. Qais al-Khazali, an Iraqi Shia militia leader, said that while Iran had now avenged Soleimani Iraqis must now carry out an attack of their own in response to the death of Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis, a militia figure killed at his side. "Their response will be no less than the size of the Iranian response and this is a promise," Mr Khazali said in a post on Twitter. While the Iraqi militias do not have Iran's sophisticated missile capabilities they are capable of attacking Western bases with rockets throughout Iraq. Iranian people celebrate in the street after Iran launched missiles at U.S.-led forces in Iraq, in Tehran Credit: Nazanin Tabatabaee/WANA Iraq's government said Iran had warned them moments before the missile attacks and said it was working hard to avoid "a comprehensive, devastating war" between the US and Iran inside its territory. In a statement addressing the strikes, a spokesman for Iraq's Shia prime minister, Adil Abdul-Mahdi, complained in general terms of "violation of its sovereignty" but avoided criticising Iran directly. The country's Kurdish president and Sunni parliamentary speaker were more direct and condemned the Iranian attack on Iraqi bases. Iraq's parliament voted last week to expel US forces from the country, meaning that while the US has weathered the Iranian military response it must still navigate the complicated politics of maintaining its position in Iraq while being seen to respect Iraqi sovereignty.
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| Iran fired more than 20 missiles at US targets in Iraq: What we know about the attack Posted: 08 Jan 2020 03:35 PM PST  The U.S. now believes that Iran launched between 20 and 24 ballistic missiles on Tuesday night at two military facilities in Iraq that house U.S. troops, according to a U.S. official. The official told ABC News that Iran had fired between 20 and 24 ballistic missiles at two U.S. military facilities at Al Asad airbase in western Iraq and Irbil in northern Iraq.
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| Top US general says Iran wanted to 'kill personnel' in missile attack on US forces in Iraq Posted: 08 Jan 2020 03:28 PM PST  Contradicting speculation that Iran tried to spare lives, Gen. Mark Milley said Iran wanted to destroy equipment and aircraft and "kill personnel."
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| Mississippi moms question state as they bury slain inmates Posted: 08 Jan 2020 03:15 PM PST  Manslaughter isn't supposed to be a death sentence. All three prisoners were slain by fellow inmates at Mississippi State Penitentiary at Parchman last week. The outbreak of violence has brought national attention to problems that have long plagued Mississippi's overstretched prison system.
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| Joint Chiefs chairman: Iran intended to kill American troops in missile attacks Posted: 08 Jan 2020 03:12 PM PST  Some news reports earlier in the day suggested that the Pentagon believed Iran deliberately avoided harming U.S. troops.
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| Pentagon chief: US has restored 'level of deterrence' on Iran Posted: 08 Jan 2020 03:10 PM PST  US Defense Secretary Mark Esper said Wednesday that the United States has reestablished some deterrence toward Iran in the wake of the January 3 drone strike that killed Iranian general Qasem Soleimani in Baghdad. "I think at this point with the strikes we took against KH in late December and then our actions with regard to Soleimani, I believe that we've restored a level of deterrence with them," he told reporters, referring to Kataeb Hezbollah, an armed Iraqi group backed by Iran. Esper's comments came after Iran fired a volley of ballistic missiles Wednesday into two bases in Iraq that house US troops, in response to Soleimani's killing.
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| Trump pulls back for now but game of chicken with Tehran far from over Posted: 08 Jan 2020 03:09 PM PST  Neither Tehran nor Washington want a war but the campaign of maximum pressure and the impulse for revenge mean they remain on collision courseThe safety net that prevented a new Middle East catastrophe overnight has always been there. Neither the US nor Iran wants to go to war with each other. But it is a failsafe that has been tested too fecklessly too many times – and there is no reason to assume it will continue to hold indefinitely.The fact there have been no confirmed reports of casualties from Iran's missile strikes on military bases in Iraq may be due to early warning systems or the fact that Iraq's government was tipped off so Americans and Iraqis had enough time to take cover. But the intention seems to have been to keep the strike limited and proportional.From Tehran's point of view, there was a narrow range of options. To preserve the government's legitimacy, the response to the killing of an icon of the revolution, Qassem Suleimani, had to be bold and look impressive on television. For good measure, Iranian media were seeded with stories of dozens of US casualties.But the Iranian strikes could not be so extensive that they triggered a war that Iran would not win. The best it could hope for was an enormously destructive draw. Only the truly messianic would welcome such an outcome – those willing to hurl the nation into the abyss and put its fate in God's hands.Washington has its own messianic lobby which is arguably even more influential. Both the secretary of state, Mike Pompeo, and Vice-President Mike Pence represent a strand of evangelical Christianity which views events in the Middle East through the prism of biblical prophecy, with Iran playing the role of evil embodied hurtling towards an apocalyptic battle with the forces of good. Both Pompeo and Pence are reported to have urged Trump to pull the trigger on Suleimani.In pushing for conflict with Iran, they have allies among traditional hardline conservatives. The leader of that group, John Bolton, has left the White House, but his influence lives on. But while they can cajole Trump into military action on occasion by playing on his fear of appearing weak the president remains deeply averse to all-out war, especially in an election year. It is one of the few relatively fixed points in his erratic approach to dealing with foreigners.The relief and triumph with which Trump drove down the off-ramp Iran had provided was evident in his Wednesday morning speech.None of the above is a guarantee against war. Looking at the satellite photos of the damage, it seems only a matter of good luck and good precautions that soldiers in Iraq were not killed. If there had been US casualties, Trump would almost certainly have retaliated, and the cycle of escalation could easily have spun out of control.In any case, it seems unlikely even this round of tit-for-tat retaliation is really over. Iran's supreme leader, Ali Khamenei, said the missiles were just a "slap in the face" and insufficient remedy for the loss of Suleimani. It is a safe bet there is more to come, most likely from Iran's allies and proxies in Iraq, whose leaders were killed by the same drone strike that killed the Iranian general.The desire for revenge will supercharge the Iraqi militias' central mission: to drive US forces out of Iraq, a goal that Suleimani pursued in life, and has come close to achieving with his death.Iran has a wide choice of other fronts on which it can plot revenge, including the Persian Gulf oil shipping lanes, Saudi and Emirati infrastructure, and cyberwarfare. Past experience suggests that real revenge will be served cold, in a manner that makes its provenance clear to the intelligence services but impossible to prove to the public and US allies.More importantly, both sides are still set on the same paths that lead straight to the brink. The fact that they managed to stop themselves falling over the edge this time is of small comfort if they are going to dust themselves off and race down the same course again.The death of Suleimani is very unlikely to stop Iran from seeking to expand its influence through violence across the region, supplying weapons to the Houthis in Yemen, conducting its proxy campaign in Iraq to force out US troops, and most of all in Syria, where Iran is complicit in Bashar Assad's war on his own people, itself a driver of extremism and instability.And while Trump made conciliatory noises in his remarks on Wednesday, he also made it clear that dodging a bullet this time had only deepened his conviction that his campaign of maximum pressure was working, and that ultimately Iran would buckle to his demands.Those demands, formulated by Pompeo, include a retreat from foreign military operations and a complete end to uranium enrichment. There is not the remotest chance Iran will agree to that. It is currently moving in the other direction, stepping up enrichment beyond the bounds agreed in the 2015 deal for which Trump reserved his greatest contempt on Wednesday.That does not necessarily mean Tehran has taken the decision to pursue a nuclear weapon, but the fawning respect with which Trump treats Kim Jong-un, compared with his demonisation of Tehran's clerics, undoubtedly strengthens the incentives to do so.The thing about maximum pressure is that it normally causes things to explode. The recurring surprise is that Trump administration continually expects something different.
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| Trump administration briefing on Iran angers Republican senators, boosts effort to restrict presidential power Posted: 08 Jan 2020 03:06 PM PST  A briefing by Trump administration officials about the U.S. military strike that killed Iran's most famous general backfired on Wednesday, angering two Republican senators and driving them to support a Democratic effort to require congressional approval for any further military engagement.
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| Trump officials give 'worst briefing in history' about Iran missile attack, leaving even Republicans fuming Posted: 08 Jan 2020 03:04 PM PST  The intelligence briefings given by top Trump administration officials to detail the rationale for an airstrike that has led the US to the brink of war with Iran has been derided by members of both parties in the US Capitol, marking a rare breach of unity in the Republican ranks.The classified briefings were intended to bring Congress out of the dark on the justification for the airstrike Donald Trump ordered last week that killed Quds Force commander Qassem Soleimani, Iran's second most powerful figure.
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| Trump backs away from further military confrontation with Iran Posted: 08 Jan 2020 03:02 PM PST  'Iran appears to be standing down,' Trump said, in an uncharacteristically sober speech following rising tensions between US and IranDonald Trump backed away from further military confrontation with Iran on Wednesday after days of escalating tensions, saying Tehran appeared to be standing down following missile attacks on two Iraqi bases hosting US and coalition troops.Flanked by the vice-president, Mike Pence, the defense secretary, Mark Esper, and other high ranking military officials in uniform, Trump delivered remarks in the Grand Foyer of the White House, hours after Iran declared the attack to be retaliation for the US drone strike last week that killed the senior Iranian Gen Qassem Suleimani."Iran appears to be standing down, which is a good thing for all parties concerned and a very good thing for the world," Trump said, reading from teleprompters. "No American or Iraqi lives were lost because of the precautions taken, the dispersal of forces, and an early warning system that worked very well."Later, the chairman of the joint chiefs of staff, General Mark Milley, said the nature of the missile damage at the targeted bases suggested the attack was intended to take US and allied lives."I believe, based on what I saw and what I know, that they were intended to cause structural damage, destroy vehicles and equipment and aircraft and to kill personnel. That's my own personal assessment," Milley said. Satellite images showed the missiles destroyed buildings at al-Asad base in Anbar province.A few hours after the president spoke, the fortified diplomatic area in Baghdad, the Green Zone, was hit by two rockets. Initial reports suggest they were fired locally, and caused no casualties, but they were a reminder of the threat of Iraqi militias, some with close ties to Tehran.Trump's speech was notably more sober than his more bellicose statements and tweets in the immediate aftermath of Suleimani's killing, in which he threatened to bomb Iranian cultural sites, a potential war crime. The United States, in recent days, deployed 3,500 paratroopers to the Middle East and Americans were urged to leave the region over safety concerns.Trump said the United States would continue evaluating options "in response to Iranian aggression" and that additional sanctions on the Iranian regime would be imposed. He did not elaborate. Iran is already so heavily sanctioned that few experts believe that further US measures would make much economic difference.The president stressed the considerable power of the United States military but said that his administration did not seek conflict."Our missiles are big, powerful accurate lethal and fast. Under construction are many hypersonic missiles," Trump said. "The fact that we have this great military and equipment, however, it does not mean we have to use it. We do not want to use it."The president, who is campaigning for re-election in November, has faced fierce criticism from senior Democrats in recent days over his administration's handling of the standoff. Joe Biden, the former vice-president seen as the frontrunner for the presidential nomination, accused Trump brought the United States "dangerously close" to war with Iran.Senior administration officials briefed Congress behind closed doors on the decision to target Suleimani and other aspects of the crisis, but they were castigated on both sides of the aisle for being evasive on major issues."There were so many important questions that they did not answer," said Democratic senator Chuck Schumer. "As the questions began to get tough, they walked out."Republican senator Mike Lee called it "the worst briefing I've had on a military issue in my nine years" in the Senate, according to CNN. Lee called the administration's handling of the crisis "un-American" and "completely unacceptable".On Thursday, the House of Representatives will vote on a war powers resolution that demands an end to US military action against Iran without congressional approval.Trump's address came after Iran launched more than a dozen missiles at Iraqi bases hosting US and coalition troops. Al-Asad airbase in Iraq's Anbar province was hit 17 times, including by two ballistic missiles that failed to detonate, according to the Iraqi government. A further five missiles were targeted at a base in the northern city of Erbil in the assault, which began at about 1.30am local time on Wednesday.The Iranian foreign minister, Javad Zarif, made clear the strikes had "concluded" early on Wednesday morning, and characterised them as "proportionate measures in self-defence" rather than an act of war."We do not seek escalation or war, but will defend ourselves against any aggression," Zarif wrote on Twitter.However, while both sides appeared to step back from confrontation in the short term, analysts have warned that the standoff may continue to play out through proxies in the Middle East. Security experts have also warned of possible Iranian cyber attacks on critical infrastructure.Iran's supreme leader, Ali Khamenei, described the bombings as "a slap in the face" for the US but warned Tehran still had a wider goal of expelling its enemy from the region. The Iranian president, Hassan Rouhani, said the "final answer" to the assassination would be to "kick all US forces out of the region".In his Wednesday address, Trump again vowed that he would not allow Iran to obtain a nuclear weapon and urged world powers to quit a 2015 nuclear accord with Iran that Washington abandoned in 2018 and work for a new deal, an issue that has been at the heart of rising tensions between Washington and Tehran. Iran has denied it seeks nuclear weapons, and rejected new talks."The time has come for the United Kingdom, Germany, France, Russia and China to recognize this reality," Trump said. "They must now break away from the remnants of the Iran deal or JCPOA. And we must all work together toward making a deal with Iran, that makes the world a safer and more peaceful place."Trump also said he would ask Nato to "become much more involved in the Middle East process", without elaborating. Trump in the past has repeatedly criticized the alliance and further alienated his European partners by failing to warn them about the Suleimani killing.There was no immediate reaction from Iranian officials to Trump's comments. The semi-official Fars news agency described the US president's remarks as a "big retreat from threats".Ned Price, a former CIA official who also worked on the National Security Council during Barack Obama's administration, said that the speech had moved the United States somewhat away from the brink of war with Iran."President Trump's reckless approach has created a dangerous reality in which the best case scenario would be avoiding war with Iran," Price said. "With his address today, Trump may have met that exceedingly low bar, but just barely. At the same time, his actions are not consequence-free. Far from it, as Americans around the world and our partners are now under increased threat from an array of challenges."But Price also noted that by authorizing the Suleimani killing, Trump had "galvanized Tehran's proxy and military forces into action"."If history is any guide, they will seek to take on a months' or even years'-long effort to seek vengeance for Suleimani's death, taking advantage of their presence throughout the region and even beyond," Price added.Additional reporting: Michael Safi in Beirut, Oliver Holmes and Ghaith Abdul-Ahad in Baghdad
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| Buttigieg Ad Highlights Black Support: Campaign Update Posted: 08 Jan 2020 02:57 PM PST |
| How tensions with Iran could reshape Democratic primary Posted: 08 Jan 2020 02:55 PM PST  Democratic presidential candidates have spent the past year in a largely polite debate over domestic issues such as whether private health insurance should be eliminated in favor of a government-run program. "In the short run, there's no question" that the developments could reshape the race, billionaire environmentalist and presidential candidate Tom Steyer said in a phone interview. Last week, President Donald Trump ordered the killing of Gen. Qassem Soleimani, the head of Iran's elite Quds Force.
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| Why Ivanka Trump’s Presence At CES Sparked So Much Backlash Posted: 08 Jan 2020 02:53 PM PST  It's been a busy day for the Trump family. While President Donald Trump addressed the nation regarding tensions with Iran, his alleged favorite child, Ivanka Trump, was chosen as this year's keynote speaker for the annual Consumer Electronics Show (CES). And her speech, well, made it's own headlines. Ivanka Trump, whose career has shifted from runway model to senior advisor to the president, was perhaps an unconventional choice to speak at the high-profile tech event. And it seems that attendees were all fairly shocked by the choicer to have Trump as speaker. Prior to taking the stage to deliver her speech, Trump found herself the subject of some major critique who felt that there were many more qualified women in the tech industry to represent the event. What became a full-blown controversy actually started in late December when Trump was announced as a keynote speaker at CES. It quickly ignited the Twitter hashtag boycottCES, which seemed to target Ivanka Trump's existence at the event. Despite the overwhelming backlash, though, Trump's actual speech didn't incite any noteworthy protesting. Interviewed by the event's organizer, Consumer Technology Association CEO Gary Shapiro, Trump pitched programs to help blue-collar workers, develop apprenticeships, and invest in science and technology education programs. She also spoke about her focus on workforce development in relation to her work as presidential adviser and how she acts as co-chair of the National Council for the American Worker alongside commerce secretary Wilbur Ross. "It's not only about training for the jobs of the future," said Trump in her speech. "People need to be thinking about investing in their current workforce so they can enable those people to do their same job using different equipment now." Her speech drew applause in the moment, reports the Washington Post; however, it was, once again following by the silently scathing reaction of the tech industry and Twitterverse.CES itself bore considerable criticism for hosting Trump. For years, industry and media alike have called on the annual electronics conference to diversify its speaker lineup. Often, the speaker roster is exclusively men. In the last two years, CES has added women as speakers and women in the industry responded by saying it was "a start." When there are so many women working and leading innovation in tech, Silicon Valley is scratching their heads at Trump being offered the spot. "There are a lot of women who are doing a lot of work to help women in tech and build products that help women and help children and families," Sara Mauskopf, the CEO of the child-care start-up Winnie, told the Washington Post. "Ivanka Trump is not one of them."Shapiro addressed the backlash in an interview with BBC saying that Trump was invited to speak as part of CTA's increased focus on jobs and the workforce. Critics speculate that Trump got the keynote slot as a way for CES to curry favor with the Trump administration as a way of lobbying against a major trade war with China, reports Variety. In June 2019, CES openly condemned President Trump's increased tariffs on Chinese imports, calling this and other efforts to impose higher taxes on imports from other countries "shortsighted."Also, this isn't the first time Trump's qualifications for her position have been called into question or that Silicon Valley has been at odds with the Trump administration. Ivanka Trump serves as a political adviser to her father, and many wonder what relevant experience she has in that field as well. Many leaders in Silicon Valley strongly oppose the Trump administration's policies on immigration and climate change among other issues. In response, President Trump regularly attacks the tech industry for promoting left-wing agendas. For that, he has repeatedly issued warnings to companies like Google to "be careful" as they're "treading on very, very troubled territory." However, the same hostility does not seem to exist between Ivanka Trump and the tech industry. In the past year, Trump has appeared at events with chief executives of major tech companies including Apple's Tim Cook and Alphabet's Sundar Pichai. Last year, she was awarded the "Internet Freedom Award" by the Internet Association.CTA spokesperson Jennifer Drogus made a statement following Trump's speech backing it and policy discussions are a critical part of the conference. "CTA invites officials from every White House – both Republicans and Democrats – to participate in and speak at CES," she said. Each year, CES hosts upwards of 150 policymakers. "The future of work is a critical policy topic for the technology sector."Trump has not formally responded to the backlash, but she did retweet and respond to several supporters thanking them saying, "This is my passion, lifting ALL Americans! We're getting it done by working together."> Thank you. > This is my passion, lifting ALL Americans! We're getting it done by working together. ���� https://t.co/hCsau1xwPO> > — Ivanka Trump (@IvankaTrump) January 7, 2020Like what you see? How about some more R29 goodness, right here?Ivanka Trump's Role In Russia Scandal, RevealedIvanka Trump Invites You To Connect On LinkedInThe Coolest Gadgets At CES — From Beauty To Robots
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| Dems, GOP divided after Iran briefing from Trump administration officials Posted: 08 Jan 2020 02:46 PM PST  The U.S. and Iran stepped back from the brink of possible war Wednesday, but some lawmakers were left with questions about the administration's strategy toward Iran and whether or not the U.S. is safer for having killed Iranian Gen. Qassem Soleimani.
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| Lawmakers Fume About Trump Admin’s Lack of Iran Explanation After ‘Insulting’ Briefing Posted: 08 Jan 2020 02:43 PM PST  A day after Iranian ballistic missiles hit Iraqi bases used by U.S. forces, the Trump administration's first briefings on Iran for legislators went so poorly that even its allies walked out saying that the White House was losing congressional support.At a moment when the Middle East is asking if the U.S. and Iran can avoid confrontation, senators and representatives said that briefings from Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, Defense Secretary Mark Esper, CIA Director Gina Haspel, Gen. Mark Milley, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and Acting Director of National Intelligence Joseph Maguire were risible in their lack of detail concerning core concerns, including the intelligence behind killing Iranian general Qassem Soleimani and the future course of U.S. strategy against Tehran. Sen. Mike Lee, a libertarian-leaning Utah Republican who rarely breaks with Trump, exited the Senate's briefing calling it "the worst briefing on a military issue" he's seen in nine years in Congress. It was "insulting," Lee said—so much so that he will now support a measure to curb Trump's authority to wage war in Iran after hinting a day before that he'd vote."They had to leave after 75 minutes, while they're in the process of telling us that we need to be good little boys and girls and run along and not debate this in public," Lee said. "I find that absolutely insane. I think it's unacceptable."One Senate Democratic source read in on the meeting said Pompeo acted like "Benghazi Mike" in the briefing—a reference to Pompeo's incendiary performance as a congressman during the 2015 Benghazi hearings—and was often defensive when faced with tough questions about the intelligence that led to the assassination of Soleimani.At least one Republican came to the briefers' defense and blamed Democrats for causing the chaos. Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) said the briefers made a compelling case. In response to Democrats' assertions that it was vague, he responded: "They don't want specifics. I was really disappointed at their behavior in there."Iran Fires Missiles at Base Housing U.S. Troops as 'Vengeance' for Soleimani KillingHouse Democrats, meanwhile, said they had anticipated some stonewalling in their briefing. In the caucus meeting Wednesday morning, members sought advice from former undersecretary of state Wendy Sherman about how to press the Trump administration officials for details on what led to the Soleimani strike, according to a source in the room. Sherman warned that the House would likely get the runaround, that source said."It was disappointing," said Rep. Mike Quigley, an Illinois Democrat on the Intelligence Committee, adding that "there was acrimony" in the room. Still, Quigley cautioned that anyone expecting much out of the briefing probably "had unreasonable expectations going in." Legislators' bitterness over the briefing recalled the Obama administration's 2013 briefing on Syria that made it clear Congress would not let Obama bomb Iranian ally Bashar al-Assad. "There were many times when many members tried to ask for more detail on any intelligence, any threat assessments, and really, there was nothing that we heard there that you don't know," said Rep. Pramila Jayapal (D-WA). Briefers wouldn't go into specifics, and members were visibly frustrated. "People were basically yelling at them to give an answer," an attendee said. Other attendees said "yelling" overstated the reaction, though participants made audible noises indicating dissatisfaction. Rep. Mark Meadows, a North Carolina Republican, told reporters that the first question to briefers on the House side concerned the legal basis for the strike. As national security adviser Robert O'Brien said on Friday, Justice Department officials told legislators the authority flowed from the 2002 congressional authorization to topple Saddam Hussein's former regime, the legal wellspring of the 2003-2011 invasion and occupation. Sources also said the briefers invoked Trump's Article II authority as commander-in-chief—which will rely on the pre-strike threat being an imminent one, if Congress grows more assertive in insisting on its war powers. Over the past five days, the Trump administration has backed off its assertions that killing Soleimani was intended to foil an "imminent" attack. Jayapal said there was "no raw evidence" provided of any imminent pre-strike threat. "I went into this briefing looking for something specific to back up the claim that there was an impending threat against Americans or American interests. Speaking for myself, I'm nowhere close to convinced that this is a real thing," said Rep. Jared Huffman (D-CA).Just as dissatisfying to legislators in attendance was a minimal indication of where U.S. strategy against Iran goes next. While both Iran and Trump have indicated they want to avoid wider conflict, Trump on Wednesday morning placed additional economic sanctions on Iran, intensifying a punitive strategy that has yet to change Iran's behavior. One member who spoke with The Daily Beast also said Pompeo reiterated his assurances that he is willing to talk with the Iranians anytime and anywhere, and will travel for a potential meeting–something the Iranians have neither sought nor accepted. There was also a back-and-forth with briefers about Iranian retaliation for the killing of Soleimani. "What are our top priorities with Iran? That's a pretty fundamental piece of the puzzle," said a person in the room. "You're gonna have a strategy. I mean, we can have a debate about whether [the administration] is on the same page with the details, but they can't even get on the same page with the top line priorities." "I didn't learn anything new. And that's too bad because they had an opportunity to really educate us," said Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-IL), an intelligence committee member. U.S. intelligence officials have also expressed concerns that Soleimani's death could mean Iraqi Shiite militias pose a greater threat to American troops. They have highlighted those concerns in congressional briefings. In one of those briefings, according to a congressional source with knowledge of the comments, an official indicated that Soleimani was somewhat of a check on Shiite militias, and that no one else carries the same weight to keep them from operating without a strategy–and from potentially targeting American forces. Three additional sources familiar with classified briefings on tensions in the region confirmed that U.S. officials have highlighted concerns about heightened threats to U.S. troops in Iraq from Shiite militias in the wake of Soleimani's death. Rep. Don Beyer, a Virginia Democrat, has also echoed those concerns. "I am far more concerned about the danger of Shiite militias, especially because of the killing of Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis, which has gotten far less attention but may lead to additional reprisals against our people there," he told The Daily Beast.\-- with reporting from Erin BancoRead more at The Daily Beast.Get our top stories in your inbox every day. Sign up now!Daily Beast Membership: Beast Inside goes deeper on the stories that matter to you. Learn more.
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| Colombia's president calls on UN to extend peace mission Posted: 08 Jan 2020 02:41 PM PST  Colombia's President Ivan Duque on Wednesday called on the United Nations to prolong its peace verification mission in the South American country until 2022. The mission is tasked with monitoring compliance with the fragile 2016 peace agreement between the government and the former FARC guerrilla movement that ended 50 years of conflict. The UN Security Council decided in September to extend the mission until the end of 2020.
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| Harvey Weinstein's legal team tries to get judge, attorney Gloria Allred removed from proceedings Posted: 08 Jan 2020 02:37 PM PST  Harvey Weinstein is trying to distance people from his trial before it even begins.Wednesday marked the third day of jury selection in the disgraced movie executive's rape trial, and it's already proving hard to keep anyone in the room. In addition to the dozens of potential jurors who've been disqualified from the case, Weinstein's legal team has also tried to get well-known attorney Gloria Allred and the judge who's overseeing it all barred from the courtroom altogether.Weinstein's issue with New York Supreme Court Judge James Burke began Tuesday morning when he called out the defendant for using his phone in the courtroom ahead of the proceedings. While a spokesperson for Weinstein said he wasn't told he couldn't use the phone before the hearing and put it away when he was asked, Burke came out for the proceedings and asked Weinstein "Is this really the way you want to end up in jail for the rest of your life, by texting in violation of an order?" "These comments reflect the court's animus towards the defendant," Weinstein's legal team argued in a letter calling for Burke's removal from the case. Weinstein has maintained his innocence and has pleaded not guilty to his charges.Later Wednesday, Weinstein's lawyers asked Burke to have Allred, a well-known women's rights attorney representing several of Weinstein's alleged victims, removed from the proceedings as well. "Ms. Allred should not be allowed to sit in court, watch that testimony and share that testimony with her clients," Weinstein's attorney said, given that Allred may also be called as a witness in the case. Burke concluded Allred could stay in the room and on the witness list.More stories from theweek.com Iran has offered Trump an 'off-ramp' from war, and there's growing speculation he might take it Joe Biden's free ride is over Trump's Iranian diplomacy gambit
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| Boeing 737-800 carrying at least 170 crashes in Iran after takeoff with no survivors Posted: 08 Jan 2020 02:36 PM PST  A Ukrainian passenger plane carrying 176 people crashed shortly after taking off from Tehran, the capital of Iran, Wednesday morning, killing all on board. The crash occurred about three hours after Iran fired multiple missiles into Iraq, targeting U.S. military sites in what appeared to be retaliation for the recent American drone strike that killed one of its top generals. Iranian officials blamed the crash on a technical fault on the plane, although the cause of the disaster still remained unclear on Wednesday.
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| Trump asks NATO allies for help with Iran after years of bashing the alliance Posted: 08 Jan 2020 02:22 PM PST  U.S. President Donald Trump took a tough line in his address to the nation Jan. 8 in response to the Iranian airstrikes on two U.S. bases in Iraq. Trump announced that he would impose more sanctions on Iran. He said he believed that Iran would not resort to further aggressive action for the time being. He blamed his predecessor President Barack Obama for having concluded the 2015 nuclear deal with Iran and for having dealt too gently with the country.Trump also extolled U.S. military power, which he claimed had been much improved during his presidency. He said he would not hesitate to make use of this awesome technology, if necessary. "Our missiles are big and powerful and accurate … and lethal," he said. Trump also announced that the U.S. did not wish to use these powerful weapons if Iran started to behave in a more reasonable way in the region.But Trump's address wasn't entirely directed at audiences in the United States and Iran. Allies' muted responseTrump was also speaking to America's European allies. As an international relations scholar and practitioner of diplomacy, I don't think many of them were pleased to hear Trump's announcement that he would ask NATO – the 29-member North Atlantic Treaty Organization – to "get more involved in the Middle East." In particular, Trump encouraged NATO members the U.K., France and Germany – and also China and Russia – to change their policy and finally give up on the 2015 nuclear agreement negotiated by the Obama administration, but abandoned by Trump.Reactions in Berlin and London have been muted, though so far none of the NATO allies has dared to openly criticize the president's speech. Perhaps that is because Trump's touchiness about any criticism is well-known.Trump's suggestion that the NATO countries get more involved than they already are in the Middle East flies in the face of his longtime disparagement of the alliance. Fighting the Islamic StateGerman troops have been in Iraq since late 2015 to train Iraqi security forces in the fight against the Islamic State group. These troops are not meant to fight in the region.After the killing of top Iranian general Qassim Soleimani, the Germans withdrew to Kuwait some of their 120 troops stationed in Iraq. The Germans also announced that they may shift their remaining forces to Jordan or other safer areas.Germany believes that saving the nuclear deal is still the only realistic way to engage with Iran and prevent Iran from restarting its nuclear weapons program. Trump's speech was also most likely viewed skeptically in London. The British have 1,400 troops in Iraq and Syria for both training purposes and for fighting the Islamic State. They are uneasy about the increased danger to their military personnel since Trump's airstrike on Soleimani which was not coordinated with London or NATO headquarters. London also believes that the 2015 nuclear deal ought to be given another chance. Re-engagement with Iran rather than pursuing a war path is also the conviction in the U.K.. In fact this continues to be the shared view of diplomats from the U.K., Germany, France, China and Russia. Despite his calls for U.S. allies to join ranks in the Middle East, President Trump remains the odd one out.[ Like what you've read? Want more? Sign up for The Conversation's daily newsletter. ]This article is republished from The Conversation, a nonprofit news site dedicated to sharing ideas from academic experts.Read more: * With the US and Iran on the brink of war, the dangers of Trump's policy of going it alone become clear * In Iran showdown, conflict could explode quickly – and disastrouslyKlaus W. Larres does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.
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| House Democrats Head for Symbolic Showdown to Curb Trump on Iran Posted: 08 Jan 2020 02:21 PM PST  (Bloomberg) -- The House will vote Thursday on a resolution to limit President Donald Trump's options for military action against Iran, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said, adding that Democrats weren't satisfied by the administration's justification for last week's airstrike that killed a top Iranian official.The war powers resolution from Michigan Democratic Representative Elissa Slotkin, a former CIA analyst, would require the president to cease military actions against Iran unless authorized by Congress or in response to an imminent threat. A similar measure in the Senate has been introduced by Virginia Democrat Tim Kaine.The vote is mostly symbolic because the Senate version is unlikely to attract much support from the chamber's Republican majority and the House resolution by design would never go to the president to become law.Pelosi said it is Congress's duty "to keep the American people safe," and she said Trump's actions in the region have endangered diplomats and members of the military by escalating tensions with Iran."Members of Congress have serious, urgent concerns about the administration's decision to engage in hostilities against Iran and about its lack of strategy moving forward," Pelosi said in a statement Wednesday. "The president has made clear that he does not have a coherent strategy to keep the American people safe, achieve de-escalation with Iran and ensure stability in the region."Pelosi said the Democratic-led House "may also soon consider" legislation pushed by the party's progressives to cut off funding for action against Iran and repeal existing military authorizations.The challenge for Democrats is to defend Congress's constitutional power to declare war without appearing to jeopardize national security after Iran retaliated for the U.S. strike that killed Iranian general Qassem Soleimani. No Americans were hurt in the counter-attack, and Trump said Iran is "standing down" in the confrontation with the U.S."Congress, once again, has been basically pushed out of the loop, which I think is dangerous," said Foreign Affairs Chairman Eliot Engel. "I don't think the intent is to tie the president's hand. The intent is to allow Congress to play the role it's supposed to play."Military AuthorizationTrump administration officials, including Defense Secretary Mark Esper and Secretary of State Michael Pompeo, briefed House and Senate members Wednesday afternoon on Capitol Hill. The classified briefings were originally scheduled to present the justification for the strike that killed Soleimani, although they could also include questions about Iran's retaliatory strike.After the House briefing, Representative Adam Kinzinger, an Illinois Republican on the Foreign Affairs Committee, said Democrats advancing a war powers resolution would be "a bad political move.""To claim this was not legal violates everything I know about the law," Kinzinger, an Air Force veteran who served in Iraq, said about the administration's justification for the strike.Massachusetts Representative Seth Moulton, a Democrat and also a veteran of the Iraq war, said he was unsatisfied by the administration's explanation for the attack and that he supports a war powers resolution."Everything in that briefing confirmed all my concerns and fears," Moulton said.The 1973 War Powers Act limits the president's military options without consulting Congress. The House bill was introduced as a concurrent resolution, which means it would be a symbolic measure that wouldn't need Trump's signature but wouldn't have the force of law.The House bill would remove U.S. forces from unauthorized conflicts immediately, whereas Kaine's Senate bill would remove troops no later than 30 days after the enactment of the measure.Kaine's version also says that the 2001 and 2002 Authorizations for Use of Military Force passed by Congress after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks do not cover action against Iran. The Trump administration justified killing Soleimani both by citing the 2002 AUMF and saying he presented an imminent threat to Americans.While the Senate resolution has little chance of passing the Republican-led chamber, Kaine did pick up two GOP supporters on Wednesday: Utah Senator Mike Lee and Kentucky Senator Rand Paul.Both libertarian-leaning Republicans said they were unsatisfied by the administration's briefing, with Lee calling it the worst briefing on military affairs he's heard since coming to Congress. Their reaction stood in stark contrast to the glowing reception from most GOP Senators who said they were content with the explanation for the strike.Lee called the briefing "insulting" and said, "after today, every time they pull a stunt like this, I'm willing to consider and introduce any and every war powers act resolution."AUMF RepealPelosi didn't grant the request from her most progressive members to include in Thursday's vote a measure from California Representative Barbara Lee to repeal the 2002 AUMF, as well as a bill from Ro Khanna, another California Democrat, to restrict taxpayer funds for military action in Iran that has not been explicitly authorized by Congress. She instead said the House May act on them.Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders introduced a Senate companion bill for Khanna's measure. That proposal was included in the House version of the defense policy bill passed last year, but was stripped out of the final version that became law.New Jersey Representative Andy Kim, who was a national security aide in the Obama administration, said Democrats and Republicans should work together to protect American lives and interests."We do know that there has been lasting damage to our core priorities in the Middle East," Kim said. "This administration certainly has a lot to answer for."(Updates with bill details and senator quotes beginning in the 13th paragraph.)\--With assistance from Emily Wilkins and Daniel Flatley.To contact the reporters on this story: Erik Wasson in Washington at ewasson@bloomberg.net;Billy House in Washington at bhouse5@bloomberg.netTo contact the editors responsible for this story: Kevin Whitelaw at kwhitelaw@bloomberg.net, Joe SobczykFor more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.com©2020 Bloomberg L.P.
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| GOP Sen. Mike Lee ridicules Trump administration's 'insulting' Soleimani briefing, backs Democrats' war powers resolution Posted: 08 Jan 2020 02:16 PM PST  Do not count Sen. Mike Lee (R-Utah) among the GOP lawmakers pleased with the Trump administration's classified briefing Wednesday on the U.S. strike that killed Iranian Maj. Gen. Qassem Soleimani in Iraq last week.Lee was apparently furious after witnessing the closed-door discussions about the justification of the strike and Washington's next steps amid heightened tensions with Tehran. The senator called the briefing "insulting" and said it was the worst he's heard on a military issue since becoming a senator in 2011. Before he went into the briefing room, Lee said, he wasn't sure if he was going to back a Senate Democrat-backed war powers resolution led by Sen. Tim Kaine (D-Va.), but the meeting convinced him to throw his weight behind it. Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) will reportedly join Lee in backing the measure, as well.The administration officials, Lee said, refused to push back on anything regarding Iran out of fear that dissension in the White House ranks would send the wrong signal to the public. That attempt to squash any form of public debate seemed to be thing that really set Lee over the edge.> Republican senator Mike Lee blasts the Trump administrations post-Iran briefing, says they were told they could not dissent from Trump, couldn't debate it, and if Trump needed justification to go to war "I'm sure we could think of something" pic.twitter.com/bfyPqoSf8c> > — Andrew Lawrence (@ndrew_lawrence) January 8, 2020The senator, though, said he didn't want to comment on any individuals he grew frustrated with during the meeting until he speaks directly with President Trump. But, ultimately, he said he went in with a "lot of questions," and exited without any answers.More stories from theweek.com Iran has offered Trump an 'off-ramp' from war, and there's growing speculation he might take it Joe Biden's free ride is over Harvey Weinstein's legal team tries to get judge, attorney Gloria Allred removed from proceedings
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| Iran's missile attack on US troops appears to be a calculated message to Trump and the regime's enemies Posted: 08 Jan 2020 02:15 PM PST  "Iran's attacks tonight appeared designed for maximum domestic effect with minimum escalatory risk," one analyst said to Business Insider.
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| New York Post Reporter’s Identity Hijacked to Spread Pro-Iran Propaganda Posted: 08 Jan 2020 02:11 PM PST  Twitter suspended on Wednesday an account impersonating a New York Post reporter after it sent out a series of fake stories pumping out pro-Iranian regime propaganda and attacking adversaries of the Islamic Republic. The account was also linked through retweets and shared articles to another account impersonating a reporter—one from Israel. It too was taken down after sharing pro-Iranian regime propaganda.In recent years, Iran has beefed up its online disinformation activity, meddling in American politics and attempting to spread pro-Iranian regime narratives around the world. It's uncertain as yet who was behind the account. But if the account was run from the Islamic Republic, it would be consistent with a growing Iranian disinformation effort by the country's propaganda organs."Iran has readily embraced the use of online information operations to support its geopolitical objectives over the past few years, and has refined a vast array of tactics and sophisticated methods that it continues to hone and leverage today," Lee Foster—a senior manager for FireEye Intelligence's information operations analysis shop—told The Daily Beast. "The U.S. should expect that Iranian influence efforts surrounding the U.S. will increase over the coming days or weeks as political developments evolve." The New York Post account, @MarkMooreNYPost, stole the identity of a legitimate reporter who had no idea his identity had been hijacked and had nothing to do with the effort.Both the Post and the real Mark Moore declined comment for this story, but he confirmed to The Daily Beast that the @MarkMooreNYPost account and a number of the stories it tweeted were fake and not authored by him. Moore's actual account, @markmoore111, has not been used in years. The bio in the fake account is also wrong, according to Moore, and includes outlets like the New York Times, The Sun, and Fox News for which Moore has not written. The account tried to pass itself off as a legitimate New York Post reporter in part by tweeting out links to the real Mark Moore's stories that touched on Iran. But in addition to Moore's actual work, the account also published fake stories published on open platforms like Medium and The Odyssey Online throughout December 2019.The stories included fake news about traditional targets or Iranian foreign policy, including the dissident cult group the Mujahideen-e-Khalq (MEK) and Israel. One story posted to The Odyssey included a fake quote from the French ambassador warning pro-Israel lobbyists in Miami about "extremist movements in Jerusalem" trying to reclaim the tomb of the kings, an archaeological site in Jerusalem owned by France and considered sacred by Jews. A spokesperson for the French embassy confirmed that the quote and story were fake. Another story took aim at a frequent target of Iranian covert operations, the MEK, which set up a headquarters in Manez, Albania in 2016. In an article posted to Medium.com, the fake Moore wrote that the presence of the MEK in the country "could be a good cover for hiding money laundering, corruption and financial and economic scandals from the Albanian authorities" and jeopardize the country's prospects for integration with the European Union. Trump: Iran Is 'Standing Down,' but I'm Gonna 'Punish' It Some MoreAt least one story from the fake Moore persona strayed outside traditional Iranian foreign policy targets and lent support to Russian narrative. An article posted to The Odyssey in December included a fake quote from a member of the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency board claiming that Russia's expulsion from international sports competitions for its state-backed campaign of doping was instead a possible "punishment from the United States for Russia's destabilizing actions in the international arena."Officials from the U.S. Anti Doping Agency confirmed to The Daily Beast that the quote was fake.Twitter also shut down an account using similar tactics on Wednesday after it mimicked a legitimate Israeli reporter from the left-leaning Ha'aretz newspaper."According to reports received by Haaretz, a US aircraft carrying American soldiers wounded by Iran's missile strike on Ain Asad Air Base, landed in Tel Aviv hours ago. Based on informed sources, 224 soldiers were taken to Tel Aviv Sourasky Medical Center Hospital," the account, running under the handle @KhJacki_E, wrote.The account impersonated veteran Israeli reporter Jack Khoury and tweeted out pro-Iran propaganda, including one of the stories published by the fake Moore account. And like the Moore account, it made use of open platforms like Medium to host its fake stories pushing Iranian regime-friendly propaganda.Twitter suspended the fake Khoury account Wednesday and in a statement to the Daily Beast said the account "was permanently suspended for violating our platform manipulation policy."The Daily Beast reached out to the real Jacki Khoury, a legitimate reporter whose identity was stolen by the fake @KhJacki_E and had nothing to do with its hoaxes, but did not receive a reply in time for publication. In a statement on Twitter, the real Khoury wrote that "A fake account impersonating me was pushing fake news with my name on it.Israeli reporters first flagged the account as inauthentic on Wednesday. It has since been suspended by Twitter. The phony missile casualties story tweeted out by @KhJacki_E is consistent with Iran's attempts to portray its missile strike in revenge for the U.S. killing of Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps commander Qassem Soleimani as more lethal than it actually was. Defense Department officials have confirmed that no U.S. personnel were injured in the attack but state-linked Iranian propaganda outlets have consistently tried to claim otherwise."80 US army personnel have been killed and nearly 200 more wounded" in the attack, read one such claim, from the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps-linked Fars News agency. Iranian official media have pushed the fake story of U.S. casualties because "the regime has boxed itself in," said Ariane Tabatabai, a Rand political scientist who studies Iran. "It came out immediately and talked about casualties, so it's not going to go back now and say it made a mistake and that there weren't any. Second, it serves its interest to promote this narrative that there were casualties. It can tell to its domestic audience that it showed strength, while clearly staying at a level of violence where the U.S. doesn't feel pressure to respond accordingly. It's win-win."@KhJacki_E has been pushing pro-Iran propaganda for months. In November, the account tweeted a fake story about a fake assassination attempt on the Israeli president. "According to reports from trusted sources, President Rivlin's assassination attempt was foiled a few hours before the election and a state of emergency has been declared around the presidential palace," the account tweeted.The bogus story claimed that Israeli Defense Force officers were part of the phony assassination plot inspired by rabbi Yitzchak Ginsburgh and in support of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. In another absurd twist to the fake storyline, the account claimed that a recent visit by U.S. Joint Chiefs Chairman to Israel was "related to Americans' concern about some of the IDF's moves" in connection with the plot. The assassination attempt never took place and no state of emergency was ever declared. Nor did it succeed in getting much traction beyond the small network of followers. The @KhJacki_E also participated in an apparent Iranian campaign to spread a fake story about the MEK. In a similar use of tactics, a fake account impersonating a real person, an aide to French President Emmanuel Macron, claimed that France had decided to expel the leader of the MEK, Maryam Rajavi, from her home in France. The tweets briefly fooled legitimate news outlets into thinking that France, engaged in talks with Iran over its nuclear program, was taking a harsher line on the cult as a concession to Tehran. The account was quickly suspended and MEK followers denounced it as a fake on Twitter.But the @KhJacki_E account followed up on the fake French official's tweets with a short post on Medium.com's self-publishing platform. "MEK leaders' lack of presence in France would allow EU pressure on Iran during talks to half Iran's nuclear and missile activities," it wrote. "It looks like the operation was dedicated against MEK and Israel—what Iran sees as two main threats," said Kanishk Karan, a researcher at the Atlantic Council's Digital Forensic Lab, which tracks online disinformation. "This was also a shift from their strategy of setting up websites to now using online publishing platforms to disseminate false information easily without raising suspicions, as newly setup websites raise alarms on authenticity and background." But while the messaging is consistent with Iranian aims and precedent, it's still as yet unclear whether the fake account was in fact run from the Islamic Republic. "We've seen Iranian operations impersonate journalists before. A lot of the time what they've been doing is creating fake personas just to spread regime propaganda," Ben Nimmo, director of investigations at the disinformation-tracking firm Graphika told The Daily Beast. But Nimmo cautions that "content is only ever a weak signal" for attribution. "What this accounts appears to have been doing aligns with one part of Iranian messaging but without technical evidence to support that, that's all you can say. It looks like an operation. The messaging would match an Iranian option but there are other options as well." The Daily Beast first began tracking a network of pro-Iranian trolls impersonating real officials following an Iranian propaganda attempt to implicate the family former National Security Advisor John Bolton in a bizarre fake money laundering scheme. In July, an account impersonating a real Toronto police officer interrupted a months-long streak of tweeting everyday news about Canadian police affairs with a wild allegation that Toronto police had begun an investigation into allegations of drug trafficking and money laundering involving Bolton's daughter and the MEK and published purported screenshots of bank records in support of the claim. The claims were clearly fake and quickly disproven.Trump administration officials told The Daily Beast that the effort was monitored by U.S. intelligence and attributed to Iran. Administration officials said that Iran had been engaged in a concerted effort to weaken Bolton's standing in the Trump administration during his tenure there.Read more at The Daily Beast.Got a tip? Send it to The Daily Beast hereGet our top stories in your inbox every day. Sign up now!Daily Beast Membership: Beast Inside goes deeper on the stories that matter to you. Learn more.
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| The risk of an Iran cyberattack is up after missile strike on Iraqi military bases with US troops Posted: 08 Jan 2020 02:00 PM PST  Iran could target private businesses and government infrastructure to avenge last week's killing of its top military commander, security experts say.
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| Trump’s Iran Speech Had Three Audiences Posted: 08 Jan 2020 02:00 PM PST |
| GOP Sen. Mike Lee furious after an 'insulting' Senate briefing on Trump's Iran strike: 'The worst briefing ... on a military issue I've seen in 9 years' Posted: 08 Jan 2020 01:54 PM PST  GOP Sen. Mike Lee told reporters the briefing was so "demeaning" that he changed his mind on a resolution to limit Trump's power to attack Iran.
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| Iran under pressure to explain Tehran plane crash after 176 killed in Ukrainian jet disaster Posted: 08 Jan 2020 01:52 PM PST  Latest news: Iran launches missile attacks on US bases Criminal proceedings launched by Ukraine Pictured | Three Britons among 176 dead Iran plane crash, in pictures Iran is facing mounting pressure to explain the destruction of a civilian airliner near Tehran hours after Iranian forces launched missile strikes against US forces. Three Britons were among 176 people killed when an Ukrainian International Airlines Boeing 737 plunged into a nosedive and exploded shortly after take-off from Tehran's Imam Ayatollah Khomeini International Airport on Wednesday morning. Iran dismissed speculation that the aircraft had been downed by a missile but said it would not hand over the black boxes from the aircraft to Boeing, in an unusual move likely prompted by high tensions with the United States. Earlier Ukraine withdrew an initial statement attributing the crash to engine failure and ruling out a terror attack, sparking an international scramble to investigate the crash. The crash came three and a half hours after Iran fired a barrage of ballistic missiles at US bases in Iraq in what it said was revenge for the assassination of general Qassim Soleimani. Iran's military said it had fired 22 missiles at Iraqi bases housing US troops in Erbil and Ain al-Asad. No US or Iraqi troops were killed in the half-hour bombardment. Leaders in both Tehran and Washington played down the prospect of further armed conflict between the adversaries. In a televised address Donald Trump claimed that Iran "appeared to be standing down" and said he would impose further economic sanctions, but did not mention further military action. Although Iran's Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, termed the strikes a "slap in the face" for America and vowed to continue a campaign to oust US forces from the region, the Iranian foreign minister, said the strikes "concluded" Iran's military response to the assassination of Soleimani. The Ukrainian International Airlines Boeing 737-800 bound for Kyiv took off shortly after 6 AM Tehran's Imam Khomeini International Airport early on Wednesday morning. Plane crash in pictures Footage filmed by a local man showed the aircraft trailing fire before it dived into the ground and exploded in a large fireball shortly after 6am local time. Din Mohammad Qassemi, a local villager watching the TV said he heard an almighty explosion. Assuming he was under attack from the Americans, he dived below ground into his basement. "All the houses started to shake. There was fire everywhere," said Mr Qassemi. "At first I thought (the Americans) have hit here with missiles and went in the basement as a shelter." Dead bodies, fragments of aircraft, and the victims personal belongings were discovered at the crash site near the village of Fedosiye, about 10 miles from the airport. The victims included 83 Iranians and 63 Canadians, according to a flight manifest released by UIA. Ten Swedes, four Afghans, three Germans, and eleven Ukrainians including the nine crew members were also killed. Flags were lowered to half mast in Ottawa and Justin Trudeau, the Canadian prime minister, issued a statement promising to work with allies to ensure a full investigation. Canada does not have an embassy in Tehran. The three British passport holders on board the flight included Saeed Tahmasebi, a chartered Engineer with Laing O'Rourke who was completing a PhD at Imperial College. No survivors reported as Ukrainian passenger jet crashes in Iran He was returning with his wife Niloofar Ebrahim, a fellow Iranian studying Psychology in London, from their wedding in Tehran. Sam Zokaei, 42, an engineer who worked for the BP Exploration Operating Company and lived in Richmond, had been on holiday and had been visiting relatives. Mohammed Reza Kadkhoda-Zadeh, a forty year old father of one from Brighton, had been in Iran to visit family over the Christmas break. Iranian media said both flight recorders had been found, but the investigation into the crash is likely to be complicated by the stand off between the United State and Iran. Ali Abedzadeh, the head of the Iranian civil aviation authority, said the government would not hand over the black boxes to Boeing, a US company, and that it was unclear which country would be asked to analyse them. Iran may have the ability to extract data from black boxes but would have to call on the expertise of one of a handful of countries, including the US, France, and Britain, if they are badly damaged. Western intelligence agencies quoted by Reuters said they shared Iran's initial assessment that the aircraft had not been hit by a missile. Iranian officials said the pilot lost control of the aircraft after a fire struck fire one of its engines. "The rumors about the plane are completely false and no military or political expert has confirmed it," said Gen. Abolfazl Shekarchi, a spokesman for the Iranian armed forces, But aviation experts last night queried whether the plane could have been destroyed by simple engine failure and friends and family of the three British victims demanded an investigation into the circumstances of the crash. David Learmount, Consulting Editor at FlightGlobal, told the Telegraph that the failure of the crew to send out a Mayday signal suggested they faced "a sudden and violent" event that forced them to fight for control of the aircraft. Qassim Soleimani drone strike | Read more "Even a catastrophic engine failure would be highly unlikely to have such a dramatic effect on control of the aircraft. A 737 is capable of flying safely on just one of its two engines," he said. Ukraine's embassy in Tehran initially posted but then deleted a statement attributing the crash to engine failure. Later Oleksiy Honcharuk, the Ukrainian prime minister, refused to rule out the possibility that it had been shot down at a briefing in Kyiv. Volodymyr Zelenskiy, the president of Ukraine, said he had dispatched a team of experts including ministry of defence and civil aviation personnel to Iran to investigate the crash and repatriate the remains of the Ukrainians killed. "Our priority is to establish the truth and those responsible for this terrible catastrophe," he said. Boeing said: "We are in contact with our airline customer and stand by them in this difficult time. We are ready to assist in any way needed," the manufacturer said in a statement." UIA said that the 737-800 that was destroyed was one of its "best" and had undergone maintenance just two days earlier. It said that it could not believe that an error by the experienced crew could have caused the crash. Justin Trudeau, the Canadian prime minister, said his government would "continue to work closely with its international partners to ensure that this crash is thoroughly investigated and Canadians' questions are answered." Mr Pompeo said the United States would offer Ukraine full support to complete the investigation. Boris Johnson last night called Mr Trudeau to express his condolences for the loss of Canadian lives. A Downing Street spokesman said the UK was "working closely with the Ukrainian authorities and the Iranian authorities" over the crash but that there was "no indication" that it had been hit by a missile. The loss of an airliner during a period of international conflict raises bitter memories for both Ukraine and Iran. In 2014 a Russian missile shot down a Malaysian airlines flight over eastern Ukraine, killing 298 people. In 1988 an American warship shot down an Iranian passenger jet, killing 290 people. The shootdown of Iran Air 655 is still bitterly felt in Iran. Earlier this week Hassan Rouhani, the president of Iran, said Donald Trump should "remember the number 290." 6:04PM Crash one of worst losses of life for Canadians in an aviation disaster At least 63 Canadians were killed in the crash, but Canadian Foreign Minister Francois-Philippe Champagne said the number of deceased Canadians could change as more information becomes available, including details on dual citizens. The crash is one of the worst losses of life for Canadians in an aviation disaster. Many passengers on board were international students as the Tehran to Toronto route via Kyiv is considered affordable. Payman Paseyan, a member of the Iranian-Canadian community in Edmonton, Alberta, said about 27 people from Edmonton, including international students and a family of four that he knew, were on the flight. Two professors from the University of Alberta, Pedram Mousavibafrooei and Mojgan Daneshmand, and their daughters died. Ukrainian plane crash victims Mr Paseyan said most of victims were visiting family in Iran over the holidays. He said many were dual citizens and international students. "One of the reasons why you take that flight is you wouldn't want to take a flight that has a connection in the United States because international students can't do that," he said. The University of Guelph in Canada said two PhD students, as well as the partner of one of the students, were among the 176 who died. Ghanimat Azhdari was a student in the department of geography and Milad Ghasemi was a student in marketing. Azhdari's partner, Hamed Alibeiki, also died. Western University said four of their students died. Three were current graduate students and one was an incoming graduate student. They did not name the students. Canada is urging Canadians to avoid non-essential travel to Iran due to the volatile security situation. 5:24PM Dominic Raab offers condolences after 'tragic loss of life' Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab offered his condolences to those affected by the crash. He said on Twitter: "I would like to express the UK's deepest condolences to all the families of the victims of the UIA crash in Iran today. "This is a tragic loss of life for all countries affected. Foreign Office staff are assisting the families of British victims at this difficult time." I would like to express the UK's deepest condolences to all the families of the victims of the UIA crash in Iran today. This is a tragic loss of life for all countries affected. @foreignoffice staff are assisting the families of British victims at this difficult time— Dominic Raab (@DominicRaab) January 8, 2020 Meanwhile, a Downing Street spokesman said the UK was "working closely with the Ukrainian authorities and the Iranian authorities" over the crash. The spokesman said there was "no indication" the plane was brought down by a missile, after the Ukrainian authorities refused to rule out the prospect. 5:10PM Crew's inability to transmit emergency call before crash confuses aviation experts Aviation expert David Learmount has said the crew's failure – or inability - to communicate has confused aviation experts, "because the implication is that whatever happened was sudden and violent, forcing the crew immediately to fight for control". The crew of the Boeing 737-800 did not have the capacity to transmit an emergency call before it descended out of control to impact on the edge of the city. Mr Learmount said: "Even a catastrophic engine failure – a possibility originally mooted by the Ukrainian authorities but then withdrawn – would be highly unlikely to have such a dramatic effect on control of the aircraft. A 737 is capable of flying safely on just one of its two engines. "Video released online soon after the accident shows what looks like an aircraft engulfed in flames descending unsteady, parts separating from it as it plunged. "This video has not yet been authenticated, but if it does indeed show the Ukrainian 737 in its fatal descent, it explains why the Ukrainian authorities, asked whether the aircraft might have been brought down by a missile, have refused to rule it out." 4:50PM Secretary of State Mike Pompeo calls for 'complete cooperation' in investigations into crash Mike Pompeo, the US Secretary of State, has called for "complete cooperation" in any investigation into the cause of the crash. He said in a statement: "The U.S. Department of State extends our deepest condolences to the families and friends of the 176 passengers and crew killed in the tragic crash of Ukraine International Airlines flight PS 752. "The United States will continue to follow this incident closely and stands prepared to offer Ukraine all possible assistance. The United States calls for complete cooperation with any investigation into the cause of the crash." 4:43PM Trump: Britain and others must withdraw from Iran deal President Trump did not comment directly on the Tehran plane crash, focusing instead on the 22 missiles fired at US forces in Iraq on Wednesday night. Flanked by senior administration officials, Mr Trump doubled down on his decision to assassinate Iranian general Qassim Soleimani, saying the attack sent "a powerful message to potential terrorists". Mr Trump called on Britain and other European countries to withdraw from the Iran deal, as the US has already done. He added that more sanctions are set to hit Iran, but that he does not want to use military force against Iran unless necessary. Trump said he would ask Nato to get "much more involved" in the Middle East peace process. You can read more on our missile attack live blog here. 4:28PM President Trump speaks publicly for first time following crash The President has begun his press conference and is joined by Vice President Mike Pence and Secretary of State Mike Pompeo. 4:22PM Ukraine to send team of experts to Iran to 'establish the truth' President Trump is currently 20 minutes behind schedule to make his televised address. Meanwhile, Ukraine's president Volodymyr Zelenskyy has said the country will send a team of experts to Iran in order to "establish the truth" surrounding the catastrophe. Ukraine will send security officials, experts and rescuers to assist in the investigation and recovery of the bodies of Ukrainian nationals from the wreckage of flight PS752. In a statement on the presidential website, Mr Zelenskyy said: "Our priority is to establish the truth and those responsible for this terrible catastrophe." 3:56PM President Trump to make imminent statement on Iran crisis President Donald Trump will address escalating tension with Iran in a press conference at 11am EST (4pm GMT). It it thought that Mr Trump will comment on the Tehran plane crash. Watch the President's address at the top of this article. 3:42PM Canada's questions will be answered, says Justin Trudeau Justin Trudeau, Canada's Prime Minister, has said that his nation's questions will be answered after it was confirmed 63 citizens had been killed in the plane crash. BREAKING: Prime Minister Justin Trudeau issues statement on the plane crash that killed 63 Canadians. cdnpolipic.twitter.com/RpqpXEztlb— Michel Boyer (@BoyerMichel) January 8, 2020 His Minister of Foreign Affairs François-Philippe Champagne also paid tribute. Tragic news regarding Ukraine International Airlines Flight 752. Our hearts are with the loved ones of the victims, including many Canadians. I have been in touch with the government of Ukraine. We will continue to keep Canadians informed as the situation evolves. PS752— François-Philippe Champagne (FPC) ���� (@FP_Champagne) January 8, 2020 3:35PM 'Not a chance of crew error,' airline says In an updated statement, Ukraine International Airlines (UIA) said: "According to our records, the aircraft ascended as high as 2,400 metres. "Given the crew's experience, error probability is minimal. We do not even consider such a chance." 3:17PM Tributes to 'lovely man with lovely smile' Staff at a pet store have paid tribute to Mohammed Reza Kadkhoda-Zadeh, who ran a neighbouring dry cleaners and was one of the three Britons killed in a plane crash in Iran. Staff at Hassocks Pet Centre, West Sussex, paid tribute to "a lovely man [with] a lovely smile". Mohammad Zadeh Store owner Stephen Edgington, 68, said: "Reza was a lovely guy. He was good looking, sociable. "Before he left we were chatting and he said 'do you realise I have been here so many years?'." Mr Edgington, who works at the store with his wife Nola, said they were told what had happened on Wednesday morning by Mr Kadkhoda-Zadeh's staff. 3:00PM Reservoir engineer one of three Britons killed BP has confirmed one of those killed in the Tehran plane crash as reservoir engineer Sam Zokaei, who has worked at the oil company for more than 14 years. Mr Zokaei, from Twickenham, London, was on holiday from working at BP's site at Sunbury-on-Thames in Middlesex. Sam Zokaei The company said in a statement: "With the deepest regret, we can confirm that one of our colleagues at BP, Sam Zokaei, was a passenger on the Ukrainian International Airlines plane that crashed in Iran this morning, reportedly with no survivors. "We are shocked and deeply saddened by this tragic loss of our friend and colleague, and all of our thoughts are with his family and friends." 2:57PM Briton killed was 'brilliant engineer with bright future' Saeed Tahmasebi Khademasadi was one of the three Britons killed. A spokesman for Imperial College London, where Engineer he was a post-graduate researcher, said: "We are deeply saddened at this tragic news. "Saeed Tahmasebi Khademasadi was a brilliant engineer with a bright future. Saeed Tahmasebi "His contributions to systems engineering earned respect from everyone who dealt with him and will benefit society for years to come. "He was a warm, humble and generous colleague, and close friend to many in our community. "Our thoughts and sincere condolences are with Saeed's family, friends and colleagues, as well as all those affected by this tragedy." 1:29PM British Airways, Virgin Atlantic and Qantas among slew of airlines avoiding Middle East airspace British Airways rerouted flight 134 from Mumbai to Heathrow mid-way through the flight, to avoid crossing Iraqi airspace. The plane flew in a circle and was then diverted to the Greek capital Athens for refuelling. The move has left a number of Indian passport holders stuck in the terminal as they do not possess the right visa to leave the airport. A number of commercial airlines have rerouted flights to avoid possible danger amid escalating tensions between the United States and Iran. Airspace above Iran and Iraq at 11:00 UTC time Live map: https://t.co/PbnsBqTxDUpic.twitter.com/TxjqYKZ69r— Flightradar24 (@flightradar24) January 8, 2020 Virgin Atlantic said they were "closely monitoring the situation" and were not flying over Iranian airspace. Due to changes in flight routing, their trips to and from Mumbai might now take longer than expected. Australian carrier Qantas said it was altering its London to Perth, Australia routes to avoid Iran and Iraq airspace until further notice. Malaysia Airlines and Singapore Airlines have also rerouted planes to avoid Iranian airspace. The US Federal Aviation Administration has barred American pilots and carriers from flying in areas of Iraqi, Iranian and some Persian Gulf airspace. 1:23PM Iran plane crash analysis: What happened mid-air and who has the black box? Our Industry Editor Alan Tovey has this piece of analysis on the doomed flight. In it, he looks at what happened during the last seconds of the Ukrainian International Airlines flight from Tehran to Kyiv, the reaction and what happens now. Read it in full here. 1:06PM Three Britons killed in Tehran plane crash named The three Britons killed in a plane crash in Tehran have been unofficially identified as Mohammad Reza Kadkhoda Zadeh, 40, Saeed Tahmasebi Khademsadi, 35, and Sam Zokaei, also 35. Read Chief Reporter Robert Mendick's piece on the victims here. 12:41PM At a glance: The Boeing 737-800 The first thing to note about the crash of Ukraine International Airlines flight PS752 is that the aircraft was a Boeing 737-800, a different model to the 737 Max, the type which was grounded last year after two crashes in five months, reports Industry Editor Alan Tovey. The 737-800 - part of Boeing's 737 Next Generation (NG) family - does not have the "MCAS" control system fitted to the Max, and which is blamed for the two crashes. A modernised version of the 737 classic model dating from the 1960s, 737 NGs are one of the most popular airliners ever. More than 7,000 737 NGs, of which about 5,000 are the 800 model, are in service and the aircraft has a very good safety record. Prior to PS752, there had been nine accidents involving the aircraft type which have resulted in fatalities. A Ukraine International Airlines Boeing 737-800 airplane taxis in front of the tower Credit: REX One was the result of a mid-air collision, and all but one of the rest have been attributed to either weather problems, pilot error, maintenance issues or a combination of these factors. The final incident saw an engine failure which sent debris into the cabin, causing the aircraft to decompress. A passenger was partially sucked from the aircraft and later died from her injuries. Overall, the 737 NG has a fatal crash rate of 0.06 fatalities per million flights according to data from Airsafe, making it one of the safest aircraft in service. However, the 737 NG has not been without problems. In September Boeing ordered all 737 NGs with more than 30,000 flights to be checked after cracks were discovered in the "pickle fork" of a jet undergoing maintenance. This component is one of the main attachment points for the wing and fuselage and should have a life of about 90,000 flights. Boeing said that about 5pc of the affected aircraft needed repairs. 12:23PM Boris Johnson calls for de-escalation of Middle East crisis Boris Johnson said he opposed any further escalation of violence and told MPs: "As far as we can tell there were no casualties last night sustained by the US and no British personnel were injured in the attacks. "We are doing everything we can to protect UK interests in the region, with HMS Defender and HMS Montrose operating in an enhanced state of readiness to protect shipping in the Gulf." Mr Johnson said General Soleimani had the "blood of British troops on his hands". Answering a question from Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn about the legality of the drone strike that killed the Iranian general, the PM said the US had the right to defend its bases. "Clearly the strict issue of legality is not for the UK to determine since it was not our operation," said the PM. "But I think most reasonable people would accept that the United States has the right to protect its bases and its personnel." The PM said Gen Soleimani had supplied "improvised explosive devices to terrorists, which I'm afraid killed and maimed British troops". He added: "That man had the blood of British troops on his hands." Follow the first Prime Minister's Questions of the decade here. 11:18AM Ukrainian Prime Minister refuses to rule out plane was hit by missile Asked at a briefing in Kyiv if the plane could have been downed by a missile, Ukraine's Prime Minister Oleksiy Honcharuk cautioned against speculation until the results of an investigation were known. The timing of the crash has led to speculation it could have been linked to the offensive that saw rockets from Iran striking US targets overnight, hitting two Iraqi airbases where American and coalition forces are based. No survivors reported as Ukrainian passenger jet crashes in Iran The Iraqi military said it recorded a half hour bombardment between 1.45am and 2.15am local time (10.45am - 11.15am GMT). The Ukraine Airlines 737 crashed at 6.15am local time in Tehran (2.45am GMT), at more than three hours after the last Iranian ballistic missile barrage ended. 11:16AM Recap: What happened in the air seconds before crash? Qassem Biniaz, a spokesman for Iran's Road and Transportation Ministry, said it appeared a fire struck one of its engines. The pilot of the aircraft then lost control of the plane, sending it crashing into the ground, Biniaz said, according to the state-run IRNA news agency. Hassan Razaeifar, the head of air crash investigation committee, said it appeared the pilot couldn't communicate with air-traffic controllers in Tehran in the last moments of the flight. He did not elaborate. Authorities later said they found the plane's so-called "black boxes," which record cockpit conversations and instrument data. "The only thing that the pilot managed to do was steer the plane towards a soccer field near here instead of a residential area back there," witness Aref Geravand said. "It crashed near the field and in a water canal." 10:54AM Iran refuses to hand over black box from Ukrainian plane Iran's aviation authority said it would not hand over to Americans the recovered black boxes of a Boeing 737 that crashed Wednesday, killing all 176 passengers and crew. "We will not give the black boxes to the manufacturer (Boeing) and the Americans," Iran Civil Aviation Organisation head Ali Abedzadeh said, quoted by Mehr news agency. 10:39AM Met Police 'extremely alert' to impact of wider Middle East crisis Police in the UK are monitoring the wider crisis in Iran and are "extremely alert" to any effect it may have on home soil, the country's most senior officer has said. Metropolitan Police Commissioner Dame Cressida Dick told LBC that head of UK counter-terror policing Neil Basu has been in discussions with the security agencies and government bodies about the crisis. She told host Nick Ferrari: "It's a very worrying time clearly and we have lots of people of Iranian and Iraqi heritage and the surrounding areas in London, so there's lots for us to think about, lots for us to be alert to. "What I can say is so far in London we have had no issues directly associated with this, there was one quite small protest. "But of course we're extremely alert to what this could possibly lead to, but it's a very complex situation. At the moment there's absolutely no impact on London." Met Police Commissioner Cressida Dick is live in the LBC studio, answering questions from listeners. Watch it live. https://t.co/wnxGmCvjCs— LBC (@LBC) January 8, 2020 Dame Cressida, herself a former chief of counter-terrorism policing, said the force is "very adept" at measuring possible domestic threats linked to international events. "Being the international city that we are, with the multiplicity of communities and also the threats that we have had to face over the years which change and morph all the time, we are very, very adept at seeing what's happening around the world, reaching out into communities and looking at the possible threats and risks that might come," she said. "That's what we're doing on a day by day basis, and in response to this." The UK's terror threat level remains at substantial, meaning an attack is likely. 10:04AM Foreign Office 'deeply saddened' by loss of life in Iran plane crash The Foreign Office has issued a statement on the Iran plane crash. BREAKING | Foreign Office "deeply saddened" by Iran plane crash and "urgently seeking confirmation about how many British nationals were on board". Full statement here: pic.twitter.com/Q4Curn1yGg— Gareth Davies (@GD10) January 8, 2020 10:01AM Chinese airline becomes latest to avoid Iran China Southern - a Chinese airline - has cancelled an Urumqi to Tehran flight which was scheduled to depart on Wednesday. 9:35AM Map of where the plane came down Flight data from the airport showed a Ukrainian 737-800 flown by Ukraine International Airlines took off on Wednesday morning, then stopped sending data about eight minutes later, according to tracking website FlightRadar24. Here is a look at where the plane came down in relation to the the airport and its scheduled destination - Kyiv. AFP map and details of the path of Ukrainian International Airlines flight PS-752 which crashed shortly after takeoff from Tehran @AFPgraphicspic.twitter.com/D72x9iVhpk— AFP news agency (@AFP) January 8, 2020 It also tracks the plane's altitude up to the moment it disappeared from the radar. 9:20AM Ukraine withdraws statement ruling out terror or rocket attack Having initially said the plane crash was due to engine failure and not foul play, there is now a new statement on the Ukrainian embassy website. It reads: "A commission is working to clarify the causes of the plane crash. Any statements regarding the causes of the accident prior to the findings of the commission are not official." The earlier line ruling out terrorism or a rocket attack as possible causes have been removed. 9:17AM Russia warns against 'rushed theories' on crash Russia has offered its condolences and warned against "rushed theories" about the cause of the crash, Theo Merz reports. Senator Konstantin Kosachev, the head of the Russian Federation Council Foreign Affairs Committee, wrote on Facebook: "A terrible crash of a Ukrainian airliner in Tehran. It looks like no one survived. Was it a technical malfunction? A mistake of the crew? A terror attack? Only an investigation will show and one must refrain from any rushed theories." He said the Russian embassy was working to clarify if there were any of its citizens on board. "I would like to offer sincere condolences to all the families and loved ones of the deceased, whatever their nationality. We share the Ukrainian people's grief." MP Leonid Slutskiy said on his Telegram messaging channel: "The reasons of the crash are yet to be assessed. The tragedy must not be used for political purposes - sinking to the level of groundless accusations against Tehran or anti-Iranian rhetoric." 9:00AM Ukrainian President instructs prosecutors to open criminal proceedings Volodymyr Zelensky, Ukraine's president, said his government was working to understand the causes of the crash. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky Credit: Sergei Chuzavkov/AFP He has cut short a trip to Oman and returning to Kyiv and instructed Ukraine's prosecutors to open criminal proceedings over the crash. Mr Zelenskyy, in a statement on the president's website, said he had ordered the Prosecutor General of Ukraine to open criminal proceedings over the UIA plane crash in Tehran. He said: "An investigation commission should be set up of representatives of the civil and aviation agencies responsible for civil aviation. We have to work out all the possible versions. "Regardless of the conclusions regarding the causes of the Iranian catastrophe, the airworthiness of the entire civilian fleet will be tested. "I keep all measures on personal control. I very much ask everyone to refrain from speculation and putting forward untested versions of the disaster before the official announcements." 8:40AM Russia suspends flights over Iran and Iraq As the tension in the Middle East heightens, Moscow has called off any flights that use the airspace over Iran and Iraq. A telegram from the Russia's Federal Air Transport Agency said: "In connection with the information on the existing risks to the security of international flights of civil aircraft before the subsequent notification, the Federal Air Transport Agency recommends not using the airspace over the territories of Iran, Iraq, the Persian and Oman gulfs for flights of civil aircraft of the Russian Federation, including transit flights." Air France has also suspended flights over the region. 8:38AM 'Nothing wrong with plane', says Ukrainian airline Ukrainian International Airlines(UIA) has appeared to bite back at claims its plane came down because of engine failure. The airline said there was "nothing wrong" with its plane. A Boeing 737-3E7 from Ukraine International Airlines lands in 2017 Credit: Jack Guez/AFP It is understood the plane that crashed just outside the Iranian capital last passed a planned technical service just two days ago on Jan 6. President of UIA Yevgeny Dykhne told a press briefing: "The aircraft was in good condition... We guarantee the serviceability of our aircraft and the high qualification of our crews" 8:23AM Kyiv confirms British citizens were on board flight The Ukrainian Minister for Foreign Affairs of Ukraine Vadym Prystaiko has revealed the nationalities of those on board. He said Kyiv is aware of the "following information on the countries of origin of those killed in the crash". Наразі нам відома наступна інформація щодо країн походження загиблих в катастрофі PS752: Іран - 82; Канада - 63; Україна - 2 + 9(екіпаж); Швеція - 10; Афганістан - 4; ФРН - 3; Велика Британія - 3. Висловлюємо наші співчуття. Українська влада продовжує розслідування.— Vadym Prystaiko (@VPrystaiko) January 8, 2020 Iran - 82 Canada - 63 Ukraine - 2 + 9 (crew) Sweden - 10 Afghanistan - 4 Germany - 3 United Kingdom - 3 8:13AM Flights to Tehran 'suspended indefinitely' by Ukrainian airline Ukraine International Airlines has suspended flights to Tehran indefinitely, according to Reuters. 7:59AM Boeing 'aware of media reports' Boeing spokesman Gordon Johndroe said the company was aware of media reports of a plane crash in Iran and was gathering more information. 7:48AM Three British citizens on board, says local media A local media outlet in the Ukraine claims there were British citizens on board. Obozrevatel, a popular news website in the country, said there were also 71 Canadians on board, quoting sources. Ukrainian citizens - 15 Iranian citizens - 71 Canadian citizens - 73 German citizens - 4 UK citizens - 3 Swedish citizens - 8 Afghan citizens - 6 The Foreign Office was not immediately available for comment and the figures from Obozrevatel have not been confirmed. But the Ukraine Security Council said there were 11 Ukrainians on board, including nine crew, according to Reuters. 7:41AM Iran plane crash, in pictures Debris is seen from the plane crash on the outskirts of Tehran Credit: Mohammad Nasiri/AP An aerial view of the crash site Credit: Rohhollah Vadati/AFP A side panel from the aircraft in a ditch Credit: AFP 7:31AM Special flights on standby to take bodies back to Ukraine The Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has special flights are on standby to take bodies back to Kyiv. The planes will need permission from Iran. 7:28AM What we know so far Boeing 737 crashed eight minutes after taking off All 176 aboard killed, 167 passengers and nine crew Plane appeared to be on fire before it hit the ground Engine failure to blame, says Ukraine 7:27AM Video: 'Plane falls from the sky' Ali Hashem, a BBC correspondent, tweeted a video which he claimed showed the plane falling through the air while aflame before crashing into the ground and exploding. Breaking First footage of the Ukrainian airplane while on fire falling near Tehranpic.twitter.com/kGxnBb7f1q— Ali Hashem علي هاشم (@alihashem_tv) January 8, 2020 6:54AM What type of plane was it? The plane that came down this morning was a Boeing 737-800. This is similar to but not the same as the 737 Max 8 aircraft, which has been grounded since two fatal crashes in Indonesia and Ethiopia that have brought huge scrutiny to Boeing. The 737-800 uses a different software system to that of the Max 8. The Ukraine International Airlines jet that crashed this morning was believed to be less than four years old. Boeing's 737 Max 8 is grounded following fatal crashes Credit: Lindsey Wasson/Reuters The airline has not yet made a statement. 6:27AM Rescuers sift through wreckage Iranian officials and emergency crews are at the crash site in Tehran, investigating the cause of the crash earlier this morning. The plane crashed about eight minutes after taking off Credit: Nazanin Tabatabaee/WANA 6:18AM 'Impossible that anyone survived' The head of Iran's Red Crescent has said they do not expect survivors at the crash site. "Obviously it is impossible that passengers" on flight PS-752 are alive, he told Iranian state news. 6:06AM '176 people' on board Iranian state TV news are claiming that the flight had 176 people on board - 167 passengers and nine crew. 5:50AM All passengers dead - Ukraine's president Volodymyr Zelensky, Ukraine's president, has confirmed that all 170 passengers aboard the Boeing 737 in Tehran have been killed. He offered condolences to the families of the victims and said his government was working to understand the causes of the crash.
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| Trump claims about Iran invite scrutiny Posted: 08 Jan 2020 01:48 PM PST  During his address to the nation Wednesday on the exchange of hostilities with Iran over the past week, President Trump made a number of questionable assertions.
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| Trump sparked the Iran crisis. Now he must walk away from the brink of war Posted: 08 Jan 2020 01:44 PM PST  It is up to Congress and the American people to force Trump to adopt a more pragmatic pathIn the midst of a dangerous national security crisis like the situation with Iran, the chances for peace often rest on one side hitting the brakes.It is time for the United States to de-escalate. That is what a true global leader would do.In the wake of the Iranian missile attack on Iraqi bases where US and Iraqi troops are stationed, the messages coming from both governments are mixed. It's hard to interpret any attack – even if in retaliation – as anything but dangerous and provocative. But the lack of casualties from its attack could allow Iran a face-saving way to show strength while avoiding massive escalation.By not announcing more military action, Trump's initial response could be viewed as avoiding further escalation as well. But Trump's litany of threats, increased sanctions, vague request that Nato get more involved in the region, and lack of strategy or goals are not exactly calming. Trump's policies of the last three years have done nothing but escalate tensions and brought us to the brink of war.The danger is still very real, and more tit-for-tat escalation could spiral out of control even further. America's military capabilities are unparalleled and could cause unconscionable devastation. Iran's missiles can hit targets across the region, its proxies reach from Lebanon to Syria to Iraq, and America's partners from Israel to Europe and beyond could be in Iran's crosshairs. A war with Iran of any sort – conventional, asymmetric, or proxy – would be terrible for all.> The only responsible path forward is a diplomatic oneIran's attacks on Iraqi bases must be condemned, but America's response does not have to be – and should not be – a military one. The only responsible path forward is a diplomatic one. The United States can show that attacks against American troops are unacceptable while opening an off-ramp to de-escalation.Great powers like America do not need to wield the sword to prove their strength; true strength right now would be the world's most powerful nation choosing restraint and diplomacy. No one disputes America's military power; but with Trump in office, it is very much in question whether America has the capacity to achieve its goals through peaceful means.America must start to walk away from the brink right now. The United States should convene an immediate session of the UN security council which includes Iran. That would provide the United States the opportunity to condemn Iran's actions and rally others to do the same, while also allowing Iranian officials to come to the UN headquarters to participate, thus creating a chance for a quiet meeting between US and Iranian officials. Other diplomatic channels should be pursued as well.The United States must continue to enhance security measures to protect US personnel and interests around the world. The missile attacks may be the extent of Iran's retaliation, but there is certainly no guarantee of that.There are many other steps Trump could take to change course – rejoin the nuclear deal, reverse sanctions, lift the travel ban on Iranians, etc – but we should have absolutely no faith in the ability or desire of the Trump administration to execute a responsible Iran policy.This crisis was sparked by Donald Trump. Trump withdrew from the deal that had stopped Iran's nuclear weapons program, leading Iran to restart its nuclear program. Trump ramped up economic pressure and sent more US troops to the region, and tensions grew. Then the US killed Gen Qassem Suleimani , signaling a significant escalation, to which Iran responded with an attack on Iraqi bases where US and Iraqi troops are stationed.> America is far worse off today towards Iran and in the Middle East than it was when Trump took officeIt is up to Congress and the American people to force Trump to adopt a more pragmatic path. For too long Congress has ceded to the executive branch its authority to determine when America goes to war, and the current crisis with Iran is exactly the kind of moment that requires intense coordination between the legislative and executive branches. The president cannot start a war without congressional authorization, and with the erratic Trump in office, Congress must make that clear by cutting off the use of funds for war with Iran.This is not just about how to de-escalate – it's about recognizing that America fundamentally needs to change its disastrous course. Even if de-escalation of the acute tensions is possible, the risks will remain as long as the United States pursues a reckless policy. America is far worse off today towards Iran and in the Middle East than it was when Trump took office – even worse off than we were on 1 January 2020. Today, Iran is advancing its nuclear program, America has suspended its anti-Isis campaign, Iraq's parliament has voted to evict US troops from the country, and we are in a dangerous military standoff with Iran.Digging out of this hole will be difficult and this administration is not capable of it. Over the long run, future administrations will need to reorient America's goals and policies. America needs to re-enter the nuclear deal and begin negotiations to strengthen it; work with partners like Iraq – without a large US troop presence – in countering potential threats like a resurgence of Isis; and adopt a broader regional policy that focuses on protecting US interests and standing up for human rights and democracy rather than picking sides in a regional civil war between dictatorships like Iran and Saudi Arabia.Achieving US goals in the region will not be possible with a mere de-escalation of tensions – we need to find a new path towards Iran and the Middle East.
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| Trump Doesn’t Want War With Iran Posted: 08 Jan 2020 01:40 PM PST |
| Trump Doesn’t Want War With Iran Posted: 08 Jan 2020 01:40 PM PST |
| Airbus Pledges Expansion in the U.K. After Brexit Posted: 08 Jan 2020 01:36 PM PST  (Bloomberg) -- Airbus SE signaled that it's ready to move beyond a previously uneasy relationship with the U.K. over Brexit, saying the future of its British wing plants is secure and pledging to work with the government to expand a business that goes from helicopter maintenance to planetary rovers.Chief Executive Officer Guillaume Faury said Prime Minister Boris Johnson's Brexit deal, which will see Britain leave the European Union on Jan. 31, means the split from the bloc "is at least now for certain," though the nature of future ties still needs to be worked out.The European aerospace giant, which employs more than 13,500 people at 25 U.K. sites and supports 100,000 supplier jobs, warned under previous CEO Tom Enders that future production might be in doubt as the prospect of a no-deal Brexit threatened to create border delays and inflate costs. Faury said in November that Britain represents a very strong industrial and technical base that Airbus has no desire to leave and his latest comments indicate a further thawing in relations."Airbus is committed to the U.K. and to working with the new government on an ambitious industrial strategy," Faury said late Wednesday at a company event in London. "We see great potential to improve and expand our operations in the U.K. this year."Wings for all Airbus models are made in Britain, chiefly at sites near Chester and Bristol, as well as in Belfast at a plant previously owned by Bombardier Inc. and now operated by Spirit AeroSystems Holdings Inc. The U.K. will also play a vital role in helping Airbus transition to low- and zero-carbon technology, Faury said, while also praising its increased funding for the European Space Agency.Andrea Leadsom, Johnson's business secretary, said at the gathering that Britain was proud to be one of four Airbus "home nations" and pledged U.K. support for EU efforts to reach a negotiated settlement in the company's clash with the U.S. and Boeing Co. over aircraft subsidies.Britain added 2,000 aerospace jobs last year and the government plans further steps to support Airbus and the sector as a whole after Brexit, she said.To contact the reporters on this story: Charlotte Ryan in London at cryan147@bloomberg.net;Siddharth Philip in London at sphilip3@bloomberg.netTo contact the editors responsible for this story: Tara Patel at tpatel2@bloomberg.net, Christopher Jasper, Brendan CaseFor more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.com©2020 Bloomberg L.P.
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| In surprising request, Trump asks NATO to do more in Mideast Posted: 08 Jan 2020 01:32 PM PST  President Donald Trump said Wednesday that he would ask NATO to step up its involvement in the Middle East, an unexpected request from a president who in the past has questioned the relevance of the transatlantic alliance and split with some member nations over his approach to Iran. Trump didn't detail what further involvement he wants from the 29-member alliance. "Today, I am going to ask NATO to become much more involved in the Middle East process," Trump said during his first public comments on Iran's military strikes targeting U.S. troops stationed in Iraq.
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| Iran is ‘in a no-win situation’: expert Posted: 08 Jan 2020 01:29 PM PST  One expert says that Iran has cornered itself into a 'no-win situation' with the US.
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| House to vote Thursday on curbing Trump actions against Iran Posted: 08 Jan 2020 01:27 PM PST  Speaker Nancy Pelosi set a House vote for Thursday on limiting President Donald Trump's ability to take military action against Iran as Democratic criticism of the U.S. killing of a top Iranian general intensified. A similar proposal by Sen. Tim Kaine, D-Va., faces an uphill fight in the GOP-run Senate. Because of a procedural dispute between the two parties, it was unclear whether Thursday's vote would be a step toward binding Trump's hands on Iran or a symbolic gesture of opposition by Democrats.
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| Trump says he wants diplomacy with Iran. Here's how he can start. Posted: 08 Jan 2020 01:25 PM PST  Half a day after an Iranian missile strike on U.S. bases in Iraq, President Trump took the off-ramp from war that Tehran's casualty-free retaliation offered. "Iran appears to be standing down, which is a good thing for all parties concerned, and a good thing for the world," he said in a brief address from the White House.This is wonderful news. So too are Trump's diplomatic overtures toward Iran, his call for a new "deal with Iran that makes the world a safer and more peaceful place."Unfortunately, it is wildly premature to anticipate real diplomatic progress coming from this invitation to replace the nuclear deal Trump himself gutted in 2018. Indeed, Trump's Wednesday speech itself made clear he has no idea how to get to the new agreement he seeks: He pledged to redouble the very hardline policies that have for months undermined any movement toward productive talks.The Trump administration's policy toward Iran is dubbed "maximum pressure," and it has three primary components. First is Trump's withdrawal from the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), which without the participation of the United States becomes all take, no give.Second is the re-imposition of sanctions the deal had removed, sanctions that — as sanctions too often do — accomplish more in the torment of the Iranian public than in coercion of their leaders. Part of Trump's Wednesday remarks was an announcement of "additional punishing economic sanctions."Third is escalation of the United States' military activity in the Middle East, including deploying several thousand American troops to protect Saudi Arabia, Iran's political and religious rival; maintaining a troops presence in Iraq "to watch" Iran; and, now, the assassination of Iranian Gen. Qassem Soleimani.In the administration's narrative, maximum pressure is a straight ticket to a new Iran deal. It will "force the Ayatollah Ali Khamenei to the negotiating table to conclude a comprehensive and enduring deal," Secretary of State Mike Pompeo claimed in an August op-ed promising the next agreement will go well beyond JCPOA's intentionally limited attention to nuclear weapons development. This one, he said, will also address Iran's "ballistic missile development and proliferation, its support for terrorist groups and proxies, and its treatment and illegal detention of U.S. citizens."That assertion is not borne out by recent history. Maximum pressure has not bent Tehran to Washington's will. It has not reined in the regime's behavior. It has made diplomacy more difficult and a viable deal less likely.Contrary Trump's Wednesday claim that "Iran's hostility substantially increased after the foolish nuclear deal was signed in 2013" (it was 2015, for the record), Tehran was in compliance with the nuclear deal before Trump's decision to renege, as independent observers verified. Iran's rising tally of provocations began not after the deal was signed but after Trump broke it — and Pompeo himself accidentally admitted as much in September, telling reporters Iran's unsavory behaviors were a "direct result" of "the president's strategy."For Iran, unlike for the United States, this conflict is existential, which means Tehran won't be cowed into giving Trump something for nothing, no matter how maximum the pressure or how big our missiles. Think about it: Iran made and kept a deal with the United States. Trump withdrew from the deal, spun lies about its content and Iran's actions, hit Iran with economic and military attacks, and now expects to be viewed as a good-faith negotiating partner pursuing a broader slate of concessions from Iran. This is utterly fantastical.Still, as a practice of living in hope, if nothing else, it is worth asking what might make successful U.S.-Iran diplomacy conceivable. What could Trump do to show he's serious? What would make him more trustworthy?The first and most obvious step is to withdraw all U.S. military presence from Iraq immediately. Withdrawal would take American forces out of harm's way should Iran or Iran-linked Iraqi militia groups conduct further retaliation for the Soleimani strike, and it would respect Iraq's wishes, possibly quelling some anti-American sentiment. Most importantly, leaving Iraq would give Iran a sign Trump is committed to achieving peace. (American exit from Afghanistan, also Iran's neighbor and the site of another failed U.S. military intervention, wouldn't hurt either.)Ousting Pompeo, or pushing him to make that Senate run he's considering, would be prudent as well. A tweet to Trump from the Iranian regime early Wednesday told him to stop "listen[ing] to that clown, Pompeo" if he wants a new deal. This is good advice for U.S. foreign policy generally, as Pompeo, like so many of the president's hawkish advisers, is a malicious influence on Trump, encouraging his militarism and suppressing his better impulses toward diplomacy.Also important is assuring Iran of the durability of any new agreement. During talks, this means no repeats of Trump's October shenanigans at the United Nations, which blew up a tentative four-point deal between Washington and Tehran that had been brokered by Paris. For the final product, it means a binding treaty, duly approved by the Senate, that the next president cannot unilaterally toss out as Trump discarded JCPOA. Tehran is right to be wary of signing another deal on the strength of executive action alone.Even with all this, I'd be surprised if Iran were willing to sign a new agreement with this administration. Trump backed away from open war, but the trend line of his dealings with Iran shows a pattern of escalation, dishonesty, and threats. He has a long way to go to make his call for talks more than talk.Want more essential commentary and analysis like this delivered straight to your inbox? Sign up for The Week's "Today's best articles" newsletter here.More stories from theweek.com Iran has offered Trump an 'off-ramp' from war, and there's growing speculation he might take it Joe Biden's free ride is over Harvey Weinstein's legal team tries to get judge, attorney Gloria Allred removed from proceedings
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| House to vote on limiting Trump's war powers in wake of Iran crisis Posted: 08 Jan 2020 01:25 PM PST  Congressional Democrats were reportedly rattled Tuesday night upon learning of the Iranian airstrikes against a military base hosting U.S. soldiers in Iraq. So much so, it seems, that they thought about stopping short of repudiating the White House for its actions against Tehran. But they've apparently regrouped and are ready once again to try to curb President Trump's war powers.House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) said in a statement Wednesday that the House would will move forward with a war powers resolution Thursday in the hopes of limiting Trump's military actions against Iran. Rep. Elissa Slotkin (D-Mich.) will lead the charge, and the resolution will go the Rules Committee on Wednesday evening before heading to the House Floor the following day.Within the legislation is the resolution to repeal the 2002 Iraq Authorization for Use of Military Force. Rep. Barbara Lee (D-Calif.) has been championing the effort to repeal the law for some time.Congress, of course, has the constitutional power to declare war, but because of laws like the AUMF, things haven't really worked out that way for a while. > To give you some context on why Congress is debating over war powers re: Iran: The Constitution grants Congress the power to declare war. The last time Congress formally declared war was during WWII. Congress has essentially abdicated its authority via laws like 2001 AUMF since.> > -- John Haltiwanger (@jchaltiwanger) January 8, 2020More stories from theweek.com Iran has offered Trump an 'off-ramp' from war, and there's growing speculation he might take it Joe Biden's free ride is over Harvey Weinstein's legal team tries to get judge, attorney Gloria Allred removed from proceedings
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| Democrats, and some in GOP, seek more info on Iran decision Posted: 08 Jan 2020 01:20 PM PST  The Trump administration made its case on Capitol Hill for killing a powerful Iranian general, but Democrats — and a handful of Republicans — said Wednesday's classified briefings were short on details and left them wondering about the president's next steps in the volatile Mideast. Democrats said that by not disclosing many details of the threat that prompted the U.S. to kill Iranian Gen. Qassem Soleimani, President Donald Trump is asking the American public to trust the very intelligence reports he has often disparaged. Top Trump administration officials have repeatedly stressed that the undisclosed intelligence about imminent threats to Americans in the Mideast required action — that the president would have been negligent not to strike Iran.
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