Chuyên mục: US foreign policy

U.S. Seeks Meeting Soon to Revive Asia-Pacific ‘Quad’ Security Forum

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Oct. 27, 2017, at 2:30 p.m.

U.S. Seeks Meeting Soon to Revive Asia-Pacific ‘Quad’ Security Forum
Reuters

Japan’s Foreign Minister Taro Kono gives a speech at Columbia University in Manhattan, New York, U.S., September 21, 2017. REUTERS/Amr Alfiky Reuters

By David Brunnstrom

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The United States wants a meeting soon aimed at reviving a four-way dialogue between itself, Japan, India and Australia to deepen security cooperation and coordinate alternatives for regional infrastructure financing to that offered by China, a senior U.S. official said on Friday.

The so-called “Quad” to discuss and cooperate on security emerged briefly as an initiative a decade ago – much to the annoyance of China, which saw as an attempt by regional democracies to contain its advances. Tiếp tục đọc “U.S. Seeks Meeting Soon to Revive Asia-Pacific ‘Quad’ Security Forum” →

Three US aircraft carriers in Pacific

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US flexes naval muscle in Asia ahead of Trump’s visit

Brad Lendon-Profile-Image By Brad Lendon, CNN

Updated 4:54 AM ET, Wed October 25, 2017

Source: CNN

Story highlights

  • US aircraft carriers send messages to adversaries, experts say
  • Presence of three carriers in Asia-Pacific comes as President Trump prepares to visit region

Hong Kong (CNN)Two US Navy aircraft carrier strike groups have arrived in the Pacific in the past two days, putting three of the massive warships in the region as President Donald Trump prepares for a visit early next month.

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Trump sought dissident’s expulsion after hand-delivered letter from China – report

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Guardian

Wall Street Journal says the US president called for Guo Wengui’s deportation after casino owner Steve Wynn brought letter from Beijing government

Billionaire Guo Wengui, whom Chinese security agents have tried to restrain from publishing accusatory tweets against the Beijing government.
Billionaire Guo Wengui, whom Chinese security agents have tried to restrain from publishing accusatory tweets against the Beijing government. Photograph: Twitter

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Donald Trump called for the deportation of a Chinese dissident living in the US, after receiving a request from Beijing hand-delivered by a casino owner with business interests in China, according to a US report.

The Wall Street Journal described a Chinese government attempt to put pressure on Guo Wengui, a real estate tycoon living in exile in New York, to halt his allegations of corruption in high places in China. Tiếp tục đọc “Trump sought dissident’s expulsion after hand-delivered letter from China – report” →

The Trump Administration is Leaving the UN Agency That Promotes Freedom of the Press

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UN Dispatch

By: Mark Leon Goldberg on October 12, 2017

The Trump administration formally announced today that is is withdrawing from UNESCO, the UN’s scientific and cultural agency.

The US will downgrade its embassy there to an observer mission.

This is the rationale they gave.

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Trump Wanted Tenfold Increase in Nuclear Arsenal, Surprising Military

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NBC News

by Courtney Kube, Kristen Welker, Carol E. Lee and Savannah Guthrie

WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump said he wanted what amounted to a nearly tenfold increase in the U.S. nuclear arsenal during a gathering this past summer of the nation’s highest ranking national security leaders, according to three officials who were in the room.

Trump’s comments, the officials said, came in response to a briefing slide he was shown that charted the steady reduction of U.S. nuclear weapons since the late 1960s. Trump indicated he wanted a bigger stockpile, not the bottom position on that downward-sloping curve. Tiếp tục đọc “Trump Wanted Tenfold Increase in Nuclear Arsenal, Surprising Military” →

US Senate Resolution 412:calls on China to withdraw its HD-981 drilling rig and associated maritime forces from their current positions

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First posted on UNCLOSforum.wordpress.com on July 11, 2014

S.Res.412 – A resolution reaffirming the strong support of the United States Government for freedom of navigation and other internationally lawful uses of sea and airspace in the Asia-Pacific region, and for the peaceful diplomatic resolution of outstanding territorial and maritime claims and disputes.113th Congress (2013-2014)

Resolution

Sponsor: Sen. Menendez, Robert [D-NJ] (Introduced 04/07/2014)
Committees: Senate – Foreign Relations
Latest Action: 07/10/2014 Resolution agreed to in Senate with amendments and an amended preamble by Unanimous Consent.

Tracker:

This bill has the status Passed Senate

Here are the steps for Status of Legislation:

  1. Introduced
  2. Passed Senate

Summary: S.Res.412 — 113th Congress (2013-2014)

There are 2 summaries for this bill.
Bill summaries are authored by CRS.

Shown Here:
Reported to Senate amended (05/20/2014)

States that the Senate: (1) condemns coercive actions or the use of force to impede freedom of operations in international airspace to alter the status quo or to destabilize the Asia-Pacific region; (2) urges China to refrain from implementing the declared East China Sea Air Defense Identification Zone and to refrain from taking similar provocative actions elsewhere in the Asia-Pacific region; (3) commends Japan and the Republic of Korea for their restraint; and (4) calls on China to withdraw its HD-981 drilling rig and associated maritime forces from their current positions, refrain from maritime maneuvers contrary to the Convention on the International Regulations for Preventing Collisions at Sea, and return to the status quo as it existed before May 1, 2014.

Sets forth U.S. policy regarding: (1) supporting allies and partners in the Asia-Pacific region; (2) opposing claims that impinge on the rights, freedoms, and lawful use of the sea; (3) managing disputes without intimidation or force; (4) supporting development of regional institutions to build cooperation and reinforce the role of international law; and (5) assuring continuity of operations by the United States in the Asia-Pacific region.

Việt Nam cần đồng minh quân sự

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Last update: Sept. 18, 2017

Việc Hội đồng Bảo an Liên Hợp Quốc (“HĐBA”) vừa thông qua nghị quyết do Mỹ đề nghị trừng phạt Bắc Hàn được xem là một thắng lợi lớn cho cộng đồng quốc tế trong vấn đề ứng xử với Bắc Hàn ngỗ ngáo và nguy hiểm. Đây cũng là một dấu hiệu cho thấy Trung Quốc đang cố gắng đi cùng Mỹ và cộng đồng thế giới: Trung Quốc không dùng quyền phủ quyết của mình tại HĐBA để chống lại mọi người.

TQ đột nhiên trở thành anh chàng tử tế và có trách nhiệm? TQ hiểu là một Bắc Hàn điên rồ có tự do là một đại họa cho thế giới? Tiếp tục đọc “Việt Nam cần đồng minh quân sự” →

Trafficking in Persons Report 2017

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US State Department

Date: 06/27/2017 Description: 2017 Trafficking in Person Report. - State Dept Image.“Human trafficking is one of the most tragic human rights issues of our time. It splinters families, distorts global markets, undermines the rule of law, and spurs other transnational criminal activity. It threatens public safety and national security.

“But worst of all, the crime robs human beings of their freedom and their dignity. That’s why we must pursue an end to the scourge of human trafficking.

“Today we take another key step towards that goal. The 2017 Trafficking in Persons Report highlights the successes achieved and the remaining challenges before us on this important global issue.” – Rex W. Tillerson, Secretary of State

The 2017 Trafficking in Persons Report is available in PDF and HTML formats. The PDF is available as a complete one-piece file and as individual sections for easier download. To view the PDF files, you will need to download, at no cost, the Adobe Acrobat Reader.

PDF Format

Trafficking in Persons Report 2017 — Complete Report (PDF)
Introductory Material (PDF)
Country Narratives: A-C (PDF)
Country Narratives: D-I (PDF)
Country Narratives: J-M (PDF)
Country Narratives: N-S (PDF)
Country Narratives: T-Z and Special Case (PDF)
Relevant International Conventions/Closing Material (PDF)

HTML Format

Letter From Secretary Tillerson
Letter From Ambassador Susan Coppedge
Victims’ Stories
Enhancing Criminal Accountability and Addressing Challenges in Prosecution Efforts
Countries That Are Not States Parties to the Protocol
Topics of Special Interest
What is Trafficking in Persons?
Child Soldiers Prevention Act List
Methodology
Global Law Enforcement Data
TVPA Minimum Standards
2017 TIP Report Heroes
Tier Placements
Country Narratives
Special Case
Relevant International Conventions
Stopping Human Trafficking, Sexual Exploitation, and Abuse by International Peacekeepers & Civilian Personnel
Multilateral Organizations Combating Trafficking in Persons
Glossary of Abbreviations
Photo Credits
A Closing Note

Remarks

06/27/17 Remarks at the 2017 Trafficking in Persons Report Launch Ceremony;  Secretary of State Rex W. Tillerson; Ben Franklin Room; Washington, DC
06/27/17 Briefing on the 2017 Trafficking in Persons Report;  Ambassador-at-Large Susan Coppedge, Office to Monitor and Combat Trafficking in Persons; Press Briefing Room; Washington, DC

Fact Sheets and Other Releases

Assisting Male Survivors of Human Trafficking [Get Acrobat Reader PDF version   ]
DipNote: 2017 TIP Report Highlights Importance of Criminal Prosecution
Engaging Survivors of Human Trafficking [Get Acrobat Reader PDF version   ]
Human Trafficking & Migrant Smuggling: Understanding the Difference [Get Acrobat Reader PDF version   ]
Human Trafficking Protection Checklist [Get Acrobat Reader PDF version   ]
Media Best Practices [Get Acrobat Reader PDF version   ]
Media Reporting on Human Trafficking [Get Acrobat Reader PDF version   ]
Online Sexual Exploitation of Children: An Alarming Trend [Get Acrobat Reader PDF version   ]
Paying to Work: The High Cost of Recruitment Fees [Get Acrobat Reader PDF version   ]
U.S. Government Entities Combating Human Trafficking [Get Acrobat Reader PDF version   ]
What is Trafficking in Persons? [Get Acrobat Reader PDF version   ]

James Comey testifies: Former FBI director says he could not trust Trump to tell the truth

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James Comey Congressional Hearing Before Congress (Full Testimony) | The New York Times

James Comey testifies: Former FBI director says he could not trust Trump to tell the truth

 

 Washington Post
Former FBI director James B. Comey testified about his interactions with President Trump before the Senate Intelligence Committee June 8. Here are key moments. (Video: Sarah Parnass/Photo: Matt McClain/The Washington Post)

//www.washingtonpost.com/video/c/embed/9ce8fbda-4c64-11e7-987c-42ab5745db2e

By Devlin Barrett, Ellen Nakashima and Ed O’Keefe June 8 at 4:43 PM

 

Former FBI director James B. Comey said in dramatic testimony Thursday he could not trust President Trump to tell the truth, leading him to take extraordinary steps to document their private conversations and to make the details public to spur the appointment of a special counsel to probe the administration over possible links to Russia.He also accused White House officials of telling “lies, plain and simple,” about him and the FBI in an effort to cover up the real reason for his dismissal last month.“There’s no doubt that I was fired because of the Russia investigation,” Comey said in highly anticipated testimony to the Senate Intelligence Committee. “The endeavor to change the way the Russia investigation was conducted, that is a big deal.” Tiếp tục đọc “James Comey testifies: Former FBI director says he could not trust Trump to tell the truth” →

The CIA has a long history of helping to kill leaders around the world

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Guardian

US intelligence agency has since 1945 succeeded in deposing or killing a string of leaders, but was forced to cut back after a Senate investigation in the 1970s

North Korea’s ministry of state security accused the CIA of an alleged recent assassination attempt on Kim Jong-un.
North Korea’s ministry of state security accused the CIA of an alleged recent assassination attempt on Kim Jong-un. Photograph: Wong Maye-E/AP
 

Friday 5 May 2017 11.43 EDT Last modified on Friday 5 May 2017 12.07 EDT

Some of the most notorious of the CIA’s operations to kill world leaders were those targeting the late Cuban president, Fidel Castro. Attempts ranged from snipers to imaginative plots worthy of spy movie fantasies, such as the famous exploding cigars and a poison-lined scuba-diving suit. Tiếp tục đọc “The CIA has a long history of helping to kill leaders around the world” →

San Diego-based destroyers deploying to Asia-Pacific region

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stripes

Adm. Scott Swift, commander of Pacific Fleet, talks to sailors during an all-hands call aboard the USS Sterett on April 12, 2017, at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, Hawaii.

WYATT OLSON/STARS AND STRIPES

By WYATT OLSON | STARS AND STRIPES Published: April 13, 2017

JOINT BASE PEARL HARBOR-HICKAM, Hawaii — A surface action group of Navy destroyers has arrived in Hawaii ahead of a deployment to the Asia-Pacific region. Tiếp tục đọc “San Diego-based destroyers deploying to Asia-Pacific region” →

Nikki Haley: No solution to war with Assad in power

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Al Jazeera

US diplomat says removal of Syrian president, pushing Iran out and defeating ISIL are Trump administration priorities.

Syria's army has shown no let-up in its assault on rebel forces [EPA]
Syria’s army has shown no let-up in its assault on rebel forces [EPA]

A political solution to the war in Syria is not possible with President Bashar al-Assad in power, the US ambassador to the UN has said in an apparent hardening of the Trump administration’s position.

Defeating the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) group, pushing Iranian influence out of Syria, and the removal of Assad are priorities for the US administration, Nikki Haley said in an interview to CNN, which will air in full on Sunday. Tiếp tục đọc “Nikki Haley: No solution to war with Assad in power” →