Obama

Obama squandered ‘golden opportunity’ to crush Hezbollah

Dubai - Muslimchronicle

The retired head of the Drug Enforcement Administration's special-operations division said on Wednesday the Obama administration squandered a chance to dismantle Hezbollah due in part to political motivations to clinch a nuclear deal with Iran, according to a report. Derek Maltz, who was in charge of a major law enforcement operation targeting Hezbollah's trafficking of cocaine, testified before the HouseRead more

The 2015 Iran nuclear deal

Washington - Muslimchronicle

The Latest on Iran sanctions and the 2015 nuclear deal (all times local): 2:15 p.m. President Donald Trump has extended waivers of nuclear sanctions against Iran. That keeps the landmark 2015 nuclear deal alive for at least another several months, despite Trump's past vows to scuttle the accord. But he also made clear these waivers will be the last, unless what heRead more

US moves closer to EU position on taxing tech giants

Washington - Muslimchronicle

Washington is softening its position on European plans to impose taxes on US tech giants such as Apple and Google, officials said this week. The evolving attitude in recent days would mark a stark shift from American officials’ frustration at previous efforts by European authorities to collect taxes from Silicon Valley firms. “The United States is open to considering theRead more

US environment chief signs draft rollback on Obama climate plan

New York - Muslimchronicle

The head of the United States Environmental Protection Agency signed on Tuesday a draft decision to roll back Obama-era measures to counter climate change. Repealing the Clean Power Plan (CPP) was a campaign promise by President Donald Trump and follows his decision in June to withdraw from the 2015 Paris agreement by nearly 200 countries to cap global warming. "AfterRead more

Iranians show unity before any American escalation

London - Seleim Karam

A tough line from President Donald Trump has been met by a show of unity from both sides of Iran’s political divide, uniting hardliners who cast the United States as an implacable enemy with pragmatists who seek rapprochement with the West. Iran, which has kept up a steady drumbeat of angry statements for days, lashed out again on Tuesday, threateningRead more

Trump warns of calm before the storm, may decertify Iran N-deal

Washington - Muslimchronicle

US President Donald Trump is planning to decertify the landmark Iran nuclear deal negotiated by his predecessor Barack Obama, paving the way for the potential re-imposition of sanctions, two leading US dailies reported Friday. Trump will argue that the agreement is not in America’s interest, the Washington Post reported, quoting four people close to him. The New York Times, quotingRead more

Trump EPA to propose repealing Obama's climate regulation: Document

Washington - Muslimchronicle

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency will propose repealing the Clean Power Plan - the Obama administration's centerpiece regulation to fight climate change - and plans to solicit input on a rule to replace it, according to an EPA document seen by Reuters. The decision marks the agency's first formal step to sweep away the rule intended to cut carbon emissionsRead more

Philippine president changes his tune with praise for US “allies”

Manila - Muslimchronicle

Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte voiced rare praise for the United States on Thursday, calling it an important security ally, and dismissing historic grievances and his slew of past tirades against Washington as “water under the bridge.” Duterte’s anti-American outbursts have become notorious and baffling for one of Washington’s closest Asian allies since the nation gained independence from the United StatesRead more

Chelsea Manning says she was denied entry to Canada

Ontario - Muslimchronicle

Chelsea Manning said Monday she was denied entry into Canada because of her criminal record in the United States. The transgender woman was known as Bradley Manning when she was convicted in 2013 of leaking a trove of classified documents. She was released after serving seven years of a 35-year sentence, which was commuted by President Barack Obama in hisRead more

Internet giants, once above the fray, on the defensive in Washington

Washington - Muslimchronicle

Internet giants, including Alphabet’s Google and Facebook, are moving to compromise on several major policy issues as they adjust to an abrupt shift in the political winds in Washington. Just last week, the US Senate took a big step toward advancing legislation that would partially strip away the Internet industry’s bedrock legal protection, a 1996 law that shields companies fromRead more