Obama administration

US opens London embassy after Trump snubs inauguration

London - Muslimchronicle

The new US embassy in London opened with little fanfare on Tuesday after US President Donald Trump refused to attend the inauguration because of its price tag and less-than-central location. Embassy staff streamed past heavily-armed police and under a US flag flapping in the icy breeze as the new office opened for business. But despite being 10 years in the making andRead more

Mattis 'shocked' by US military readiness

Washington - Muslimchronicle

Pentagon chief Jim Mattis told lawmakers on Monday he was "shocked" by the state of the US military's readiness, blaming legal budget caps and the grind of 16 years of constant war. The defense secretary also warned that North Korea has become the most urgent threat to peace and security, and said -- without giving details -- that America mustRead more

Erdogan: Obama deceived Turkey over PKK

Ankara - Arab Today

The Barack Obama administration deceived Turkey over cooperation against the outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said late on April 19, calling for stronger ties with US President Donald Trump, Hurriyet Daily News reported on Thursday. “With President Obama, we had a mutual agreement about the PKK – but Obama deceived us. I don’t believe theRead more

US: China, Germany must do more to cut trade surpluses

Washington - Arab Today

China and Germany are not manipulating the value of their currencies to gain an unfair trade advantage, but both should do more to reduce their large trade surpluses with the United States, the Treasury Department said Friday. The decision was expected after President Donald Trump this week reversed himself and said China was not a currency manipulator. And although theRead more

Telecom policy tilts in favor of industry under Trump

New York - Arab Today

Trumpism is slowly taking hold on your phone and computer, as newly installed federal regulators begin chipping away at hard-fought protections on privacy and competition. These protections, put in place during the Obama administration, had upset the phone and cable industries. The new regime at the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) says consumers win if businesses face less regulation and haveRead more

Trump tweet signals ongoing support for Guantanamo

Washington - Arab Today

President Donald Trump appeared on Tuesday to reinforce his campaign support for the continued use of the Guantanamo Bay detention center, using an early morning tweet to discuss the facility, which his predecessor had vowed to close. The tweet decrying the release of Guantanamo detainees who returned to the battlefield was the first time Trump mentioned the detention center sinceRead more

Trump team en route to resuming arms sale to Saudi

Washington - Arab Today

After a three-month halt by the Obama administration on a $390 million arms sale to Saudi Arabia, the Trump Cabinet has taken initial decisions to resume the sale after Congress’ approval. A US State Department spokesperson told Arab News: “As a matter of policy, we don’t comment on proposed arms transfers until they’re formally notified to Congress.” But there haveRead more

Under Trump, a trial and error policy emerges for the Middle East

Dubai - ArabToday

When Donald Trump was running for president he was quick to point to the mistakes of the Obama administration for lacking a clear policy in the Middle East. He criticised US involvement in Syria, Libya and said the way the US pulled out its troops in Iraq was a “disaster” which helped create the security vacuum for Daesh to emerge.Read more

US sets plan for sweeping crackdown on nearly all illegal immigrants

Washington - Arab Today

The Department of Homeland Security issued tough new orders Tuesday to begin a sweeping crackdown on illegal immigrants, putting nearly all of the country’s 11 million undocumented foreigners in their cross-hairs. Two memos issued by DHS Secretary John Kelly order border patrol and immigration officers to deport as quickly as possible any illegal immigrants they find, with only a fewRead more

US defence chief hails NATO as ‘fundamental bedrock’

Brussels - Arab Today

US Defense Secretary James Mattis hailed NATO as the “fundamental bedrock” of transatlantic security as he sought to reassure allies on Wednesday about President Donald Trump’s commitment to the alliance. Mattis, who has been on the job less than a month, spoke as a scandal over White House officials’ ties to Russia gripped the Trump presidency and claimed the jobRead more