Donald Trump

‘Legitimate’ Concerns About Saudi Arms Sales, Ex-US Official Says

State Department officials voiced concern over risks to civilians before Secretary of State Mike Pompeo rammed through $8.1 billion in arms sales to Saudi Arabia and other Arab allies, a former aide was quoted Monday as telling lawmakers.

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Iran Military Exercise in Gulf ‘Irresponsible and Reckless:’ US Navy

The US Navy criticized Iran as "irresponsible and reckless" for conducting an exercise involving firing a missile at a replica aircraft carrier in Gulf waters.

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US Accuses Russia of Firing Anti-Satellite Weapon in Space

The United States accused Russia on Thursday of test-firing an anti-satellite weapon in space, warning that the threat against Washington's systems was "real, serious and increasing."

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Iran Executes Man Convicted of Spying for CIA, Mossad

Iran executed a man convicted of spying for the US and Israel, including helping to locate former General Qassem Soleimani.

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Russian Bounties: Pentagon Vows ‘Action’ If Intel Confirmed

Top Pentagon officials pledged to 'take action' if the US military could corroborate intelligence suggesting Moscow paid militants linked to the Taliban to kill US soldiers in Afghanistan.

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China Says Would Join Nuclear Talks if US Reduces Arsenal

Beijing said US pressure to include China in nuclear talks is "nothing but a ploy to divert world tension" and "create a pretext under which they can walk away from the New START."

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Hamas Tests Rockets to Warn Israel Over Annexation Plan

As protests flare across Palestinian territories against Israel's plan to annex a part of West Bank, Hamas has showcased its firepower, sending about 20 rockets into the Mediterranean Sea.

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Trump Approves Cutting 9,500 Troops in Germany: Pentagon

President Donald Trump has approved a plan to slash the US military presence in Germany by 9,500 troops, the Defense Department said.

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Trump Threatens Military Mobilization Against Violent US Protests

President Donald Trump vowed to order a military crackdown on once-in-a-generation violent protests gripping the United States, saying he was sending thousands of troops onto the streets of the capital and threatening to deploy soldiers to states unable to regain control. The dramatic escalation came a week after the death in Minneapolis of George Floyd, an unarmed black man who was killed when a white police officer knelt on his neck, leading to the worst civil unrest in decades in New York, Los Angeles, and dozens of other American cities. In the Midwest, police were early Tuesday trying to bring the city of St Louis under control after a night of looting and violence in which four officers were shot, police chief Colonel John Hayden said, adding their injuries were not life-threatening. “Mr. Floyd was killed somewhere else and they’re tearing up cities all across the country,” a visibly emotional Hayden said. After being criticized for his silence on the worsening crisis, Trump struck a martial tone in a nationwide address Monday from the White House garden, as police fired tear gas on peaceful protesters outside the fence. “I am dispatching thousands and thousands of heavily armed soldiers, military personnel and …

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US Troop Pullout From Afghanistan Ahead of Schedule

The US military withdrawal from Afghanistan is considerably ahead of schedule, an official told AFP on Wednesday, as President Donald Trump reiterated calls for the Pentagon to bring troops home. The developments came as questions loomed over the next phase of Afghanistan’s long war following a historic, three-day ceasefire that led to a major drop in civilian casualties. The truce, which the Taliban called to mark the Muslim celebration of Eid al-Fitr, ended Tuesday night, leaving Afghans anxious about whether it would be extended, or when the war might come raging back. Violence levels remained low even after the end of the ceasefire, but Afghan security forces conducted airstrikes in the south that killed 18 “militants,” police said. Under a deal the US signed with the Taliban in February, the Pentagon was to bring troop levels down from about 12,000 to 8,600 by mid-July, before withdrawing all forces by May 2021. But a senior US defense official said the troop number was already at approximately 8,500, as commanders accelerate the withdrawal over fears of the coronavirus. “The drawdown was accelerated due to COVID-19 precautions,” the official told AFP, noting that the departure of anyone with health concerns or over a certain age …

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