Kushner’s economic plan peace plan faces broad Arab rejection

From Sudan to Kuwait, prominent commentators and ordinary citizens denounced Kushner’s proposals in strikingly similar terms: “colossal waste of time,” “non-starter,” “dead on arrival.” By REUTERS June 23, 2019 02:36   4 minute read. RIYADH/AMMAN/CAIRO- US President Donald Trump’s economic vision as part of the wider plan to resolve the Israeli-Palestinian conflict was met with […]

Dear leader: North Korea says Trump sends Kim ‘excellent’ letter

No details given about contents of exchange, months after nuclear talks break down; Pyongyang says leader to ‘seriously contemplate’ letter By APToday, 2:30 am  0 0shares US President Donald Trump, right, meets with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un on Sentosa Island in Singapore, June 12, 2018. (Evan Vucci/AP) PYONGYANG, North Korea — President Donald Trump sent […]

Europeans urge US and Iran to step back from confrontation

German Chancellor says EU countries still hoping for political solution after downing of American drone; UK official heading to Tehran By AP22 June 2019, 5:52 pm  2 14shares German Chancellor Angela Merkel speaks during a media conference at the end of an EU summit in Brussels on June 21, 2019. EU leaders concluded a two-day summit on […]

US economic plan avoids saying much, but does hint at future Israeli concessions

The long-awaited document is rich in incentives and lofty verbiage, but don’t bother reading the proposal for details on how the White House sees a peace plan coming together By RAPHAEL AHREN Today, 1:14 am  0 20shares Palestinians protest against US President Donald Trump’s so-called Deal of the Century in the West Bank city of Hebron, February […]

The Costs of Confrontation with Iran Are Mounting

by Dalia Dassa Kaye Recent diplomatic efforts to save the Iran nuclear agreement and de-escalate rising tensions between the United States and Iran—including the first visit by a Japanese prime minister to Iran since the revolution—only gave a brief respite from talk of war. With new attacks on oil tankers in the Gulf of Oman […]

Trump says US to hit Iran with ‘major’ new sanctions Monday

US president clarifies that he still looks forward to day where such economic penalties won’t be necessary, claiming ‘the sooner the better!’ By AFP22 June 2019, 10:51 pm     US President Donald Trump speaks to reporters on the South Lawn of the White House in Washington, Saturday, June 22, 2019, before boarding Marine One for the […]

PA: U.S. wants to use Arab money to kill off political aspirations of Palestinian people

The Palestinian Authority on Saturday rejected the Trump administration’s intention to invest billions of dollars into Palestinian economy as part of the first step in the still unreleased U.S. Mideast peace plan.   “The American administration’s solution is based on the idea of using the Arab money in order to kill off any political aspirations […]

Arab ministers to meet in Cairo to discuss financial aid for PA – report

The meeting comes ahead of a U.S.-led economic conference in Bahrain expected to call for a $50 billion global investment fund for the Palestinians, Egypt, Jordan and Lebanon. REUTERS June 22, 2019 23:36 Arab finance ministers will hold an emergency meeting in Cairo on Sunday to discuss helping the Palestinian Authority cope with a deepening […]

White House finally unveils ‘Peace to Prosperity’ economic plan for Palestinians

Ahead of June 25-26 Bahrain conference, Trump team releases proposal for $50 billion package that’s supposed to transform economy of West Bank, Gaza and surrounding nations By ERIC CORTELLESSA Today, 9:02 pm     The White House economic peace proposal unveiled on its web site on Saturday June 22, 2019 (Screencapture) WASHINGTON — Days before the US-sponsored […]

Iranian hackers step up cyber efforts, impersonate email from president’s office

Cybersecurity firms see surge in attempts to gain access to American government agencies, oil and gas sectors By TAMI ABDOLLAHToday, 4:19 pm     Illustrative: Stuart Davis, a director at one of FireEye’s subsidiaries speaks to journalists about the techniques of Iranian hacking, Wednesday, Sept. 20, 2017, in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. (AP Photo/Kamran Jebreili) WASHINGTON (AP) […]

Kushner reveals peace plan to inject $50 billion into Middle East economies

In interview ahead of Bahrain conference, Trump son-in-law says US proposal would create a million jobs for Palestinians, drop unemployment by over 20% and half poverty rate By TOI STAFFToday, 7:29 pm     US Ambassador to Israel David Friedman claps as Senior White House Adviser Jared Kushner delivers a speech during the opening of the US […]

Trump says he will be Iran’s ‘best friend’ if it renounces nuclear arms

‘When they agree to that, they’re going to have a wealthy country,’ he tells reporters; says he’s not a hawk or a dove but ‘a man with common sense,’ military option still on table By AGENCIESToday, 7:04 pm  0 61shares President Donald Trump speaks to reporters on the South Lawn of the White House in Washington, Saturday, […]

No, Trump doesn’t call Mideast plan ‘deal of the century’

Despite widespread attribution in media reports, no record exists of US president or senior officials publicly using phrase By JOE DYKEToday, 3:05 pm   US President Donald Trump, with first lady Melania Trump, left, and Vice President Mike Pence, right, and his wife Karen, speaks from the Truman Balcony of the White House during the annual Congressional […]