Republicans slam Biden’s ‘Don’t’ deterrence: ‘Every time he says Don’t, they do’
Republicans have taken aim at President Biden in the wake of Iran’s unprecedented attack on Israel, claiming the president’s “don’t deterrence” has only emboldened Iran. “So much for President Biden telling bad guys ‘Don’t’ actually being an effective deterrent. Every time he says ’Don’t,’ they do,” Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., wrote in a post on X Saturday. Graham’s comments after Iran launched a barrage of over 300 missiles and drones at Israel Saturday in an apparent response to Israel’s reported role in an airstrike that killed a senior Iranian official in the country’s embassy in the Syrian capital of Damascus last week. Israeli Defense forces and allied militaries had been preparing for the possibility of an Iranian retaliatory strike since the attack, with Israel claiming that roughly 99% of the Iranian weapons fired at the country had been intercepted by its sophisticated defense systems and military allies in the region. BIDEN CALLING FOR G7 MEETING IN RESPONSE TO IRAN’S ‘BRAZEN’ ATTACK Biden warned Friday that an attack by Iran on Israel was possible over the weekend, telling reporters his message for the Islamic Republic was “Don’t.” But Iran carried out its brazen attempt anyway, something Republicans blamed on the president’s “weakness.” “Biden’s approach with Iran and the Middle East is backwards,” Rep. Nancy Mace, R-S.C. wrote on X. “Now as we risk entering WWIII, the US must stand by Israel’s commitment to democracy. The president must stand firm, and stop coddling Iran immediately.” “Foreign policy isn’t complicated. When you signal you might pull support for an ally like Israel, you diminish deterrence. When you diminish deterrence, the enemy feels emboldened to strike,” Rep. Dan Crenshaw, R-Texas, said on X after the attack. IRAN OFFERS ISRAEL OFF-RAMP TO ‘CONCLUDE’ ATTACK AFTER LAUNCHING MISSILES, DRONES ON JEWISH STATE Biden’s “Don’t” comment was slammed by former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo even before the Iranian attack, with the former Trump administration official arguing that Biden’s response was “really dangerous” during an appearance on Fox News. “Well, he said, ‘Don’t’ multiple times, and ‘Don’t’ isn’t a national security policy,” Pompeo said. “It’s not even a deterrent.” Responding to the attack himself during a rally in Pennsylvania on Saturday, former President Donald Trump said that the U.S. has shown “great weakness” under Biden in the leadup to the attempted strike on Israel. “I want to say, ‘God Bless the people of Israel.’ They’re under attack right now, and it would not have happened if we were in office,” Trump said. IRAN CLAIMS TO FOLLOW DRONE LAUNCH AT ISRAEL WITH BALLISTIC MISSILE BARRAGE Trump, who was well known during his time in office for issuing stern warnings to American adversaries on social media, also took to his own social platform, Truth Social, to repost a 2018 all-caps Tweet in which the then-president warned Iran of severe consequences for threatening the United States. “To Iranian President Rouhani: NEVER, EVER THREATEN THE UNITED STATES AGAIN OR YOU WILL SUFFER THE CONSEQUENCES THE LIKES OF WHICH FEW THROUGHOUT HISTORY HAVE EVER SUFFERED BEFORE. WE ARE NO LONGER A COUNTRY THAT WILL STAND FOR YOUR DEMENTED WORDS OF VIOLENCE & DEATH. BE CAUTIOUS!” Trump said at the time. For his part, Graham argued that such a strike on Israel would not have happened if Trump were still in office. “This would not have happened on President Trump’s watch, and I hope the American people are closely following just how dangerous the world has become in the last three years,” Graham said on X. The White House did not immediately respond to a Fox News Digital request for comment.
Sen. Kennedy advises ‘wobbly’ Biden to get tough on Iran after Israel attack: ‘Go on Amazon and buy a spine’
Sen. John Kennedy, R-La., called on President Biden to take a stronger stance against Iran after his administration reportedly advised Israel not to launch a response after Tehran fired hundreds of missiles and drones at the Jewish state on Saturday. Kennedy addressed Iran’s attack during an appearance on “Fox News Sunday,” criticizing Biden’s support of Israel as less than ironclad. “In the past 60 days, we have seen President Biden go wobbly in his support of Israel,” Kennedy said. “With respect, go to Amazon and buy a spine online. Peace through weakness never works, not with these hard, armed men.” Iran launched some 300 drones and missiles from its own territory toward Israel, though the vast majority were intercepted by air defenses. LIVE UPDATES: BIDEN CALLING FOR G7 MEETING IN RESPONSE TO IRAN’S ‘BRAZEN’ ATTACK Israel responded by sending fighter jets to strike multiple Hezbollah targets in Lebanon, including a major weapon-manufacturing site. While Israel has yet to announce plans for a large-scale retaliation, The New York Times reported that the Biden administration has advised Israel not to retaliate against Iran. Kennedy accused Biden of “being influenced by the Hamas wing of the Democratic Party” and called on the president to shore up his support of Israel. JEWISH ORGANIZATIONS VOICE SUPPORT FOR ISRAEL’S ‘OBLIGATION’ TO DEFEND THEMSELVES FROM IRAN’S ATTACKS “The American people may be poor under Biden, but they’re not stupid,” Kennedy said. “We need to stand with Israel.” Biden has also drawn criticism over his failed attempt to deter Iran from carrying out an attack against Israel. On Friday, Biden said simply, “Don’t,” when reporters asked about his message to Iran ahead of an expected attack against Israel. Kennedy warned that the U.S. must stand strong against Iran and its surrogates. “Israel’s not at war with Hamas or Hezbollah or Yemen,” the senator said. “Those are all surrogates for Iran, they’re prostitutes. The pimp is Iran. Israel is at war with Iran. Iran hates Americans. Iran hates Jews. Iran wants to kill Americans and Jews. And if we turn the other cheek to them, we’re going to get it in the neck.” Fox News’ Anders Hagstrom contributed to this report.
Celeb Influencer War: Dr Vivek Bindra vs Sandeep Maheshwari – Is the battle still on?
These public figures, who wield significant influence over vast audiences, are increasingly entangled in legal battles that not only decide their professional but also their personal trajectories.
Five key questions on how start of Trump’s first criminal trial will impact presidential campaign
Former President Donald Trump makes history on Monday, as he becomes the first current or former president in the nation’s history to go on trial. Trump’s hush-money trial, which will get underway in a New York City courtroom, will have an instant impact on his 2024 election rematch with President Biden. The former president — who is being tried on 34 state felony charges — is accused of falsifying business records in relation to hush-money payments during the 2016 election he made to Stormy Daniels to keep quiet about his alleged affair with the adult film actress. Trump has repeatedly denied falsifying business records as well as the alleged sexual encounter with Daniels. COURT DENIES TRUMP BIDS TO DELAY START OF HUSH MONEY TRIAL The former president’s legal team has tried numerous times, unsuccessfully, to further delay or postpone the trial. The unprecedented trial is the first of Trump’s four criminal cases — including two for his alleged attempts to overturn his 2020 election loss to Biden and another for mishandling classified documents — to go to trial. And it may end up being the only case to wrap up with a verdict before the November election. THE TRUMP TRIALS: HERE’S WHERE EACH CRIMINAL CASE AGAINST THE FORMER PRESIDENT STANDS Here are five key questions about how the trial will impact the presidential campaign: How long will the trial take and does Trump have to attend every day? The trial is expected to last roughly six to eight weeks, starting with the beginning of jury selection on Monday. The proceedings are scheduled to take place weekly on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday, with Wednesday an off day. The judge in the case, Juan Merchan, has indicated he may adjourn the trial for the start of the Jewish holiday of Passover, which begins on the evening of April 22. New York law requires Trump to be present in the courtroom throughout the duration of the trial. But Merchan may give the former president some leeway, so Trump can attend legal hearings in some of his other cases that will take place during the length of the hush-money trial. Will the trial be televised? While Trump’s trial will attract scores of cameras, they won’t be inside the courtroom. The trial is not expected to be televised, because New York State has among the most restrictive laws in the country in terms of banning cameras in courtrooms and prohibiting live audio or visual broadcasts of trials. But still photographs of the courtroom will likely be allowed. When Trump was arraigned last year, Merchan permitted still photographers to take pictures before the actual arraignment. He also allowed TV cameras in the hallways of the courthouse. How much coverage will it generate? A lot! Trump is expected to continue his practice of grabbing the media spotlight — both on cable news and online — with his courtroom arrivals and departures, by holding impromptu press conferences. “Trump can dominate the message environment anytime he wants,” longtime Republican strategist Dave Carney told Fox News. “We’ve never seen anything like this where one guy – whatever he says – gets full coverage. It’s a phenomenon. Whether it’s social media or cable TV or even broadcast TV, he just dominates the news.” Carney, a veteran of numerous presidential campaigns, forecast that “there will be such coverage of his court cases that at times I would bet there will be more reporters covering his stakeout than covering the president.” During the Republican presidential primaries, Trump used the multiple criminal and civil cases he faces to cast himself as a victim, which fired up support among GOP voters and boosted fundraising. A mug shot of Trump, taken last August in a separate case where he is charged with conspiring to overturn his 2020 election defeat in Georgia, has helped the former president raise millions of dollars and quickly became an iconic image for his legions of MAGA supporters. When will Trump campaign? Trump has repeatedly claimed that the trial is “election interference.” “I don’t know how you can have a trial that’s going on right in the middle of an election. Not fair. Not fair. It’s not fair at all,” he told reporters in New York City recently. But sources in the former president’s political orbit tell Fox News that a schedule is being mapped out that includes making the most of Wednesdays, when court is not in session, as well as weekends, when Trump usually holds rallies and other campaign events such as fundraisers. Regardless of the trial, Trump campaign senior adviser Chris LaCivita recently predicted that “we have the message, the operation and the money to propel President Trump to victory on November 5.” How will the Biden campaign react? The president has mostly shied away from making direct comments on Trump’s criminal cases. The same is true for his re-election campaign team, as they don’t want to give Trump any ammunition as he continues to claim that the cases against him are politically motivated. “We’ll let Donald Trump focus on his own problems — our campaign is focused on the American people and earning their vote this November,” Biden campaign rapid response director Ammar Moussa said recently. But don’t be surprised if Biden allies or surrogates launch much sharper attacks as the trial gets underway. While Trump is in court this week, the president will make campaign stops Tuesday through Thursday in Pennsylvania, one of the six crucial battleground states that Biden narrowly carried in 2020 to win the White House. The swing through the Keystone State — where Biden is expected to spotlight his plans to raise taxes on the wealthiest Americans — is seen as counter-programming to Trump’s trial. Get the latest updates from the 2024 campaign trail, exclusive interviews and more at our Fox News Digital election hub.
Celebrations in Iran as it ‘concludes’ retaliatory attack on Israel
NewsFeed Iran says its first-ever direct attack on Israel was revenge for Israel’s targeting of Iranian personnel. Tehran says its retaliation has been ‘concluded’ but warns of a harsher response next time if Israel strikes again. Published On 14 Apr 202414 Apr 2024 Adblock test (Why?)
Cyprus suspends asylum applications for Syrians as arrivals rise
More than 1,000 people have arrived in Cyprus on boats from Lebanon this month amid deepening tensions in the Middle East. Cyprus has suspended the processing of asylum applications from Syrians following a sharp increase in arrivals this month, authorities say. More than 1,000 people have arrived in Cyprus on boats from Lebanon this month amid deepening tensions in the Middle East. The exodus has triggered calls from Nicosia to its European Union partners to do more to assist Lebanon, as well as reconsider the status of war-torn Syria, which is at present considered unsafe to repatriate asylum seekers. “This is an emergency measure, it’s a difficult decision to protect the interests of Cyprus,” Cypriot President Nikos Christodoulides told reporters on Sunday. Cyprus, the EU’s easternmost state and the closest to the Middle East, lies about 160km (100 miles) west of the shores of Lebanon or Syria. It recorded more than 2,000 arrivals by sea in the first three months this year, compared with just 78 over the same period in 2023. In practice, the measure means asylum seekers will be confined to two reception camps offering food and shelter, with no other benefit. Those who choose to leave those facilities will automatically forfeit any kind of benefit and will not be allowed to work, government sources said. Christodoulides visited Lebanon last week and is liaising with the European Commission on how Brussels could assist Beirut in halting the flows. Lebanon, coping with a crippling economic crisis since 2019, hosts some 805,000 Syrian refugees registered with the United Nations, of which 90 percent live in poverty, the UN agency says. Lebanese officials estimate the actual number is much higher, ranging between 1.5 and 2 million. Many have escaped the civil war in their country which entered its 14th year. Cypriot Interior Minister Constantinos Ioannou last week visited Denmark, Czechia and Greece to drum up support for a push to get the EU to declare parts of Syria as safe. However, UN agencies, human rights groups, and Western governments maintain that Syria is not yet safe for repatriation. Adblock test (Why?)
Iran attacks Israel with over 300 drones, missiles: What you need to know
EXPLAINER Iran has launched a massive aerial attack on Israel, two weeks after a deadly strike on its consulate in Syria. Iran unleashed a barrage of missiles and drones on Saturday and during the early hours of Sunday, targeting Israel in retaliation for last week’s suspected Israeli strike on its consulate in Damascus that killed 13 people. Here is what happened, and what analysts say could happen next. What happened in Israel and when? Iran launched a massive aerial attack on Israel, two weeks after a suspected Israeli strike on its consulate in Syria. This marks the first-ever direct attack by Iran on Israeli territory from Iranian soil. Iran called the attack Operation True Promise. The attack began on Saturday night around 20:00 GMT. It lasted approximately five hours, according to US officials. During the attack, explosions were heard in cities across Israel, including Tel Aviv. The explosions were also heard in Jerusalem, and air raid sirens sounded in more than 720 locations as Israeli forces sought to shoot down the projectiles. Israel’s chief military spokesman, Daniel Hagari, said Iran’s attack involved more than 120 ballistic missiles, 170 drones, and more than 30 cruise missiles, according to a report by The Associated Press news agency. The Israeli military also said that the vast majority of the projectiles were intercepted outside the country’s borders, with help from the United States, the United Kingdom and France. Jordan also shot down some of the missiles aimed at Israel as they were flying through Jordanian airspace. Israel’s military added that a “small number of hits were identified”. In a base located in southern Israel, “minor damage occurred to the infrastructure”. A seven-year-old girl was also severely injured by missile fragments, while other patients sustained minor injuries and some were treated for anxiety. US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said on Saturday that the US also intercepted “dozens” of missiles and drones launched at Israel from Iraq, Syria and Yemen. Where exactly did the attacks take place? During the attack, Israel’s military ordered residents in the northern Israeli-occupied Golan Heights – near the Syrian and Lebanese borders – and in the southern cities of Nevatim, Dimona and Eilat to remain near bomb shelters. Nevatim is the site of an Israeli airbase, while Dimona has a nuclear reactor on the outskirts. Eilat is Israel’s southern Red Sea port, which has suffered from a sharp decline in operations because of repeated attacks by Yemen’s Houthis on ships passing through the waterway. Why did Iran attack Israel? Iran’s attack is a retaliation for a suspected Israeli strike that killed an Iranian military commander, Major-General Mohammad Reza Zahed, in Damascus on April 1. He was killed along with six other Iranian nationals, including another general. At least six Syrian citizens were also killed. “It seems that Iranian leaders are determined to take action, but also [be] seen to take action,” David Des Roches, an associate professor at the National Defense University in Washington, DC, told Al Jazeera. “What that indicates to me is that there are considerations of pride and prestige that are divorced from strategy and tactical utility that may indicate a more dangerous era than we thought,” he added. Hezbollah, a Lebanese armed group backed by Iran, and the Israeli military have been trading attacks across the Lebanon-Israel border since October 8, the day after the Hamas-led attack in southern Israel and Israel’s brutal retaliation on the besieged Gaza Strip. Since then, more than 330 people in Lebanon have been killed in Israeli attacks, including at least 66 civilians. Hezbollah attacks have killed at least 18 people on the Israeli side, 12 soldiers and six civilians. On Saturday, Iranian state media announced that the the country’s armed forced had seized an Israel-linked container ship near the Strait of Hormuz. What is the Israeli government saying? Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said his country “will win”, in a tweet after the attacks. Earlier, he spoke to the nation, stating that the military was prepared for any scenario. “Citizens of Israel, in recent years, and especially in recent weeks, Israel has been preparing for a direct attack by Iran,” Netanyahu said. “Our defensive systems are deployed; we are ready for any scenario, both defensively and offensively. The State of Israel is strong. The [Israeli army] is strong. The public is strong.” He also thanked his allies, including the US and UK, for “standing alongside” Israel. “We have determined a clear principle: Whoever harms us, we will harm them. We will defend ourselves against any threat and will do so level-headedly and with determination,” he added. After the attack was over, Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant said that the attack had been “blocked”. “The Iranian attack was blocked in the most impressive way, together with our partners, the Americans and others… The entire world saw today who is Iran – a country of terror,” Gallant added. What is the Iranian government saying? Iran warned Israel of any response. The Iranian armed forces chief of staff, Major-General Mohammad Bagheri, told state TV that if Israel retaliates, Iran’s response would be “much larger” than the overnight bombardment, according to a Reuters report. Iran also warned Washington that backing Israeli retaliation would lead to the targeting of US bases. Earlier, Iran’s mission to the UN cited the UN Charter provision for self-defence, under Article 51, and said that the country considered “the matter … concluded”, its permanent mission at the United Nations said on X. “The matter can be deemed concluded. However, should the Israeli regime make another mistake, Iran’s response will be considerably more severe. It is a conflict between Iran and the rogue Israeli regime, from which the US MUST STAY AWAY!” President Ebrahim Raisi issued a statement hailing the “brave men” of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) who “taught a lesson to the Zionist regime”. Conducted on the strength of Article 51 of the UN Charter pertaining to legitimate defense, Iran’s military action was in response to the Zionist regime’s
Weather update: Delhi, Rajasthan, other north Indian states to witness rain with thunderstorm, check IMD prediction
The weather department tweeted, “Ongoing rainfall spell with moderate thunderstorms, lightning, gusty winds and hail over Northwest India is likely to continue during next 48 hours and abate thereafter.”The IMD also predicted isolated hailstorms over Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand on April 14 and
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