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Armed group kills 10 in Pakistan’s restive Khyber Pakhtunkhwa region

Violence is mounting in the northern province and across the country as national elections approach. At least 10 policemen have been killed in an attack in northern Pakistan as violence mounts in the run-up to national elections. Police reported on Monday that attackers had targeted a police station in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Dera Ismail district with heavy weapons. Alongside the 10 people killed, at least six others were injured. Police said that they have cordoned off the area and launched a search operation to hunt down the attackers. Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TPJ) issued a statement claiming responsibility for the attack. The armed group is believed to be an offshoot of the outlawed Pakistani Taliban (TTP), which, seeking to overthrow the government and establish strict religious law, has targeted the state and its institutions for years. Dera Ismail Khan is a former TTP stronghold. The remote northwestern region of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa has witnessed a rise in violence as Pakistan’s 128 million voters prepare for February 8 elections. Rehan Zaib Khan, an independent candidate, and four aides were shot dead in the province’s Bajur district on January 31. In December, the TPJ claimed responsibility for an attack in Tehsil Daraban during which a suicide bomber detonated an explosive-laden vehicle outside a police station. The attack killed at least 23 troops and wounded 32. Last month, at least 101 people were killed when a suicide bomber targeted a mosque in the regional capital Peshawar. Two fronts Violence has been mounting across Pakistan as the vote approaches. Security threats are also rife in the southwestern region of Balochistan, where the outlawed Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) – the most prominent of several separatist groups – have stepped up attacks. Last week, at least 15 people were killed when the BLA targeted military and security installations in the city of Mach, 65km (40 miles) south of Balochistan’s capital, Quetta Fearing violence during the February 8 ballot, Balochistan’s Information Minister Jan Achakzai announced on Sunday night that the internet service will remain temporarily restricted on election day. “Ensuring the safety and security of ordinary citizens is of utmost importance, as there is a concern that terrorists may exploit social media platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, and other similar channels for communication purposes,” he wrote in a post on X. Balochistan, bordering Iran and Afghanistan, is strategically important because of its rich copper, zinc and natural gas reserves. Cities in the province are a constant target of armed groups. Baloch nationalists initially wanted a share of provincial resources, but later initiated a movement for complete independence. Abid Hussain in Islamabad contributed to this report. Adblock test (Why?)

A year on from Turkey’s quake disaster, the trauma haunts survivors

Gaziantep, Turkey – When Elmas Abdulghani has a flashback, her body still shakes like the floor of her apartment on that early February morning a year ago. She was woken up by the screams of her husband, crying: “Elmas, wake up! Save your life!” “I just remember fear and confusion,” 35-year-old Abdulghani says, almost tearing up as her mind travels back in time. Abdulghani’s husband did not survive the first magnitude 7.8 earthquake, followed by a second magnitude 7.6 one later in the day and hundreds of aftershocks, that killed more than 50,000 people in southeastern Turkey and northern Syria on February 6 last year. But Abdulghani did and, since that day, she has had to deal with the restlessness of mind that came from losing the love of her life and her home in Gaziantep, an important city in the southeast a few kilometres from the epicentre. Primitive defence mechanisms The earthquakes created unimaginable psychological stressors for survivors like Abdulghani, from injuries and lasting fear of aftershocks to experiencing the destruction, displacement and deaths around them. A few weeks after the physical emergency needs were met, groups of volunteer therapists and mental health NGO workers were deployed across the region to support victims and help them process their trauma. The volunteer therapists worked to provide a safe environment for people to share their trauma [Courtesy of Hayal Demirci] “I’ve worked on other earthquakes and natural disasters in our country, such as the 1999 earthquake in Izmir, but this was different from any other,” says Hayal Demirci, a psychotherapist from the EMDR Trauma Recovery Group, which has deployed teams of mental health workers in tented settlements, container cities, hotels and temporary dormitories since early March last year. In the first few weeks of their deployment, Demirci and more than 1,000 volunteer therapists worked to provide a physically safe environment to reduce people’s acute reactions and, after a while, to establish a safe therapeutic bond and work with these reactions. Demirci explains that when the normal bonds between people disappear, the mind triggers the most primitive defence mechanisms to face a harsh reality. “There have been way too many losses of family members, friends, limbs, homes, cities and hope for the future. “When these defence mechanisms are active, the sympathetic nervous system is on duty and … the person [feels] like they are in danger all the time. It’s not possible for people who don’t feel safe anywhere, at any time, to eat, sleep or meet their basic needs properly,” she says. Most people, even after the aftershocks eventually disappeared, felt restless for months. [embedded content] “Even though my family house was declared safe one week after the earthquake, I still didn’t feel safe staying inside,” says Mert Ozyurtkan, a 22-year-old engineering student at Gaziantep University. “I would constantly stare at water bottles to see if the water was moving or at ceiling lamps to check if they were swinging slightly. It increased my anxiety levels, and affected my grades.” While most mental health support in crises focuses on a short-term, emergency approach, Demirci underlines the importance of continuing to work with victims online to address triggers and control flashbacks to reduce any symptoms. For some, the earthquake changed entire lifestyles. Neslihan Hicdonmez and her husband Ali Ozaslan started living in a camper van and kept their camping sleeping bags at hand because they no longer felt safe in their own home. “The earthquake totally impacted our way of living. We had never thought of abandoning our newly bought house, but we constantly live with the fear that something of that magnitude may happen again.” The effect on children If adults find the effects catastrophic, for children in their early development the disaster left an indelible mark. Sare Bitir, a fourth-grader at Ilkokulu Elementary School in Gaziantep, still brings her doll to school for comfort. A child getting his face painted at an event to entertain and support the mental health of children affected by the deadly earthquake in Osmaniye, Turkey, February 16, 2023 [Suhaib Salem/TPX Images of the Day/Reuters] “It’s the first object I brought with me when we ran out of the house,” she says. “It kept me company for three days while we were sleeping in our car because our house didn’t make us feel safe. It gives me confidence.” Children are among the most exposed group, says clinical psychologist Zeynep Bahadir, who has expertise in post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and volunteered for six weeks with the Turkish Red Crescent as an emergency online psychologist for families with young children. She adds that whether children have been directly affected or experienced secondary trauma, “they can be at the risk of post-traumatic stress disorder symptoms, including nightmares and avoidance behaviour”. Separation anxiety specifically has shown up in school settings. When she returned to school in September, Sare did not want to enter the class, too afraid to say goodbye to her parents. It took a very patient teacher and friendly classmates to bring her inside, although, for the first few weeks, she couldn’t focus. Some children avoided school for several weeks in a row. According to Bahadir, fear can persist in children long after the earthquake has passed, which “sometimes can be temporary, but can also adapt into their lives forever”. A boy looks at drawings made by children during an event to entertain and support the mental health of children affected by the deadly earthquake, in Adiyaman, Turkey, February 17, 2023 [Thaier Al-Sudani/Reuters] Reliving the trauma of death and loss The situation has been worse for Syrian refugees in Turkey who fled there during Syria’s war, says Yara al-Atrash, a mental health worker at INARA NGO. Al-Atrash has been in charge of psychological assistance to Syrians living in container camps and assisted many who have lost homes and children, just like they did during the war back home. “Having to live again the trauma of death, loss and displacement, as well as realising that the new place that

Grammys 2024: Here’s a list of top winners at the music awards

The Grammy Awards, the highest honours in the music industry, were handed out at a ceremony in the United States city of Los Angeles on Sunday. Here is a list of winners: ALBUM OF THE YEARMidnights, Taylor Swift RECORD OF THE YEARFlowers, Miley Cyrus SONG OF THE YEARWhat Was I Made For?, Billie Eilish (from the motion picture Barbie); Billie Eilish O’Connell and Finneas O’Connell, songwriters BEST NEW ARTISTVictoria Monet BEST POP VOCAL ALBUMMidnights, Taylor Swift BEST POP SOLO PERFORMANCEFlowers, Miley Cyrus BEST MUSICA URBANA ALBUMManana Sera Bonito, Karol G BEST COUNTRY ALBUMBell Bottom Country, Lainey Wilson BEST R&B SONGSnooze, by SZA; Kenny B Edmonds, Blair Ferguson, Khris Riddick-Tynes, Solana Rowe and Leon Thomas, songwriters THE DR DRE GLOBAL IMPACT AWARDJay-Z BEST POP DUO/GROUP PERFORMANCEGhost in the Machine, SZA featuring Phoebe Bridgers BEST ALTERNATIVE MUSIC ALBUMThe Record, Boygenius SONGWRITER OF THE YEAR, NON-CLASSICALTheron Thomas PRODUCER OF THE YEAR, NON-CLASSICALJack Antonoff BEST R&B ALBUMJaguar II, Victoria Monet BEST PROGRESSIVE R&B ALBUMSOS, SZA BEST AUDIO BOOK, NARRATION AND STORYTELLING RECORDINGThe Light We Carry: Overcoming In Uncertain Times, Michelle Obama BEST REGGAE ALBUMColors of Royal, Julian Marley and Antaeus BEST LATIN ROCK OR ALTERNATIVE ALBUM (tie)Vida Cotidiana, Juanes and De Todas Las Flores, Natalia Lafourcade BEST LATIN POP ALBUMX Mi (Vol 1), Gaby Moreno BEST RAP ALBUMMichael, Killer Mike BEST RAP SONGScientists & Engineers, Killer Mike ft Andre 3000, Future and Eryn Allen Kane BEST COUNTRY SOLO PERFORMANCEWhite Horse, Chris Stapleton BEST COUNTRY SONGWhite Horse, Chris Stapleton BEST FOLK ALBUMJoni Mitchell at Newport (Live), Joni Mitchell BEST POP DANCE RECORDINGPadam Padam, Kylie Minogue BEST ROCK ALBUMThis Is Why, Paramore BEST ROCK PERFORMANCENot Strong Enough, Boygenius BEST ROCK SONGNot Strong Enough, Boygenius BEST AMERICANA ALBUMWeathervanes, Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit BEST METAL PERFORMANCE72 Seasons, Metallica BEST JAZZ INSTRUMENTAL ALBUMThe Winds of Change, Billy Childs BEST JAZZ VOCAL ALBUMHow Love Begins, Nicole Zuraitis BEST COMEDY ALBUMWhat’s in a Name?, Dave Chappelle BEST COMPILATION SOUNDTRACK FOR VISUAL MEDIABarbie The Album, various artists BEST SONG WRITTEN FOR VISUAL MEDIAWhat Was I Made For?, Billie Eilish BEST SCORE SOUNDTRACK FOR VISUAL MEDIAOppenheimer, Ludwig Goransson BEST MUSIC VIDEOI’m Only Sleeping, The Beatles BEST MUSIC FILMMoonage Daydream BEST MUSICAL THEATER ALBUMSome Like It Hot BEST GOSPEL ALBUMAll Things New: Live in Orlando, Tye Tribbett BEST CONTEMPORARY CHRISTIAN MUSIC ALBUMChurch Clothes 4, Lecrae BEST AFRICAN MUSIC PERFORMANCEWater, Tyla Adblock test (Why?)

Jharkhand: JMM-led coalition govt of Champai Soren wins trust vote 47-29

Champai Soren was given 10 days to prove his government’s majority on the floor of the house.

More than 150 Republicans take aim at Biden’s moratorium on natural gas exports

FIRST ON FOX: More than 150 House Republicans are calling for President Biden to reverse his moratorium on liquefied natural gas (LNG) export projects, an action they argued negatively impacts the energy security of the U.S. and its allies. The Republican lawmakers — led by House Energy and Commerce Committee Chair Cathy McMorris Rodgers, R-Wash., and joined by House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., Majority Leader Steve Scalise, R-La., and Conference Chair Elise Stefanik, R-N.Y. — penned a letter to Biden on Sunday evening, demanding his administration “expeditiously approve all pending applications to increase the global supply of natural gas.” “This is economically and strategically dangerous and unnecessary,” they wrote in the letter to Biden. “Under both Democratic and Republican administrations, DOE has consistently found that U.S. LNG exports serve the ‘public interest’ because they contribute positive economic benefits and strengthen energy security for the American people, and also have the potential to reduce global greenhouse gas emissions.” “Your administration should do everything it can to encourage greater production of clean-burning and reliable natural gas, and to grant the export permits that allow access to global markets,” the letter added. REPUBLICANS UNVEIL EFFORT TO REVERSE BIDEN’S LATEST CRACKDOWN ON FOSSIL FUELS: ‘PURE POLITICS’ Late last month, Biden ordered the Department of Energy (DOE) to pause pending permits for LNG export facilities while federal officials conduct a rigorous environmental review assessing the projects’ carbon emissions, which could take more than a year to complete. The action represents a major victory for activists who have loudly called for such a move, even threatening to hold large protests over the issue. The president said the pause on LNG permitting was a part of his sweeping climate agenda, adding the action “sees the climate crisis for what it is: the existential threat of our time.” He also took aim at “MAGA Republicans” for willfully denying the “urgency of the climate crisis.” TRUMP ENERGY SECRETARY, REPUBLICANS BLAST BIDEN FOR BOWING TO ‘ELITE ENVIRONMENTAL LOBBY’ But, in their letter Sunday, McMorris Rodgers, Johnson, Scalise, Stefanik and the other Republicans said pausing additional LNG export capacity could ultimately bolster Russia, noting that, in December 2023, more than 87% of U.S. LNG exports went to Europe, U.K., or Asian markets. In the aftermath of Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine, energy experts argued LNG exports would be critical for helping American allies to wean off Russian gas. “Actions that slow or halt the ability to export U.S. LNG would weaken global energy security and put these strategic markets at risk,” the lawmakers wrote. “Such actions would undercut efforts we have made to help Europe reduce its reliance on Russian energy.” And they further argued that pausing LNG export growth threatens to cause increased U.S. energy prices, lead to higher global greenhouse gas emissions and harm the U.S. economy. The letter pointed to research indicating that LNG exports could add as much as $73 billion to the U.S. economy by 2040, create upwards of 453,000 American jobs and increase U.S. purchasing power by $30 billion. REPUBLICANS PROBE CCP-TIED NONPROFIT FUNNELING MONEY TO US ECO GROUPS The letter, meanwhile, comes days before Energy and Commerce Committee Republicans are planning to hold a hearing to examine the potential ramifications of the LNG export pause. In addition, Senate Banking Committee Ranking Member Tim Scott, R-S.C., led a group of 16 senators last week in introducing the Unlocking Domestic LNG Potential Act which would strip DOE of its authority having final say on LNG export projects, instead leaving approval decisions with the independent Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC).  Companion legislation was introduced by Rep. August Pfluger, R-Texas, one day later and is expected to receive a floor vote this month. While it is unclear which proposed projects the action will affect, a senior administration official said at least two have a larger capacity and two have a smaller capacity. Another official added that the pause implemented Friday will only impact projects that have gone through FERC’s lengthy approval process and are ripe for DOE approval. According to federal data updated last week, there are 11 projects that have been green-lit by FERC but are not yet under construction. An additional four projects are pending before FERC and two are in the pre-filing stage. Those six projects wouldn’t be impacted by the pause since they are not before the DOE yet, but would be impacted if approved by FERC. The White House didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment.

House speaker says Senate border bill ‘dead on arrival’ if it reaches chamber: ‘Even worse than we expected’

House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., criticized the Senate’s bipartisan $118 billion border security and foreign aid package after the text of the agreement was released Sunday night, stating that the proposal is “even worse than we expected” and would be “dead on arrival” in the lower chamber. The legislation would allocate $20 billion for border security to give the federal government temporary authority to expel migrants when the average number of daily crossings exceeds a threshold. The border security component also includes ending “catch and release,” increasing standards for asylum screenings and attempting to process asylum claims quicker. The foreign aid portion of the agreement includes $60 billion for Ukraine, $14.1 billion for Israel and aid for Indo-Pacific allies. Johnson said he would put $17.6 billion in emergency funding for Israel in a standalone bill up for a vote on the House floor next week. “I’ve seen enough,” Johnson wrote on X, formerly Twitter. “This bill is even worse than we expected, and won’t come close to ending the border catastrophe the President has created. As the lead Democrat negotiator proclaimed: Under this legislation, ‘the border never closes.’” SENATE RELEASES LONG-AWAITED BORDER LEGISLATION, MAJOR ASYLUM CHANGES “If this bill reaches the House, it will be dead on arrival,” the speaker declared. The statement from Johnson echoes comments he made before the Senate released the text of the agreement Sunday night. “If rumors about the contents of the draft proposal are true, it would have been dead on arrival in the House anyway,” he wrote to House Republicans last month. Shortly before Johnson’s statement, House Majority Leader Steve Scalise, R-La., said the Senate bill would not receive a vote in the lower chamber. Scalise oversees the schedule in the House. “Let me be clear: The Senate Border Bill will NOT receive a vote in the House,” Scalise wrote on X. “Here’s what the people pushing this ‘deal’ aren’t telling you: It accepts 5,000 illegal immigrants a day and gives automatic work permits to asylum recipients — a magnet for more illegal immigration.” Sen. Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., said a vote on the package in the Senate could come as early as Wednesday. Johnson’s statement comes after a few Senate negotiators worked for months on a deal to address border security. Republicans had demanded that any aid for Ukraine be paired with legislation to help the illegal immigration crisis at the Southern Border. In recent weeks, as negotiators were nearing a deal, Republicans became skeptical of the bipartisan talks, arguing that President Biden already has the resources to address the situation at the border and does not need new legislation. Some Republicans have also suggested that they do not want to support the border bill and give Biden a political win in an election year. Former President Trump, on his social media platform Truth Social, also urged GOP lawmakers to not support a border deal unless they receive “EVERYTHING needed to shut down the INVASION of Millions & Millions of people.” JOHNSON SAYS TRUMP IS ‘NOT CALLING THE SHOTS’ FOR HOUSE ON BORDER DEAL Sen. James Lankford, R-Okla., the lead GOP negotiator on the border deal, responded to Johnson’s comments on the proposal, saying that he was confused about how the bill could be worse than House Republicans expected. “I’m a little confused how it’s worse than they expected when it builds [the] border wall, expands deportation flights, expands ICE officers, border patrol officers, detention beds how it creates a faster process for deportations, clears up a lot of the long-term issues and loopholes that have existed in the asylum law and then gets us an emergency authority that stops the chaos right now on the border,” Lankford told reporters. “So I’m a little confused,” he continued. “I’ll have to get with the Speaker’s team on that and find out what part would be ‘worse than what we expected’ based on the actual text and hopefully they will all have had an opportunity to read through the text.” Prior to the release of the text, Lankford told Fox News the claim that the bill would allow 5,000 illegal crossings per day was “the most misunderstood section of this proposal.” “It would be absolutely absurd for me to agree to 5,000 people a day. This bill focuses on getting us to zero illegal crossings a day,” he said during a Jan. 28 appearance on “Fox News Sunday.”

‘For first time, more than 2 lakh crore kept for capital expenditure’: CM Yogi on Uttar Pradesh budget

CM Yogi further said that during this period his government succeeded in doubling the average person’s income.

UP Budget 2024 Highlights: Rs 1150 crore for Noida Airport, Rs 2057 crore for Ganga Expressway, Lucknow to get Aerocity

State Agricultural Development Scheme, will have a provision of Rs 200 crore

Influx of illegal Chinese migrants threatens US territory, island must show ‘strength of the nation’

EXCLUSIVE: Rep. James Moylan of Guam warned that the territory is being “infiltrated” by an influx of illegal Chinese migrants, and told Fox News Digital he is seeking aid from the Biden administration to combat the matter and protect the island – something that he says is critical for the United States’ deterrence efforts against the Chinese Communist Party. Moylan, a Republican, is the delegate from Guam. He was elected in 2022 as the island territory’s non-voting U.S. congressional delegate. REPUBLICAN WINS FIRST HOUSE DELEGATE ELECTION IN GUAM SINCE 1993 Moylan told Fox News Digital that, for years, Guam has been “infiltrated by droves of illegal Chinese migrants embarking on our shores.” The majority of the “illegal Chinese aliens coming are often from the Northern Mariana Islands,” he said. Moylan warned that the Chinese are working to “steal into the environment.” “It’s a great threat,” he said, pointing to the possibility that the Chinese on the islands could be working to gather intelligence on behalf of the CCP in Guam and around the U.S. military bases on the island. Moylan pointed to reports from just last month, revealing a boat captain and three others were charged with transporting Chinese nationals illegally to Guam. Also last month, the U.S. Coast Guard rescued six Chinese nationals on a sinking boat just north of the island. Moylan also pointed to a report that in June, more than two dozen Chinese nationals came to Guam by boat.  But Moylan told Fox News Digital that Guam’s local government is limited in the action it can take, as it is a “federal issue,” but told Fox News Digital the territory is not receiving the help needed from the Biden administration. Last month, Moylan attempted to reach U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement related to “concerns on PRC migrants entering Guam illegally.”  “With the rising tensions of the PRC within the Indo-Pacific region, where Guam’s proximity plays an integral role, it is concerning that PRC Nationals are entering the island through such precarious routes,” Moylan warned in a letter to ICE last month. “While we are certain that some are here to find a means to earn an income through under the radar jobs, there are still the risks at play with bad actors coming to the table with other intentions.”  Moylan requested that ICE investigate the matter and take “action,” specifically related to drug trafficking to the territory. Moylan cited the recent discovery of 60 pounds of cocaine found on a Guam beach. TOP REPUBLICAN SOUNDS ALARM ON US TERRITORY BEING ‘HIGHLY VULNERABLE’ TO CHINESE MISSILES Moylan told Fox News Digital that he has yet to receive a response from ICE. ICE did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment. Moylan also told Fox News Digital that Guam has experienced hacking of malware on the island from the Chinese Communist Party.  FBI Director Christopher Wray warned lawmakers on Capitol Hill Wednesday that Chinese hackers are preparing to “wreak havoc and cause real-world harm to American citizens and communities.”  Moylan said the CCP has “made attempts on Guam with our military services,” and have “hacked into our communications.”  “They’re continuously trying to work their way in,” Moylan told Fox News Digital.  But Moylan said because Guam is the “most western U.S. soil there is,” there is “so much investment” into the island and “the protection of Guam and the defense of the nation.”  “So when we have these attacks ongoing, it’s very scary,” he said. “And I knew what I know, we’re doing what we can to protect, but the attention needs to be really put back on Guam to protect our U.S. citizens there, to protect our military there as well.”  He added that Wray’s warning to Congress on CCP hacking was “so important” because it “really, already is happening on our territory.”  Guam is the westernmost U.S. territory in the Indo-Pacific region and home to approximately 170,000 U.S. citizens. The Department of Defense owns approximately a quarter of the land on Guam and has a military force of nearly 7,000 active-duty service members on the island. Guam hosts Naval Base Guam, the Navy’s only submarine base in the western Pacific, as well as Anderson Air Force Base – a large air base that is able to host U.S. strategic bombers and fighters. But Guam is significantly closer to Beijing than it is to Hawaii, and is within range of nuclear-capable missiles owned by the People’s Republic of China and North Korea. U.S. officials have warned that China has spent decades developing both short- and intermediate-range missiles that can target Guam. Moylan warned of Chinese missiles like the DF-26 IRBM, which has an estimated range of 1,000 to 3,000 km. The range would put Guam in reach. The missile has been dubbed the “Guam Killer,” Moylan said. “This is where America’s day begins – we’re on the other side of the dateline. The sun rises first on Guam,” Moylan told Fox News Digital. “If things are going to happen, China is looking at us.” REPUBLICANS DEMAND ANSWERS AFTER TOP BIDEN OFFICIAL INVITED CCP LEADERS TO SENSITIVE NATIONAL SECURITY SITE Moylan explained that “every war game scenario that is played out involves Guam because of our location.” “We have to protect the island, and we can and Congress has done a really great job at that,” Moylan said. Moylan said he is feeling bipartisan support in Congress, and pointed to the bipartisan congressional delegations from the House Armed Services Committee that visited Guam.  Moylan said there is an emphasis on the attention to the island to ensure the United States and Guam are “strong enough to deter the Communist Chinese Party and the interest they have with our fellow nations that are involved like Japan, the Philippines, and Taiwan.”  Moylan also touted the National Defense Authorization Act of 2024, which authorized funding to support military infrastructure and a missile defense system for Guam. “We know what our aggressors have – what the CCP has – and

US troops abroad ‘at risk’ due to Biden’s policies, lawmaker warns after 3 service members killed in Jordan

EXCLUSIVE: A senior Republican on the House committees for Intelligence and Armed Services is arguing that the Biden administration’s foreign policy decisions led to the deaths of three U.S. troops in Jordan last month, and that thousands more could be “at risk.” Rep. Austin Scott, R-Ga., suggested to Fox News Digital that he believes President Biden’s military response to Houthi rebels in the Red Sea is the right response, but one that came too late. Asked whether he sees a direct cause-and-effect between the delayed response and the recent U.S. service member deaths, Austin said firmly, “I do.” IRAN MANUFACTURED THE DRONE THAT KILLED 3 US SOLDIERS IN JORDAN, US OFFICIAL SAYS “I don’t understand why anyone would think that they would ever stop firing at you if there were not consequences for firing at you the first time,” Scott said. “They’re not simply going to stop because they had decided, ‘We’re going to be good people now.’ They’re only going to stop when their actions lead to punishment… that if they do this again, we’re going to punish them again.” The Pentagon blamed Iran-backed militants for a drone attack on U.S. troops stationed in Jordan near its border with Syria. At least 34 American soldiers were wounded in addition to the three that were killed.  EU MUST DO MORE TO STOP RED SEA ATTACKS, SAYS FOREIGN MINISTER: ‘JUST STRIKING THE HOUTHIS WON’T DO ENOUGH’ U.S. troops stationed in Iraq and Syria have been attacked at least 150 times since Oct. 7, when Hamas militants invaded Israel and slaughtered more than 1,200 people in a surprise attack. Iran-backed Houthi rebels have also staged dozens of attacks in the Red Sea on commercial and military ships in what they say is a response to Israel and its support from the U.S. Biden has since responded with several rounds of airstrikes beginning Jan. 11, in coordination with the U.K. and other allies, on Houthi positions in Yemen. On Friday, the U.S. launched strikes on targets in Iraq and Syria in retaliation for the soldiers’ deaths. Scott praised those who conducted the strikes on Friday. “I applaud the bravery and skill of [U.S. Central Command], who carried out multiple airstrikes against Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) Quds Force and affiliated militia groups today. Those who strike against the U.S. will face consequences,” he said. But he argued to Fox News Digital that Biden’s failure to respond to the initial attacks earlier sent a message of weakness to U.S. adversaries. US TAXPAYERS HAVE FUNDED UNRWA BILLIONS OF DOLLARS AMID CALLS FOR ITS SCRAPPING  “I’m very pessimistic about his inaction putting America, and Americans, at risk. And let’s remember, you know, we have people in Africa, we have people deployed all over the world. Part of their safety there is because it is understood that if you attack a United States soldier, there are consequences for that,” Scott said. “Every president of the United States of America – Donald Trump, Barack Obama, Bill Clinton, George Bush – if you carry out an attack against a United States soldier, or a United States military asset, there are consequences for that,” Scott said. “This is the first time that I remember where someone’s been able to shoot us 100 plus times and us not respond. And so I think that that action obviously put people at risk. You can’t, you just can’t do that. You’re putting every American that’s deployed at risk when you allow people to take shots at your people without responding.” Biden and first lady Jill Biden on Friday took part in the dignified transfer of the remains of the three service members killed – Sgt. William Jerome Rivers, 46, Spc. Kennedy Landon Sanders, 24, and Spc. Breonna Alexsondria Moffett, 23 – all of whom were from Georgia. Fox News Digital has reached out to the White House for a response to Scott’s criticism.