Rajya Sabha chairman revokes suspension of 11 members ahead of Budget Session 2024
The Committee of Privileges of Rajya Sabha has held 11 members that were Jebi Mather Hisham, Dr L Hanumanthaiah, Neeraj Dangi, Rajmani Patel, Kumar Ketkar, GC Chandrashekhar, Binoy Viswam, Sandosh Kumar P, M Mohamed Abdulla, Dr John Brittas, and AA Rahim guilty of breach of privilege and contempt of
Mayorkas lashes out at ‘baseless’ GOP allegations ahead of key impeachment vote
Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas on Tuesday took aim at what he called “baseless” and “false” allegations leveled against him by House Republicans ahead of a key vote on impeachment articles in the House Homeland Security Committee. “I assure you that your false accusations do not rattle me and do not divert me from the law enforcement and broader public service mission to which I have devoted most of my career and to which I remain devoted,” Mayorkas said in a lengthy letter to House Homeland Security Committee Chair Mark Green. The committee is meeting to advance two articles of impeachment against Mayorkas, accusing him of refusing to follow immigration law and of breaching public trust. A vote is expected later in the day, likely along party lines, moving the articles to a House vote at a future date. Mayorkas’ letter comes after Republicans have traded barbs with Democrats and the administration over the impeachment push against the Biden cabinet secretary, who Republicans have accused of a “dereliction of duty” in his handling of the ongoing and historic crisis at the southern border. Migrant numbers officially hit 302,000 in December, a new record, after 2.4 million encounters in FY23. Republicans have said that large releases into the interior and a rolling back of Trump-era policies have fueled the crisis. MARJORIE TAYLOR GREENE PREDICTS MAYORKAS IMPEACHMENT ARTICLES WILL PASS HOUSE WITHOUT ANY DEM SUPPORT Green’s majority began investigating Mayorkas’ handling of the border crisis last year and this month have held hearings on the impeachment articles that were sent by the House last year. Those articles accuse Mayorkas of having “repeatedly violated laws enacted by Congress regarding immigration and border security” and of having “made false statements to Congress” that the border is secure, and closed and that DHS is in operational control of the border. “These articles lay out a clear, compelling, and irrefutable case for Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas’ impeachment,” Green said this week. “He has willfully and systemically refused to comply with immigration laws enacted by Congress. He has breached the public trust by knowingly making false statements to Congress and the American people, and obstructing congressional oversight of his department. These facts are beyond dispute, and the results of his lawless behavior have been disastrous for our country.” Green accused Mayorkas of having “completely disregarded the separation of powers, a bedrock of our constitutional republic.” “Congress has a duty to see that the executive branch implements and enforces the laws we have passed. Yet Secretary Mayorkas has repeatedly refused to do so. His lawless behavior was exactly what the Framers gave us the impeachment power to remedy. It is time we take this affront to a coequal branch of government, to the Constitution, and to the American people seriously,” he said in a statement this week. The administration and House Democrats have instead blamed the crisis on a “broken” system in need of reform and funding from Congress, which they accuse Republicans of having failed to provide, amid a Hemisphere-wide crisis. In his letter, Mayorkas declared that “problems with our broken and outdated immigration system are not new” “Our immigration laws last received an overhaul in 1996. Our immigration laws were simply not built for 21st century migration patterns,” Mayorkas said. He pointed to stats including half a million removals since May, and daily removals nearly double what they were compared to from 2014-2019. He also says that the apprehension rate has been 78%, the same as the prior administration, and there have been a significant increase in removal flights within the Western Hemisphere. He also points to increased Border Patrol hiring, an anti-smuggling campaign, and an intensified anti-fentanyl effort that has seen more seizures of the deadly drug which kills tens of thousands of Americans each year. “Instead you claim that we have failed to enforce our immigration laws. That is false,” he said. He also pushed back on the criticism his department has faced over an alleged lack of responsiveness to oversight queries from Congress, claiming instead that he has been responsive to Congress with testimony, witnesses and documents. “The allegations are baseless and inaccurate,” he says. MIGRANT CRISIS BROKE NEW RECORD IN DECEMBER WITH 302K ENCOUNTERS, OFFICIALS CONFIRM House Democrats have also backed Mayorkas on the matter. On Monday, they released a lengthy report accusing the Republican majority of abusing the impeachment process and running a “sham” process, while sabotaging Mayorkas’ efforts to handle the border crisis. “What is glaringly missing from these articles is any real charge or even a shred of evidence of high crimes or misdemeanors – the Constitutional standard for impeachment. That should come as no surprise because Republicans’ so-called ‘investigation’ of Secretary Mayorkas has been a remarkably fact-free affair. They are abusing Congress’ impeachment power to appease their MAGA members, score political points, and deflect Americans’ attention from their do-nothing Congress,” Ranking Member Bennie Thompson said in a statement. “Republicans don’t actually want to work towards bipartisan solutions to fix the border – in fact, they have repeatedly sabotaged the Secretary’s efforts to secure the border and denied DHS’ funding requests. Secretary Mayorkas is upholding the law and honoring the public trust as he has throughout his more than 30 years of service to our Nation. The House must reject this sham resolution.” Fox News’ Chad Pergram, Elizabeth Elkind and Tyler Olson contributed to this report.
GOP lawmaker introduces bill to ‘stop all’ taxpayer funds to UNRWA over Hamas ties: ‘Monstrous atrocities’
FIRST ON FOX: A Republican congressman has introduced legislation that would permanently ban the United States from funding UNRWA, a United Nations agency that has funneled hundreds of millions in aid meant to help Palestinians in Gaza but has come under fire for its ties to Hamas. New Jersey GOP Congressman Chris Smith has introduced a bill, known as the ‘‘Stop Support for 5 United Nations Relief and Works Agency Act of 2024’’, that would cut off U.S. funding to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East. The United States may not make any voluntary or 9 involuntary contributions to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East 2 (referred to in this Act as ‘‘UNRWA’’), to any successor or related entity, or to the regular budget of the United Nations for the support of UNRWA or a successor entity,” the bill states. The Biden administration has sent hundreds of millions of taxpayer dollars to UNRWA, reversing a Trump decision to cut funding to the group, which it says is an effort to provide humanitarian aid while critics say the group is “effectively a branch of Hamas.” UN CALLS ON COUNTRIES TO RESUME UNRWA FUNDING DESPITE REPORT EMPLOYEES PARTICIPATED IN OCT 7 MASSACRE Those ties to Hamas have come into focus in recent weeks after Israel provided the Biden administration with a new dossier containing information about how staffers for a United Nations agency assisted or supported the Hamas terror attacks on Oct. 7. The Biden administration announced last week it has temporarily paused “additional” funding to UNRWA in response to the dossier. Germany, Italy, Australia, Finland, Netherlands and Switzerland have also joined the boycott following the accusations, which have already resulted in the termination of multiple staffers. On Monday, White House national security spokesman John Kirby urged the public not to write off UNRWA’s humanitarian efforts as a whole. “But you’ve got 13,000 UNRWA employees,” Kirby said. “You have 13,000 of them in Gaza alone, and as I said last week, let’s not impugn the good work of a whole agency because of the potential bad actions here by a small number.” ISRAELI FOREIGN MINISTRY CALLS FOR UNRWA COMMISSIONER TO RESIGN AMID ALLEGATIONS ITS WORKERS ASSISTED HAMAS UNRWA has faced scrutiny in recent years even before the Hamas attack from critics who say the group has not done enough to prevent aid from reaching the hands of Hamas terrorists. UNRWA locations have reportedly housed Hamas activities and spread Hamas propaganda in schools. UN Watch reported earlier this year that UNRWA schools were complicit in teaching children to hate Jewish people and glorify terrorism. UN Watch reported that UNRWA has acknowledged that teachers “mistakenly” produced and distributed inciting material but promised in 2021 that it no longer circulates such material. UNRWA acknowledged in 2014, and condemned, Hamas missiles that were found at one of its schools in Gaza twice in one week. “UNRWA strongly and unequivocally condemns the group or groups responsible for this flagrant violation of the inviolability of its premises under international law,” the group said at the time. HOUSE COMMITTEE TO LAUNCH INVESTIGATION INTO UN AGENCY FOR ALLEGED ‘TROUBLING CONNECTION’ TO HAMAS The New York Post reported this week that roughly 10% of UNRWA staffers have links to Hamas. “The United Nations—and UNRWA especially—is unquestionably the world’s foremost legitimizer of antisemitism, including in its most virulent and violent forms,” Rep. Smith, the Chair of the House Global Human Rights and International Organizations, told Fox News Digital in a statement. “UNRWA—which provides education in hatred of Jews through their textbooks, curricula, summer camps, and official media—has contributed to the perversity we saw performed by Hamas during its October 7 terror attack,” Smith added. “We need a comprehensive, fact-based approach to UNRWA that stops all funding and conditions future funding on a complete head-to-toe reform and restructuring of UNRWA.” Smith is set to host a joint subcommittee hearing on Tuesday at 2 p.m. with the goal of “examining the mission and failures” of UNRWA. “The monstrous and genocidal atrocities we have seen pouring out of Gaza since October 7 are antisemitic hate crimes—the logical consequence of the unbridled antisemitism fomented and enabled by UNRWA,” Smith said. Fox News Digital reached out to UNRWA and the White House for comment but did not receive a response.
Bipartisan senators introduce bill to strengthen administration response to child trafficking
FIRST ON FOX: Sens. Jon Ossoff, D-Ga., and Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, will introduce legislation on Tuesday that would mandate the Biden administration adopt a more robust response to child trafficking. The bill – called the Preventing Child Trafficking Act of 2024 – comes after a Government Accountability Office (GAO) report earlier this month found agencies within the Department of Justice (DOJ) and Health and Human Services (HHS) address human trafficking broadly, but lack collaboration to specifically target child trafficking. The report noted that improving efforts between the two departments would “enable the offices to overcome challenges specific to children and meet the distinct needs of child trafficking survivors.” If passed, the bill sets a timeline for the implementation of GAO’s anti-trafficking recommendations, requiring the Office for Victims of Crime to coordinate with the Office on Trafficking in Persons of the Administration for Children and Families within 180 days of its passage. Additionally, a report detailing the steps taken in the implementation process must be submitted to the Senate and House Committees on the Judiciary within 60 days of completion. THE PORN INDUSTRY FUELS SEX TRAFFICKING, INCREASES THE DEMAND FOR CHILDREN: RESCUE EXPERTS WARN “Child trafficking in Georgia and nationwide is a crisis. That’s why I’m introducing this bipartisan bill to strengthen federal protections for vulnerable children and increase support for victims of trafficking,” Ossoff said in a statement. Georgia has reportedly been identified as a human trafficking hotspot due to factors like a major international airport, extensive highway access, and numerous large sporting events, according to the Georgia Bureau of Investigation. Federal law defines child trafficking as “the recruiting, enticing, harboring, transporting, providing, obtaining, advertising, maintaining, patronizing, or soliciting of a person under 18 years of age, knowing or recklessly disregarding that the minor will be caused to engage in a commercial sex act or benefitting, financially or by receiving anything of value, from participation in a venture engaged in any of these acts.” Federal prosecutions of child-only sex trafficking cases rose by 17% from 2019 to 2020, a DOJ report to Congress last year found. In 2020, children constituted 69% of victims in all new sex trafficking cases. Among federal sex trafficking cases prosecuted that year, over half of the victims were children, aged 4 to 17, with an average age of 15. Notably, 89% of child victims in active sex trafficking cases were between 14 and 17 years old. According to the United Nations Children’s Fund, the U.S. is both a “source and transit country” and is classified as one of the largest destination points for child trafficking in all 50 states. HUMAN TRAFFICKING VICTIM RECOUNTS HORRORS OF LIFE AT THE MERCY OF CRIMINALS Efforts by lawmakers to crack down on trafficking efforts have increased in recent years. In December, Ossoff’s bipartisan Report Act to protect children from online sexual abuse, cleared the Senate. In September, Ossoff and Sen. Marsha Blackburn, R-Tenn., sent an inquiry to Attorney General Merrick Garland relating to the FBI’s capacity to address crimes related to child sexual abuse and exploitation.
Chhattisgarh: 3 CRPF personnel killed, 14 injured in Naxal attack
According to Inspector General of Police (Bastar Range) P. Sundarraj, the incident occurred near Tekalgudem village when a joint team of security personnel was out on a search operation.
House notified sergeant at arms faces DOJ subpoena for documents as speculation swirls
The House was notified Monday that the Office of Sergeant at Arms has been served a grand jury subpoena issued by the Justice Department for documents, and that the office will comply. “The Honorable, the Speaker, House of Representatives. Sir, this is to notify you formally pursuant to rule 8 of the rules of the House of Representatives that the Office of the Sergeant at Arms for the House of Representatives has been served with a grand jury subpoena for documents issued by the U.S. Department of Justice,” clerk Susan Cole said before the lower chamber of Congress, formally relaying House Sergeant at Arms William McFarland’s message to House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La. “After consulting with the office of general counsel, I have determined that compliance with the subpoena is consistent with the rights and privileges of the House. Signed, sincerely, William P. McFarland, sergeant at arms of the House of Representatives.” The sergeant at arms is the chief law enforcement and protocol officer of the House and is responsible for maintaining order in the House side of the U.S. Capitol complex, according to the House website. Duties include reviewing and implementing all issues related to the safety and security of members of Congress and the Capitol complex. The sergeant at arms “also coordinates extensively with the U.S. Capitol Police and various intelligence agencies to assess threats against Members of Congress and the Capitol complex.” TRUMP WHITE HOUSE OFFICIAL PETER NAVARRO SENTENCED TO 4 MONTHS FOR DEFYING JAN 6 SUBPOENA The last House sergeant at arms, Paul Irving, served for nine years and resigned the day after the Jan. 6, 2021, riot. Neither the Justice Department nor the House sergeant at arms has publicly disclosed the subject of the subpoena, prompting a wave of speculation online about McFarland’s announcement. Some attorneys and political observers speculated without evidence that it could be linked to the Jan. 6 riot at the U.S. Capitol, but a new report indicates it could be something else entirely. Citing multiple sources familiar with the investigation, Punchbowl News reported that the Justice Department is looking into an unnamed House Democrat for allegedly misusing government money allocated to members of personal security. ‘ALARMING’ SURVEILLANCE: FEDS ASKED BANKS TO SEARCH PRIVATE TRANSACTIONS FOR TERMS LIKE ‘MAGA,’ ‘TRUMP’ “This was the subpoena read out on the House floor today,” Punchbowl News founder Jake Sherman wrote on X. Subpoena announcements are not new on the House floor. Last November, another House reading clerk, Tylease Alli, delivered a similar announcement from Rep. Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., who formally notified Congress that she had been served with “third party subpoenas from the prosecution and the defendant to produce documents in a criminal case in United States District Court for the Northern District of California.” Pelosi also relayed that she would comply. A specific case was not named before the House floor then, but the subpoena came around the same time David DePape faced a federal trial. DePape was later convicted in the 2022 hammer attack on Paul Pelosi, the then-speaker’s husband, at their San Francisco home while Nancy Pelosi was out of town.
Trump accuser E Jean Carroll says she would ‘absolutely’ sue Trump again given opportunity
E. Jean Carroll, the former advice columnist who won an $83.3 million defamation lawsuit against former President Trump, said on Monday she would “absolutely” sue him again if given the opportunity. A jury last week found that Trump had maliciously defamed Carroll’s reputation in 2019 after she went public with allegations that he had raped her in a department store dressing room in the 1990s. Trump decried the judgment on his social network Truth Social, declaring the judicial system “Broken and Unfair!” In an interview on MSNBC, host Rachel Maddow noted Trump “has kept your name out of his mouth” since the trial, but asked Carroll about the former president’s recent Truth Social posts, including articles he shared questioning her credibility. E. JEAN CARROLL GLEEFULLY INVITES MADDOW ON SHOPPING SPREE WITH TRUMP’S $83 MILLION: ‘PENTHOUSE? IT’S YOURS!’ “He seems to be pushing it already in terms of whether or not he is going to go back to calling you a ‘liar’ or denying that he did what he did,” Maddow said. “If it came to it, if your lawyers told you that there was another case, and you should go back and get more money out of him, sue him again, would you do it?” “Absolutely, absolutely,” Carroll replied, grabbing the hands of her two lawyers, Roberta Kaplan and Shawn Crowley, who appeared as guests alongside her. E. JEAN CARROLL’S CLAIMS AGAINST TRUMP, LIFESTYLE BACK UNDER THE SPOTLIGHT AFTER EYE-POPPING VERDICT “It wasn’t too much wear and tear on you?” Maddow followed up. “Rachel, many people, as you know, have been through much worse than I went through at that trial,” Carroll said. “People suffered more difficult things than I’ve ever been through in my life. And I’m more than willing to do it again, because we achieved so much in a seven-day trial. We did what people thought was impossible. We beat Donald Trump.” TRUMP PROSECUTOR FANI WILLIS’ WHITE HOUSE MEETINGS WARRANT ‘VERY DEEP INVESTIGATION,’ EX-PROSECUTOR SAYS Later in the program, Maddow asked Carroll what she was going to do with Trump’s money. Carroll gleefully invited the MSNBC host on a grand shopping spree, offering to buy her new clothes and a penthouse in France. “First thing Rachel, you and I are gonna go shopping!” Carroll exclaimed. “We’re gonna get complete new wardrobes, new shoes, motorcycle for [Carroll’s attorney Shawn] Crowley, a new fishing rod for Robbie [Carroll’s attorney Roberta Kaplan]- Rachel, what do you want? A penthouse? It’s yours, Rachel! Penthouse in France? You want France? You want to go fishing in France? No?” While Maddow chuckled at her eccentric guest, Carroll’s lawyer, Shawn Crowley, awkwardly grinned and said, “That’s a joke.” CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP Carroll’s victory in court last week came after a federal jury in New York City decided last year that Trump was not liable for rape, but was liable for sexual abuse and defamation. The former president was ordered to pay $5 million in that trial. Trump has denied knowing who Carroll is and insisted that her allegations against him are fabricated. Fox News Digital’s Joseph A. Wulfsohn and David Rutz contributed to this report.
House Republicans to file resolution disapproving of Biden admin’s ‘totalitarian’ digital equity rules
FIRST ON FOX: House Republicans are introducing a joint resolution disapproving of the Biden administration’s new “digital discrimination” rules package, which they describe as a power grab by the federal government over the internet. The Congressional Review Act (CRA) resolution of disapproval, which is lead by Republican Reps. Andrew Clyde and Buddy Carter of Georgia and co-sponsored by 65 House Republicans, aims to nullify the Federal Communications Commission’s (FCC) new digital equity rules package that went into effect this month as part of President Biden’s Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act. “Under the guise of ‘equity,’ the Biden Administration is attempting to radically expand the federal government’s control of all internet services and infrastructure,” Clyde said in a statement to Fox News Digital. “The FCC’s so-called ‘digital discrimination’ rule hands bureaucrats unmitigated regulatory authority that will undoubtedly impede innovation, burden consumers, and generate censorship concerns. Given the Biden Administration’s long history of weaponizing agencies against the American people, Congress should not let this unconstitutional power grab go unchecked.” A resolution of disapproval under the CRA allows lawmakers to object to rules being put forward by the administration. The FCC rules package the Republicans are targeting, which was ratified by the commission on Nov. 15 and went into effect Jan. 15, implements a section of Biden’s 2021 infrastructure bill that aims to prevent digital discrimination of access to broadband services based on income level, race, ethnicity, color, religion, or national origin. FCC COMMISSIONER BLASTS BIDEN’S ‘DIGITAL EQUITY’ PLAN AS ‘UNLAWFUL POWER GRAB’ “These rules will protect civil rights, lower costs, and increase Internet access for Americans across the country,” Vice President Kamala Harris said in a Nov. 15 statement. According to the FCC, the new rules allow it to “protect consumers by directly addressing companies’ policies and practices if they differentially impact consumers’ access to broadband internet access service or are intended to do so,” and to apply those protections “to ensure communities see equitable broadband deployment, network upgrades, and maintenance.” However, critics of the package argue it could have the opposite effect by widening the so-called “digital divide,” which refers to unequal access to digital technology. “Yet again, the Biden administration is attempting to push its ideology through heavy-handed government controls,” Carter, who is co-leading the resolution, told Fox News Digital. “This time, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) plans to enact widespread regulations on every aspect of our internet’s functionality. This FCC ‘Digital Discrimination’ rule will undoubtedly widen the digital divide by stifling future investment in broadband deployments. Not only is it unconstitutional, but it goes against the very core of free market capitalism. Congress must block the FCC’s totalitarian overreach.” Multiple outside groups have also endorsed the GOP resolution, including Heritage Action for America, Americans for Tax Reform, Taxpayers Protection Alliance (TPA), and Americans for Prosperity, among others. “TPA is happy to support Rep. Carter’s CRA of the FCC’s order on digital discrimination. The order represents a massive extension of government power into broadband networks and is a solution in search of a problem,” TPA president David Williams said in a statement provided to Fox News Digital. “Notably, embracing a disparate impact standard, which ignores a vast number of economic factors that shape market decisions, will inevitably result in regulators telling companies to alter their policies based on the race of their customers. We encourage all members to support Rep. Carter’s CRA and hold the FCC accountable for this unnecessary proposal.” Brendan Carr, one of the FCC’s commissioners, previously blasted the digital discrimination rules as a “breathtaking” government power grab. Carr said in November, prior to their ratification, that the rules give the “Administrative State effective control of all Internet services and infrastructure.” “President Biden has called on the FCC to adopt new rules of breathtaking scope,” Carr said. “Those rules would give the federal government a roving mandate to micromanage nearly every aspect of how the Internet functions — from how ISPs allocate capital and where they build, to the services that consumers can purchase; from the profits that ISPs can realize and how they market and advertise services, to the discounts and promotions that consumers can receive.” “Talk about central planning,” he added. “I oppose President Biden’s plan.” White House spokesperson Robyn Patterson previously defended the president’s plan in a statement to Fox News Digital when asked about Carr’s comments in November. “President Biden believes no parent should have to drive to a McDonald’s parking lot so their kid can do their homework online,” Patterson said. “That’s why he worked with Democrats and Republicans alike to pass the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law to ensure every American has access to affordable, reliable high-speed internet.” The House Republicans’ CRA resolution, which is expected to be filed Tuesday, would have to pass the House and Democrat-controlled Senate before making it to Biden’s desk. Fox News Digital reached out to the White House and FCC for comment.
Mike Pence’s AAF sends memo to lawmakers: ‘Biden doesn’t seem to want Israel to win’
FIRST ON FOX: Former Vice President Mike Pence’s nonprofit political advocacy group sent a memo to Congress on Monday urging lawmakers to “hold the Biden administration” accountable for “slow-rolling” Israel’s war efforts. The memo from Advancing American Freedom (AAF), titled “Biden Doesn’t Seem to Want Israel to Win” and obtained by Fox News Digital, outlines concerns that the Biden administration is undermining Israel’s efforts in the conflict with Hamas and criticizes Biden’s stance on calling for a cease-fire, pushing for a two-state solution and allegedly considering withholding military aid. “Israel is fighting to ensure its existence. Meanwhile, the Biden administration is actively undermining Israel,” the topline reads. A section of the memo labeled “Underminin’ Biden” accused the administration of “actively hindering Israel’s military strategy.” The memo defines Israel’s mission to achieve “absolute victory” through first destroying Hamas and any other immediate existential threats; bringing the hostages home alive; and restoring regional stability and peace in the Middle East. ISRAEL TO BAN REBUILDING OF ISRAELI SETTLEMENTS IN GAZA FOLLOWING CONCERNS FROM BIDEN ADMIN However, President Biden has hindered the nation’s goal and has empowered Iran, the memo alleges, driven by the rollback of the Trump-Pence “maximum pressure” strategy as seen by more than a dozen White House staffers anonymously calling for a cease-fire in Gaza. “The war should end when her military goals are achieved, and not a moment sooner,” Pence said in a statement included in the memo. The memo comes after three American soldiers were killed and dozens of others were injured in a drone strike in northeast Jordan near the Syrian border. Most, if not all, of those injured and killed were Army soldiers at a base known as Tower 22, which has been in support of the counter-ISIS mission for years, the official said. ISRAELI FOREIGN MINISTRY CALLS FOR UNRWA COMMISSIONER TO RESIGN AMID ALLEGATIONS ITS WORKERS ASSISTED HAMAS The president, as well as Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin, blamed Iran-backed militias for Sunday’s attack. A coalition of Iran-backed militant groups calling themselves the “Islamic Resistance in Iraq” claimed responsibility. Later Sunday, Biden said the U.S. “had a tough day in the Middle East,” and vowed, “We shall respond.” The service members’ deaths marked a major escalation of tensions in the region after months of strikes by militia groups on American forces in the region in the wake of the Israel-Hamas war. The U.S. in recent months has struck targets in Iraq, Syria and Yemen to respond to attacks on American forces in the region and to deter Iran-backed Houthi rebels from continuing to threaten commercial shipping in the Red Sea. Fox News Digital has reached out to the White House for comment. Fox News’ Danielle Wallace, Liz Friden and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
‘Strategic interests’, lobby power: What influences Biden’s Israel support?
This is the second instalment in a two-part series about how the administration of President Joe Biden developed its unequivocal support for Israel. To read part one, click here. Washington, DC – “It’s the price of waging a war.” Those were Joe Biden’s words in late October, when the United States president was asked about civilian casualties in war-stricken Gaza. Thousands of Palestinians had already been killed in Israel’s bombardment of the besieged enclave and United Nations officials were urging an immediate ceasefire amid a deepening humanitarian crisis. Yet, instead of calling on Israel to show more restraint, Biden – a committed supporter of Israel – instead cast doubt on the Gaza death toll. “I have no notion that the Palestinians are telling the truth about how many people are killed,” he said on October 25. The exchange was just one of many episodes since the war began on October 7 that observers say laid bare an unparalleled level of US diplomatic and military support for Israel. The two countries have enjoyed strong ties for decades under both Democratic and Republican presidents, and the US sends Israel at least $3.8bn in military aid each year. But anger over US foreign policy has reached a peak amid the Gaza war as the Biden administration pushes for increased arms sales and aid to Israel, despite serious human rights concerns over its military campaign. More than 26,000 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza, with UN experts warning of the potential for famine and genocide. A Palestinian man stands in front of a building destroyed during Israeli bombardment around the city of Rafah in southern Gaza [AFP] So what explains Biden’s current stance? Al Jazeera interviewed more than a dozen experts, rights advocates and former US officials about the many factors that underpin Biden’s present-day actions and his “unwavering” backing of Israel. “I don’t think there is a short answer to the question, ‘Why does Israel continue to enjoy exceptionalism in US foreign policy?’” said Raed Jarrar, the advocacy director at Democracy for the Arab World Now (DAWN), a think tank in Washington, DC. “There is an all-of-the-above kind of answer.” In this second instalment of a two-part series, we examine how history, domestic politics and US strategy in the Middle East influence the Biden administration’s policies. In part one, we explore Biden’s personal and professional ties to Israel and how his Gaza war policy could affect his political future. “It is very deeply entrenched,” Jarrar said of US-Israel ties. Israel, he said, has fundamentally built “a very well-oiled machine” – one that can withstand domestic and international pressure even amid the bloodshed in Gaza. Adblock test (Why?)