TheNewsGuru

Tag: Donald Trump

  • Remarks by Trump, Buhari before bilateral meeting

    PRESIDENT TRUMP: Thank you very much. It’s an honor to be with President Buhari of Nigeria. We have many things that we do together, as you know, probably — especially on terrorism and terrorism-related.

    We also have a very big trade deal that we’re working on for military equipment — helicopters and the like. We have met before. We have developed a great relationship. And we look forward to our discussion today — very important — but again, especially as it relates to terrorism. And that’s terrorism here and terrorism all over the world. It’s a hotbed, and we’re going to be stopping that.

    Also, we’ve had very serious problems with Christians who have been murdered, killed in Nigeria. We’re going to be working on that problem, and working on that problem very, very hard, because we can’t allow that to happen.

    Mr. President, thank you very much for being here. Thank you.

    PRESIDENT BUHARI: Thank you, Mr. President, very much for inviting me. It’s a great honor. I’m very grateful for it.

    Sadly, security is the main issue. We very grateful to the United States for agreeing to give us the aircraft we asked for — the spare parts. We are even more grateful for the physical presence of the United States military (inaudible) that are going to our institutions in Nigeria, and train them and go to the front, in the northeast, to see how they are performing, as an example of the training given to them.

    So the commitment of the United States to get rid of terrorism across the world, we have firsthand experience of that, and we are very grateful for it.

    The problem about the (inaudible) and jihadists in Nigeria is a very long, historical thing. But the state is most concerned — they know that the Nigerian jihadists never carry anything more than a stick, and occasionally a machete, to cut down foliage and give it to the (inaudible) and carrying AK-47s.

    So I don’t think people should underrate what happened in Libya: Forty-three years of Qaddafi. People were recruited from the Sahel; they were caught — and nothing other than shoot and killed.

    With the demise of Qaddafi, they moved to their countries, into their regions, and they carried away with them the only experience they have — trained using weapons. And that’s what is aggravating the situation.

    We are doing our best to make sure we have stopped the cross-border and so on, and — to get the weapons from the (inaudible) and weapons in the region checked. But it’s going to take time, and the action by the United States in trying to see the end of ISIS has helped us a lot. Because Boko Haram in Nigeria at one time made a statement that they are loyal to ISIS.

    Now that ISIS have virtually gone with the help of the United States, we are very grateful for that. And we are sure that we are still (inaudible) the situation and the security in Nigeria.

    PRESIDENT TRUMP: We have very much decimated ISIS. Much has taken place over the last 12 months. But Boko Haram has been terrible. And how did you do with the young women that were kidnapped? How is that going?

    PRESIDENT BUHARI: The Chibok girls and the Dapchi one — the Chibok one was before we came — 2014. But only a number of them — we recovered about 80 of them. But the Dapchi one, there were 106 that were kidnapped. We got 100 back. Four died; one is still held in captivity. And we are very grateful to the United Nations organization that is acting as (inaudible) between us and the kidnappers. And we haven’t given up. We are trying to get everybody back to join their families and their schools.

    PRESIDENT TRUMP: A terrible problem. Mr. President, thank you very much, everybody.

    PRESIDENT BUHARI: Thank you very much.

    PRESIDENT TRUMP: Thank you very much everybody.

    Q Are you working on a deal on immigration?

    PRESIDENT TRUMP: Yeah.

     

  • Opinion: On Trump respect for President Buhari

    Opinion: On Trump respect for President Buhari

    On Monday the last day of April 2018, Nigeria’s President Muhammadu Buhari became the first African leader to meet with President Donald Trump at the White House with the US President openly expressing respect for the leader of Africa’s largest democracy.

    Speaking at a joint press conference with President Buhari, Trump continuously reverbed how he has so much respect for Buhari, but does the US President actually means it?

    Buhari’s statement at joint press conference with Trump in Washington
    President Buhari and Buhari at the joint press conference

    “I have great respect for you, Mr. President. Nigeria is a great country, I will be visiting soon,” were President Trump’s words.

    To fully grab the rhetoric of Trump’s claim of respect for Buhari, it becomes imperative to analyse and put the US President’s comments into perspective in context.

    Before the joint press conference, President Buhari had a bilateral meeting with the US President in the White House, of which what transpired, Trump hinted at the joint press conference.

    It is worthy to note that in the bigger scheme of things, the press conference was actually a footnote.

    Trump, when quizzed at the joint press conference, revealed that more than anything else he discussed with President Buhari was the need for US agricultural products coming into Nigeria, which he said Nigeria wants.

    “But there have been certain barriers that do not allow that to happen; very substantial barriers to the United States trading with Nigeria. We have already started talking with the President about taking down the trade barriers.

    “So for the good of our farmers, US farmers and for the good of Nigeria, and all of Africa, it is very important that we are able to sell our great agricultural products into Nigeria. That will happen; and we are going to be working on that right away. So, we think that we are owed that,” said Trump.

    Trump laid all these bare after Buhari insisted the US consider Nigeria’s crude oil in the stead of Shell’s.

    “The progress made by the United States in technology is certainly frightening for us that are mono-economy. I hope technology will allow them use our crude for its quality, for petrochemicals, being light one, vis-à-vis what they are getting from Shell,” Buhari earlier demanded.

    Trump’s claim of respect for Buhari cannot be said to be sincere as he ironically, tactically made a deal to push her agricultural products into Nigeria with the glaring fact that agriculture is the main thrust of Nigeria diversifying its economy from overdependence on crude oil.

    Trump’s claim of respect for Buhari is to serve the purpose of massaging the ego of the Nigerian President into cajoling him to have his way to get US agricultural products into Nigeria.

    Donald Trump is both rude and cruel; confirming diplomats and politicians alike can actually tell you to go to hell in a way you will look forward to the trip.

    Trump said “there is no country more beautiful” than Nigeria; however, people exactly know when people are actually telling the truth.

    “Well I would like very much to visit Nigeria. It is an amazing country. In certain ways, I hear from the standpoint of the beauty of a country — there’s no country more beautiful,” were Trump’s words.

    Trump has been known to be the most chronic fact twister in recent times; so, it is not unexpected for him to make such supposed factual statement about Nigeria. He hopes he is dealing with an actual ‘maga’.

    Buhari’s speech at working lunch with Trump in Washington
    President Buhari and trump before bilateral meeting

    If Trump is not high on the need to ‘mugu’ Buhari into assenting to allow US agricultural products into Nigeria, he wouldn’t have said what he said as it is obvious Nigeria is not in the list of the top 5 most beautiful countries of Africa, let alone “there is no country more beautiful” than Nigeria.

    If Trump’s statements should be taken as they are, he could have meant what he said, but given context, the US President has no regards for Nigeria and the things that matter most for the country. It is obvious the respect Trump has for President Buhari is for him to take advantage of Nigeria.

    He continuously prodded Buhari to consider lifting trade barrier to ensure the US gets its way of pushing its agricultural products into the country.

    Trump smiling hard
    Trump smiling really hard

    Meanwhile, in his speeches during the working lunch and at the joint press conference, President Buhari highlighted key areas the Nigerian government might be requiring the assistance of the US.

    Already Buhari and Trump both acknowledged Nigeria acquisition of 12 Super Tucano war crafts during the press conference. In addition to this Buhari made known that discussion with his American counterpart, bothered on, including security, anti-corruption, trade, human rights and humanitarian aid.

    While it is obvious that Buhari did not succumbed to Trump’s whims, there might be grave implications if he doesn’t, which might include the US tightening business relations with, and humanitarian aid for Nigeria.

     

  • Trade barriers: Trump mounts pressure on President Buhari

    US President Donald Trump on Monday mounted huge pressure on President Muhammadu Buhari to consider taking down trade barriers between the United States and Nigeria.

    President Trump, who was speaking during a joint press conference with President Buhari in Washington DC, said the US is working on expanding trade and commercial ties with African nations, including Nigeria.

    “The United States is currently working to expand trade and commercial ties with African nations, including Nigeria; to create jobs and wealth in all our countries. We hope to be the economic partner of choice for nations across the continent and around the world.

    “Nigeria is a valued partner and a great friend. The United States is committed to working alongside Nigeria as we seek a future of strength, property, and peace for both of our countries,” he said.

    TheNewsGuru reports Trump went further to say he is pleased with Nigeria as one of the United States largest trade partners from the African continent.

    He said the US country is looking further to growing the trade relationships with Nigeria based on the principle of fairness and reciprocity.

    The US President revealed that his country gives Nigeria over $1 billion in aid every year; “And we have already started talking with the President about taking down the trade barriers”.

    “Very substantial barriers to the United States trading with Nigeria. So, we think that we are owed that,” he added.

    The US President, who commended President Buhari for steps he has taken in the fight against corruption in Nigeria, the largest democracy in Africa, said it will be easier for the US to invest in Nigeria if certain business barriers were removed.

    “President Buhari has also taken steps to fight corruption and improve the Nigerian business climate and most of all and to me helping rip down the trade barriers.

    “It will make it easier for the United States and companies to invest, and we will be investing substantially in Nigeria if they can create that level playing field that we have to very much ask for and maybe demand,” he said.

    When asked what the US government is doing to repatriate stolen and illicit funds back to Nigeria to fund critical infrastructure, Trump said, “We have also discussed all of those topics at length over the last period of time”.

    He added: “In terms of corruption, Nigeria has a reputation as you understand very well for very massive corruption. I also know the President has been able to cut that down very substantially.

    “We talked about it. He is working on it and they have made a lot of progress and I think they will continue to make a lot of progress.

    “We have a lot of people in this country, and frankly speaking the country itself, that invest in Nigeria. So, cutting down on that element and a corrupt element is very important to us. And the President will be able to do that”.

    The US President stressed that more than anything else he discussed with President Buhari, being the first African leader to meet with Trump in the White House, was US agricultural products coming into Nigeria, which he said Nigeria wants.

    “But there have been certain barriers that do not allow that to happen. So for the good of our farmers, US farmers and for the good of Nigeria, and all of Africa, it is very important that we are able to sell our great agricultural products into Nigeria.

    “That will happen; and we are going to be working on that right away,” he said.

     

  • Buhari’s speech at working lunch with Trump in Washington

    Buhari’s speech at working lunch with Trump in Washington

    Mr. President, Senior Government officials, I have just had excellent discussions with President Trump and I would like to reiterate my immense gratitude to you, Mr. President for your kind invitation and the very warm and generous hospitality extended to me and my delegation since our arrival in the United States;

    2. We greatly appreciate the importance your administration attaches to a strong relationship with Nigeria. The United States remains for us a valued friend and strategic partner, whose support and solidarity over the years has meant a great deal to us. Our government’s three main priority areas are:

    a) Security
    b) Anti-corruption and good governance
    c) Economic growth and job creation

    3. We congratulate you, Mr. President on the statesmanly role you have played in so dramatically transforming the course of events in the Korean Peninsula to make the denuclearization of the region a real possibility.

    4. On security, please accept our sincere congratulations on the important role played by the US in the defeat of ISIS, although some of the remnants have found their way to the Sahel region. We are very grateful for the strong US support in our fight against terrorism. We also appreciate very much your agreement to sell twelve Super Tucano A-29 war planes and weapons to Nigeria to effectively fight terrorism.

    5. To contain the spate of insurgency in Nigeria, the Federal government has adopted a multi-sectoral approach, involving relevant government agencies to address the socio-economic and political dimensions while the Armed Forces of Nigeria assist the civil authorities to provide security and maintain law and order.

    6. As part of efforts to address emerging cases of insurgency in the country, the Nigerian Military adopted a non-kinetic counter terrorism/counter insurgency approach code-named “Operation safe corridor”, to de-radicalize, re-habilitate, and re-integrate willingly surrendered Boko-Haram members into the larger society.

    7. This programme is currently embarking on a number of projects including: skill acquisition centers and integrated farms; comprising poultry, fishpond and greenhouse farming, among others.

    8. A number of international partners, including the International Organization for Migration have contributed to the success of Operation Safe Corridor. We will also appreciate whatever support we could also get from the US.

    9. We are extremely grateful for your government’s support in the reconstruction and rehabilitation efforts in the North East of Nigeria, as well as humanitarian assistance to the Internally Displaced Persons, through agencies such as the United States Agency for International Development and other international partners.

    10. The USA has been to date the biggest contributor to the humanitarian response and last year gave approximately 500 million US Dollars in cash and in-kind contributions through the United Nations and other inter-governmental organizations. These have mainly supported protection activities, namely health, food assistance and shelter.

    11. We are doing all we can to secure the release of the remaining abducted schoolgirls from Dapchi and Chibok. In this context, we will continue to welcome US collaboration in intelligence gathering, hostage negotiations and information-sharing.

    12. The government is taking necessary steps to promote the peaceful co-existence of herdsmen and farmers, by focusing on boosting security and enforcing legislation that will guarantee herders and farmers’ access to land, reducing strife and promoting harmonizing economic activities.

    13. I wish to extend sincere congratulations to you and your government on the impressive performance of the US economy under your watch.

    14. Our aim is to diversify our economy by focusing on agriculture and food security; power and infrastructure. We have cut the importation of rice by about 90% thereby saving a significant amount of money. We very much welcome increased US investment in the Nigerian economy, especially in the non-oil sector.

    15. Economic relations between Nigeria and the United States are anchored on three major instruments, namely: the Bi-National Commission, Trade and Investment Framework Agreement and the Africa Growth and Opportunity Act.

    16. The Bi-National Commission in particular, comprising bilateral political, economic, developmental and humanitarian partnership, is a basic economic framework for engagement between our two countries.

    17. Nigeria’s trade volume with the United States stood at six point zero-seven billion United States Dollars according to 2016 statistics and comprised four point one-seven-six billion united States dollars worth of Nigerian exports to the US and one point eight-nine-four billion United States Dollars US exports to Nigeria. We should work to increase these figures substantially and to make balance of trade more even.

    18. We thank your government very much for the cooperation we have received in our effort to recover stolen funds. Our two governments have put the machinery in place for their respective Attorneys-General to collaborate in ensuring the return to Nigeria of over five hundred million United States Dollars ($500) of looted funds siphoned away in banks around the world.

    19. In this connection, we congratulate the US government on launching a Kleptocracy Asset Recovery Initiative, which was spearheaded by the US Department of Justice Asset Forfeiture and Money Laundering. We hope that we can continue to count on your support in our efforts to recover our money.

    20. The Government of Nigeria remains deeply committed to the principles of human rights as well as the promotion and protection of people’s freedom, even in the process of fighting terror. We will ensure that all documented cases of human rights abuses are investigated and those responsible for violations held accountable for their actions.

    21. In addition, the Executive Secretary of the National Human Rights Commission of Nigeria inaugurated the Nigerian Military Human Rights Dialogue in August 2015 to provide the Nigerian Military and Para-Military with necessary tools to integrate human rights practices into their code, education systems, field training and disciplinary systems.

    22. To this end, the victims of a criminal law enforcement operation that occurred in 2013 (otherwise known as Apo-six) were compensated in April this year based on the findings of the National Human Rights Commission. Two of the police officers responsible were convicted for culpable homicide arising from the extra-judicial killings.

    23. Mr. President, this is the first time in the history of Nigeria that the Federal Government compensated the victims of extra-judicial killings. It also provides a sustainable platform for local and international human rights organizations to constructively engage the Nigerian security forces on human rights concerns. We also look to share best practices in this area with the United States.

    24. I thank you, Mr. President, again for hosting us and for your constructive response to our shaped problems. I hope you make Nigeria the first port of call whenever you visit African continent.

     

  • Buhari’s statement at joint press conference with Trump in Washington

    Buhari’s statement at joint press conference with Trump in Washington

    Good day, Ladies and Gentlemen of the media. It has been a pleasure and honour to visit Washington DC at the kind invitation of President Donald Trump.

    Nigeria and the United States share a long history of close and cordial relations, which encompass political, economic, military, social and cultural cooperation. Our two countries maintain a strategic partnership for peace and security, conflict resolution as well as the global fight against terrorism.

    We also share common features as secular federal states, practicing a similar democratic model of governance and committed to the universal values of fundamental human rights and freedoms, free enterprise, social justice and the rule of law.

    President Trump and his team and myself and the Nigerian team discussed issues related to security, trade, governance, human rights and humanitarian crises.

    SECURITY

    We congratulated the leaders of North and South Korea on their historic summit and we applaud them for the positive commitment they have made towards the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula. President Trump deserves a great deal of credit for his statesmanly role in transforming so dramatically the course of events in that region.

    We also congratulated the US government on the important role it played in the defeat of ISIS, although some of the remnants have found their way to the Sahel region. We recognized the strong US support in our fight against terrorism and also appreciated very much the US’ agreement to sell twelve Super Tucano A-29 war planes and weapons to Nigeria to effectively fight terrorism.

    To contain the spate of insurgency in Nigeria, the Federal government has adopted a multi-sectoral approach, involving relevant government agencies to address the socio-economic and political dimensions while the Armed Forces of Nigeria assist the civil authority to provide security and maintain law and order.

    As part of efforts to address emerging cases of insurgency in the country, the Nigerian Military adopted a non-kinetic counter terrorism/counter insurgency approach code-named “Operation safe corridor”, to de-radicalize, re-habilitate, and re-integrate willingly surrendered Boko-Haram members into the larger society. This programme is currently embarking on a number of projects including: skill acquisition centers and integrated farms; comprising poultry, fish pond and greenhouse farming, among others. A number of international partners, including the International Organization for Migration have contributed to the success of Operation Safe Corridor. We indicated that we would appreciate whatever support we could also get from the US.

    We expressed gratitude for US support in the reconstruction and rehabilitation efforts in the North East of Nigeria, as well as humanitarian assistance to the Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs), through agencies such as the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and other international partners. The USA has been to date the biggest contributor to the humanitarian response and last year gave approximately 500 million US Dollars in cash and in-kind contributions through the United Nations and other inter-governmental organizations. These have mainly supported protection activities, health, food assistance and shelter.

    We are doing all we can to secure the release of the remaining abducted school girls from Dapchi and Chibok. In this context, we will continue to welcome US collaboration in intelligence gathering, hostage negotiations and information-sharing.

    VIOLENCE BETWEEN HERDSMEN AND FARMERS

    The government is taking necessary steps to promote the peaceful co-existence of herdsmen and farmers, by focusing on boosting security and enforcing legislation that will guarantee herders and farmers access to land;

    TRADE AND INVESTMENT

    I extended sincere congratulations to President Trump and his government on the impressive performance of the US economy under their watch.

    Our aim is to diversify our own economy by focusing on agriculture and food security; power and infrastructure. We have cut the importation of rice by about 90% thereby saving a significant amount of money. We very much welcomed increased US investment in the Nigerian economy, especially in the non-oil sector.

    Economic relations between Nigeria and the United States are anchored on three major instruments, namely: the Bi-National Commission (BNC), Trade and Investment Framework Agreement (TIFA) and the Africa Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA). The Bi-National Commission in particular, comprising bilateral political, economic, developmental and humanitarian partnership, is a basic economic framework for engagement between our two countries.

    Nigeria’s trade volume with the United States stood at $6.07 billion according to 2016 statistics and comprised $4.176 billion worth of Nigerian exports to the US and $1.894 billion US exports to Nigeria. We urged greater effort to increase these figures substantially.

    GOVERNANCE AND ANTI-CORRUPTION

    We thanked the US government very much for the cooperation we have received in our effort to recover stolen funds. Our two governments have put the machinery in place for their respective Attorneys-General to collaborate in ensuring the return to Nigeria of over five hundred million United States Dollars ($500) of looted funds siphoned away in banks around the world. In this connection, we congratulated the US government on launching a Kleptocracy Asset Recovery Initiative which was spearheaded by the US Department of Justice (DOJ) Asset Forfeiture and Money Laundering. We hoped that we could continue to count on US support in this area.

    HUMAN RIGHTS

    The Government of Nigeria remains deeply committed to the principles of human rights as well as the promotion and protection of people’s freedom, even in the process of fighting terror. We commit to ensure that all documented cases of human rights abuses are investigated and those responsible for violations held accountable for their actions.

     

  • President Buhari arrives Washington Joint Base Andrews Airport

    Ahead of the bilateral meeting with his United States counterpart, President Donald Trump, President Muhammadu Buhari has arrived at the Joint Base Andrews Airport, Washington.

    Personal Assistant to President Buhari on new media, Bashir Ahmad, made this known on Sunday afternoon.

    Following his arrival at the airport, President Buhari immediately proceeded to the Blair House, the Presidential Guest House where he will be staying throughout his 3-day working visit in the US.

    https://www.instagram.com/p/BiKIPt2HxUz/?taken-by=thenewsgurung

    TheNewsGuru reports Buhari jetted out of Nigeria through Abuja on Saturday on an official working visit to the United States of America, on the invitation of President Trump.

    President’s Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Mr Femi Adesina, in a statement in Abuja on Friday, said Buhari while in America would hold bilateral meeting with President Trump and a working lunch on April 30.

    According to Adesina, the meeting is to discuss ways to enhance the strategic partnership between the two countries.

    He said the meeting would also advance shared priorities, such as: promoting economic growth, fighting terrorism and other threats to peace and security.

    “The meeting will further deepen the US-Nigeria relationship as the United States considers Nigeria’s economic growth, security and leadership in Africa to be critical aspects of their strategic partnership.

    “Later in the day, President Buhari will meet with a group of business persons in agriculture and agro-processing, dairy and animal husbandry,’’ he added.

    He said that ahead of the visit by the President, meetings had been scheduled between senior Nigerian Government officials and executives of major US companies in the areas of agriculture, aviation and transportation.

    He said that in the area of aviation, the Nigerian officials would be meeting with Boeing, the largest aircraft manufacturer in the world, on the National Carrier Project.

    The presidential aide said: “On agriculture, they will meet with large equipment manufacturers with focus on harvesting and post harvesting equipment.

    “In the area of transportation, the officials will meet with the GE-led consortium for the implementation of the interim phase of the narrow gauge rail concession.

    “In the interim phase, a substantive concession agreement will be negotiated and finalized to provide the consortium the opportunity to invest an estimated $2bn, to modernize the rail line from Lagos to Kano (Western Line) and from Port Harcourt to Maiduguri (Eastern Line).

    “During the meeting, the concession framework and the interim phase framework agreements are expected to be signed.’’

    He further disclosed that Nigerian officials would also meet with US-EXIM Bank and the US Overseas Private Investment Corporation to explore competitive financing arrangements.

    It is noteworthy that in 2017, Nigeria’s Federal Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment and the United States Department of Commerce signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to promote and encourage commercial and investment ties between Nigeria and the United States.

    This is with initial focus on infrastructure, agriculture, digital economy, investment and regulatory reforms.

     

  • Trump contradicts self over Comey firing

    Trump contradicts self over Comey firing

    U.S. President Donald Trump on Wednesday said he did not fire James Comey because of the phony Russia investigation, contradicting his 2017 statement that he ousted the FBI director in 2017 over the probe.

    “Both of those things can’t be true,” Comey said in response when asked about the president’s comments on ABC, adding that he still does not know why Trump fired him in May 2017.

    “It matters that the president is not committed to the truth as a Central American value,” he said on the television network’s “The View” programme.

    Comey’s ouster came as the FBI investigated alleged Russian meddling in the 2016 presidential election and possible collusion between Moscow and Trump’s campaign.

    The firing prompted the appointment of Special Counsel Robert Mueller to lead the inquiry and look at possible obstruction of justice.

    Trump, who has denied collusion with Moscow, on Wednesday posted a tweet referring to “Slippery James Comey” and said he was not fired because of the phony Russia investigation.

    However, Trump did not elaborate.

    American intelligence agencies have said Russia interfered in the 2016 election through a campaign of propaganda and hacking in a scheme to sow U.S. discord and help get Trump elected.

    Meanwhile, Russia has denied interfering in the election.

    Trump had told Comey in a May 9 dismissal letter that he could not effectively lead the law enforcement agency, while two days later, Trump cited the Russia investigation in a televised interview with NBC News.

    “In fact when I decided to just do it, I said to myself, I said, ‘You know, this Russia thing with Trump and Russia is a made-up story.

    “It’s an excuse by the Democrats for having lost an election that they should have won,’’ he told NBC.

    The Republican president has escalated his attacks on Comey, calling him a liar and a “slimeball,” as the former FBI director embarks on a media tour to promote his book, “A Higher Loyalty: Truth, Lies and Leadership.”

    Comey’s book chronicles his brief service under Trump, who he described as “morally unfit” to be president, while likening his leadership style to that of a mafia boss.

    A longtime Republican who said he did not vote in 2016, Comey also said he no longer considered himself a member of the party.

    He told ABC that Republicans had made “a dangerous bargain” to adopt Trump’s principles instead of maintaining their conservative values.

    Comey’s 10-year term as FBI director had been scheduled to end in 2023.

     

  • Trump still willing to meet with Putin despite rising U.S.-Russia tensions – White House

    U.S. President Donald Trump is still willing to meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin in spite of increasing tensions between the United States and Russia, White House Spokesperson, Sarah Huckabee Sanders, said on Tuesday.

    “The president still would like to sit down with him [Putin]. Again, he feels like it is better for the world if they have a good relationship.

    “But that’s going to depend on the actions of Russia,’’ Sanders told newsmen.

    Sanders also said the U.S. was considering additional sanctions against Russia and will make a decision on the matter in the “near future.”

    Tensions between the U.S. and Russia have escalated in recent days over the conflict in Syria.

    The U.S., UK and France launched missile strikes on a number of targets in Syria on Saturday in response to the alleged use of chemical weapons in the Damascus’ suburb of Duma.

    Western states have blamed the Syrian government forces for the incident, but Damascus has denied using chemical weapons.

    Ties between Moscow and Washington significantly worsened after the eruption of the Ukrainian crisis in 2014.

    Russian-U.S. relations continued to deteriorate in 2017 over a number of issues including alleged Russian interference in the U.S. presidential election.

    Also by playing a row around Russian diplomatic property in the U.S. as well as U.S. pressure on the RT broadcaster’s activities in the U.S.

    In 2018, tensions have escalated even further over the U.S. decision to expel Russian diplomats over Moscow’s alleged involvement in the poisoning of former Russian double agent Sergei Skripal in the UK city of Salisbury.

    However, Russia has repeatedly denied all allegations.

     

  • Trump ‘morally unfit’ to be president – Fired FBI director says

    Trump ‘morally unfit’ to be president – Fired FBI director says

    U.S. President Donald Trump is “morally unfit” to be president, former FBI director James Comey charged in an interview broadcast on Sunday night.

    Comey said anyone who can see “moral equivalence” in protests by white supremacists and people who oppose them, who treats women like “pieces of meat” and who “lies constantly” and insists Americans believe it is “not fit to be president of the United States on moral grounds,” Comey said in the interview on ABC.

    The man who served as Trump’s FBI director until the president fired him in May said the truth, the rule of law and integrity were “things [that] matter before any fights about policies” like whether the U.S. should build a border wall or more strictly regulate the sale guns.

    He said he isn’t hoping for Trump’s impeachment because that would “let the American people off the hook.”

    “He believes Americans are “duty bound” to “go to the voting booth and vote their values.”

    The interview was Comey’s first ahead of the publication on Tuesday of “A Higher Loyalty: Truth, Lies and Leadership,” his book about his short tenure in the Trump administration.

    Excerpts of the book released last week paint a devastating portrait of the president as a congenital liar and an unethical leader, and it already has Trump’s attention.

    It was the subject of five of eight tweets the president sent Sunday morning.

    Comey spoke in the interview about a “dossier” containing raw intelligence on Trump’s connections with Russians.

    He said it was raised in his first meeting with Trump shortly after the election in which Russian meddling in the U.S. presidential election was discussed.

    Comey said he believed from the outset in the credibility of the source who wrote the dossier, former a British intelligence officer Christopher Steele.

    Because of that Comey said he believed it “was important that we try to understand [the dossier], and see what could we verify.”

    The dossier includes salacious details about Trump’s alleged behaviour with prostitutes in Moscow in 2013.

    It raises the possibility that the Russians had filmed Trump and could use the recording to blackmail him.

    He said he thinks it’s possible the Russians have something that could compromise Trump.

    “It is stunning and I wish I wasn’t saying it, but it’s just – it’s the truth,” he said, but added, “It always struck me and still strikes me as unlikely.”

    Trump has slammed the dossier as fake and a disgrace.

    Comey also said that when Trump said, “I hope you can let it go” during a subsequent meeting at which an investigation into Michael Flynn, Trump’s first national security adviser, was raised, he took that as a “direction,” which he said “certainly (is) some evidence of obstruction of justice.”

    The former FBI director reiterated that Trump asked for his loyalty, saying it reminded him of how mafia bosses operate. But Comey, an appointee of Trump’s predecessor Barack Obama, told him his loyalty is supposed to be to the American people and the FBI.

    There was no reaction from Trump after the interview but his pre-emptive tweets made clear his thoughts.

    He called Comey a “slime ball” and said he would go down as the worst FBI director in history.

    The assertion that Trump demanded loyalty was “another of his many lies,” Trump tweeted.

    He had already attacked Comey on Friday, calling him “a proven LEAKER & LIAR” who should be prosecuted for leaking classified information.

    Trump said Comey’s book fails to answer questions about why the Justice Department didn’t prosecute Hillary Clinton for using a private email server while serving as secretary of state.

    Comey in the interview stood by decisions he made regarding Clinton during the campaign – first not to prosecute and then to re-open the investigation 10 days before the election, only to close it again a day or two prior to the vote.

    He said his choice of words in deciding not to prosecute her was a mistake.

    Comey said they should have conveyed that what she did was more than just an ordinary mistake, but was not criminal behaviour.

    He re-opened the case after some of her emails were discovered on the server of her closest aide’s husband, who was being prosecuted in a sexting case.

    Clinton has asserted that she would have been elected president if Comey hadn’t re-opened the investigation.

     

  • Trump vs Amazon: U.S. Postal Service to undergo restructuring

    Trump vs Amazon: U.S. Postal Service to undergo restructuring

    U.S. President Donald Trump on Thursday ordered the creation of a task force to study the U.S. Postal Service and its financial difficulties, after recently claiming without evidence that deliveries for Amazon.com were costing the service money.

    The task force will look into the post office’s business model, similar to a commission set up by U.S. President George Bush in 2002.

    “The USPS is on an unsustainable financial path and must be restructured to prevent a taxpayer-funded bailout,” said the order, signed by Trump.

    It said the Postal Service had lost 65 billion dollars since the 2007-2009 recession.

    The Postal Service, which is supposed to be self-sustaining, must ask Congress for permission to raise rates and must pre-fund decades worth of retiree health benefits.

    The order did not mention Amazon, which Trump has regularly criticized in recent weeks.

    However, the order asked the task force to evaluate “the expansion and pricing of the package delivery market and the USPS’s role in competitive markets,” among other issues.

    Deliveries for Amazon and other online retailers have been the fastest-growing part of the U.S. Postal Service business, helping offset a sharp decline in regular first-class mail.

    Details of Amazon’s payments to USPS are not publicly known.

    Wall Street analysts have estimated it pays USPS roughly half what it would to United Parcel Service Inc or FedEx Corp to deliver a package.

    The order’s language will likely encourage the task force to see if USPS can charge companies like Amazon more for parcel delivery, a person who previously worked at the Postal Regulatory Commission said on condition of anonymity.

    Amazon declined to comment. Though the company is one of the Postal Service’s biggest customers, it is increasingly growing its own delivery capacity, which could help it stem any impact from changes to USPS.

    The task force will be chaired by Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin or his designee.

    It will consult with the Postmaster General and the Chairman of the Postal Regulatory Commission, among others, the executive order said.