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FBI to help investigation, no U.S. troop plans

FBI to assist investigation, no U.S. troop plans

The crowd reacts near the Petionville Police station where armed men, accused of being involved in the assassination of President Jovenel Moise, are being detained in Port au Prince on July 8, 2021.

Valerie Baeriswl | AFP | Getty Images

The U.S. is sending senior FBI and DHS officials to Port-au-Prince as soon as possible to assist with the investigation into the assassination of Haitian President Jovenel Moise, the White House said Friday, in response to the Haitian government’s formal request for assistance.

“The United States remains engaged and in close consultations with our Haitian and international partners to support the Haitian people in the aftermath of the assassination of the president,” White House press secretary Jen Psaki said at a press briefing.

However, the U.S. has no plans to send military assistance at this time, White House officials told NBC News on Friday afternoon, amid reports that Haitian officials had requested troops to secure critical infrastructure.

An FBI spokesperson said the agency is working with the U.S. Embassy in Haiti and law enforcement partners to determine how to assist with the investigation.

Haiti’s ambassador to the U.S., Bocchit Edmond, said on Friday that the Haitian government’s request outlined the “critical role” the FBI and the Justice Department can play in the investigation into the assassination. 

Edmond added that the Haitian government also requested the U.S. impose sanctions on perpetrators involved in the attack under the Global Magnitsky Act, which authorizes the U.S. president to deny entry to and impose economic sanctions against any foreign individual responsible for extrajudicial killings or human rights abuses.

“We look forward to engaging with our US partners as we seek truth and justice,” Edmond said in a series of posts on Twitter.

Colombia has also announced that it will be assisting with the probe, Reuters reported Friday. Colombian President Ivan Duque said the head of Colombia’s national intelligence directorate and the intelligence director for the national police will be sent to Haiti with Interpol.

The U.S. State Department confirmed on Friday that two Americans have been arrested by Haitian authorities following the president’s assassination.

“We are aware of the arrest of two U.S. citizens in Haiti and are monitoring the situation closely,” a State Department spokesperson told CNBC. “We remain committed to cooperating with Haitian authorities on the investigation.”

The State Department declined to comment any further, citing privacy considerations, and pointed to Haitian authorities for further information.

Haitian police on Friday identified the American suspects, who are of Haitian descent, as James Solages and Joseph Vincent. Solages, 35, is the youngest of the suspects, and Vincent, 55, is the oldest, according to a document shared by Mathias Pierre, Haiti’s minister of elections.

They are among at least 20 suspects that Haitian police have detained so far in the shocking assassination, alongside 18 Colombians.

The search continues for at least five additional suspects, and four others were killed by police in an exchange of gunfire, according to Haitian police. Haiti Chief of Police Leon Charles on Thursday urged the Haitian public to help authorities locate the other suspects but not to “take justice into their own hands.”

U.S. President Joe Biden on Wednesday condemned the assassination and said he was “shocked and saddened to hear” about it.

“The United States offers condolences to the people of Haiti, and we stand ready to assist as we continue to work for a safe and secure Haiti,” Biden said in a statement. 

Citizens take part in a protest near the police station of Petion Ville after Haitian president Jovenel Moïse was murdered on July 08, 2021 in Port-au-Prince, Haiti.

Getty Images

A group of gunmen assassinated Moise and wounded his wife in their private residence Wednesday, plunging the Caribbean nation into an even deeper political crisis that has been fueled by gang violence and protests against the late president’s increasingly authoritarian rule. 

Claude Joseph, Haiti’s interim prime minister, said the police and military were now in control of security in Haiti. Authorities declared a siege in the country following the killing and closed the international airport. 

Edmond has called for an international investigation into the assassination and has asked the U.S. for assistance in bolstering Haitian security. 

The State Department on Thursday vehemently denied that the Drug Enforcement Administration was involved in the assassination after the attackers reportedly identified themselves as DEA agents. 

Edmond has said the attackers were posing as DEA agents, describing them as “well-trained professional killers, commandos” based on a video shot from a neighbor’s house during the attack. He also noted that some spoke Spanish. Haitians speak French and Creole. 

Protests against the late Haitian president turned violent in recent months as opposition leaders and their supporters demanded his resignation.

Moise had been accused of seeking to increase his power even after his term expired in February. Opposition leaders pointed to his approval of decrees limiting powers of a court that audits the government and his creation of an intelligence agency that answers only to him.

Opposition leaders and their supporters also rejected Moise’s plans to hold a constitutional referendum with controversial proposals that would strengthen the presidency’s power.

— The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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Politics

Blinken warns Moscow of penalties amid troop buildup close to Ukraine

Blinken warns Moscow of consequences amid troop buildup near Ukraine

State Secretary Antony Blinken holds a press conference at the end of a NATO Foreign Ministers meeting on March 24, 2021 at the Alliance’s headquarters in Brussels, Belgium.

Olivier Hoslet | Reuters

WASHINGTON – Foreign Minister Antony Blinken said Sunday he was concerned about the number of Russian troops gathering at the Ukrainian border and warned Moscow that “there will be consequences for aggressive behavior”.

“I have to tell you that I have real concerns about the actions of Russia on the borders of Ukraine. More Russian armed forces are gathered at these borders than ever since the first invasion of Russia in 2014,” Blinken said during an interview on “Meet the press “” Sunday.

“President Biden was very clear about this. If Russia acts ruthlessly or aggressively, there will be costs, there will be consequences,” said Blinken, adding that the United States was discussing the growing aggression at the border with allies and partners.

On Friday, Blinken partly spoke to his German and French colleagues about “Russian provocations against Ukraine”.

Last week, White House press secretary Jen Psaki said the Biden administration had consulted with NATO allies about rising tensions and ceasefire violations.

“The United States is increasingly concerned about the recent escalating Russian aggression in eastern Ukraine, including Russian troop movements on the Ukrainian border,” she told reporters on Thursday, describing the matter as “deeply worrying.”

Continue reading: The US is concerned about Russian troop movements near Ukraine and is discussing regional tensions with NATO allies

In recent weeks, Moscow has increased its military presence along the Ukrainian border, raising concerns in the West about a burgeoning military conflict between the two neighboring countries. The Russian Defense Ministry has announced that it will conduct more than 4,000 military exercises this month to review the readiness of its armed forces.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy visits positions of armed forces near the front with Russian-backed separatists during his working tour in the Donbass region of Ukraine on April 8, 2021.

Press service of the Ukrainian President | Handout | via Reuters

Last month, the Ukrainian government said four of its soldiers were killed by Russian shelling in Donbass. Moscow has denied that it has armed forces in eastern Ukraine. Since 2014, Kiev has been fighting against Russian-backed separatists in a conflict that, according to the United Nations, killed at least 13,000 people.

Continue reading: The West is waiting for Putin’s next move as tensions between Russia and Ukraine mount

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Friday that Moscow would move its armed forces over Russian territory at its own discretion, calling the escalating tensions “unprecedented”. He also suggested that Ukraine was on the verge of civil war that would threaten Russia’s security.

“The Kremlin fears that civil war could resume in Ukraine. And if civil war, extensive military action, resumes near our borders, it would endanger the security of the Russian Federation,” Peskov told the Associated Press . “The continued escalation of tensions is unprecedented.”

Russian President Vladimir Putin accused Ukraine of resuming “dangerous provocative actions” when calling Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Friday, according to a Kremlin report. The Kremlin previously said it was concerned about mounting tensions in eastern Ukraine and feared that the Kiev armed forces would try to resume conflict.

Last week the Pentagon reiterated its call for the Kremlin to explain its decision to mobilize troops to the border.

“The Russians are busy doing a military build-up along the eastern border of Ukraine and in Crimea, which is still part of Ukraine, and that is worrying. And we want to know more about what they are doing and what their intentions are. That is that we do not believe that this is conducive to security and stability there, “Pentagon spokesman John Kirby told reporters on Friday.

Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin will meet in person with NATO Secretary Jens Stoltenberg at Alliance headquarters in Brussels later this week.

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Entertainment

James Hampton, Bumbling ‘F Troop’ Bugler, Dies at 84

James Hampton, Bumbling ‘F Troop’ Bugler, Dies at 84

James Hampton, a character actor who achieved some level of sitcom immortality in one of his earliest roles, the inept signaler Hannibal Dobbs in the 1960s series “F Troop,” died Wednesday at his home in Trophy Club, Texas. He was 84 years old.

Linda McAlister, his agent, said the cause was complications from Parkinson’s disease.

Mr. Hampton had a kind face that lends itself well to comedic roles characterized by bumblebees or gullibility. He was among them on a handful of television shows like “Death Valley” and “Dr. Kildare” when the director of a “Gunsmoke” episode he was in drew his attention to a casting director at Warner Bros. That led to the role in “F Troop,” a spunky ABC comedy about a military outpost, Fort Courage, in the 1860s.

The show featured Forrest Tucker, Larry Storch, Melody Patterson and Ken Berry, but Mr. Hampton made an indelible mark in his supporting role as the horn player, whose playing bore only a passing resemblance to music. (In the show’s opening montage, an arrow hits the bell end of his horn directly as he plays.) The show only ran two seasons, but its exaggerated humor in an era of milder comedies like “The Andy Griffith Show” made it known to a specific audience segment .

Mr. Hampton was known to a later generation from the 1985 film Teen Wolf, in which he portrayed the title character’s father, a werewolf played by rising star Michael J. Fox. He was also in the sequel to “Teen Wolf Too” with Jason Bateman in 1987.

Mr. Hampton also played a more serious role, including the utility company’s PR man showing Jane Fonda’s character in a nuclear power plant when a disaster strikes in The China Syndrome (1979).

He has occasionally directed, including episodes from the 1990s series “Hearts Afire,” which cast Billy Bob Thornton. When Mr. Thornton wrote his acclaimed film “Sling Blade” (1996), he ensured that Mr. Hampton played a role in it as the hospital administrator.

Burt Reynolds was another major influence in his career. They met while they were working on Gunsmoke together when Mr. Reynolds was a regular cast member. The two appeared in the 1974 soccer film “The Longest Yard,” and Mr. Hampton wrote and directed episodes of Mr. Reynolds’ 1990 series, “Evening Shade.”

James Wade Hampton was born in Oklahoma City on July 9, 1936. His father, Ivan, owned a dry cleaner, and his mother, Edna (Gately) Hampton, worked in a fashion workshop.

He grew up in Dallas and studied speech and theater at North Texas State College (now the University of North Texas). He was drafted into the army in 1959 and served in Europe. He returned to Texas in the early 1960s and worked in the local theater before moving to New York in 1962.

Recognition…Barry Crowbar / WireImage

Mr. Hampton worked non-stop for the next four decades, getting roles occasionally, even after he retired in 2002 and settled in Texas. He is survived by his wife, Mary Deese Hampton, whom he married in 2002. two sons, James and Frank; a daughter, Andrea Hampton Doyle; and three grandchildren.

After “F Troop”, Mr. Hampton returned in 1976 in the movie “Hawmps!” He played a mid-19th century lieutenant assigned to oversee an experiment in Texas using camels in the cavalry. Mr. Hampton was a Johnny Carson favorite at the time and was a frequent guest on his “Tonight Show,” including the night of the Hollywood premiere of “Hawmps!”

When Mr. Hampton told The Community Common in Portsmouth, Ohio in 2007, he was Mr. Carson’s first guest so he could leave early to get to the premiere. He happened to mention to Mr. Carson that his mother was in the studio audience. Mr. Carson turned on the house lights and congratulated her on her son’s big night.

His mother replied by saying, “You just go to the premiere, James. I’ll stay and watch the rest of Johnny. “

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Politics

U.S. involved about Russian troop actions close to Ukraine, discussing with NATO

U.S. concerned about Russian troop movements near Ukraine, discussing with NATO

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy visits positions of armed forces near the front with Russian-backed separatists during his working tour in the Donbass region of Ukraine on April 8, 2021.

Press service of the Ukrainian President | Handout | via Reuters

WASHINGTON – The Biden government announced Thursday that it had held talks with NATO allies about escalating tensions in Ukraine as Russia increased its military presence near the country’s border.

“Russia now has more troops on the border with Ukraine than ever since 2014, with five Ukrainian soldiers killed this week alone,” White House spokeswoman Jen Psaki said during a briefing, describing the matter as “deeply worrying”.

“The United States is increasingly concerned about the recent escalating Russian aggression in eastern Ukraine, including Russian troop movements on the Ukrainian border,” she said, adding that the Biden administration is working with NATO allies about heightened tensions and ceasefire violations have advised.

Psaki’s comments follow a controversial phone call between Chancellor Angela Merkel and Russian President Vladimir Putin, in which she called for Moscow to reduce its troop levels in the region near eastern Ukraine.

“The Chancellor called for this structure to be resolved in order to de-escalate the situation,” wrote the federal government in a reading of the appeal between the two leaders.

In recent weeks, Russia has increased its military presence along the Ukrainian border, raising concerns in the West about a burgeoning military conflict between the two neighboring countries. The Russian Defense Ministry has announced that it will conduct more than 4,000 military exercises this month to review the readiness of its armed forces.

“Russia’s armed forces are located on Russian territory in the places it deems necessary and appropriate, and they will remain there as long as our military leadership and our Commander-in-Chief deem it appropriate,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said when asked was how long Russian forces would stay near Ukraine, according to Reuters.

Continue reading: The West is waiting for Putin’s next move as tensions between Russia and Ukraine mount

Last month, the Ukrainian government said four of its soldiers were killed by Russian shelling in Donbass. Moscow has denied that it has armed forces in eastern Ukraine. Kiev is fighting against Russian-backed separatists in a conflict that, according to the United Nations, has killed at least 13,000 people since 2014.

The Kremlin has said it is concerned about mounting tensions in eastern Ukraine and fears that the Kiev armed forces will attempt to resume conflict.

“It is not very clear what the Russians are doing there. We want to understand better, and this uncertainty obviously does not contribute to a more stable and safer situation,” Pentagon spokesman John Kirby told reporters on Wednesday.

“As I said, the full intentions are not 100% clear and we would like to understand more about what the Russians are doing there and what they are up to there, but it is not beneficial, this build-up and a fairly rapid build-up is not conducive to more stability” added Kirby.

The build-up of Russian troops has led to repeated calls from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy to speed up his nation’s admission to the NATO alliance. Speaking to Zelenskiy last week, President Joe Biden expressed US support for Ukraine’s sovereignty “in the face of ongoing Russian aggression”.

When asked about Ukraine’s possible accession to the alliance, the Pentagon, State Department and White House reiterated that all eligible countries should meet NATO standard for membership.

“We are committed to ensuring that prospective countries wishing to join NATO meet the organization’s standard for membership,” Foreign Ministry spokesman Ned Price said when asked about Ukraine’s status.

“To this end, we continue to urge the Ukrainian government to carry out the deep, comprehensive and timely reforms necessary to build a more stable, democratic, prosperous and free country,” he added.

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Politics

Austin travels to Afghanistan as troop withdrawal deadline looms

Austin travels to Afghanistan as troop withdrawal deadline looms

Afghan President Ashraf Ghani (R) will meet US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin on March 21, 2021 in Kabul, Afghanistan.

Presidential Palace / handout via REUTERS

WASHINGTON – Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin traveled to Afghanistan Sunday to meet with the nation’s leader as Washington contemplates a possible end to America’s longest war.

The trip that makes Austin the first Biden cabinet-level official to visit the war-torn country comes 40 days before the U.S. troop withdrawal date.

In February 2020, the United States signed a treaty with the Taliban that would usher in a permanent ceasefire and further reduce the US military’s footprint from around 13,000 soldiers to 8,600 by mid-July last year.

According to the agreement, all foreign armed forces would have left Afghanistan by May 2021. There are currently around 2,500 US troops in the country.

The Biden government has not yet announced its next steps in Afghanistan.

The collective wars in Afghanistan, Iraq and Syria have cost US taxpayers more than $ 1.57 trillion since September 11, 2001, according to a Department of Defense report.

Current US military operations, known as Operation Freedom’s Sentinel in Afghanistan, Operation Inherent Resolve in Syria and Iraq, and Operation Noble Eagle for homeland security missions in the US and Canada, accounted for $ 265.7 billion of that total.

Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan, which began in October 2001 and officially ended in December 2014, cost taxpayers $ 578.7 billion.

Of the three ongoing operations, Freedom’s Sentinel accounts for the lion’s share of the cost at $ 197.3 billion, followed by Inherent Resolve at $ 40.5 billion and Noble Eagle at $ 27.9 billion.

Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin goes for a walk during his visit to Kabul, Afghanistan, March 21, 2021.

Presidential Palace / handout via REUTERS

According to the report, the money will be used for training, equipment, maintenance, food, clothing, medical care and payment of troops.

Last month, the most powerful military alliance in the world met to discuss a number of challenges facing the group of 30. The way forward in Afghanistan was at the top of the agenda. NATO joined the international security effort in Afghanistan in 2003 and currently has more than 7,000 soldiers in the country.

NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said the alliance would continue to assess the situation on the ground in Afghanistan.

“Our goal is to ensure that we have a lasting political agreement that will allow us to leave in a way that doesn’t undermine our primary objective and that prevents Afghanistan from becoming a safe haven again.” [for terrorists]”Said Stoltenberg.

“The majority of the troops come from European allies and partner countries. We will do whatever is necessary to ensure that our troops are safe,” he said when asked if the alliance would be prepared for violence if the deal with the Taliban is reached is broken.

Austin told reporters shortly after the NATO meeting that the withdrawal of US troops in Afghanistan would depend on reducing violence in the country.

“The violence needs to decrease now,” Austin said in his first press conference with reporters. “I have told our allies that regardless of the outcome of our review, the United States will not make a hasty or disorderly withdrawal from Afghanistan,” he said, referring to the NATO virtual meetings.

“There will be no surprises. We will consult, consult together and decide together and act together,” said Austin of the NATO-led mission.

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World News

South Korea Will Pay Extra for U.S. Troop Presence

South Korea Will Pay More for U.S. Troop Presence

SEOUL, South Korea – South Korea announced Wednesday that it agreed to increase its share of the cost of the US military presence by 13.9 percent this year to address an ongoing dispute within the Alliance ahead of a joint visit by Eliminate Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken and Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III.

Differences in how the cost of maintaining 28,500 American troops in South Korea was divided has kept the Allies at odds for years. The issue was particularly controversial under former President Donald J. Trump, who demanded that South Korea increase its payments drastically – up to five times, according to some reports. Even when warming up for North Korea’s leader Kim Jong-un, Trump often accused South Korea of ​​being allowed to freeload American military power.

Negotiations lasted a year and a half, but made progress after President Biden took office and pledged to re-establish alliances around the world.

Over the weekend, the United States and South Korea agreed on a five-year contract to increase military payments, subject to legal approval in both capitals. Under the deal, South Korea will pay $ 1 billion this year, 13.9 percent more than its annual payments in 2019 and 2020, officials said on Wednesday. From next year through 2025, South Korea will increase its stake annually at the same rate as it is increasing its defense budget – averaging 6.1 percent per year through 2025.

“South Korea and the United States have demonstrated the resilience of the solid alliance by smoothly addressing the important issue of the upcoming alliance early after the start of the Biden administration,” the South Korean State Department said in a statement on Wednesday.

Since the Korean War of 1950/53, South Koreans have viewed the American military presence as an integral part of their defense against North Korea. But Mr Trump’s request for a drastic increase irritated many and raised questions about Washington’s commitment to defending its ally.

North Korea has long fought for the withdrawal of American troops, arguing that the threat they posed, including their joint war games with the South Korean military, had compelled them to develop nuclear weapons.

Mr Trump met three times with North Korea’s Leader Kim Jong-un to attempt to end the north’s nuclear weapons program while the Allies suspended or reduced their joint military exercises in support of diplomacy. Mr Trump shocked many in South Korea, especially conservatives, by calling such exercises “enormously expensive” and “very provocative” in the Korean peninsula.

Mr Trump’s diplomacy with Mr Kim collapsed without an arms control deal with North Korea, whose nuclear and missile capabilities increased during Mr Trump’s tenure. Nonetheless, the United States and South Korea have significantly reduced the scope of this year’s spring military exercise, which began Monday, and ran it as a computer simulation with little troop movement. South Korea said the exercise was minimized this year due to the Covid-19 pandemic and a desire to keep the diplomatic dynamic with North Korea alive.

How to get North Korea back to the negotiating table will be a central theme when Mr Blinken and Mr Austin visit South Korea next Wednesday and Thursday and meet President Moon Jae-in and other senior South Korean officials. North Korea has yet to respond to its planned visit or the joint Washington-Seoul military exercise.

Mr. Blinken’s trip, which will include a visit to Tokyo prior to his trip to Seoul, was to “reaffirm the United States’ commitment to strengthening our alliances and highlighting cooperation that will bring peace, security and prosperity to the Indo-Pacific region and Environment promotes the world, “the State Department said in a statement.

Mr. Moon, the South Korean President, has emphasized the importance of the alliance with Washington while trying to maintain his country’s robust trade ties with China.

He is also a passionate advocate of diplomacy with North Korea and helped organize the summits between Mr Trump and Mr Kim. A breakthrough in the denuclearization talks between Washington and Pyongyang would ease political détente on the Korean peninsula and help realize his dream of strengthening economic ties between the two Koreas.

Mr. Moon’s administration hopes the Biden administration will pursue the diplomacy started by Mr. Trump rather than reverting to former President Obama’s policy of “strategic patience” which focused on bruising North Korea with sanctions.

After his diplomacy with Mr Trump failed to lift sanctions against his country, Mr Kim vowed to continue advancing his country’s nuclear capabilities, stating that it would build new solid fuel ICBMs and make its nuclear warheads lighter and more precise.