Table Of Content

Happy 2019 Destination: One Thursday Happy Island January 3, 2019 T: 582-7800 | F: 582-7044 www.arubatoday.com Page 13 AArruubbaa’’ss OONNLLYY EEnngglliisshh nneewwssppaappeerr No deal to end shutdown; Trump says 'could be a long time' By LISA MASCARO and again Friday. CATHERINE LUCEY In one big change, the Associated Press new Congress convenes WASHINGTON (AP) — No Thursday with Democrats one budged at President taking majority control of Donald Trump's White the House, and Democratic House meeting with leader Nancy Pelosi said congressional leaders outside the White House Wednesday, so the partial that there would be rapid government shutdown passage of legislation to persisted through a 12th re-open the government day over his demand for — without funds for the billions of dollars to build a border wall. wall along the U.S. border A closed sign is displayed on a door at the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, Tuesday, Jan. 1, 2019, with Mexico. They'll try Continued on Page 3 as a partial government shutdown stretches into its third week. Associated Press A2 UP FRONT Thursday 3 January 2019 Trump gives new Pentagon chief a taste of his world view Trump favorite topic: devel- opment of a Space Force. At a morning meeting at the Pentagon with the military service secretaries and other top civilian of- ficials, Shanahan said he was focused on the de- fense strategy developed during Mattis' tenure. It em- phasizes the importance of great power competition with Russia and China, af- ter America's many years of fighting insurgent wars in the Middle East. In that context, Shanahan said the Pentagon leaders should remember, "China, China, China," according to one official, who was not authorized to publicly dis- cuss internal defense meet- ings and spoke on condi- tion of anonymity. The Trump administration has had a rocky relation- ship with China. Like the Obama administration, Trump's government is con- Acting Secretary of Defense Patrick Shanahan, right, listens as President Donald Trump speaks during a cabinet meeting at the cerned by what it calls White House, Wednesday, Jan. 2, 2019, in Washington. Associated Press China's militarization of dis- puted areas in the South By ROBERT BURNS vate" — an apparent refer- as NATO. Trump suggested ments with Trump, includ- China Sea and by its ad- AP National Security Writer ence to reports produced that Shanahan, who took ing the president's decision vances in certain high-tech WASHINGTON (AP) — On by the Special Inspector over as acting defense sec- to withdraw troops from weaponry. his first working day in General for Afghanistan retary when Mattis ended Syria. Mattis said he would Separately, Shanahan's charge of the Pentagon, Reconstruction. Trump as- his tenure Monday, agrees stay until the end of Febru- spokesman, Lt. Col. Joe Pat Shanahan got a taste serted that the reports give with him on this. ary, but on Dec. 23 Trump Buccino, said that as part of of President Donald Trump's away too much informa- "We have some great allies, announced that Shanahan Shanahan's ethics agree- scattershot way of looking tion and should not be but a lot of our allies were would take over Jan. 1, ment he had stepped at the world. publicly released, although taking advantage of our speeding up Mattis' depar- aside himself "for the dura- As Shanahan sat to Trump's the law that created that taxpayers and our coun- ture. tion of his service" at the left at a Cabinet meeting watchdog's office says its try," Trump said. "We can't In his Cabinet meeting re- Pentagon from "matters at the White House, the reports must be made pub- let that happen, and Pat marks with reporters pres- in which the Boeing Com- president denounced U.S. lic. Shanahan agrees with that ent, Trump said he was in pany is a party." Shanahan allies as freeloaders, ex- Trump wished Mattis well and he's agreed with that no rush to get U.S. troops had worked for Boeing for pressed disgust with U.S. in the retired Marine gen- for a long time. And that out of Syria but did not clar- 31 years, including in posi- warfighting strategy in Af- eral's return to private life was very important to me. ify a timetable. Mattis and tions overseeing big de- ghanistan, mused about after two tumultuous years "I couldn't get other people other Trump advisers tried fense programs. It's unclear his own potential to be a leading the Pentagon. But to understand it," Trump unsuccessfully to persuade whether Trump will nomi- great general, dismissed Trump also took a swipe at said, apparently referring Trump to stay in Syria long nate Shanahan for Senate Syria as "sand and death," the man he had approv- to Mattis, who argued for enough to ensure that the confirmation as defense spoke encouragingly of a ingly called "Mad Dog Mat- higher defense spending Islamic State group, which secretary or turn to another second North Korea sum- tis" when he hired him short- by NATO allies but did so in has largely been defeated candidate. With Shanahan mit, and falsely claimed he ly after winning election in a nonconfrontational way. on the battlefield, can- moving up from deputy had fired former Defense 2016. In a resignation letter that not regroup. Nor did the secretary to acting secre- Secretary Jim Mattis. "What's he done for me?" amounted to a rebuke of president clarify plans in tary, the Pentagon's bud- It was a very public re- Trump asked. "How has he Trump's view on how to Afghanistan, where he has get chief, David Norquist, minder of the challenges done in Afghanistan? Not treat alliances and adver- ordered a troop reduction has been chosen to fill in that Shanahan, as acting too good." saries, Mattis wrote, "My on an unspecified time- temporarily as the deputy defense secretary, faces as He added, "President views on treating allies table. Shanahan, who had secretary, according to he navigates the complex Obama fired him, and es- with respect and also be- served as deputy to Mattis Pentagon spokesman Tom terrain that led to the early sentially so did I." ing clear-eyed about both since July 2017, is a career Crosson. Shanahan, a na- end of his predecessor's Trump did not explain his malign actors and strategic business executive with no tive of Washington state, tenure. complaint about Mattis' competitors are strongly prior government or military holds a bachelor of science At one point, Trump turned approach to the war. But held and informed by over experience. His views on al- degree in mechanical en- to Shanahan with an un- Trump hinted that he had four decades of immersion liance relations and other gineering from the Univer- usual demand. irreconcilable differences in these issues." key defense issues are not sity of Washington and two The commander in chief with Mattis on what Trump Mattis submitted his resig- well known. As the deputy advanced degrees from said audits of Pentagon views as an unfair defense nation on Dec. 20 after a secretary he had focused the Massachusetts Institute war spending must be "pri- relationship with allies such series of policy disagree- the budget as well as a of Technology.q U.S. NEWS A3 Thursday 3 January 2019 SHUTDOWN land Security officials who House "are hearing what Continued from Front were trying to describe a we have offered" to end But the White House has re- dire situation at the border. the shutdown. jected that package, and "We were hopeful that we Trump contended the Trump said ahead of the could get more of a nego- Democrats see the shut- session with the congressio- tiation," said McCarthy. down fight as "an election nal leaders that the partial He said the leaders plan to point" as he celebrated his shutdown will last "as long return to the White House own first two years in office. as it takes" to get the fund- Friday to continue negotia- He promised "six more years ing he wants. tions. of great success." "Could be a long time or The two sides have trad- The partial government could be quickly," Trump ed offers, but their talks shutdown began on Dec. said during lengthy com- broke down ahead of the 22. Funding for the wall ments at a Cabinet meet- holidays. On Wednesday, has been the sticking point ing at the White House, his Trump also rejected his own in passing funding bills for House Democratic leader Rep. Nancy Pelosi of California, and first public appearance of administration's offer to ac- several government de- Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., walk to speak with reporters after a meeting with President Donald Trump on the new year. Meanwhile, cept $2.5 billion for the wall. partments. Pelosi, who border security at the White House, Wednesday, Jan. 2, 2019, in the shutdown dragged That offer was made when is expected to become Washington. through a second week, Vice President Mike Pence speaker on Thursday, said Associated Press closing some parks and and other top officials met Tuesday that Democrats leaving hundreds of thou- with Schumer at the start of would take action to "end to reopen government. take yes for an answer," sands of federal employees the shutdown. Instead, on the Trump Shutdown" by "We are giving the Repub- she wrote in a letter to without pay. Wednesday Trump repeat- passing legislation Thursday licans the opportunity to colleagues.q Democrats said they edly pushed for the $5.6 bil- asked Trump directly dur- lion he has demanded. ing Wednesday's private Making his case ahead of meeting held in the Situa- the afternoon session with tion Room why he wouldn't Democratic and Repub- consider their package of lican leaders, he said the bills. One measure would current border is "like a open most of the shuttered sieve" and noted the tear government departments gas "flying" overnight to de- at funding levels already ter arrivals. agreed to by all sides. The "If they knew they couldn't other would provide tem- come through, they porary funding for Home- wouldn't even start," Trump land Security, through Feb. said at the meeting, joined 8, allowing talks to continue by Cabinet secretaries over border security. and top advisers, including "I said, Mr. President, Give Jared Kushner and Ivanka me one good reason why Trump. you should continue your Trump complained that he shutdown," Senate Minor- had been "lonely" at the ity Leader Chuck Schumer White House during the hol- said afterward. "He could iday break, having skipped not give a good answer." his getaway to Mar-a-Lago Added Schumer, "We in Florida. He claimed his would hope they would re- only companions were the consider." "machine gunners," refer- House Republican lead- ring to security personnel, er Kevin McCarthy said and "they don't wave, they there's no need to prolong don't smile." He also criti- the shutdown and he was cized Pelosi for visiting Ha- disappointed the talks did waii. not produce a resolution. At the Capitol on Wednes- He complained that Dem- day, Pelosi said she hoped ocrats interrupted Home- Republicans and the White A4 U.S. NEWS Thursday 3 January 2019 Warren plans Iowa trip in another step toward 2020 campaign By STEVE LeBLANC is corrupt," she said. "I see it BOSTON (AP) — Sen. Eliza- firsthand." beth Warren is preparing to Warren was been a favor- bring a populist message ite target of Trump, who to Iowa voters just days frequently calls her "Poca- after taking her first major hontas" — a reference to step toward launching a Warren's claims of Native campaign for president. American heritage. Warren The Massachusetts Dem- in October released a DNA ocrat told reporters on test meant to bolster those Wednesday that she's claims, but the test seemed planning to visit the state only to generate more con- with the nation's first presi- troversy for Warren. The test dential caucuses after be- indicated that Warren likely ing sworn in on Thursday to had Native American in her a second Senate term. bloodline, though the an- Warren said that Wash- cestor probably lived six to ington "works great for the 10 generations ago. Some wealthy and the well-con- critics complained that the nected" but that it needs to genetic analysis cheap- work for everybody else. ened the identities of tribal "This is a moment in Amer- members with deeper ties. ica where people really Trump told Fox News Chan- want to get the focus back nel's "All-American New Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., speaks to reporters as she walks down a hall at the Massachusetts Statehouse, Wednesday, Jan. 2, 2019, in Boston. on the points that touch Year" in an interview Mon- Associated Press their lives, about things like day that he hopes Warren student loans and what it runs. costs to get a prescription "We'll see how she does," filled," Warren said after he said. "I wish her well. I a swearing-in ceremony hope she does well. I'd love for state lawmakers at the to run against her." Massachusetts Statehouse. Warren plans to start her Warren on Monday an- swing through Iowa on Fri- nounced she's launching day with a stop at an or- an exploratory committee ganizing event in Council for president. Bluffs followed by similar She is the most prominent events on Saturday in Sioux Democrat yet in what is ex- City and Des Moines and pected to be a crowded a roundtable discussion in field of fellow contenders Storm Lake. hoping to retake the White Warren also defended her House from Republican decision to host a live Insta- President Donald Trump in gram event on New Year's 2020. Eve from the kitchen of her The former Harvard law home in Cambridge, Mas- professor made a name for sachusetts. The live feed herself a decade ago with showed her drinking a calls for greater consumer beer, petting her dog and protections, which led to taking questions from view- the creation of the Con- ers — an event some de- sumer Financial Protection rided as awkward. Bureau under former Dem- "It's one more way to be ocratic President Barack able just to invite people Obama. into your home. I wish I Warren said she plans to could just open the door run on many of those same and have lots of folks in, but basic economic issues, this is a way to do it," she which she said have been said, adding that her beer made even more precari- of choice is Michelob Ultra, ous by Washington politics. what she called "the club "I believe that Washington soda of beers."q U.S. NEWS A5 Thursday 3 January 2019 Michigan man held for spying in Russia was frequent visitor By COREY WILLIAMS Associated Press DETROIT (AP) — As a staff sergeant with the Marines in Iraq, Paul Whelan enjoyed fine cigars and showed an affinity for Russia — even spending two weeks of mili- tary leave in Moscow and St. Petersburg instead of at home in the U.S. with fam- ily and friends.The 48-year- old Detroit-area man had an account on a Russian social media site, where he posted festive notes on the country's national holidays. Now, he's under arrest there on espionage allegations. Whelan has visited Russia since at least 2007 and was there again for a friend's This undated photo provided by the Whelan family shows Paul Whelan in Iceland. wedding, showing other Associated Press guests around, said his twin brother, David Whelan. He sia's annexation of Crimea, 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing; that included the Navy was due to return home on Whelan suggested that Marine Corps Air Station Meritorious Unit Commen- Jan. 6, the brother said. "Putin can have Alaska, as in Miramar, California. He dation and Global War U.S. officials are seeking an- long as he takes Sarah Pal- specialized in administra- on Terrorism Expeditionary swers about Paul Whelan's in, too!" And a photo post- tive posts. Medal, but he ran afoul of arrest on spying charges. ed in August shows Whelan While stationed in Iraq, the military and was con- The Russian Federal Security attending a security con- Whelan was part of some- victed in 2008 on larceny- Service, or FSB, said Whelan ference organized by the thing called the Lamplight- related charges at a spe- was caught "during an es- U.S. State Department. er's Club, a group of service cial court-martial. Whelan pionage operation," but David Whelan disputes members who got together saw his rank stripped, was gave no details. Russia's allegation that his to enjoy good cigars. demoted to private and U.S. Ambassador to Russia brother is a spy. "It's one of the unique plea- discharged for bad con- Jon Huntsman Jr. visited Former CIA agent John sures that anyone can take duct. Whelan on Wednesday in Sipher agrees, saying Paul advantage of, as every- He went on to start Moscow's Lefortovo Prison, Whelan's spotty military ca- one should take advan- Kingsmead Arsenal, an on- the State Department said. reer would keep U.S. intel- tage of a fine cigar once line firearms business, from "Ambassador Huntsman ligence from hiring him for in a while," Whelan said in his Novi, Michigan, home, expressed his support for sensitive operations. a 2007 interview posted and worked for Troy, Mich- Mr. Whelan and offered "He absolutely does not fit on the 3rd Marine Aircraft igan-based temporary the embassy's assistance," the profile of someone we Wing page of the Marine staffing firm Kelly Services it said. would use in a place like Corps website. until 2017. He also spoke by phone Moscow," said Sipher, who Whelan also was part of Whelan testified in a 2013 with Whelan's family, the once ran the agency's Rus- "The Rest and Recuperation deposition in a federal statement added, but did sia operations in Moscow. Leave Program," which au- court case involving Kelly not disclose any details "Due to the oppressive level thorized 15 days of leave to Services that he worked as "due to privacy consider- of counterintelligence scru- service members on year- senior manager of global ations for Mr. Whelan and tiny in Moscow, we do not long deployments to Iraq, security and investigations his family." put people without diplo- according to another 2007 for the company. According to what to ap- matic immunity in harm's story on the website . The He was hired in 2017 by Au- pears to be Paul Whelan's way. Nor do we handle military paid for the travel burn Hills, Michigan-based profile on the popular Rus- low-level intelligence col- and most service members BorgWarner and currently sian social media platform lection operations in a chose to return home, but is the auto parts supplier's VKontakte, he posted "God place like Moscow." others could travel abroad. global security director. save President Trump" — Paul Whelan attended high Whelan spent his two weeks "He is responsible for over- flanked by flag emojis — on school in Ann Arbor, west in Russia, saying in the inter- seeing security at our fa- Inauguration Day in 2016. A of Detroit, and joined the view that the leave pro- cilities in Auburn Hills, Michi- 2010 post referred to then- Marine Corps Reserves in gram "gives those of us who gan, and at other com- President Barack Obama 1994. A decade later, he are single an opportunity to pany locations around the as a "moron." was made a staff sergeant travel throughout the world world," company spokes- Another photo showed and was deployed twice to wherever we want to go woman Kathy Graham said Whelan wearing a T-shirt of Iraq, in 2004 and 2006. and experience the diver- Tuesday in a statement. the Moscow soccer club His last duty assignment was sity of culture." She said BorgWarner does Spartak. In March 2014, with the Marine Air Control During his military career, not have any facilities in around the time of Rus- Group 38 Headquarters, Whelan received awards Russia.q A6 U.S. NEWS Thursday 3 January 2019 Young immigrants seeking refuge from abuse face denials By AMY TAXIN and DEEPTI the U.S. Under U.S. law, they said. "I don't refer to her by ending in June 2018, when they could not comment HAJELA can apply for green cards her name or that she's my one in five applications on pending litigation, but Associated Press once a designated court guardian — I just call her that were decided were said the agency "contin- LOS ANGELES (AP) — Some in the U.S. state where they mom." denied, the data shows. ues to ensure that children immigrant youth looking live assigns them a guard- More than 50,000 young About 7 percent of appli- who have been abused, to start over in the United abandoned or neglected States after fleeing abusive receive the humanitarian homes are seeing their ap- benefits they are eligible plications for green cards for." rejected because the Beth Krause, supervising Trump administration says attorney of the immigrant they're too old. youth project at Legal Aid A U.S. government program in New York, said the fed- in place since 1990 has let eral immigration agency young immigrants subject doesn't have the authority to abuse, abandonment or to question state law, which neglect by a parent seek a in New York expressly allows court-appointed guardian courts to issue guardianship and a green card to stay in orders to cover this age the country. group. While applicants must file "USCIS changed their poli- paperwork before age 21, cy and they changed their the Trump administration policy in a way that is ar- has said some are too old bitrary and capricious be- to qualify once they turn 18, cause it doesn't comport prompting a flurry of denial with the federal statute" notices over the past year that says young people in New York, Texas and have until age 21, said California and additional Krause, who is represent- questions of applicants in ing young immigrants in New Jersey. the New York filing. "They're Immigrant advocates have getting it wrong." filed lawsuits in New York In California, a federal and California and said judge has blocked the U.S. hundreds of young people government from denying could be affected by the the young immigrants' cas- change. es for now. The state enact- "This administration is liter- In this June 20, 2018, file photo, immigrant children walk in a line outside the Homestead Tem- ed a law several years ago ally going after some of the porary Shelter for Unaccompanied Children, a former Job Corps site that now houses them in expressly allowing probate Homestead, Fla. most vulnerable people courts to issue orders for im- Associated Press trying to seek relief," said migrants who are between Mary Tanagho Ross, an 18 and 21 so they can ap- appellate staff attorney at ian and declares they are immigrants have obtained cation decisions in the 2017 ply to participate in the Los Angeles-based Public eligible to apply. green cards by qualifying fiscal year and 4 percent of federal program. Counsel's immigrant rights A now-22-year-old woman for special immigrant juve- decisions in the 2016 fiscal In response to the Trump project. in Northern California, who nile status since 2010. The year were denials. administration's changes, The Trump administration requested anonymity out overwhelming majority of The U.S. government start- immigrant advocates said has been pushing to hard- of fear the U.S. government applications have been ed reviewing applications they are also changing en the U.S. border and slash will retaliate against her for approved by U.S. Citizen- at a centralized location how they try to help these immigration with a series speaking out, fled her Mexi- ship and Immigration Ser- in late 2016 to improve effi- young applicants. Often, of steps targeting Central can immigrant parents' vices, making the program ciency. The following year, attorneys are looking into American children who ar- home in high school after a safer bet for many im- U.S. Citizenship and Im- alternative ways to get rive on the border alone or her father repeatedly beat migrant children seeking migration Services sought these youth on stable le- with relatives. Former Attor- her. refuge in the United States legal guidance from the gal footing in the United ney General Jeff Sessions She was taken in by a than pleading a case be- agency's Office of Chief States, for example, apply- sought to make it tougher teacher, who helped her fore an immigration officer Counsel for cases involv- ing for asylum in addition to for young immigrants flee- get started in college and or judge for asylum. ing immigrant children who special immigrant juvenile ing gangs or domestic took care of her when she Applications to the pro- turned 18 before their pa- status, said Priya Konings, violence to win asylum — was diagnosed with can- gram have surged in re- perwork had been com- deputy director of legal though some guidance cer. When a judge formally cent years, rising more than pleted and determined services at Kids in Need of he issued on such cases named the teacher her le- three-fold between the that a state court order is Defense. was recently blocked by gal guardian it was a huge 2014 and 2017 fiscal years, only valid if that court has "It is just creating extra work a federal judge. And the relief, she said. But she later federal data shows. Dur- the authority to reunite for us — which is fine —but U.S. government has been learned the U.S. govern- ing that time, the number children with their parents, overburdening an already slower to release immigrant ment wouldn't accept the of denials also increased, which many don't, accord- almost broken system," children caught on the bor- court's order for her green with 2,000 applications re- ing to agency officials. Konings said. "It's incredibly der to family in the country. card application. She jected over the past two As a result, 260 cases were obvious that the adminis- The program is the best dropped to the floor and fiscal years — more than all denied, they said, adding tration is targeting immi- chance for many of the sobbed, she said. of the previous seven years that the agency may have grants at large, particularly thousands of young immi- "I just couldn't believe I was combined. previously approved some unaccompanied minors, grants arriving on the bor- going to have to try to de- The change was most no- cases that it should not and they're doing it on ev- der to be allowed to stay in fend myself again," she table in the nine months have. USCIS officials said ery front."q U.S. NEWS A7 Thursday 3 January 2019 Marine from Minnesota shot to death at barracks WASHINGTON (AP) — A 20-year-old U.S. Marine from Minnesota was killed in a shooting at the Ma- This undated booking file photo provided by the Stanislaus County Sheriff's Department shows rine Barracks in Washing- Gustavo Perez Arriaga. ton, D.C., his mother said Associated Press Wednesday. Markelle Kuznia told The Associated Press that the Mexican man charged with killing military notified her late Tuesday that her son, Ri- ley Kuznia, died early that cop gets mental health exam morning. Kuznia said the military has not provided her with details of her son's MODESTO, Calif. (AP) — A authorities were still refer- The case has rekindled a This 2017 photo provided by death. Mexican national accused ring to him as Perez Arria- debate over California's Morgan Kuznia shows her The U.S. Marine Corps said brother Riley Kuznia at his Ma- of living in the U.S. illegally ga. A complaint lists three sanctuary law that limits in a statement that the rine graduation ceremony in was charged with murder aliases for him, including cooperation with federal shooting was under investi- San Diego. The 20-year-old Wednesday in the shoot- Paulo Virgen Mendoza. immigration authorities. gation and that there was U.S. Marine from Minnesota ing death of a California Singh's family and several President Donald Trump was killed in a shooting at no danger to local resi- police officer who pulled of the Police Department's seized on the case to call the Marine Barracks in Wash- dents "as the event trans- him over to check if he was 12 officers attended the for tougher border secu- ington, D.C., his mother said driving drunk. hearing. Dozens of people rity amid a fight with con- pired within the grounds of Wednesday, Jan. 2, 2019. Marine Barracks 8th and I." Associated Press Gustavo Perez Arriaga stood outside the court- gressional Democrats over Marine Corps spokesman made his first court appear- house holding signs that funding for a border wall, Chief Gunnery Sgt. John Riley Kuznia had his life ance in the central Cali- read, "Justice for Col. Ronil which has forced a partial Jackson said the wound planned out, his mother fornia city of Modesto but Singh" and "Back the Blue." government shutdown. "was not self-inflicted." said. did not enter a plea in last Perez Arriaga is set to re- Cpl. Singh was also an im- Through her tears, Kuznia "When he got out (of the week's killing of Cpl. Ronil turn to court Feb. 7, when migrant, coming to the U.S. said her son felt it was his military), he was going Singh of the tiny Newman a court-appointed doctor legally from his native Fiji to duty to serve. to start his own construc- Police Department. will provide a report on his pursue his dream of serv- "He just wanted to serve. tion business. He said he Perez Arriaga's attorney, mental health, said John ing in law enforcement, Ever since he was little, he wanted to give five years Stephen Foley, questioned Goold, a spokesman for authorities have said. He talked about being a sol- to his country," she said. He his client's mental compe- the Stanislaus County Dis- joined the Newman police ider," Kuznia said from her planned to marry his high tency, leading the court to trict Attorney's Office. force in 2011. The 33-year- home in Karlstad, a com- school girlfriend, she add- delay the case until the sus- Perez Arriaga was arrested old was married and had a munity of about 800 people ed. pect gets a mental health Friday after a dayslong 5-month-old son. in northwestern Minnesota. "He loved to hunt and fish. evaluation, The Modesto manhunt as he prepared Two of Perez Arriaga's Kuznia joined the Marines He always wanted a cabin Bee newspaper reported . to flee to Mexico, officials brothers, his girlfriend and after graduating from Tri- on a lake with a boat," his Perez Arriaga told the said. He has two previous four others were arrested County High School in 2017, mother said. "He was just a judge that his real name is drunken driving arrests, au- on suspicion of helping him she said. good kid."q Paulo Virgen Mendoza, but thorities say. evade authorities.q A8 WORLD NEWS Thursday 3 January 2019 6 die in Denmark's worst train accident since 1988 By JAN M. OLSEN to cars overnight because COPENHAGEN, Denmark of strong winds but trains (AP) — Six passengers were were allowed to continue killed when a Danish train using it. sustained damage while Police spokesman Lars crossing a bridge that was Braemhoej said one pos- closed to cars because of sible cause of the "consid- high wind Wednesday, and erable damage" on the authorities investigated if passenger train was getting falling cargo from a freight struck by cargo from the train caused Denmark's freight train, but noted that deadliest railway accident authorities "do not know in 30 years. precisely what caused the Authorities said the two accident." trains were traveling in op- Kasper Elbjoern, spokes- posite directions on the man for the Danish brew- bridge linking s Denmark's ery group Carlsberg, con- islands. Aerial TV footage firmed that a freight train showed a front side of the transporting its cargo was passenger train ripped involved in the accident. open. Photos showed Police urged passengers to crates of beer on the freight contact relatives and tell train and a tarpaulin on top them if they were safe and People walk near damaged cargo compartments on a train parked near the Storebaelt bridge, torn in pieces. urged people not to share near Nyborg in Denmark, Wednesday, Jan. 2, 2019. Jesper Nielsen told Den- Associated Press photos or videos of the ac- mark's TV2 he was riding cident. on the passenger train and from the city of Odense, on nel that a large freight con- accident." Flemming Jensen, the CEO it "was out on the bridge the central Danish island of tainer had likely fallen off The accident, in which 16 of state-owned Danish Rail- when there was a huge Funen, to the capital of Co- the cargo train. people were injured, took ways, said police and the 'bang' ... very quickly there- penhagen when the ac- "It is much too early to place on a road-and-rail Danish Accident Investi- after, the train braked." cident took place about 8 speculate as to what might bridge, part of the Store- gation Board were investi- The rail operator, Danish a.m. have caused it," chief po- baelt system of bridges and gating. He said the opera- Railways, told Denmark's Police declined to com- lice investigator Joergen a tunnel that link the Danish tor "will contribute every- TV2 the victims were pas- ment directly on a report Andersen told reporters. "It islands of Zealand and Fu- thing that we can to the sengers on a train going from Denmark's TV2 chan- has been a pretty serious nen. The system was closed investigation."q Somalia declares UN envoy persona non grata nation's sovereignty, de- steps to take. rest, Somalia's security min- claring him "persona non Haysom, who was outside istry cited the federal gov- grata." He arrived as envoy Somalia, did not respond ernment's ban on his can- a few months ago. to a request for comment. didacy, which said he had Haysom had questioned Instead, he and the spokes- not completed the defec- the legal basis used in the man for the U.N. secretary- tion process. The ministry arrest last month of Mukhtar general late Tuesday issued also alleged that Robow Robow, a former al-Shabab statements strongly con- had failed to renounce spokesman who defected demning a mortar attack extremist ideology, and from the group in 2017, and that hit the main U.N. com- accused him of mobilizing whether U.N.-funded re- pound in Mogadishu earlier armed forces. gional police in the South- in the day. Seven mortars A joint statement by the west were involved. landed inside the com- United States, more than Ethiopian troops who are pound, leaving two U.N. a dozen countries, the AU part of the African Union staffers and a contractor mission and the United Na- force in Somalia and So- with non-life-threatening in- tions expressed concern af- mali police arrested Robow juries, Haysom's statement ter the arrest and protests. days before the regional said. Al-Shabab claimed Haysom's letter to Somali In this Wednesday, Oct. 10, 2018, file photo, Mukhtar Robow, election in which Robow responsibility. authorities, seen by The As- who was once deputy leader of Africa's deadliest Islamic ex- had been a leading can- Robow's arrest has been sociated Press, questioned tremist group the al-Qaida-linked al-Shabab, speaks at a press didate. Deadly protests seen as a high-profile test the legal framework of So- conference about his candidacy for a regional presidency, in followed. Ethiopia has not of Somalia's treatment of malia's defection process Baidoa, Somalia. Associated Press commented. defectors from the al-Qa- and asked how Somali Robow was flown to Soma- ida-linked al-Shabab, Af- authorities were able to By ABDI GULED extremist group's former lia's capital, Mogadishu, rica's most active extremist detain Robow beyond the Associated Press deputy leader who had run and has been held in a group. Somalia's govern- normal 48 hours. NAIROBI, Kenya (AP) — So- for a regional presidency. prison run by Somalia's in- ment welcomed his de- The letter also questions the malia's government has or- A foreign ministry state- telligence agency. fection but not his popular circumstances around civil- dered the United Nations ment late Tuesday ac- U.N. deputy spokesman candidacy to lead South- ian deaths during the pro- envoy to the country to cuses Nicholas Haysom of Farhan Haq said the U.N. west state, which took tests and urges that they be leave, amid questions over diplomatic overreach that was looking into the matter some officials by surprise. "thoroughly and promptly the arrest of the al-Shabab violated the Horn of Africa before determining what In confirming Robow's ar- investigated."q WORLD NEWS A9 Thursday 3 January 2019 Russian baby rescued after nearly 36 hours in frozen rubble By JIM HEINTZ lic health institute Vladimir MOSCOW (AP) — Labor- Uiba was quoted as telling ing through sub-freezing state news agency Tass. temperatures, Russian res- Although Ivan's prospects cue workers were digging for survival appeared dire, into a sprawling heap of "it's a New Year's miracle," jagged rubble from a col- his father Yevgeny was lapsed apartment building quoted as saying by the RT when one heard the faint- satellite TV channel. est sound. The father was at work It was the sound of life. when his wife phoned to On Tuesday, to everyone's say the building had col- delight and surprise, they lapsed. She escaped the pulled a baby boy out of rubble with a 3-year-old the rubble alive, nearly 36 son, Russian news reports hours after the disaster that said. blew apart his home. His fa- "I was sleeping on the ther called it "a New Year's couch with my older son, miracle." hugging him and the The building collapse in young one was sleeping the Russian city of Magni- in his baby bed," mother togorsk before dawn Mon- Olga Fokina said on Rus- day has killed at least nine sian TV. "I and the older one Emergency Situations employees working at the scene of a collapsed apartment building in Mag- people so far, and officials fell down and quickly got nitogorsk, a city of 400,000 people, about 1,400 kilometers (870 miles) southeast of Moscow, Rus- say 32 people who lived in out and I didn't know what sia, Monday, Dec. 31, 2018. the building have still not Associated Press happened to the baby been accounted for. bed afterward." The collapse followed an named Ivan Fokin, was in frostbite after his ordeal in late Tuesday in a desper- Rescue worker Pyotr Grit- explosion that was believed extremely serious condition, temperatures around mi- ate attempt to save his life. senko said on Russian tele- to have been caused by a officials said, with fractures, nus 20 degrees Celsius (mi- He was in stable condition vision that baby's discovery gas leak. a head injury and suffer- nus 4 degrees Fahrenheit). on arrival in the capital, the came after one of the crew The boy, an 11-month-old ing from hypothermia and He was flown to Moscow head of the national pub- heard faint cries.q Greece makes 3 migrants citizens for their wildfire rescues By DEREK GATOPOULOS ple from the water who people who were trapped ELENA BECATOROS had fled the out-of-control inside their homes or along Associated Press wildfire in the seaside re- narrow roads. The deci- ATHENS, Greece (AP) — sort of Mali by swimming sion to grant the three men Three migrant fishermen out to sea and had diffi- Greek citizenship was pub- received Greek citizenship culty breathing because lished in the official govern- Wednesday for helping to of heavy smoke. The trio ment gazette on Dec. 21 rescue scores of people also guided survivors to a but formally announced who were forced into the port after the July 23 blaze Wednesday. "The three for- sea by flames from a sum- reached the shoreline and eign nationals, displaying mer wildfire that would gutted hundreds of homes. self-sacrifice and ignoring leave 100 people dead. "In a situation like that, the dangers, joined Greek Greek President Prokopis when you are talking about fishermen and saved doz- Pavlopoulos hosted a cer- people's lives, there's no re- ens of our fellow citizens, emony for Gani Xheka, 35, ligion, no black people, no including many children from Albania and Egyp- white people. You just have whose lives were at risk," In this Wednesday, Aug. 1, 2018 file photo people swim at a tians Emad El Khaimi, 50, to help people who are in the decision said. "Their beach in Rafina, east of Athens, ten days after the Greece's and Mahmoud Ibrahim danger," El Khaimi said af- self-denial and the excep- deadliest wildfire in decades that killed 100 people. Musa, 46, both to honor ter the ceremony. tional contribution ... war- Associated Press them and aimed at "send- The death toll from rant the application of le- ing a message to Europe" Greece's worst wildfire in gal provisions for honorary the "human values" the fish- has been a reappearance to counter anti-immigrant decades included victims naturalization." Interior Min- ermen displayed are ones in Greece and in Europe sentiment. who drowned after seeking ister Alexis Charistis, who at- people "must hold dear be- of voices of racism and The three men pulled peo- safety in the sea, as well as tended the ceremony, said cause unfortunately, there hatred."q A10 WORLD NEWS Thursday 3 January 2019 Israeli settlement activity appears to surge in Trump era By JOSEF FEDERMAN outgoing coalition is domi- Associated Press nated by religious and na- JERUSALEM (AP) — With tionalist settlement sym- little resistance from a pathizers. Favored to win friendly White House, Israel re-election in April, Netan- has launched a new settle- yahu has said he expects ment push in the West Bank his next government to look since President Donald very similar. Trump took office, laying Israel never annexed the the groundwork for what West Bank, meaning the could be the largest con- Israeli military remains the struction binge in years, ac- sovereign there. Construc- cording to data obtained tion in the West Bank re- by The Associated Press. quires approval from CO- The figures, gathered from GAT, a Defense Ministry official government sourc- body that oversees civilian es by the anti-settlement affairs in the territory. monitoring group Peace Plans are submitted by the Now, show an increase government to COGAT's in building in 2018 and a Higher Planning Council, sharp spike in planning for which decides if they meet future construction. legal criteria. This trend, highlighted last COGAT routinely portrays In this Tuesday, Jan. 1, 2019 photo, men work on a new housing project in the West Bank settle- week when an Israeli com- decisions on new settle- ment of Naale. mittee advanced plans Associated Press ment activity as a techni- for thousands more settle- cal matter, playing down ment homes on war-won ago. In contrast, the plan- to a question on the topic White House Mideast en- the political impact. In a lands, has only deepened ning and tender stages are at a Wednesday news voy Jason Greenblatt's of- statement, COGAT said it Palestinian mistrust of the seen as forward-looking in- briefing that the world fice declined comment, acts in accordance with Trump administration as it dicators of a government's body has called for a halt and State Department offi- planning and building laws says it is preparing to roll intentions. to all settlement activity. A cials were not immediately in the West Bank. out a Mideast peace plan. The data compiled by 2016 U.N. Security Coun- available for comment due Critics say COGAT routinely Each new settlement ex- Peace Now showed a drop cil resolution condemned to the government shut- promotes settlement ex- pansion further diminishes in construction starts during them as a "flagrant viola- down. pansion and development the chances of setting up a Trump's first year in office, tion" of international law. The Palestinians and most at the expense of Palestin- Palestinian state alongside to 1,643 units in 2017 from The biggest surge in settle- of the international com- ian communities in the 60 Israel. 3,066 units the previous ment activity during the munity consider Israeli set- percent of the West Bank Both supporters and op- year. This drop appears to Trump era is in tenders— tlements to be illegal and that is under full Israeli con- ponents of settlements reflect the lingering effect large projects that are obstacles to peace. Over trol. Palestinians have vary- confirm a change in at- of reduced planning dur- ready to be launched. 400,000 Israelis now live in ing degrees of autonomy, mosphere since early 2017, ing the final two years of In 2017, 3,154 tenders were the West Bank, in addition including over building per- when Trump took over from the Obama administration. issued, up from just 42 dur- to 200,000 in east Jerusa- mits, in the remaining areas Barack Obama, whose But the data for the first ing Obama's final year in lem. The Palestinians seek of the West Bank, where administration had tried to nine months of 2018 indi- office. In 2018, that num- both areas, captured by Is- most Palestinians live. rein in construction. cate the beginning of a ber rose to over 3,800, the rael in 1967, as parts of their The offices of Avigdor Li- "The feeling of the (Israeli) Trump effect, with con- highest number by far since state. eberman, who served as government is everything is struction starts 20 percent Peace Now started com- For decades, a string of U.S. defense minister in 2017 allowed, that the time to do higher than the same pe- piling the data in 2002. This presidents, both Republi- and 2018, and his deputy, things is now because the riod a year earlier. sets the stage for a huge can and Democrat, con- Eli Ben-Dahan, did not re- (U.S.) administration is the These trends are even jump in construction in the demned settlement con- spond to requests for com- most pro-settlement you more evident when looking near future. struction. ment. Both are strong sup- can ever have," said Hagit at the planning process. "There's definitely a change Things quickly changed porters of the settlements Ofran of Peace Now's Set- In 2017, plans were ad- of atmosphere. There's def- when Trump took office. and settlers themselves. tlement Watch program. vanced to build 6,712 new initely a change of winds," Trump refused to condemn The settlement surge has Peace Now uses several settlement homes, roughly said Oded Revivi, mayor of settlement construction added to the Palestinians' measurements of settle- 2.5 times the 2016 level. Efrat, a major settlement and surrounded himself distrust of the White House. ment activity. These include In 2018, plans for an ad- near Jerusalem, and the with advisers — including The Palestinians cut off ties "plans," or the bureaucratic ditional 5,618 units were chief foreign envoy of the his son-in-law Jared Kushner with the administration over stages of preparing a proj- advanced, nearly half of Yesha settlement council. and Ambassador to Israel a year ago after Trump ect, including initial propos- which were processed Revivi said that Obama David Friedman — who are recognized contested Je- als; "tenders," when bids last week alone. Together, pressured Israel into greatly Orthodox Jews with close rusalem as Israel's capital. are solicited from contrac- these numbers are the high- curtailing settlement activi- ties to settlements. Trump President Mahmoud Ab- tors to do large projects; est level of planning seen ty. Now, he said, Israel is try- at times has asked Israel to bas has said he will reject and "construction starts," since 2013. At that time, Is- ing to make up for lost time. show restraint, but his ad- any peace plan the Trump when the building actually rael pushed forward settle- "Basically what you're see- ministration has remained team presents. begins. ment construction to coun- ing now is the statistics are largely silent as Israel has Abbas' spokesman, Nabil Each of these figures tells a ter criticism of its release of trying to catch up to the pressed ahead with its con- Abu Rdeneh, said U.S. "si- different story. While con- Palestinian prisoners as part needs that were built up struction efforts over the lence and lack of condem- struction starts give a snap- of then-Secretary of State during the eight years of past two years. nation and pressure" have shot of the current level of John Kerry's peace efforts. the Obama administration, This has been welcome given a "green light" to the settlement activity, they re- A United Nations spokes- when everything was in a news to Prime Minister Ben- Israeli government to step flect decisions made years man reiterated in response standstill," Revivi said. jamin Netanyahu, whose up settlement activity.q

ebook img

Aruba Today (January 3, 2019) PDF

5.4 MB·English
by  Caribbean Speed Printers N.V.
#globallibraries #arubanewspapers #bibliotecanacionalaruba #aruba
Save to my drive
Quick download
Download
Upgrade Premium
Most books are stored in the elastic cloud where traffic is expensive. For this reason, we have a limit on daily download.

Preview Aruba Today (January 3, 2019)

Happy 2019 Destination: One Thursday Happy Island January 3, 2019 T: 582-7800 | F: 582-7044 www.arubatoday.com Page 13 AArruubbaa’’ss OONNLLYY EEnngglliisshh nneewwssppaappeerr No deal to end shutdown; Trump says 'could be a long time' By LISA MASCARO and again Friday. CATHERINE LUCEY In one big change, the Associated Press new Congress convenes WASHINGTON (AP) — No Thursday with Democrats one budged at President taking majority control of Donald Trump's White the House, and Democratic House meeting with leader Nancy Pelosi said congressional leaders outside the White House Wednesday, so the partial that there would be rapid government shutdown passage of legislation to persisted through a 12th re-open the government day over his demand for — without funds for the billions of dollars to build a border wall. wall along the U.S. border A closed sign is displayed on a door at the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, Tuesday, Jan. 1, 2019, with Mexico. They'll try Continued on Page 3 as a partial government shutdown stretches into its third week. Associated Press A2 UP FRONT Thursday 3 January 2019 Trump gives new Pentagon chief a taste of his world view Trump favorite topic: devel- opment of a Space Force. At a morning meeting at the Pentagon with the military service secretaries and other top civilian of- ficials, Shanahan said he was focused on the de- fense strategy developed during Mattis' tenure. It em- phasizes the importance of great power competition with Russia and China, af- ter America's many years of fighting insurgent wars in the Middle East. In that context, Shanahan said the Pentagon leaders should remember, "China, China, China," according to one official, who was not authorized to publicly dis- cuss internal defense meet- ings and spoke on condi- tion of anonymity. The Trump administration has had a rocky relation- ship with China. Like the Obama administration, Trump's government is con- Acting Secretary of Defense Patrick Shanahan, right, listens as President Donald Trump speaks during a cabinet meeting at the cerned by what it calls White House, Wednesday, Jan. 2, 2019, in Washington. Associated Press China's militarization of dis- puted areas in the South By ROBERT BURNS vate" — an apparent refer- as NATO. Trump suggested ments with Trump, includ- China Sea and by its ad- AP National Security Writer ence to reports produced that Shanahan, who took ing the president's decision vances in certain high-tech WASHINGTON (AP) — On by the Special Inspector over as acting defense sec- to withdraw troops from weaponry. his first working day in General for Afghanistan retary when Mattis ended Syria. Mattis said he would Separately, Shanahan's charge of the Pentagon, Reconstruction. Trump as- his tenure Monday, agrees stay until the end of Febru- spokesman, Lt. Col. Joe Pat Shanahan got a taste serted that the reports give with him on this. ary, but on Dec. 23 Trump Buccino, said that as part of of President Donald Trump's away too much informa- "We have some great allies, announced that Shanahan Shanahan's ethics agree- scattershot way of looking tion and should not be but a lot of our allies were would take over Jan. 1, ment he had stepped at the world. publicly released, although taking advantage of our speeding up Mattis' depar- aside himself "for the dura- As Shanahan sat to Trump's the law that created that taxpayers and our coun- ture. tion of his service" at the left at a Cabinet meeting watchdog's office says its try," Trump said. "We can't In his Cabinet meeting re- Pentagon from "matters at the White House, the reports must be made pub- let that happen, and Pat marks with reporters pres- in which the Boeing Com- president denounced U.S. lic. Shanahan agrees with that ent, Trump said he was in pany is a party." Shanahan allies as freeloaders, ex- Trump wished Mattis well and he's agreed with that no rush to get U.S. troops had worked for Boeing for pressed disgust with U.S. in the retired Marine gen- for a long time. And that out of Syria but did not clar- 31 years, including in posi- warfighting strategy in Af- eral's return to private life was very important to me. ify a timetable. Mattis and tions overseeing big de- ghanistan, mused about after two tumultuous years "I couldn't get other people other Trump advisers tried fense programs. It's unclear his own potential to be a leading the Pentagon. But to understand it," Trump unsuccessfully to persuade whether Trump will nomi- great general, dismissed Trump also took a swipe at said, apparently referring Trump to stay in Syria long nate Shanahan for Senate Syria as "sand and death," the man he had approv- to Mattis, who argued for enough to ensure that the confirmation as defense spoke encouragingly of a ingly called "Mad Dog Mat- higher defense spending Islamic State group, which secretary or turn to another second North Korea sum- tis" when he hired him short- by NATO allies but did so in has largely been defeated candidate. With Shanahan mit, and falsely claimed he ly after winning election in a nonconfrontational way. on the battlefield, can- moving up from deputy had fired former Defense 2016. In a resignation letter that not regroup. Nor did the secretary to acting secre- Secretary Jim Mattis. "What's he done for me?" amounted to a rebuke of president clarify plans in tary, the Pentagon's bud- It was a very public re- Trump asked. "How has he Trump's view on how to Afghanistan, where he has get chief, David Norquist, minder of the challenges done in Afghanistan? Not treat alliances and adver- ordered a troop reduction has been chosen to fill in that Shanahan, as acting too good." saries, Mattis wrote, "My on an unspecified time- temporarily as the deputy defense secretary, faces as He added, "President views on treating allies table. Shanahan, who had secretary, according to he navigates the complex Obama fired him, and es- with respect and also be- served as deputy to Mattis Pentagon spokesman Tom terrain that led to the early sentially so did I." ing clear-eyed about both since July 2017, is a career Crosson. Shanahan, a na- end of his predecessor's Trump did not explain his malign actors and strategic business executive with no tive of Washington state, tenure. complaint about Mattis' competitors are strongly prior government or military holds a bachelor of science At one point, Trump turned approach to the war. But held and informed by over experience. His views on al- degree in mechanical en- to Shanahan with an un- Trump hinted that he had four decades of immersion liance relations and other gineering from the Univer- usual demand. irreconcilable differences in these issues." key defense issues are not sity of Washington and two The commander in chief with Mattis on what Trump Mattis submitted his resig- well known. As the deputy advanced degrees from said audits of Pentagon views as an unfair defense nation on Dec. 20 after a secretary he had focused the Massachusetts Institute war spending must be "pri- relationship with allies such series of policy disagree- the budget as well as a of Technology.q U.S. NEWS A3 Thursday 3 January 2019 SHUTDOWN land Security officials who House "are hearing what Continued from Front were trying to describe a we have offered" to end But the White House has re- dire situation at the border. the shutdown. jected that package, and "We were hopeful that we Trump contended the Trump said ahead of the could get more of a nego- Democrats see the shut- session with the congressio- tiation," said McCarthy. down fight as "an election nal leaders that the partial He said the leaders plan to point" as he celebrated his shutdown will last "as long return to the White House own first two years in office. as it takes" to get the fund- Friday to continue negotia- He promised "six more years ing he wants. tions. of great success." "Could be a long time or The two sides have trad- The partial government could be quickly," Trump ed offers, but their talks shutdown began on Dec. said during lengthy com- broke down ahead of the 22. Funding for the wall ments at a Cabinet meet- holidays. On Wednesday, has been the sticking point ing at the White House, his Trump also rejected his own in passing funding bills for House Democratic leader Rep. Nancy Pelosi of California, and first public appearance of administration's offer to ac- several government de- Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., walk to speak with reporters after a meeting with President Donald Trump on the new year. Meanwhile, cept $2.5 billion for the wall. partments. Pelosi, who border security at the White House, Wednesday, Jan. 2, 2019, in the shutdown dragged That offer was made when is expected to become Washington. through a second week, Vice President Mike Pence speaker on Thursday, said Associated Press closing some parks and and other top officials met Tuesday that Democrats leaving hundreds of thou- with Schumer at the start of would take action to "end to reopen government. take yes for an answer," sands of federal employees the shutdown. Instead, on the Trump Shutdown" by "We are giving the Repub- she wrote in a letter to without pay. Wednesday Trump repeat- passing legislation Thursday licans the opportunity to colleagues.q Democrats said they edly pushed for the $5.6 bil- asked Trump directly dur- lion he has demanded. ing Wednesday's private Making his case ahead of meeting held in the Situa- the afternoon session with tion Room why he wouldn't Democratic and Repub- consider their package of lican leaders, he said the bills. One measure would current border is "like a open most of the shuttered sieve" and noted the tear government departments gas "flying" overnight to de- at funding levels already ter arrivals. agreed to by all sides. The "If they knew they couldn't other would provide tem- come through, they porary funding for Home- wouldn't even start," Trump land Security, through Feb. said at the meeting, joined 8, allowing talks to continue by Cabinet secretaries over border security. and top advisers, including "I said, Mr. President, Give Jared Kushner and Ivanka me one good reason why Trump. you should continue your Trump complained that he shutdown," Senate Minor- had been "lonely" at the ity Leader Chuck Schumer White House during the hol- said afterward. "He could iday break, having skipped not give a good answer." his getaway to Mar-a-Lago Added Schumer, "We in Florida. He claimed his would hope they would re- only companions were the consider." "machine gunners," refer- House Republican lead- ring to security personnel, er Kevin McCarthy said and "they don't wave, they there's no need to prolong don't smile." He also criti- the shutdown and he was cized Pelosi for visiting Ha- disappointed the talks did waii. not produce a resolution. At the Capitol on Wednes- He complained that Dem- day, Pelosi said she hoped ocrats interrupted Home- Republicans and the White A4 U.S. NEWS Thursday 3 January 2019 Warren plans Iowa trip in another step toward 2020 campaign By STEVE LeBLANC is corrupt," she said. "I see it BOSTON (AP) — Sen. Eliza- firsthand." beth Warren is preparing to Warren was been a favor- bring a populist message ite target of Trump, who to Iowa voters just days frequently calls her "Poca- after taking her first major hontas" — a reference to step toward launching a Warren's claims of Native campaign for president. American heritage. Warren The Massachusetts Dem- in October released a DNA ocrat told reporters on test meant to bolster those Wednesday that she's claims, but the test seemed planning to visit the state only to generate more con- with the nation's first presi- troversy for Warren. The test dential caucuses after be- indicated that Warren likely ing sworn in on Thursday to had Native American in her a second Senate term. bloodline, though the an- Warren said that Wash- cestor probably lived six to ington "works great for the 10 generations ago. Some wealthy and the well-con- critics complained that the nected" but that it needs to genetic analysis cheap- work for everybody else. ened the identities of tribal "This is a moment in Amer- members with deeper ties. ica where people really Trump told Fox News Chan- want to get the focus back nel's "All-American New Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., speaks to reporters as she walks down a hall at the Massachusetts Statehouse, Wednesday, Jan. 2, 2019, in Boston. on the points that touch Year" in an interview Mon- Associated Press their lives, about things like day that he hopes Warren student loans and what it runs. costs to get a prescription "We'll see how she does," filled," Warren said after he said. "I wish her well. I a swearing-in ceremony hope she does well. I'd love for state lawmakers at the to run against her." Massachusetts Statehouse. Warren plans to start her Warren on Monday an- swing through Iowa on Fri- nounced she's launching day with a stop at an or- an exploratory committee ganizing event in Council for president. Bluffs followed by similar She is the most prominent events on Saturday in Sioux Democrat yet in what is ex- City and Des Moines and pected to be a crowded a roundtable discussion in field of fellow contenders Storm Lake. hoping to retake the White Warren also defended her House from Republican decision to host a live Insta- President Donald Trump in gram event on New Year's 2020. Eve from the kitchen of her The former Harvard law home in Cambridge, Mas- professor made a name for sachusetts. The live feed herself a decade ago with showed her drinking a calls for greater consumer beer, petting her dog and protections, which led to taking questions from view- the creation of the Con- ers — an event some de- sumer Financial Protection rided as awkward. Bureau under former Dem- "It's one more way to be ocratic President Barack able just to invite people Obama. into your home. I wish I Warren said she plans to could just open the door run on many of those same and have lots of folks in, but basic economic issues, this is a way to do it," she which she said have been said, adding that her beer made even more precari- of choice is Michelob Ultra, ous by Washington politics. what she called "the club "I believe that Washington soda of beers."q U.S. NEWS A5 Thursday 3 January 2019 Michigan man held for spying in Russia was frequent visitor By COREY WILLIAMS Associated Press DETROIT (AP) — As a staff sergeant with the Marines in Iraq, Paul Whelan enjoyed fine cigars and showed an affinity for Russia — even spending two weeks of mili- tary leave in Moscow and St. Petersburg instead of at home in the U.S. with fam- ily and friends.The 48-year- old Detroit-area man had an account on a Russian social media site, where he posted festive notes on the country's national holidays. Now, he's under arrest there on espionage allegations. Whelan has visited Russia since at least 2007 and was there again for a friend's This undated photo provided by the Whelan family shows Paul Whelan in Iceland. wedding, showing other Associated Press guests around, said his twin brother, David Whelan. He sia's annexation of Crimea, 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing; that included the Navy was due to return home on Whelan suggested that Marine Corps Air Station Meritorious Unit Commen- Jan. 6, the brother said. "Putin can have Alaska, as in Miramar, California. He dation and Global War U.S. officials are seeking an- long as he takes Sarah Pal- specialized in administra- on Terrorism Expeditionary swers about Paul Whelan's in, too!" And a photo post- tive posts. Medal, but he ran afoul of arrest on spying charges. ed in August shows Whelan While stationed in Iraq, the military and was con- The Russian Federal Security attending a security con- Whelan was part of some- victed in 2008 on larceny- Service, or FSB, said Whelan ference organized by the thing called the Lamplight- related charges at a spe- was caught "during an es- U.S. State Department. er's Club, a group of service cial court-martial. Whelan pionage operation," but David Whelan disputes members who got together saw his rank stripped, was gave no details. Russia's allegation that his to enjoy good cigars. demoted to private and U.S. Ambassador to Russia brother is a spy. "It's one of the unique plea- discharged for bad con- Jon Huntsman Jr. visited Former CIA agent John sures that anyone can take duct. Whelan on Wednesday in Sipher agrees, saying Paul advantage of, as every- He went on to start Moscow's Lefortovo Prison, Whelan's spotty military ca- one should take advan- Kingsmead Arsenal, an on- the State Department said. reer would keep U.S. intel- tage of a fine cigar once line firearms business, from "Ambassador Huntsman ligence from hiring him for in a while," Whelan said in his Novi, Michigan, home, expressed his support for sensitive operations. a 2007 interview posted and worked for Troy, Mich- Mr. Whelan and offered "He absolutely does not fit on the 3rd Marine Aircraft igan-based temporary the embassy's assistance," the profile of someone we Wing page of the Marine staffing firm Kelly Services it said. would use in a place like Corps website. until 2017. He also spoke by phone Moscow," said Sipher, who Whelan also was part of Whelan testified in a 2013 with Whelan's family, the once ran the agency's Rus- "The Rest and Recuperation deposition in a federal statement added, but did sia operations in Moscow. Leave Program," which au- court case involving Kelly not disclose any details "Due to the oppressive level thorized 15 days of leave to Services that he worked as "due to privacy consider- of counterintelligence scru- service members on year- senior manager of global ations for Mr. Whelan and tiny in Moscow, we do not long deployments to Iraq, security and investigations his family." put people without diplo- according to another 2007 for the company. According to what to ap- matic immunity in harm's story on the website . The He was hired in 2017 by Au- pears to be Paul Whelan's way. Nor do we handle military paid for the travel burn Hills, Michigan-based profile on the popular Rus- low-level intelligence col- and most service members BorgWarner and currently sian social media platform lection operations in a chose to return home, but is the auto parts supplier's VKontakte, he posted "God place like Moscow." others could travel abroad. global security director. save President Trump" — Paul Whelan attended high Whelan spent his two weeks "He is responsible for over- flanked by flag emojis — on school in Ann Arbor, west in Russia, saying in the inter- seeing security at our fa- Inauguration Day in 2016. A of Detroit, and joined the view that the leave pro- cilities in Auburn Hills, Michi- 2010 post referred to then- Marine Corps Reserves in gram "gives those of us who gan, and at other com- President Barack Obama 1994. A decade later, he are single an opportunity to pany locations around the as a "moron." was made a staff sergeant travel throughout the world world," company spokes- Another photo showed and was deployed twice to wherever we want to go woman Kathy Graham said Whelan wearing a T-shirt of Iraq, in 2004 and 2006. and experience the diver- Tuesday in a statement. the Moscow soccer club His last duty assignment was sity of culture." She said BorgWarner does Spartak. In March 2014, with the Marine Air Control During his military career, not have any facilities in around the time of Rus- Group 38 Headquarters, Whelan received awards Russia.q A6 U.S. NEWS Thursday 3 January 2019 Young immigrants seeking refuge from abuse face denials By AMY TAXIN and DEEPTI the U.S. Under U.S. law, they said. "I don't refer to her by ending in June 2018, when they could not comment HAJELA can apply for green cards her name or that she's my one in five applications on pending litigation, but Associated Press once a designated court guardian — I just call her that were decided were said the agency "contin- LOS ANGELES (AP) — Some in the U.S. state where they mom." denied, the data shows. ues to ensure that children immigrant youth looking live assigns them a guard- More than 50,000 young About 7 percent of appli- who have been abused, to start over in the United abandoned or neglected States after fleeing abusive receive the humanitarian homes are seeing their ap- benefits they are eligible plications for green cards for." rejected because the Beth Krause, supervising Trump administration says attorney of the immigrant they're too old. youth project at Legal Aid A U.S. government program in New York, said the fed- in place since 1990 has let eral immigration agency young immigrants subject doesn't have the authority to abuse, abandonment or to question state law, which neglect by a parent seek a in New York expressly allows court-appointed guardian courts to issue guardianship and a green card to stay in orders to cover this age the country. group. While applicants must file "USCIS changed their poli- paperwork before age 21, cy and they changed their the Trump administration policy in a way that is ar- has said some are too old bitrary and capricious be- to qualify once they turn 18, cause it doesn't comport prompting a flurry of denial with the federal statute" notices over the past year that says young people in New York, Texas and have until age 21, said California and additional Krause, who is represent- questions of applicants in ing young immigrants in New Jersey. the New York filing. "They're Immigrant advocates have getting it wrong." filed lawsuits in New York In California, a federal and California and said judge has blocked the U.S. hundreds of young people government from denying could be affected by the the young immigrants' cas- change. es for now. The state enact- "This administration is liter- In this June 20, 2018, file photo, immigrant children walk in a line outside the Homestead Tem- ed a law several years ago ally going after some of the porary Shelter for Unaccompanied Children, a former Job Corps site that now houses them in expressly allowing probate Homestead, Fla. most vulnerable people courts to issue orders for im- Associated Press trying to seek relief," said migrants who are between Mary Tanagho Ross, an 18 and 21 so they can ap- appellate staff attorney at ian and declares they are immigrants have obtained cation decisions in the 2017 ply to participate in the Los Angeles-based Public eligible to apply. green cards by qualifying fiscal year and 4 percent of federal program. Counsel's immigrant rights A now-22-year-old woman for special immigrant juve- decisions in the 2016 fiscal In response to the Trump project. in Northern California, who nile status since 2010. The year were denials. administration's changes, The Trump administration requested anonymity out overwhelming majority of The U.S. government start- immigrant advocates said has been pushing to hard- of fear the U.S. government applications have been ed reviewing applications they are also changing en the U.S. border and slash will retaliate against her for approved by U.S. Citizen- at a centralized location how they try to help these immigration with a series speaking out, fled her Mexi- ship and Immigration Ser- in late 2016 to improve effi- young applicants. Often, of steps targeting Central can immigrant parents' vices, making the program ciency. The following year, attorneys are looking into American children who ar- home in high school after a safer bet for many im- U.S. Citizenship and Im- alternative ways to get rive on the border alone or her father repeatedly beat migrant children seeking migration Services sought these youth on stable le- with relatives. Former Attor- her. refuge in the United States legal guidance from the gal footing in the United ney General Jeff Sessions She was taken in by a than pleading a case be- agency's Office of Chief States, for example, apply- sought to make it tougher teacher, who helped her fore an immigration officer Counsel for cases involv- ing for asylum in addition to for young immigrants flee- get started in college and or judge for asylum. ing immigrant children who special immigrant juvenile ing gangs or domestic took care of her when she Applications to the pro- turned 18 before their pa- status, said Priya Konings, violence to win asylum — was diagnosed with can- gram have surged in re- perwork had been com- deputy director of legal though some guidance cer. When a judge formally cent years, rising more than pleted and determined services at Kids in Need of he issued on such cases named the teacher her le- three-fold between the that a state court order is Defense. was recently blocked by gal guardian it was a huge 2014 and 2017 fiscal years, only valid if that court has "It is just creating extra work a federal judge. And the relief, she said. But she later federal data shows. Dur- the authority to reunite for us — which is fine —but U.S. government has been learned the U.S. govern- ing that time, the number children with their parents, overburdening an already slower to release immigrant ment wouldn't accept the of denials also increased, which many don't, accord- almost broken system," children caught on the bor- court's order for her green with 2,000 applications re- ing to agency officials. Konings said. "It's incredibly der to family in the country. card application. She jected over the past two As a result, 260 cases were obvious that the adminis- The program is the best dropped to the floor and fiscal years — more than all denied, they said, adding tration is targeting immi- chance for many of the sobbed, she said. of the previous seven years that the agency may have grants at large, particularly thousands of young immi- "I just couldn't believe I was combined. previously approved some unaccompanied minors, grants arriving on the bor- going to have to try to de- The change was most no- cases that it should not and they're doing it on ev- der to be allowed to stay in fend myself again," she table in the nine months have. USCIS officials said ery front."q U.S. NEWS A7 Thursday 3 January 2019 Marine from Minnesota shot to death at barracks WASHINGTON (AP) — A 20-year-old U.S. Marine from Minnesota was killed in a shooting at the Ma- This undated booking file photo provided by the Stanislaus County Sheriff's Department shows rine Barracks in Washing- Gustavo Perez Arriaga. ton, D.C., his mother said Associated Press Wednesday. Markelle Kuznia told The Associated Press that the Mexican man charged with killing military notified her late Tuesday that her son, Ri- ley Kuznia, died early that cop gets mental health exam morning. Kuznia said the military has not provided her with details of her son's MODESTO, Calif. (AP) — A authorities were still refer- The case has rekindled a This 2017 photo provided by death. Mexican national accused ring to him as Perez Arria- debate over California's Morgan Kuznia shows her The U.S. Marine Corps said brother Riley Kuznia at his Ma- of living in the U.S. illegally ga. A complaint lists three sanctuary law that limits in a statement that the rine graduation ceremony in was charged with murder aliases for him, including cooperation with federal shooting was under investi- San Diego. The 20-year-old Wednesday in the shoot- Paulo Virgen Mendoza. immigration authorities. gation and that there was U.S. Marine from Minnesota ing death of a California Singh's family and several President Donald Trump was killed in a shooting at no danger to local resi- police officer who pulled of the Police Department's seized on the case to call the Marine Barracks in Wash- dents "as the event trans- him over to check if he was 12 officers attended the for tougher border secu- ington, D.C., his mother said driving drunk. hearing. Dozens of people rity amid a fight with con- pired within the grounds of Wednesday, Jan. 2, 2019. Marine Barracks 8th and I." Associated Press Gustavo Perez Arriaga stood outside the court- gressional Democrats over Marine Corps spokesman made his first court appear- house holding signs that funding for a border wall, Chief Gunnery Sgt. John Riley Kuznia had his life ance in the central Cali- read, "Justice for Col. Ronil which has forced a partial Jackson said the wound planned out, his mother fornia city of Modesto but Singh" and "Back the Blue." government shutdown. "was not self-inflicted." said. did not enter a plea in last Perez Arriaga is set to re- Cpl. Singh was also an im- Through her tears, Kuznia "When he got out (of the week's killing of Cpl. Ronil turn to court Feb. 7, when migrant, coming to the U.S. said her son felt it was his military), he was going Singh of the tiny Newman a court-appointed doctor legally from his native Fiji to duty to serve. to start his own construc- Police Department. will provide a report on his pursue his dream of serv- "He just wanted to serve. tion business. He said he Perez Arriaga's attorney, mental health, said John ing in law enforcement, Ever since he was little, he wanted to give five years Stephen Foley, questioned Goold, a spokesman for authorities have said. He talked about being a sol- to his country," she said. He his client's mental compe- the Stanislaus County Dis- joined the Newman police ider," Kuznia said from her planned to marry his high tency, leading the court to trict Attorney's Office. force in 2011. The 33-year- home in Karlstad, a com- school girlfriend, she add- delay the case until the sus- Perez Arriaga was arrested old was married and had a munity of about 800 people ed. pect gets a mental health Friday after a dayslong 5-month-old son. in northwestern Minnesota. "He loved to hunt and fish. evaluation, The Modesto manhunt as he prepared Two of Perez Arriaga's Kuznia joined the Marines He always wanted a cabin Bee newspaper reported . to flee to Mexico, officials brothers, his girlfriend and after graduating from Tri- on a lake with a boat," his Perez Arriaga told the said. He has two previous four others were arrested County High School in 2017, mother said. "He was just a judge that his real name is drunken driving arrests, au- on suspicion of helping him she said. good kid."q Paulo Virgen Mendoza, but thorities say. evade authorities.q A8 WORLD NEWS Thursday 3 January 2019 6 die in Denmark's worst train accident since 1988 By JAN M. OLSEN to cars overnight because COPENHAGEN, Denmark of strong winds but trains (AP) — Six passengers were were allowed to continue killed when a Danish train using it. sustained damage while Police spokesman Lars crossing a bridge that was Braemhoej said one pos- closed to cars because of sible cause of the "consid- high wind Wednesday, and erable damage" on the authorities investigated if passenger train was getting falling cargo from a freight struck by cargo from the train caused Denmark's freight train, but noted that deadliest railway accident authorities "do not know in 30 years. precisely what caused the Authorities said the two accident." trains were traveling in op- Kasper Elbjoern, spokes- posite directions on the man for the Danish brew- bridge linking s Denmark's ery group Carlsberg, con- islands. Aerial TV footage firmed that a freight train showed a front side of the transporting its cargo was passenger train ripped involved in the accident. open. Photos showed Police urged passengers to crates of beer on the freight contact relatives and tell train and a tarpaulin on top them if they were safe and People walk near damaged cargo compartments on a train parked near the Storebaelt bridge, torn in pieces. urged people not to share near Nyborg in Denmark, Wednesday, Jan. 2, 2019. Jesper Nielsen told Den- Associated Press photos or videos of the ac- mark's TV2 he was riding cident. on the passenger train and from the city of Odense, on nel that a large freight con- accident." Flemming Jensen, the CEO it "was out on the bridge the central Danish island of tainer had likely fallen off The accident, in which 16 of state-owned Danish Rail- when there was a huge Funen, to the capital of Co- the cargo train. people were injured, took ways, said police and the 'bang' ... very quickly there- penhagen when the ac- "It is much too early to place on a road-and-rail Danish Accident Investi- after, the train braked." cident took place about 8 speculate as to what might bridge, part of the Store- gation Board were investi- The rail operator, Danish a.m. have caused it," chief po- baelt system of bridges and gating. He said the opera- Railways, told Denmark's Police declined to com- lice investigator Joergen a tunnel that link the Danish tor "will contribute every- TV2 the victims were pas- ment directly on a report Andersen told reporters. "It islands of Zealand and Fu- thing that we can to the sengers on a train going from Denmark's TV2 chan- has been a pretty serious nen. The system was closed investigation."q Somalia declares UN envoy persona non grata nation's sovereignty, de- steps to take. rest, Somalia's security min- claring him "persona non Haysom, who was outside istry cited the federal gov- grata." He arrived as envoy Somalia, did not respond ernment's ban on his can- a few months ago. to a request for comment. didacy, which said he had Haysom had questioned Instead, he and the spokes- not completed the defec- the legal basis used in the man for the U.N. secretary- tion process. The ministry arrest last month of Mukhtar general late Tuesday issued also alleged that Robow Robow, a former al-Shabab statements strongly con- had failed to renounce spokesman who defected demning a mortar attack extremist ideology, and from the group in 2017, and that hit the main U.N. com- accused him of mobilizing whether U.N.-funded re- pound in Mogadishu earlier armed forces. gional police in the South- in the day. Seven mortars A joint statement by the west were involved. landed inside the com- United States, more than Ethiopian troops who are pound, leaving two U.N. a dozen countries, the AU part of the African Union staffers and a contractor mission and the United Na- force in Somalia and So- with non-life-threatening in- tions expressed concern af- mali police arrested Robow juries, Haysom's statement ter the arrest and protests. days before the regional said. Al-Shabab claimed Haysom's letter to Somali In this Wednesday, Oct. 10, 2018, file photo, Mukhtar Robow, election in which Robow responsibility. authorities, seen by The As- who was once deputy leader of Africa's deadliest Islamic ex- had been a leading can- Robow's arrest has been sociated Press, questioned tremist group the al-Qaida-linked al-Shabab, speaks at a press didate. Deadly protests seen as a high-profile test the legal framework of So- conference about his candidacy for a regional presidency, in followed. Ethiopia has not of Somalia's treatment of malia's defection process Baidoa, Somalia. Associated Press commented. defectors from the al-Qa- and asked how Somali Robow was flown to Soma- ida-linked al-Shabab, Af- authorities were able to By ABDI GULED extremist group's former lia's capital, Mogadishu, rica's most active extremist detain Robow beyond the Associated Press deputy leader who had run and has been held in a group. Somalia's govern- normal 48 hours. NAIROBI, Kenya (AP) — So- for a regional presidency. prison run by Somalia's in- ment welcomed his de- The letter also questions the malia's government has or- A foreign ministry state- telligence agency. fection but not his popular circumstances around civil- dered the United Nations ment late Tuesday ac- U.N. deputy spokesman candidacy to lead South- ian deaths during the pro- envoy to the country to cuses Nicholas Haysom of Farhan Haq said the U.N. west state, which took tests and urges that they be leave, amid questions over diplomatic overreach that was looking into the matter some officials by surprise. "thoroughly and promptly the arrest of the al-Shabab violated the Horn of Africa before determining what In confirming Robow's ar- investigated."q WORLD NEWS A9 Thursday 3 January 2019 Russian baby rescued after nearly 36 hours in frozen rubble By JIM HEINTZ lic health institute Vladimir MOSCOW (AP) — Labor- Uiba was quoted as telling ing through sub-freezing state news agency Tass. temperatures, Russian res- Although Ivan's prospects cue workers were digging for survival appeared dire, into a sprawling heap of "it's a New Year's miracle," jagged rubble from a col- his father Yevgeny was lapsed apartment building quoted as saying by the RT when one heard the faint- satellite TV channel. est sound. The father was at work It was the sound of life. when his wife phoned to On Tuesday, to everyone's say the building had col- delight and surprise, they lapsed. She escaped the pulled a baby boy out of rubble with a 3-year-old the rubble alive, nearly 36 son, Russian news reports hours after the disaster that said. blew apart his home. His fa- "I was sleeping on the ther called it "a New Year's couch with my older son, miracle." hugging him and the The building collapse in young one was sleeping the Russian city of Magni- in his baby bed," mother togorsk before dawn Mon- Olga Fokina said on Rus- day has killed at least nine sian TV. "I and the older one Emergency Situations employees working at the scene of a collapsed apartment building in Mag- people so far, and officials fell down and quickly got nitogorsk, a city of 400,000 people, about 1,400 kilometers (870 miles) southeast of Moscow, Rus- say 32 people who lived in out and I didn't know what sia, Monday, Dec. 31, 2018. the building have still not Associated Press happened to the baby been accounted for. bed afterward." The collapse followed an named Ivan Fokin, was in frostbite after his ordeal in late Tuesday in a desper- Rescue worker Pyotr Grit- explosion that was believed extremely serious condition, temperatures around mi- ate attempt to save his life. senko said on Russian tele- to have been caused by a officials said, with fractures, nus 20 degrees Celsius (mi- He was in stable condition vision that baby's discovery gas leak. a head injury and suffer- nus 4 degrees Fahrenheit). on arrival in the capital, the came after one of the crew The boy, an 11-month-old ing from hypothermia and He was flown to Moscow head of the national pub- heard faint cries.q Greece makes 3 migrants citizens for their wildfire rescues By DEREK GATOPOULOS ple from the water who people who were trapped ELENA BECATOROS had fled the out-of-control inside their homes or along Associated Press wildfire in the seaside re- narrow roads. The deci- ATHENS, Greece (AP) — sort of Mali by swimming sion to grant the three men Three migrant fishermen out to sea and had diffi- Greek citizenship was pub- received Greek citizenship culty breathing because lished in the official govern- Wednesday for helping to of heavy smoke. The trio ment gazette on Dec. 21 rescue scores of people also guided survivors to a but formally announced who were forced into the port after the July 23 blaze Wednesday. "The three for- sea by flames from a sum- reached the shoreline and eign nationals, displaying mer wildfire that would gutted hundreds of homes. self-sacrifice and ignoring leave 100 people dead. "In a situation like that, the dangers, joined Greek Greek President Prokopis when you are talking about fishermen and saved doz- Pavlopoulos hosted a cer- people's lives, there's no re- ens of our fellow citizens, emony for Gani Xheka, 35, ligion, no black people, no including many children from Albania and Egyp- white people. You just have whose lives were at risk," In this Wednesday, Aug. 1, 2018 file photo people swim at a tians Emad El Khaimi, 50, to help people who are in the decision said. "Their beach in Rafina, east of Athens, ten days after the Greece's and Mahmoud Ibrahim danger," El Khaimi said af- self-denial and the excep- deadliest wildfire in decades that killed 100 people. Musa, 46, both to honor ter the ceremony. tional contribution ... war- Associated Press them and aimed at "send- The death toll from rant the application of le- ing a message to Europe" Greece's worst wildfire in gal provisions for honorary the "human values" the fish- has been a reappearance to counter anti-immigrant decades included victims naturalization." Interior Min- ermen displayed are ones in Greece and in Europe sentiment. who drowned after seeking ister Alexis Charistis, who at- people "must hold dear be- of voices of racism and The three men pulled peo- safety in the sea, as well as tended the ceremony, said cause unfortunately, there hatred."q A10 WORLD NEWS Thursday 3 January 2019 Israeli settlement activity appears to surge in Trump era By JOSEF FEDERMAN outgoing coalition is domi- Associated Press nated by religious and na- JERUSALEM (AP) — With tionalist settlement sym- little resistance from a pathizers. Favored to win friendly White House, Israel re-election in April, Netan- has launched a new settle- yahu has said he expects ment push in the West Bank his next government to look since President Donald very similar. Trump took office, laying Israel never annexed the the groundwork for what West Bank, meaning the could be the largest con- Israeli military remains the struction binge in years, ac- sovereign there. Construc- cording to data obtained tion in the West Bank re- by The Associated Press. quires approval from CO- The figures, gathered from GAT, a Defense Ministry official government sourc- body that oversees civilian es by the anti-settlement affairs in the territory. monitoring group Peace Plans are submitted by the Now, show an increase government to COGAT's in building in 2018 and a Higher Planning Council, sharp spike in planning for which decides if they meet future construction. legal criteria. This trend, highlighted last COGAT routinely portrays In this Tuesday, Jan. 1, 2019 photo, men work on a new housing project in the West Bank settle- week when an Israeli com- decisions on new settle- ment of Naale. mittee advanced plans Associated Press ment activity as a techni- for thousands more settle- cal matter, playing down ment homes on war-won ago. In contrast, the plan- to a question on the topic White House Mideast en- the political impact. In a lands, has only deepened ning and tender stages are at a Wednesday news voy Jason Greenblatt's of- statement, COGAT said it Palestinian mistrust of the seen as forward-looking in- briefing that the world fice declined comment, acts in accordance with Trump administration as it dicators of a government's body has called for a halt and State Department offi- planning and building laws says it is preparing to roll intentions. to all settlement activity. A cials were not immediately in the West Bank. out a Mideast peace plan. The data compiled by 2016 U.N. Security Coun- available for comment due Critics say COGAT routinely Each new settlement ex- Peace Now showed a drop cil resolution condemned to the government shut- promotes settlement ex- pansion further diminishes in construction starts during them as a "flagrant viola- down. pansion and development the chances of setting up a Trump's first year in office, tion" of international law. The Palestinians and most at the expense of Palestin- Palestinian state alongside to 1,643 units in 2017 from The biggest surge in settle- of the international com- ian communities in the 60 Israel. 3,066 units the previous ment activity during the munity consider Israeli set- percent of the West Bank Both supporters and op- year. This drop appears to Trump era is in tenders— tlements to be illegal and that is under full Israeli con- ponents of settlements reflect the lingering effect large projects that are obstacles to peace. Over trol. Palestinians have vary- confirm a change in at- of reduced planning dur- ready to be launched. 400,000 Israelis now live in ing degrees of autonomy, mosphere since early 2017, ing the final two years of In 2017, 3,154 tenders were the West Bank, in addition including over building per- when Trump took over from the Obama administration. issued, up from just 42 dur- to 200,000 in east Jerusa- mits, in the remaining areas Barack Obama, whose But the data for the first ing Obama's final year in lem. The Palestinians seek of the West Bank, where administration had tried to nine months of 2018 indi- office. In 2018, that num- both areas, captured by Is- most Palestinians live. rein in construction. cate the beginning of a ber rose to over 3,800, the rael in 1967, as parts of their The offices of Avigdor Li- "The feeling of the (Israeli) Trump effect, with con- highest number by far since state. eberman, who served as government is everything is struction starts 20 percent Peace Now started com- For decades, a string of U.S. defense minister in 2017 allowed, that the time to do higher than the same pe- piling the data in 2002. This presidents, both Republi- and 2018, and his deputy, things is now because the riod a year earlier. sets the stage for a huge can and Democrat, con- Eli Ben-Dahan, did not re- (U.S.) administration is the These trends are even jump in construction in the demned settlement con- spond to requests for com- most pro-settlement you more evident when looking near future. struction. ment. Both are strong sup- can ever have," said Hagit at the planning process. "There's definitely a change Things quickly changed porters of the settlements Ofran of Peace Now's Set- In 2017, plans were ad- of atmosphere. There's def- when Trump took office. and settlers themselves. tlement Watch program. vanced to build 6,712 new initely a change of winds," Trump refused to condemn The settlement surge has Peace Now uses several settlement homes, roughly said Oded Revivi, mayor of settlement construction added to the Palestinians' measurements of settle- 2.5 times the 2016 level. Efrat, a major settlement and surrounded himself distrust of the White House. ment activity. These include In 2018, plans for an ad- near Jerusalem, and the with advisers — including The Palestinians cut off ties "plans," or the bureaucratic ditional 5,618 units were chief foreign envoy of the his son-in-law Jared Kushner with the administration over stages of preparing a proj- advanced, nearly half of Yesha settlement council. and Ambassador to Israel a year ago after Trump ect, including initial propos- which were processed Revivi said that Obama David Friedman — who are recognized contested Je- als; "tenders," when bids last week alone. Together, pressured Israel into greatly Orthodox Jews with close rusalem as Israel's capital. are solicited from contrac- these numbers are the high- curtailing settlement activi- ties to settlements. Trump President Mahmoud Ab- tors to do large projects; est level of planning seen ty. Now, he said, Israel is try- at times has asked Israel to bas has said he will reject and "construction starts," since 2013. At that time, Is- ing to make up for lost time. show restraint, but his ad- any peace plan the Trump when the building actually rael pushed forward settle- "Basically what you're see- ministration has remained team presents. begins. ment construction to coun- ing now is the statistics are largely silent as Israel has Abbas' spokesman, Nabil Each of these figures tells a ter criticism of its release of trying to catch up to the pressed ahead with its con- Abu Rdeneh, said U.S. "si- different story. While con- Palestinian prisoners as part needs that were built up struction efforts over the lence and lack of condem- struction starts give a snap- of then-Secretary of State during the eight years of past two years. nation and pressure" have shot of the current level of John Kerry's peace efforts. the Obama administration, This has been welcome given a "green light" to the settlement activity, they re- A United Nations spokes- when everything was in a news to Prime Minister Ben- Israeli government to step flect decisions made years man reiterated in response standstill," Revivi said. jamin Netanyahu, whose up settlement activity.q

See more

The list of books you might like

Upgrade Premium
Most books are stored in the elastic cloud where traffic is expensive. For this reason, we have a limit on daily download.
DMCA & Copyright: Dear all, most of the website is community built, users are uploading hundred of books everyday, which makes really hard for us to identify copyrighted material, please contact us if you want any material removed.
Copyright @ PDFdrive.to, 2022 | We love our users