WASHINGTON — On his way out the door, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo lashed out anew at China on Tuesday by declaring that its policies on Muslims and ethnic minorities in the western Xinjiang region constitute “crimes against humanity” and a “genocide.” The rarely used designation is sure to provoke...
Voice of America Reporter Reassigned for Pompeo Questions
NEW YORK — The White House reporter for Voice of America was abruptly pulled from her beat after trying to question Secretary of State Mike Pompeo following a speech he gave at the government agency this week. Pompeo's speech and the demotion of Patsy Widakuswara led to an angry phone...
Pompeo is 1st Top US Diplomat to Visit an Israeli Settlement
JERUSALEM — U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on Thursday became the first top American diplomat to visit an Israeli settlement in the occupied West Bank as the State Department in a major policy shift announced that products from the settlements can be labeled “Made in Israel.” The two moves...
Pompeo Pledges US Engagement on the Balkans
DUBROVNIK, Croatia — U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo pledged Friday that Washington will remain engaged in the Balkans where China and Russia have been gaining political and economic influence. Pompeo spoke in the Croatian Adriatic Sea resort of Dubrovnik, the last leg of his European tour that also included...
Is Mike Pompeo Preparing an October Surprise?
It appears that the Trump administration is laying the groundwork for an imminent military confrontation with Iran, seemingly to boost President Trump’s re-election prospects. With less than seven weeks left until the U.S. presidential elections, the faction within the Trump administration aligned with Secretary of State Mike Pompeo seems to...
Trump: US Demands ‘Snapback’ of UN Sanctions Against Iran
WASHINGTON — The United States will demand Thursday that all United Nations sanctions be reimposed against Iran, President Donald Trump announced Wednesday, a move that follows America's embarrassing failure to extend an arms embargo against Tehran. The administration’s insistence on snapping back international sanctions against Iran sets the stage for...
US to Hit Huawei Employees With Visa Bans for Rights Abuses
WASHINGTON — The Trump administration said Wednesday it will impose travel bans on employees of the Chinese technology giant Huawei and other Chinese companies the U.S. determines are assisting authoritarian governments in cracking down on human rights, including in China's western Xinjiang province. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo also said...
US, Taliban Set Peace Signing for America's Longest War
WASHINGTON — America's longest war may finally be nearing an end. The United States and the Islamists it toppled from power in Afghanistan are poised to sign a peace deal Saturday after a conflict that outlasted two U.S. commanders in chief and is now led by a third eager to...
After NPR Dust-Up, Pompeo Defends Press Freedom Abroad
TASHKENT, Uzbekistan — For the past four days, U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has been calling for authoritarian governments in eastern Europe and Central Asia to ease restrictions on press freedom despite criticism for his own treatment of journalists at home. In Belarus, Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan over the weekend...
Iran-Backed Iraqi Militia Vows Revenge to US Airstrikes
BAGHDAD — An Iranian-backed militia said Monday that the death toll from U.S. military strikes in Iraq and Syria against its fighters has risen to 25, vowing to exact revenge for the "aggression of evil American ravens." The U.S. attack — the largest yet targeting an Iraqi state-sanctioned militia —...