Archiv: United States of America (USA)


18:53 [ Trinidad Express ]

Resisted by Grenada, radar spotted in Tobago: As 4th US aircraft flies in

Yet another US Marine aircraft was detected overnight heading into Tobago, the fourth of its kind over the course of the past week, as imagery on the island appeared to depict a powerful air defence US radar system at the ANR Robinson international Airport.

The sightings come after Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar yesterday confirmed the US military presence on the sister isle, backtracking on previous claims that previous military aircraft sighted on the island were only there to help the country with a “roadway.”

18:24 [ CNC3.co.tt ]

Prime Minister defends silence on US Marines in Tobago ‘I withheld work on radar details to protect national security’

On Wednesday, when a C-17 Globemaster with the words Air Force emblazoned on its side was spotted at Tobago’s airport, a picture of the aeroplane was circulated widely on social media, with several citizens questioning its purpose.

Later that day, outside the Red House, the Prime Minister explained that the aircraft had brought in US marines to assist in constructing a roadway. At the time, she said that, to her knowledge, there were no longer any marines in the country. However, US marines were later seen at a popular hotel in Tobago. The day after, the Prime Minister clarified that following further inquiries, she had been informed that marines were still in Tobago and were assisting with work on the runway, roadway, and radar system at Tobago’s airport.

17:46 [ theHill.com ]

Senators vow oversight after report Hegseth told troops to ‘kill everybody’ in boat strike

Sens. Roger Wicker (R-Miss.) and Jack Reed (D-R.I.) issued a statement Saturday vowing to conduct “vigorous oversight” on Caribbean strikes after a report surfaced that Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth ordered the U.S. military to “kill everybody” aboard an alleged drug vessel.

17:38 [ Washington Post ]

Hegseth order on first Caribbean boat strike, officials say: Kill them all

(November 28, 2025)

As two men clung to a stricken, burning ship targeted by SEAL Team 6, the Joint Special Operations commander followed the defense secretary’s order to leave no survivors.

17:27 [ Tim Kaine, United States Senator from Virginia ]

Dear Attorney General Bondi and Secretary Hegseth:

(November 24, 2025)

Dear Attorney General Bondi and Secretary Hegseth:

We are writing to request expeditious declassification and public release of the Department of Justice Office of Legal Counsel’s written opinion, dated September 5, 2025, concerning the domestic and international legal basis for recent military strikes of certain vessels near South America and the Caribbean, with appropriate redactions necessary to protect military personnel and sensitive intelligence matters.

Significant and noteworthy precedent exists for the public release of OLC opinions related to overseas military action. After the United States carried out military strikes in Libya in 2011 and in Syria in 2018, the Department of Justice released the applicable OLC opinion justifying each operation.

Few decisions are more consequential for a democracy than the use of lethal force. We therefore believe that the declassification and public release of this important document would enhance transparency in the use of deadly force by our Nation’s military and is necessary to ensure Congress and the American people are fully informed of the legal justification supporting these strikes.

Sincerely,

Richard Blumenthal
United States Senator

Jack Reed
United States Senator

Jeanne Shaheen
United States Senator

Kirsten Gillibrand
United States Senator

Mazie K. Hirono
United States Senator

Tim Kaine
United States Senator

Angus S. King, Jr.
United States Senator

Elizabeth Warren
United States Senator

Gary C. Peters
United States Senator

Tammy Duckworth
United States Senator

Jacky Rosen
United States Senator

Mark Kelly
United States Senator

Elissa Slotkin
United States Senator

16:51 [ USA Today ]

Venezuelan boat strikes lack legal justification, Democrats say

There is no U.S. law that explicitly authorizes the U.S. Navy to attack or sink ships at sea outside of a congressionally authorized war or valid self-defense situation, legal experts and Democratic lawmakers say.

The strikes began in September, but Trump administration discussions about them began soon after Trump moved back into the White House in January

16:41 [ USA Today ]

Trump says land strikes in Venezuela will ‚start very soon‘

Amid a buildup of U.S. military forces near Venezuela and strikes on alleged drug boats, President Donald Trump told U.S. troops on Thanksgiving that the military operation will soon include strikes on land.

“In recent weeks, you’ve been working to deter Venezuelan drug traffickers,“ Trump said during a call with military service members that alluded to the boat strikes, adding: „We’ll be starting to stop them by land also. The land is easier, but that’s going to start very soon.“

16:37 [ Reuters ]

Trump says airspace above and around Venezuela should be considered closed

Venezuela‘s communications ministry, which handles all press inquiries for the government, did not immediately reply to a request for comment on Trump‘s post.
The U.S. Defense Department did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

07:47 [ NewArab.com ]

CAIR Director Nihad Awad: Texas terror designation ‘unconstitutional’

In an interview with our Arabic edition Al-Araby Al-Jadeed, Awad said: „We defeated him three times in court when he ignored the rights of Texas citizens in the right to boycott against Israel.

We believe this is retaliation against the institution, and US courts do not allow any official in power to take revenge on an institution or place that defeated them in the judiciary.“

Founded in 1994, CAIR is the largest civil-rights and Muslim advocacy organisation in the United States. Headquartered in Washington, DC, it operates more than 35 regional offices nationwide.

07:23 [ Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) ]

CAIR Condemns Israeli Occupation’s Massive Attack on West Bank As ‘Latest Act of Ethnic Cleansing’

(November 26, 2025)

In a statement, CAIR said:

“The Israeli occupation’s brutal, massive assault on the West Bank is its latest act of ethnic cleansing and mass murder. The Israeli government is seeking to remove the Palestinian people from their land bit by bit, not only in Gaza but across Palestine. We call on President Trump and the international community to demand an end to the Israeli government’s out-of-control violence.”

07:16 [ Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) ]

CAIR, CAIR-TX Declare Civil Rights Work in Texas ‘Will Continue Undeterred’ After Greg Abbott’s Latest Attempt to Smear Critics of the Israeli Government

(November 18, 2025)

The Texas chapter and national headquarters of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), the nation’s largest Muslim civil rights and advocacy organization, today announced that it would carry on its civil rights work in Texas and vigorously defend its right to do so in response to Texas Governor Greg Abbott’s “defamatory and lawless” proclamation smearing the organization.

In its response to Abbott’s proclamation, CAIR’s legal team is preparing to take appropriate action to address it. CAIR has also sent a letter to Abbott debunking his claims and detailing the Muslim civil rights organization’s three-decade record of both defending civil rights and condemning all forms of unjust violence, including terrorism. The letter also cites numerous rulings and independent reports debunking efforts to smear CAIR or link it to any foreign entities.

07:08 [ New York Post ]

Texas Gov. Abbott declares Muslim civil rights group CAIR a ‘terrorist’ organization

(November 18, 2025)

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott has formally labeled the Council on American-Islamic Relations, one of largest Muslim civil rights groups in the nation, a foreign terrorist organization.

In his Tuesday declaration, Abbott vowed to go after the Washington-based group, accusing them of having direct ties with Hamas and vowing to have the state attorney general “sue to shut them down” in Texas.

06:58 [ Wafa.ps ]

Presidency: Israel‘s war on Palestinians will not bring security or stability

RAMALLAH, November 28, 2025 (WAFA) – Nabil Abu Rudeineh, spokesperson for President Mahmoud Abbas, said today that Israel’s ongoing war against the Palestinian people in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank, including Jerusalem, will not achieve security or stability for anyone, and will not grant legitimacy to any measures taken by Israeli authorities.

He stated that the continued Israeli military offensive in Tubas for the third consecutive day, along with the aggression on Jenin and its refugee camp and on Tulkarm and its two refugee camps, will keep the region trapped in a cycle of violence and escalation.

28.11.2025 - 18:27 [ Atlantic Council ]

Putin wants to capture Ukraine’s crucial fortress belt without a fight

(August 28, 2025)

As US-led efforts to end the Russian invasion of Ukraine struggle to gain momentum, Vladimir Putin’s latest territorial demands include the surrender of strategically vital and heavily fortified Ukrainian land in the east of the country. Moscow is calling on Kyiv to unilaterally withdraw from the approximately one-third of Donetsk province that remains in Ukrainian hands as part of any peace deal. In other words, Putin aims to secure territory at the negotiating table that his army has been unable to conquer in more that three and a half years of full-scale war.

28.11.2025 - 01:32 [ CNN ]

US official says shooting suspect was vetted by intel agencies and “clean on all checks”

At the time, the CIA would have done its own vetting of him through a variety of databases, including the National Counterterrorism Center database, to see if he had any known ties to terrorist groups. The CIA did its own vetting before he started working with them and kept the identities of those they worked with secret, the official said.

NCTC would have vetted him again during Operation Allies Welcome in 2021 for any ties to terrorism before he was allowed into the US. He was clean then as well and did not show any ties to terror organizations, per the senior US official.

28.11.2025 - 01:29 [ Associated Press ]

Afghan national charged in Guard ambush shooting drove across US to carry out attack, officials say

Jeanine Pirro, the U.S. attorney for the District of Columbia, declined to provide a motive for Wednesday afternoon’s brazen act of violence which occurred just blocks from the White House. The presence of troops in the nation’s capital and other cities around the country has become a political flashpoint.

28.11.2025 - 01:20 [ NPR.org ]

National Guard shooting suspect served in CIA counterterrorism unit, group says

Rahmanullah Lakanwal, the Afghan man who allegedly shot two National Guard members in Washington, D.C., on Wednesday, previously served in one of Afghanistan‘s elite counterterrorism units, according to AfghanEvac, a nonprofit run by U.S. veterans and others who served in Afghanistan.

The unit was operated by the CIA with direct U.S. intelligence and military support, according to AfghanEvac.

28.11.2025 - 01:15 [ Tagesschau.de ]

Attentat auf Nationalgarde: Wie Trump den Angriff instrumentalisiert

Washingtons Bürgermeisterin und auch die örtliche Polizei haben sich immer wieder gegen den Einsatz der Nationalgarde in ihrer Stadt ausgesprochen. Der Bundesdistrikt Washington D.C. hatte sogar eine Klage gegen die Trump-Regierung eingereicht – und recht bekommen. Eine Bundesrichterin entschied vor etwa einer Woche, dass der immer wieder verlängerte Einsatz der Nationalgarde in der Stadt illegal sei.

Von dieser Entscheidung zeigt sich der US-Präsident aber unbeeindruckt. Nach den Schüssen auf die beiden Nationalgardisten fühlt er sich im Recht. Seinen Pentagon-Chef hat er jetzt sogar angewiesen, noch weitere 500 Nationalgardisten in die Hauptstadt zu schicken.

28.11.2025 - 00:45 [ Interfax.com.ua ]

Zelenskyy: Ukrainian, US delegations to meet to discuss security guarantees

President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy has confirmed a meeting of delegations of Ukraine and the United States at the end of this week to discuss, in particular, better diplomatic positions and security guarantees.

„Our team, together with American representatives, will already this week – at the end of the week – continue to bring the points that we have according to the results of Geneva closer to a form that will lead to peace and security guarantees. There will be a meeting of delegations. The Ukrainian delegation will be well prepared and tuned to substantive work,“ Zelenskyy said during his evening address.

28.11.2025 - 00:39 [ Kyiv Independent ]

Russia‘s coy game: Why Kremlin won‘t commit to Trump‘s peace push

There are signs that the Kremlin is not interested in a U.S.-brokered peace deal at all, with Russian President Vladimir Putin and other top officials reiterating maximalist demands and refusing to accept any compromise.

Instead of seeking peace, the Kremlin is trying to buy time and undermine Ukraine’s allies, analysts say. Another goal is to shift the blame to Kyiv by accusing it of rejecting Russian conditions that are effectively tantamount to capitulation.

26.11.2025 - 19:58 [ Donald J. Trump / Truth Social ]

Over the past week, my team has made tremendous progress with respect to ending the War between Russia and Ukraine (A War that would have NEVER started if I were President!). Last month 25,000 soldiers died.

The original 28-Point Peace Plan, which was drafted by the United States, has been fine-tuned, with additional input from both sides, and there are only a few remaining points of disagreement. In the hopes of finalizing this Peace Plan, I have directed my Special Envoy Steve Witkoff to meet with President Putin in Moscow and, at the same time, Secretary of the Army Dan Driscoll will be meeting with the Ukrainians. I will be briefed on all progress made, along with Vice President JD Vance, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Secretary of War Pete Hegseth, and White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles. I look forward to hopefully meeting with President Zelenskyy and President Putin soon, but ONLY when the deal to end this War is FINAL or, in its final stages. Thank you for your attention to this very important matter, and let’s all hope that PEACE can be accomplished AS SOON AS POSSIBLE!

26.11.2025 - 19:54 [ Kyiv Independent ]

Witkoff to meet Putin as US sends delegations to Ukraine, Russia in ‚hopes of finalizing‘ peace plan

U.S. Special Envoy Steve Witkoff is set to meet Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow as Washington aims to finalize a peace deal between Ukraine and Russia, U.S. President Donald Trump said on Nov. 25.

„In the hopes of finalizing this Peace Plan, I have directed my Special Envoy Steve Witkoff to meet with President Putin in Moscow and, at the same time, Secretary of the Army Dan Driscoll will be meeting with the Ukrainians,“ Trump said in a post to Truth Social.

26.11.2025 - 19:13 [ RFERL.org ]

Witkoff To Moscow. Zelenskyy Is Wary. A Phone Call Leaks. A Ukraine Peace Plan Coalesces.

“I know what it’s going to take to get a peace deal done: Donetsk and maybe a land swap somewhere,” Witkoff reportedly said.

Bloomberg did not say how it obtained the recording, which was likely made by US intelligence agencies who routinely monitor and eavesdrop on foreign officials’ conversations.

26.11.2025 - 18:46 [ theHill.com ]

Senate Democrats ask Hegseth, Bondi to declassify DOJ memo on drug boat strikes

(November 24, 2025)

Senate Democrats are asking Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Attorney General Pam Bondi to declassify and publicly release the Department of Justice (DOJ) Office of Legal Counsel’s classified, written opinion outlining the legal basis for the Trump administration’s strikes against alleged drug-trafficking boats in the Caribbean and Eastern Pacific.

Thirteen Senate Democrats, all members of the Senate Armed Services Committee, are demanding an “expeditious declassification and public release” of the classified opinion, which was drafted over the summer and argued that U.S. troops who participate in boat strikes, which have taken place on both sides of South America, cannot be prosecuted.

26.11.2025 - 17:57 [ Elissa Slotkin, U.S. Senator for Michigan ]

Slotkin Demands Declassification and Public Release of Information on the Trump Administration’s Lethal Airstrikes

Nov 24, 2025 | Press Release

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Elissa Slotkin (D-MI) joined members of the Senate Armed Services Committee in writing to Attorney General Pam Bondi and Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth requesting the declassification and public release of the Department of Justice Office of Legal Counsel (OLC) written opinion on the Trump Administration’s lethal airstrikes in the Caribbean Sea and eastern Pacific Ocean.

“Few decisions are more consequential for a democracy than the use of lethal force. We therefore believe that the declassification and public release of this important document would enhance transparency in the use of deadly force by our Nation’s military and is necessary to ensure Congress and the American people are fully informed of the legal justification supporting these strikes,” the Senators wrote.

26.11.2025 - 17:31 [ CNC3.co.tt ]

US Secretary of War visits region today; Maduro officials hold closed door talks

(November 25, 2025)

War Secretary Pete Hegseth will travel to Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, today to meet the country’s top leaders, including President Luis Abinader, Minister of Defence Lt Gen Carlos Antonio Fernández Onofre and other officials, the Associated Press reported yesterday.

The announcement came the same day that the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar met yesterday.

26.11.2025 - 17:30 [ Reuters ]

US military‘s Caine meets with Trinidad prime minister

(November 25, 2025)

Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General Dan Caine told Persad-Bissessar that the United States remained committed to working with Trinidad and Tobago to „address shared threats and deepen collaboration across the Caribbean,“ the Pentagon said.

26.11.2025 - 13:44 [ NPR.org ]

Sen. Mark Kelly: Trump and Hegseth don‘t ‚understand the Constitution‘

On Monday, the Pentagon announced an investigation into Kelly, a retired U.S. Navy fighter pilot, for possible violations of military law for appearing in the video. The video was published as legal questions swirl around the Trump administration‘s deployment of National Guard troops to U.S. cities.

While the White House has since walked back the president‘s remarks calling the Senators‘ video „seditious behavior, punishable by DEATH,“ Kelly told All Things Considered he thinks President Trump is „declaring that loyalty to the Constitution is punishable by death.“

26.11.2025 - 13:19 [ U.S. Representative Chrissy Houlahan ]

My Statement on FBI Request for Interviews

President Trump is using the FBI as a tool to intimidate and harass Members of Congress.

Yesterday, the FBI contacted the House and Senate Sergeants at Arms requesting interviews. No amount of intimidation or harassment will ever stop us from doing our jobs and honoring our Constitution.

We swore an oath to support and defend the Constitution of the United States. That oath lasts a lifetime, and we intend to keep it. We will not be bullied. We will never give up the ship.

26.11.2025 - 13:03 [ Congressman Chris Deluzio / X ]

President Trump is using the FBI as a tool to intimidate and harass members of Congress.

Yesterday, the FBI contacted the House and Senate Sergeants at Arms requesting interviews.

No amount of intimidation or harassment will ever stop us from doing our jobs and honoring our Constitution.

We swore an oath to support and defend the Constitution of the United States. That oath lasts a lifetime, and we intend to keep it. We will not be bullied. We will never give up the ship.

26.11.2025 - 12:54 [ Fox News ]

FBI scheduling interviews with 6 lawmakers who encouraged military members to refuse ‚illegal orders‘

On Monday, the Department of War announced that it has opened a formal review into allegations of misconduct against Kelly over the video.

The Pentagon said it may even call Kelly, a retired Navy captain, back to active duty to face court-martial proceedings or other administrative actions under the Uniform Code of Military Justice (UCMJ). Four of the other Democrats are former military, but not retired and therefore are not subject to the UCMJ, according to Secretary of War Pete Hegseth. Slotkin is a former CIA officer.

25.11.2025 - 18:31 [ Interfax.com.ua ]

Zelenskyy ready to meet with Trump during Thanksgiving to finalize agreement – ​​Yermak

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy wants to meet with President Trump „as soon as possible“ – possibly by Thanksgiving – to finalize a joint agreement between the United States and Ukraine on the terms of ending the war, said Andriy Yermak, head of the President’s Office of Ukraine.

„I hope the visit of President Zelenskyy will take place as soon as possible, because … it will be help President Trump to continue his historical mission to end this war,“ Yermak told Axios in an interview over Zoom Tuesday morning. „Because [Trump] can say: ‚Look, this is confirmed and agreed, our position with the Ukrainians. We support it, and we continue now to speak with the Russians.'“

24.11.2025 - 20:14 [ Tagesschau.de ]

Ukraine: Was ist der Stand bei den Verhandlungen zum Kriegsende?

Carsten Kühntopp berichtet aus dem ARD-Studio Washington, dass mehrere Formulierungen des Papiers tatsächlich wie direkte Übersetzungen aus dem Russischen ins Englischen klingen. Das US-Außenministerium dementierte jedoch: die Russen und Ukrainer hätten lediglich Input für den US-Plan geliefert.

Hochrangige Mitarbeiter in Außenministerium und Nationalem Sicherheitsrat erfuhren laut Kühntopp von dem Plan allerdings erst aus der Presse. Die Verwirrung um die Herkunft des Plans spreche entweder für ein chaotisches Vorgehen der Regierung oder für einen Machtkampf zwischen Rubio, Witkoff, Vizepräsident JD Vance und anderen um den richtigen Kurs gegenüber Russland.