Biden Extends State of Emergency in Syria, Iraq, Yemen

An American patrol in Syria’s Manbij in March 2018. (AP)
An American patrol in Syria’s Manbij in March 2018. (AP)
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Biden Extends State of Emergency in Syria, Iraq, Yemen

An American patrol in Syria’s Manbij in March 2018. (AP)
An American patrol in Syria’s Manbij in March 2018. (AP)

US President Joe Biden has extended the state of emergency in Syria, Iraq and Yemen, pointing out that the turbulent internal conditions in these countries continue to pose an unusual and extraordinary threat to US national security.

Biden sent a letter to the Federal Register for publication the enclosed notice stating that the national emergency with respect to the actions of the Syrian government is to continue in effect beyond May 11.

“The regime’s brutality and repression of the Syrian people, who have called for freedom and a representative government, not only endangers the Syrian people themselves, but also generates instability throughout the region,” the letter read.

It stressed that the regime’s actions and policies, including with respect to chemical weapons and supporting terrorist organizations, continue to pose an unusual and extraordinary threat to the US national security, foreign policy and economy.

The United Stated condemned the brutal violence and human rights violations and abuses of Bashar al-Assad’s regime and its Russian and Iranian enablers.

It called on the regime, and its backers, to stop its violent war against its own people, enact a nationwide ceasefire, facilitate the unhindered delivery of humanitarian assistance to all Syrians in need and negotiate a political settlement in Syria, in line with United Nations Security Council Resolution 2254.

Biden said the US will consider changes in policies and actions of the Syrian government in determining whether to continue or terminate this national emergency in the future.

On May 11, 2004, the US declared a national emergency with respect to the actions of the Syrian government. It imposed sanctions against the Assad regime and accused it of supporting terrorist organizations in Lebanon and Iraq.

Biden also decided to extend the state of emergency in Iraq, stating that it is to continue in effect beyond May 22.

“Obstacles to the orderly reconstruction of Iraq, the restoration and maintenance of peace and security in the country, and the development of political, administrative, and economic institutions in Iraq continue to pose an unusual and extraordinary threat to the national security and foreign policy of the United States,” he said in a letter to the Federal Register.

He also called for extending the state of emergency in Yemen, noting that it is to continue in effect beyond May 16.

Biden said the actions and policies of certain former members of the Yemeni government and others in threatening the country’s peace, security, and stability continue to pose an unusual and extraordinary threat to the national security and foreign policy of the United States.



Trump Says Must End Conflict in Lebanon

 Republican presidential nominee and former US President Donald Trump reacts after complaining about its sound during a campaign in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, US November 1, 2024. (Reuters)
Republican presidential nominee and former US President Donald Trump reacts after complaining about its sound during a campaign in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, US November 1, 2024. (Reuters)
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Trump Says Must End Conflict in Lebanon

 Republican presidential nominee and former US President Donald Trump reacts after complaining about its sound during a campaign in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, US November 1, 2024. (Reuters)
Republican presidential nominee and former US President Donald Trump reacts after complaining about its sound during a campaign in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, US November 1, 2024. (Reuters)

Republican US presidential candidate Donald Trump on Friday, speaking to an audience including Arab Americans in the battleground state of Michigan, said it was time to get the Israel-Lebanon conflict over with.

"I know many people from Lebanon and we have to get this whole thing over with," he said.

Trump on Friday met with Arab Americans in Dearborn, Michigan — the nation’s largest Arab-majority city — as the Republican presidential nominee works to court the potentially decisive group despite his history of Islamophobic rhetoric and policy.

Trump was greeted with cheers and applause from a modest crowd at The Great Commoner restaurant in one of his campaign’s final attempts to garner support in the key battleground state.

Metro Detroit is home to the nation’s largest concentration of Arab Americans, with a large chunk of them living in Dearborn. The city — which Democrat Joe Biden won by a 3-to-1 margin in 2020 — has been roiled by political turmoil, with many upset with the Biden-Harris administration’s handling of the Israel-Hamas war.

Democrats worry that anger over the war will lead traditionally loyal voters to shift their votes to Trump or third-party candidates like Jill Stein — or skip the top of the ballot altogether. This could prove pivotal in Michigan, a state both parties see as a toss-up.

While the Democratic presidential nominee, Vice President Kamala Harris, has been working through surrogates to ease community tensions, Trump’s visit marked the first by either candidate, according to a local leader, Osama Siblani. Earlier this year, Harris met with the city’s Democratic mayor, Abdullah Hammoud, though their discussion took place outside Dearborn.

The meeting with Arab supporters Friday follows Trump’s rally in Michigan last week, when he brought local Muslims up onstage with him. Trump has also received endorsements from two Democratic mayors of Muslim-majority cities.

"It is time to prioritize our nation’s best interests and foster lasting peace for all," Albert Abbas, an Arab American, said Friday while standing next to Trump. "This current administration has failed miserably in all aspects of humanity."

He added, "We look to a Trump presidency with hope and envisioning a time where peace flourishes, particularly in Lebanon and Palestine."

While many Democratic leaders in the Arab community have not endorsed Harris, they are still deeply negative toward Trump and say his endorsements don’t reflect a majority of the community. They remember his call for a "total and complete shutdown" on Muslims entering the country and his travel restrictions on visitors from Muslim-majority countries. And some point out that Trump has suggested he would give Israel even more leeway to attack its rivals in the region.

Top community leaders in Dearborn, including Hammoud, declined an invitation to meet with Trump while he was in town. Many community leaders say that while Harris has never earned their endorsement, they are still overwhelmingly opposed to Trump.

Siblani, a prominent figure in the community who has engaged with Democratic leaders about ongoing tensions, noted that many "do not trust" Trump because of his past policies and remarks. However, he emphasized the significance of Trump’s visit to Dearborn.

"Kamala should have done this months ago," Siblani said.

Harris defended her record on the issue Friday, telling reporters that she’s "proud to have significant amount of support from the Arab American community," while adding that she continues to push for a ceasefire in Gaza and the release of hostages.

Israel invaded Gaza after Hamas’ Oct. 7, 2023, attack and last month launched an invasion of Lebanon to suppress Hezbollah, the party that has continuously launched rockets into Israeli territory. At least 43,000 people have died in Gaza, according to Gaza’s health ministry, which does not distinguish in its death toll between combatants and civilians.

Abbas said Trump allies had reached out to him several weeks ago about hosting Trump in Dearborn. Before hosting Trump, Abbas said he wanted to see a statement from Trump that he said showed Trump "has the intentions of ending the war and helping us rebuild Lebanon and helping the displaced and the injured."

That statement came Wednesday, when Trump posted on X that he wanted to "stop the suffering and destruction in Lebanon."

"I will preserve the equal partnership among all Lebanese communities," Trump said on X. "Your friends and family in Lebanon deserve to live in peace, prosperity, and harmony with their neighbors, and that can only happen with peace and stability in the Middle East."

Once Trump put out the statement, Abbas said he agreed to host the event.