Trump chooses Pam Bondi for attorney general pick after Gaetz withdraws amid fallout over sex trafficking probe

Trump chooses Pam Bondi for attorney general pick after Gaetz withdraws amid fallout over sex trafficking probe
Former Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi, left, and former US Representative Matt Gaetz. (AP/AFP)
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Updated 22 November 2024
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Trump chooses Pam Bondi for attorney general pick after Gaetz withdraws amid fallout over sex trafficking probe

Trump chooses Pam Bondi for attorney general pick after Gaetz withdraws amid fallout over sex trafficking probe
  • "It is clear that my confirmation was unfairly becoming a distraction to the critical work of the Trump/Vance Transition,” Gaetz said
  • Bondi is a longtime Trump ally and was one of his lawyers during his first impeachment trial when he was accused of abusing his power

WASHINGTON: President-elect Donald Trump on Thursday named Pam Bondi, the former attorney general of Florida, to be US attorney general just hours after his other choice, Matt Gaetz, withdrew his name from consideration.
Bondi is a longtime Trump ally and was one of his lawyers during his first impeachment trial, when he was accused — but not convicted — of abusing his power as he tried to condition US military assistance to Ukraine on that country investigating then-former Vice President Joe Biden.
Bondi was among a group of Republicans who showed up to support Trump at his hush money criminal trial in New York that ended in May with a conviction on 34 felony counts. She’s been a chair at the America First Policy Institute, a think tank set up by former Trump administration staffers.
“For too long, the partisan Department of Justice has been weaponized against me and other Republicans — Not anymore,” Trump said in a social media post. “Pam will refocus the DOJ to its intended purpose of fighting Crime, and Making America Safe Again.”
Trump’s son Donald Trump Jr. told Fox Business on Sunday that the transition team had backups in mind for his controversial nominees should they fail to get confirmed. The swift selection of Bondi came about six hours after Gaetz withdrew.
Gaetz stepped aside amid continued fallout over a federal sex trafficking investigation that cast doubt on his ability to be confirmed as the nation’s chief federal law enforcement officer.

 

That announcement capped a turbulent eight-day period in which Trump sought to capitalize on his decisive election win to force Senate Republicans to accept provocative selections like Gaetz, who had been investigated by the Justice Department before being tapped last week to lead it. The decision could heighten scrutiny on other controversial Trump nominees, including Pentagon pick Pete Hegseth, who faces sexual assault allegations that he denies.
“While the momentum was strong, it is clear that my confirmation was unfairly becoming a distraction to the critical work of the Trump/Vance Transition,” Gaetz, a Florida Republican who one day earlier met with senators in an effort to win their support, said in a statement.
“There is no time to waste on a needlessly protracted Washington scuffle, thus I’ll be withdrawing my name from consideration to serve as Attorney General. Trump’s DOJ must be in place and ready on Day 1,” he added. Hours later, Gaetz posted on social media that he looks “forward to continuing the fight to save our country,” adding, “Just maybe from a different post.”
Trump, in a social media post, said: “I greatly appreciate the recent efforts of Matt Gaetz in seeking approval to be Attorney General. He was doing very well but, at the same time, did not want to be a distraction for the Administration, for which he has much respect. Matt has a wonderful future, and I look forward to watching all of the great things he will do!”
Last week, Trump named personal lawyers Todd Blanche, Emil Bove and D. John Sauer to senior roles in the department. Another possible attorney general contender, Matt Whitaker, was announced Wednesday as the US ambassador to NATO.
Bondi, too, is a longtime loyalist. She has been a vocal critic of the criminal cases against Trump as well as Jack Smith, the special counsel who charged Trump in two federal cases. In one radio appearance, she blasted Smith and other prosecutors who have charged Trump as “horrible” people she said were trying to make names for themselves by “going after Donald Trump and weaponizing our legal system.”
If confirmed by the Republican-led Senate, Bondi would instantly become one of the most closely watched members of Trump’s Cabinet given the Republican’s threat to pursue retribution against perceived adversaries and concern among Democrats that he will look to bend the Justice Department to his will. A recent Supreme Court opinion not only conferred broad immunity on former presidents but also affirmed a president’s exclusive authority over the Justice Department’s investigative functions.
Bondi would inherit a Justice Department expected to pivot sharply on civil rights, corporate enforcement and the prosecutions of hundreds of Trump supporters charged in the Jan. 6, 2021, riot at the US Capitol — defendants whom Trump has pledged to pardon.
It’s unlikely that Bondi would be confirmed in time to overlap with Smith, who brought two federal indictments against Trump that are both expected to wind down before the incoming president takes office. Special counsels are expected to produce reports on their work that historically are made public, but it remains unclear when such a document might be released.
In 2013, while serving as Florida attorney general, Bondi publicly apologized for asking that the execution of a man convicted of murder be delayed because it conflicted with a campaign fundraiser.
Bondi said she was wrong and sorry for requesting then-Gov. Rick Scott push back the execution of Marshall Lee Gore by three weeks.
Before she ran for state attorney general in 2010, Bondi worked for the Hillsborough County state attorney.


Venezuela builds infrastructure in fragile ecosystems

Venezuela builds infrastructure in fragile ecosystems
Updated 5 sec ago
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Venezuela builds infrastructure in fragile ecosystems

Venezuela builds infrastructure in fragile ecosystems

VENEZUELA: A push by Venezuela to attract tourists and boost its flailing economy by building infrastructure including runways and hotels is doing environmental damage to ecologically delicate areas, especially fragile Caribbean coral reefs already threatened by climate change, conservationists, scientists, government sources and locals say.

The government of President Nicolas Maduro, who blames US sanctions for his country’s economic crisis, has called tourism the economy’s “secret weapon.”

The push has so far failed to attract foreign investors, sources say, despite a Tourism Ministry meeting with French businesspeople and public overtures from Maduro to investors as recently as this month.

But the infrastructure effort is already drawing criticism from biologists, activists and locals, with one conservation group alleging at least one major infrastructure project is illegal.

The runway at the main airport serving Los Roques National Park — an archipelago of 45 islands, cays and crystalline waters spread over 550,000 acres in the Caribbean and recognized by the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands — was expanded to 1,300 meters this year from 800 meters, allowing larger planes to land.

The extension destroyed coral, mangroves and a nesting beach for the critically endangered Eretmochelys imbricata turtle, covering it with asphalt and rocks, “among other disturbances that will affect the natural resources of the park,” the Venezuelan Ecological Society said in a report.

Maduro, who has also promoted foreign investment in a project to construct 10 hotels on the nearly virgin La Tortuga Island, says his plans respect the environment.

“Important investors from all over are coming, many from the Arab world, many from Turkey, many from Iran, from China, from India, from Brazil to invest in tourism,” he said on state television in November, hailing “the growth of hotels, guesthouses and tourist services across the country.”


Egypt’s El-Sisi discusses Gaza ‘suffering’ on Dublin visit

Ireland's Prime Minister Simon Harris welcomes Egypt's President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi at Farmleigh House, in Dublin, on Dec. 11.
Ireland's Prime Minister Simon Harris welcomes Egypt's President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi at Farmleigh House, in Dublin, on Dec. 11.
Updated 3 min 32 sec ago
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Egypt’s El-Sisi discusses Gaza ‘suffering’ on Dublin visit

Ireland's Prime Minister Simon Harris welcomes Egypt's President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi at Farmleigh House, in Dublin, on Dec. 11.
  • El-Sisi praised Dublin’s “courageous positions" in support of the Palestinian cause

DUBLIN: Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi met his Irish counterpart Michael Higgins and prime minister Simon Harris Wednesday for talks on the war in Gaza and boosting bilateral ties.
The two heads of state discussed the Middle East situation, including the political upheaval in Syria, according to a statement from Higgins’s office.
“The outrageous suffering in the absence of a ceasefire in Gaza was the central part of their discussion,” the statement added.
There had also been “agreement on the need to expand international recognition of the Palestinian state,” said Egyptian presidential spokesman Mohamed Al-Shenawy.
Ireland is among several European countries which in May formally recognized the State of Palestine, drawing anger from Israel.
El-Sisi praised Dublin’s “courageous positions in support of the Palestinian cause,” Shenawy added in a statement.
Eight Gazan children and their families, currently in Cairo, will soon be medically evacuated to Ireland, the Irish statement said.
El-Sisi later held a working lunch with Harris, who said before the meeting that he would raise the case of an Irish mother whose children have been kept by their father in Egypt since 2022.
The Dublin visit was the final leg of a European tour by El-Sisi that included stops in Norway and Denmark.
It marked the first trip to Ireland by an Egyptian president since Hosni Mubarak visited in 2006.


Indian state explores strategic cooperation with Saudi Arabia in mining, food security

Indian state explores strategic cooperation with Saudi Arabia in mining, food security
Updated 43 min 18 sec ago
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Indian state explores strategic cooperation with Saudi Arabia in mining, food security

Indian state explores strategic cooperation with Saudi Arabia in mining, food security
  • Kingdom keen on attracting Rajasthani talent in technology, healthcare, engineering
  • Saudi Arabia sent the largest delegation to Rising Rajasthan Global Investment Summit

JAIPUR: The Indian state of Rajasthan is preparing for new collaborations with Saudi Arabia, its industry and commerce minister said, following meetings with the Kingdom’s delegation to the region’s first international investment summit in Jaipur.

India’s largest state by area hosted the first Rising Rajasthan Global Investment Summit this week to draw foreign cooperation, as it seeks to double its gross domestic product to $350 billion in the next five years.

Representatives from over 20 countries, including Saudi Arabia, the UAE, the UK, Australia, Japan and Russia, were present during the three-day event that concluded on Wednesday.

The Saudi Ministry of Investment, which set up an Invest Saudi pavilion at the forum, brought 16 delegates for prospective cooperation talks with Indian businesses.

“It was the biggest delegation. I must thank the Saudi Arabian government for this initiative,” Rajasthan Industry Minister Rajyavardhan Rathore told Arab News after a meeting with Saudi delegates on Tuesday evening.

“I see the partnership between the two nations growing stronger. As it is very strong politically, I think even in terms of business, we can move much closer … We had a wonderful interaction. They have already begun to show their interest in mining.”

Rajasthan, with its expansive desert landscapes hosting numerous photovoltaic plants, leads India in solar energy production. The state is also the top producer of marble, home to the country’s largest lead mines, and holds rich deposits of copper and rare-earth elements.

“It’s one of the best places to invest in India … There are multiple sectors that Saudi companies could be interested in,” Rathore said.

“We have a lot of land, we have a lot of sun, and we have multiple sectors, including minerals, mining, renewable energy, petrochemical, logistics, infrastructure, education, agro-based products — innumerable (sectors).”

Cooperation in the hospitality industry was also on the table. Rajasthan has nine sites on the UNESCO World Heritage list, including Jaipur city, six forts built between the fifth and 18th centuries, and Keoladeo National Park, which hosts thousands of native, resident and migratory birds.

“We have discussed if multiple hotels can be set up because tourism is quite big,” Rathore said. “We also discussed the possibility of a Saudi company investing in a luxury train.”

Abdullah Al-Arfaj, director of international relations for South and West Asia at the Saudi Ministry of Investment, told Arab News after talks with the industry minister that discussions “centered around key areas such as agriculture, food security, mining, healthcare, education, and human resources.”

Cooperation in agriculture would focus on innovative practices and establishing reliable supply chains, while in mining it would “develop Rajasthan’s mineral wealth, utilizing Saudi expertise in mining and resource management,” he said, adding that the Kingdom was also keen on attracting top talent from Rajasthan to the sectors of technology, healthcare and engineering.

“These collaborative areas align with our shared priorities and present significant opportunities for long-term economic and social impact,” Al-Arfaj said.

“We explored opportunities to leverage Rajasthan’s strengths in these sectors while aligning with Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 goals to promote economic diversification and sustainable development.”


Russia vows retaliation after Ukrainian ATACMS strike

Russia vows retaliation after Ukrainian ATACMS strike
Updated 11 December 2024
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Russia vows retaliation after Ukrainian ATACMS strike

Russia vows retaliation after Ukrainian ATACMS strike
  • Putin has previously threatened to launch a hypersonic ballistic missile at the center of Kyiv if Ukraine did not halt its attacks on Russian territory using US-supplied ATACMS missiles
  • One US official said Wednesday that Russia might soon target Ukraine with another of its new Oreshnik missiles

MOSCOW: Russia on Wednesday vowed retribution against Ukraine, accusing Kyiv of firing Western-supplied missiles on a military airfield in its southern Rostov region.
President Vladimir Putin has previously threatened to launch a hypersonic ballistic missile at the center of Kyiv if Ukraine did not halt its attacks on Russian territory using US-supplied ATACMS missiles.
And one US official said Wednesday that Russia might soon target Ukraine with another of its new Oreshnik missiles.
Hours after Ukraine’s overnight attack, Russia claimed its troops had recaptured territory in its western Kursk region, where Ukraine occupies swathes of territory.
And Putin told Hungary’s Prime Minister Viktor Orban that Kyiv’s “destructive” approach made a peace deal impossible.
Kyiv has been on edge since Russia fired its nuclear-capable Oreshnik missile at the city of Dnipro last month in a major escalation of the nearly three-year conflict.
Putin called that retaliation for Kyiv firing US ATACMS and British Storm Shadow long-range missiles against targets on Russian territory.
In the latest attack, Russia’s defense ministry said Wednesday that Ukraine fired six ATACMS missiles at a military airfield in Taganrog, a port city in the southern Rostov region.
“Two of the missiles were shot down by the combat crew of the Pantsir air defense system, while the others were deflected by electronic warfare equipment,” the ministry added.
It said no military personnel were hurt but that falling shrapnel “slightly damaged” military vehicles and buildings nearby.
“This attack by Western long-range weapons will not go unanswered and appropriate measures will be taken,” it added.
And one US official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said Wednesday: “Russia has signalled its intent to launch another experimental Oreshnik missile at Ukraine, potentially in the coming days.”
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky had earlier hailed “tangible blows against Russian targets last night,” which he said would help bring peace closer.
In a post on Telegram he said Ukraine had hit “military facilities on the territory of Russia, as well as facilities of the fuel and energy complex, which is working for aggression against our state and people.”
Ukraine’s general staff earlier claimed it had hit an oil depot in Russia’s Bryansk border region, also in an overnight strike.
Videos purportedly taken in the Bryansk region showed a distant fireball illuminating the night sky over an urban area, while air raid sirens could be heard in footage from the southern Rostov region.
Both sides have ramped up aerial attacks in recent weeks, seeking to boost their positions on the battlefield ahead as ceasefire talks build ahead of US President-elect Donald Trump coming to power next month.
Ukrainian officials said Wednesday the death toll from a Russian missile strike on the southern city of Zaporizhzhia a day earlier had climbed to nine.
And Russia’s army said it had recaptured two villages in the western Kursk region, where Kyiv has been waging a cross-border offensive since August.
Hungary’s Orban, who met Trump in Florida earlier this week, held a call with Putin on Wednesday to discuss the Ukraine conflict, drawing scorn from Kyiv.
During the call — which was requested by Orban — Putin said that Ukraine had adopted a “destructive” position that ruled out any agreement between Moscow and Kyiv.
The Kremlin said Orban had “expressed interest in assisting the joint search for political-diplomatic paths to resolve the crisis.”
Zelensky blasted Orban for talking to the Kremlin leader, saying it risked undermining European unity against Russia.
“No one should boost (their) personal image at the expense of unity, everyone should focus on shared success. Unity in Europe has always been key to achieving it,” Zelensky said in a post on X.


EU says asylum rights can be suspended for migrants ‘weaponized’ by Russia and Belarus

EU says asylum rights can be suspended for migrants ‘weaponized’ by Russia and Belarus
Updated 11 December 2024
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EU says asylum rights can be suspended for migrants ‘weaponized’ by Russia and Belarus

EU says asylum rights can be suspended for migrants ‘weaponized’ by Russia and Belarus
  • The number of migrants arriving at the borders of EU member states from Belarus has increased by 66 percent this year
  • The commission monitors EU laws to ensure that they are respected

BRUSSELS: The European Union on Wednesday gave a greenlight to Poland and other countries on Europe’s eastern flank to temporarily suspend asylum rights when they believe that Belarus and Russia are “weaponizing” migrants to destabilize the bloc.
Poland’s Prime Minister Donald Tusk announced plans in October to introduce a law that would suspend asylum applications for up to 60 days as his country struggles with migratory pressures on its border with Belarus, angering human rights groups. The freeze has not yet been enacted.
The number of migrants arriving at the borders of EU member states from Belarus has increased by 66 percent this year, compared with 2023. Belarus authorities are accused of helping migrants to get into Europe, including by supplying them with ladders and other devices, according to the European Commission.
The EU’s executive branch also accuses Russian authorities of “facilitating these movements, given that more than 90 percent of migrants illegally crossing the Polish-Belarusian border have a Russian student or tourist visa.”
It said that “in view of the serious nature of the threat, as well as its persistence,” EU member countries can temporarily suspend a migrant’s request for international protection in exceptional circumstances. Some migrants are accused of attacking border guards.
The commission monitors EU laws to ensure that they are respected. The right for people to seek asylum when they fear for their lives or safety in their home countries is encoded in the bloc’s legislation and international law.
European Commission Executive Vice President Henna Virkkunen said a freeze on asylum rights should only be used “when the weaponization is posing security threats for member states and exceptional measures are needed.”
Member states would be permitted to restrict a migrant’s access to asylum rights, but only under “very strict conditions and (with)in legal limits,” she said. “So it means that they have to be truly exceptional, temporary, proportionate and for clearly defined cases.”
Virkkunen, who declined to provide details, said the commission is providing 170 million euros ($179 million) to Poland, Finland, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania and non-EU country Norway to boost their border defenses, including upgrading electronic surveillance equipment, installing mobile detectors, improving telecommunication networks, and countering drones that might be sent into EU airspace.