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Trump sacks Rex Tillerson as Secretary of State
[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Mike Pompeo, CIA Director to head foreign office
Taking an expected move US President Donald Trump has sacked Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, citing differences, and replaced him with Mike Pompeo, the CIA director.
According to Washington Post, Trump asked Tillerson to leave the office last Friday forcing him to cut short his Africa visit and return on Monday. Though, decision was not made public but questions were being raised about his future.
There were reports in October last year about Trump looking for his replacement. Tillerson, former top executive of energy giant Exxon, joined as Secretary of State in February last year. Trump’s move is considered to be the biggest shake-up in his cabinet.
Differences between Donald Trump and Rex Tillerson were made public in October last year. Tillerson, while attending Pentagon meeting called Donald Trump a “moron” causing all time high discord between the two leaders.
President Donald Trump announced his decision of the shake-up through his tweet.[/vc_column_text][vc_raw_html]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[/vc_raw_html][vc_column_text]Rex Tillerson had differing opinion on several important issues with President Donald Trump especially on Iran nuclear deal, gulf crisis and North Korea.
This was reiterated by Trump on Tuesday when he said, “We disagreed on things,” adding that they “were not really thinking the same”.
Tillerson had criticised Saudi Arabia, UAE, Bahrain and Egypt for severing diplomatic and trade ties with Qatar in June last year from the very beginning. He was in favor of easing the blockade which was against Trump’s initial support for the move. Saudi led quartet took the tough decision days after Trump’s maiden foreign trip to the Kingdom meeting more than 50 heads of Muslim states in Riyadh.
Tillerson was not supporting Trump’s move on Iran Nuclear deal signed by P5+1 with Tehran during earlier dispensation of Barack Obama. Tillerson had repeatedly dispelled speculation that Trump would completely scrap the agreement.
On the other hand, unlike Tillerson, Mike Pompeo is very close to Trump’s thinking on these issues. Pompeo has been a staunch critic of the 2015 Iran deal, calling it “disastrous”. He had reportedly said in October that Iran was “mounting a ruthless drive to be the hegemonic power in the region”.
Pompeo is also known to be one of the most hawkish voices on North Korea in Trump’s inner circle. He was criticised by the Muslim community and others in 2013, for saying that their silence on violence committed by “extremists” was “deafening”.
He reportedly said, “Instead of responding, silence has made these Islamic leaders across America potentially complicit in these acts, and more importantly still, in those that may well follow.”
Associated France Press (AFP) has quoted an unknown source in Washington saying “The president wanted to make sure to have his new team in place in advance of the upcoming talk with North Korea.” Recently Trump had accepted an invitation to meet North Korea’s Kim Jong-un, after a long diplomatic standoff.
Lawrence Korb, a former US assistant secretary of defence told Aljazeera that Trump’s decision to dismiss Tillerson is “evidence of poor judgement. It will be very hard for Director Pompeo to be confirmed and be in charge by the time they have this meeting, which will be in less than two months.”
“And it’s not just a question of Pompeo. The question is what other people do you have? For example, we don’t have any ambassador to South Korea yet. The person in the state department in charge of North Korea retired in February.”
Trump said in a statement on Tuesday that Pompeo has a “proven record of working across the aisle. I have gotten to know Mike very well over the past 14 months, and I am confident he is the right person for the job at this critical juncture.” Trump told reporters outside the White House that he and Pompeo “have a similar thought process”.
Mike Pompeo is a graduate of the US Military Academy at West Point and Harvard Law School. He also served as an army officer.
However, Both Pompeo and Haspel will need to be confirmed by the Senate.
Sackings and resignations have become a new normal in US administration under President Donald Trump. Till date approximately twenty important sackings and resignations have taken place since Trump occupied White House on 20th January 2017.
London based Telegraph reports that it was a catchphrase from his days as host of The Apprentice, a reality talent game show, and now in White House, Donald Trump has shown he’s still happy to tell someone: You’re fired.
The list of departures, including dismissals and resignations, from his administration has been rising rapidly. FBI Director James Coomey, while leading investigation into possible collusion between Trump campaign team and Russians was fired in May last year. Sally Yates, US Attorney General was fired in January after she ordered Justice Department lawyers not to enforce Trump’s controversial immigration ban.
Micheal Flynn, National Security Advisor resigned in February after his disclosure that he had discussed US sanctions on Russia with the Russian ambassador to US before Trump took office. Preeet Bharara, former leading prosecutor was sacked after he refused an order from Attorney General to resign.
Rex Tillerson is the 20th important casualty in Trump’s administration who is ousted from his position. Observers believe that the only exception in his case is that he could successfully delay his departure by five months despite his “moron” comments because of his sudden “damage control” measures.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]
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Former Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan, Mahmood Qureshi held guilty in cipher case
The PTI leaders’ trial has been requested by the FIA, and it is expected that they would be sentenced in accordance with the law.
Former Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan and former foreign minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi were found guilty on Saturday by Pakistan’s top investigating agency in the cypher case, a case involving the alleged exposure of state secrets.
The charge sheet against Khan, the Tehreek-e-Insaf party chairman, and Qureshi, who are both presently being held in custody on judicial remand, was submitted by the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) to a special court set up under the Official Secrets Act, according to the Pakistan Observer website.
Imran Khan, 70, was detained last month following the filing of a complaint against him for allegedly breaking the Official Secrets Act by revealing a covert diplomatic cable (cypher) issued by the nation’s embassy in Washington last year in March.
The PTI leaders’ trial has been requested by the FIA, and it is expected that they would be sentenced in accordance with the law.
The vice chairman of PTI is 75-year-old Shah Mahmood Qureshi. Asad Umar, the former general secretary of the PTI, is not on the FIA’s list of suspects, but former principal secretary Azam Khan has been portrayed as a key witness in the FIA’s case against Imran Khan, according to GeoTV, a well-known news outlet. The challan also contains Azam Khan’s statement recorded under sections 161 and 164.
The speeches by Shah Mahmood Qureshi and Imran Khan from March 27 are also included in the FIA’s attachment.
The Pakistan Observer further noted that the FIA had provided the court with a list of 28 witnesses in addition to the charge sheet. According to the report, the list of witnesses includes names such as current foreign secretary Asad Majid, previous foreign secretary Sohail Mahmood, and additional foreign secretary Faisal Niaz Tirmizi.
Imran Khan had been imprisoned on remand three times earlier on September 26. Along with Qureshi, his judicial remand was initially extended until September 13 and then again until September 26.
The former PM was transferred from Attock prison to the Adiala Jail in Rawalpindi on the same day, one day after the Islamabad High Court instructed authorities to do so.
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Pakistan: 34 killed, 130 injured after blast near mosque in Balochistan
City Station House Officer (SHO) Mohammad Javed Lehri asserted that the explosion was a suicide blast
In a tragic incident, nearly 34 people were killed and more than 130 people were injured in a suicide blast near a mosque in Pakistan’s restive Balochistan province on Friday, according to reports. The incident took place when people were gathering for a rally to celebrate the birthday of Prophet Muhammad. Reports state that the explosion occurred near Madina Mosque in the Mastung district.
Mastung’s Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Nawaz Gashkori, who was on duty for the rally, was among the deceased. The explosion took place when hundreds of people were gathering to mark Eid Miladun Nabi, the birth anniversary of Prophet Muhammad.
Speaking about the matter, City Station House Officer (SHO) Mohammad Javed Lehri asserted that the explosion was a suicide blast and that the bomber exploded when he himself was standing next to DSP’s car. Mohammad Javed Lehri further affirmed that the wounded are being shifted to a medical facility for immediate treatment while an emergency has been imposed in the hospitals.
Local media reports quoted Dr Saeed Mirwani, who is the chief executive officer of Shaheed Nawab Ghous Bakhsh Raisani Memorial Hospital as saying that nearly 34 people were killed and more than 130 people were injured in the blast in Balochistan. Some of the injured are in critical condition, as per reports.
Balochistan interim Information Minister Jan Achakzai stated that rescue teams have been dispatched to Mastung. He further added that the critically injured persons are being transferred to Quetta and that an emergency has been implemented in all the hospitals.
Jan Achakzai underlined that the enemy wants to destroy religious tolerance and peace in Balochistan with foreign blessings. He added that the explosion was unbearable.
He also affirmed that caretaker Chief Minister Ali Mardan Domki has directed concerned authorities to arrest those responsible for the blast. In addition, interim Interior Minister Sarfraz Ahmed Bugti strongly condemned the blast.
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Hardeep Singh Nijjar killing: Canada is committed to building closer ties with India despite credible allegations, says Canadian PM Justin Trudeau
Canadian Prime Minister stated that the US has assured that Secretary of State Antony Blinken would be raising the allegations made publicly about India’s role in Nijjar’s murder during the meeting with External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar.
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on Friday asserted that Canada is still committed to building closer ties with India, despite credible allegations that the Indian government was involved in the killing of Khalistani terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar.
Addressing a press conference, the Prime Minister said that India is a growing economic power and important geopolitical player. He added that as they presented their Indo-Pacific strategy last year, they are very serious about building closer ties with India.
Justin Trudeau underlined that at the same time, as a rule of law country, they need to emphasises that India needs to work with Canada to ascertain that they get the full facts of this matter. He further mentioned that he thinks it is extremely important that Canada and its allies continue to engage constructively and seriously with India.
In addition, the Canadian Prime Minister also stated that the US has assured that Secretary of State Antony Blinken would be raising the allegations made publicly about India’s role in Nijjar’s murder during the meeting with External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar.
He noted that the Americans have been with them in speaking to the Indian government about how important it is that they be involved in following up on the credible allegations that agents of the Indian government killed a Canadian citizen on Canadian soil.
Referring to Canada’s charges about the killing of Khalistani terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar, Justin Trudeau stated that this is something that all democratic countries, all countries that respect the rule of law, need to take seriously. He added that his country is moving forward in a thoughtful, responsible way anchored in the rule of law along with all their partners, including the approach of the Government of India.
In the past few days, there has been an escalating diplomatic standoff between India and Canada after PN Justin Trudeau told the Canadian House of Commons that the Canadian security agencies had been actively pursuing credible allegations of a potential link between agents of the Indian government and killing of Hardeep Singh Nijjar.
