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Trump extends Obama-era sanctions against Gaddafi's family
White House says decision seeks to 'protect against the diversion of assets' by Gaddafi's family and associates
US President Donald Trump has extended sanctions against the family of Libya's former strongman Muammar Gaddafi, citing ongoing fighting in the North African country for the decision. In a letter sent to Congress late Thursday, Trump said that sanctions put in place by the Obama administration would be extended by one year because the situation in Libya posed an "extraordinary threat" to US foreign policy.
In February 2011, the administration of former President Barack Obama issued Executive Order 13566, a national emergency that froze Gaddafi's assets along with those of his family, associates and senior officials within his government.
"We need to protect against the diversion of assets or other abuse by persons hindering Libyan national reconciliation, including Gaddafi's family and associates," Trump's letter read.
"Therefore, I have determined it is necessary to continue the national emergency with respect to Libya."
While Trump said in the letter that Washington needs to prevent "abuse by persons hindering Libyan national reconciliation", US senators have criticised the president for not doing enough to stop the ongoing conflict.
During a Senate hearing last week, Senator Chris Murphy pointed to the UAE's interference in Libya, questioning why the US had not used pressure tools to influence the Gulf country's actions in the conflict.
"They are one - if not the primary - actor funding much of the activity in Libya today, and yet we are still in business with the UAE," Murphy said, pointing to the Trump administration's emergency order that provided $8bn in arms sales to Saudi Arabia and the UAE last year.
The arms embargo has become a joke
Libya has been plagued by chaos since a Nato-backed uprising toppled Gaddafi in 2011, with rival powers seeking to fill the power vacuum left by the longtime leader's death.
The country is currently split between two rival administrations: the GNA, led by Prime Minister Fayez al-Sarraj, and the House of Representatives based in the eastern city of Tobruk, which is linked to military commander Khalifa Haftar.
Haftar's forces have since last April led an offensive on Tripoli, which is controlled by the UN-recognised GNA, but have failed to penetrate the city and are restricted to the city's outskirts.
On Tuesday, the GNA suspended UN-sponsored peace talks over the battle for Tripoli after Haftar's forces shelled the capital's port, killing three people and almost hitting a highly explosive gas tanker. The UN condemned the attack and urged both parties to resume talks.
Libya has also been under an international arms embargo since the 2011 uprising, though it has been routinely violated by different groups, according to the UN. Haftar is backed by the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Egypt, Jordan, Sudanese and Chadian fighters and most recently, Russian mercenaries.
"The arms embargo has become a joke. We all really need to step up here," Stephanie Williams, the UN deputy special envoy for Libya, said at the Munich Security Conference on Sunday. Amid these violations, the European Union launched a new mission in the Mediterranean Sea on Monday attempting to enforce the UN-sanctioned arms embargo.
https://www.middleeasteye.net/news/trump-extends-obama-era-sanctions-libya-gaddafi-family
Trump tries new approach for $1 trillion infrastructure plan
JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. — As a presidential candidate in 2016, Donald Trump promised a $1 trillion infrastructure plan that would use tax incentives to spur private investment in public works projects.
In another election year, Trump has outlined a new $1 trillion plan for spending on roads, rails, water systems and other infrastructure. This time, the president is proposing to rely fully on federal spending. That fundamental change from his first plan drew praise from some state transportation officials and industry groups, even though Trump doesn’t spell out how to pay for it all.
Some Republicans already are lowering expectations.
“The Republican House version of the bill won’t be a trillion dollars, I can tell you that right now,” said U.S. Rep. Sam Graves, the ranking GOP member of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee. “It will be a lot farther south than that.”
Trump’s retooled infrastructure plan relies on existing fuel tax revenue to cover much of the cost. That allows him to include billions of dollars worth of projects that likely would have happened no matter who was president.
White House budget documents show that Trump’s plan lacks revenue sources for almost half the $1 trillion amount — about $450 billion proposed for roads and bridges, public transit, rails, ports, pipelines, dams, drinking water and sewer systems, and electrical and high-speed internet networks.
The proposal is “a fantastic development” that “would be a great shot in the arm for infrastructure improvements in this country,” said Dean Franks, head lobbyist for the American Road and Transportation Builders Association. But he added, “How to pay for it is always the big question.”
Last year, for example, Trump and Democratic congressional leaders temporarily agreed to work toward a $2 trillion infrastructure plan that House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said “would be big and bold.” But that disintegrated as House Republicans raised concerns about cost, Trump declared a new North American trade deal a higher priority and Democrats pursued impeachment.
For Trump, a $1 trillion target has remained a focal point of his infrastructure plan, even as the way to pay for it has evolved.
The goal traces back to one-upmanship of former Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton, who in 2016 had proposed spending and loans that she projected would generate about $500 billion for infrastructure. Asked for details about his own plan in August 2016, Trump told Fox Business: “Well, I would say at least double her numbers.” When pressed on how he would pay for it, Trump replied, “We would do infrastructure bonds.”
During an October 2016 speech in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, Trump provided new details and included infrastructure in his “100-day action plan to make American great again.” He said he would leverage “public-private partnerships and private investments through tax incentives to spur $1 trillion in infrastructure investment over the next 10 years.”
As president, Trump’s first two budget proposals included $200 billion in new federal funding for infrastructure that he said would generate at least $1 trillion in projects when matched with money from state and local governments or private investors. But those plans never passed a Republican-led Congress.
Some state transportation officials raised concerns about their ability to shoulder the burden, noting that Trump’s plan would have flipped the traditional model — wherein the federal government covers the majority of costs for highways, bridges and public transit projects.
“There was much criticism of this administration when they kept promising a $1 trillion infrastructure plan, and the budget came out, and there was only $200 billion in actual federal money,” said Jeff Davis, senior fellow at the nonprofit Eno Center for Transportation in Washington, D.C. “This year, it’s actually $1 trillion in honest-to-God spending by the United States Treasury Department.”
Trump’s new plan takes a more traditional Washington approach. He proposes $810 billion through a 10-year reauthorization of the surface transportation program, which provides funding for roads, bridges, rails, public transit and transportation safety programs and is set to expire at the end of September.
He adds $190 billion in one-time grants, including $60 billion for “mega-projects” that could include everything from roads to dams to high-speed internet networks. Other grants would be devoted to freight systems, bridges, public transit and rural projects. But no specific examples of potential projects are listed.
https://www.registerguard.com/zz/news/20200221/trump-tries-new-approach-for-1-trillion-infrastructure-plan
FBI agents search home, business of Tennessee state senator
MEMPHIS, Tenn. — Federal authorities in Tennessee conducted searches Friday at the home and business addresses of Democratic state Sen. Katrina Robinson, the FBI said.
Federal Bureau of Investigation spokesman Joel Siskovic confirmed that agents executed search warrants at two locations in Memphis. They are listed as addresses for Robinson's residence and her nursing school, Healthcare Institute Inc.
The FBI declined to discuss any additional details of the searches and the U.S. attorney's office in Memphis said it "will not comment on the nature or progress of any FBI activities before charges are publicly filed."
No one responded Friday to a knock on the door of the school, which sits in a strip mall in southeast Memphis. Robinson didn't immediately return phone and email messages seeking comment. Her legislative office forwarded a request to a Senate Democratic Caucus spokesman.
"We've been made aware of the investigation and have received no indication that it relates to the legislature or her legislative service,"said Brandon Puttbrese, spokesman for the Senate Democratic Caucus. "Because the investigation is ongoing, we will not be making additional statements and will defer any further questions to Sen. Robinson's attorney."
Puttbrese also said the caucus' thoughts are with Robinson and her family. Robinson was elected to the state Senate out of a Memphis district in 2018. Edward L. Stanton II of Butler Snow LLP emailed a statement saying only that he had been retained by Robinson "in connection with today's events."
The school's website says it received a $1.6 million grant from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services for a certified nursing assistant program focused on geriatric populations and educational programs. The school was founded in January 2015. Its certified nursing assistant program was introduced that July. The school also includes phlebotomy and electrocardiographic technician instruction.
http://www.startribune.com/fbi-agents-search-home-business-of-tennessee-state-senator/568085502/