Senate poised to roll back Trump's ZTE deal

Move would be first major GOP rollback of Trump White House

The Senate appears poised to take the first major step to rein in President Trump’s trade policies, after senators struck a deal Monday on a measure that would block his plans for dealing with Chinese telecom firm ZTE.

Under orders from Mr. Trump, the Commerce Department last week weakened penalties on ZTE, reducing a near-death sentence to a $1 billion fine and continued oversight.

The move enraged Republicans and Democrats who said ZTE not only worked with Iran and North Korea in violation of U.S. sanctions, but is a threat to national security, offering Chinese intelligence operatives a way to spy on the U.S. through ZTE products.

Senators proposed a rollback and announced Monday that this will be included as part of the new defense policy bill the chamber began debating.

“The Senate is saying loudly and in a bipartisan fashion that the president is dead wrong to back off on ZTE,” said Minority Leader Charles E. Schumer, New York Democrat.

He said the speed of the pushback, and the striking bipartisan coalition — chief sponsors include Sen. Tom Cotton of Arkansas, a conservative Republican, and Sen. Chris Van Hollen of Maryland, a liberal Democrat — shows how determined Congress is to block Mr. Trump.

The ZTE provision was included as part of a non-controversial “manager’s package” of changes, which is likely to be easily approved. Then the full bill will have to pass, and be merged with a version that passed the House earlier this year.

Then, if the ZTE rollback is still in, it will become a major challenge to Mr. Trump, who personally stepped in as a favor to Chinese President Xi Jinping.

The White House didn’t respond Monday evening to a request for comment on the Senate’s pushback.

ZTE was first fined by the U.S. government for violating the Iran and North Korea sanctions. But after the U.S. government determined the company lied about its clean-up efforts, the Commerce Department imposed the death sentence, banning U.S. businesses from selling parts to ZTE, effectively kneecapping the company.

After Mr. Trump stepped in, the Commerce Department changed its mind and ordered the $1 billion fine, and said the U.S. would send a compliance team to oversee the company’s operations.

The administration said it was still a stiff penalty, describing it as the largest sanctions settlement in history.

Lawmakers said they were shocked Mr. Trump was going soft, after all the tough talk of cracking down on China during the presidential campaign.

They were even more surprised that the leniency came on ZTE.

“The Chinese government uses these companies for espionage and intellectual property theft, posing a direct threat to our national security and endangering the American people and our economy,” said Sen. Marco Rubio, Florida Republican and a co-sponsor of the legislation.

The ZTE leniency also rubbed senators wrong since it came about the same time the president slapped tariffs on steel and aluminum imports from U.S. allies including Canada and the European Union.

Senators are looking to rein in those tariffs in the defense bill, too.

https:// www.washingtontimes.com/news/2018/jun/11/donald-trumps-zte-deal-poised-senate-rollback/

U.S. launching office to identify citizenship cheaters

LOS ANGELES — The U.S. government agency that oversees immigration applications is launching an office that will focus on identifying Americans who are suspected of cheating to get their citizenship and seek to strip them of it.

U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services Director L. Francis Cissna told The Associated Press in an interview that his agency is hiring several dozen lawyers and immigration officers to review cases of immigrants who were ordered deported and are suspected of using fake identities to later get green cards and citizenship through naturalization.

Cissna said the cases would be referred to the Department of Justice, whose attorneys could then seek to remove the immigrants’ citizenship in civil court proceedings. In some cases, government attorneys could bring criminal charges related to fraud.

Until now, the agency has pursued cases as they arose but not through a coordinated effort, Cissna said. He said he hopes the agency’s new office in Los Angeles will be running by next year but added that investigating and referring cases for prosecution will likely take longer.

“We finally have a process in place to get to the bottom of all these bad cases and start denaturalizing people who should not have been naturalized in the first place,” Cissna said. “What we’re looking at, when you boil it all down, is potentially a few thousand cases.”

He declined to say how much the effort would cost but said it would be covered by the agency’s existing budget, which is funded by immigration application fees.

The push comes as the Trump administration has been cracking down on illegal immigration and taking steps to reduce legal immigration to the U.S.

Immigrants who become U.S. citizens can vote, serve on juries and obtain security clearance. Denaturalization - the process of removing that citizenship - is very rare.

The U.S. government began looking at potentially fraudulent naturalization cases a decade ago when a border officer detected about 200 people had used different identities to get green cards and citizenship after they were previously issued deportation orders.

In September 2016, an internal watchdog reported that 315,000 old fingerprint records for immigrants who had been deported or had criminal convictions had not been uploaded to a Department of Homeland Security database that is used to check immigrants’ identities. The same report found more than 800 immigrants had been ordered deported under one identity but became U.S. citizens under another.

Since then, the government has been uploading these older fingerprint records dating back to the 1990s and investigators have been evaluating cases for denaturalization.

Earlier this year, a judge revoked the citizenship of an Indian-born New Jersey man named Baljinder Singh after federal authorities accused him of using an alias to avoid deportation.

Authorities said Singh used a different name when he arrived in the United States in 1991. He was ordered deported the next year and a month later applied for asylum using the name Baljinder Singh before marrying an American, getting a green card and naturalizing.

Authorities said Singh did not mention his earlier deportation order when he applied for citizenship.

For many years, most U.S. efforts to strip immigrants of their citizenship focused largely on suspected war criminals who lied on their immigration paperwork, most notably former Nazis.

Toward the end of the Obama administration, officials began reviewing cases stemming from the fingerprints probe but prioritized those of naturalized citizens who had obtained security clearances, for example, to work at the Transportation Security Administration, said Muzaffar Chishti, director of the Migration Policy Institute’s office at New York University law school.

https:// www.washingtontimes.com/news/2018/jun/11/us-citizenship-and-immigration-services-launches-o/

Trump and Kim can learn a lot from Singapore: US economist Tyler Cowen

NEW YORK (BLOOMBERG) - US President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un are spending such a short amount of time in Singapore this week.

Maybe they should stick around longer to see what makes its economy tick.

Singapore is an especially wealthy nation, with a per capita income of about US$90,000 (S$120,000), well above that of the United States.

But how is this prosperity maintained, and why has Singapore commanded so much admiration from liberals and conservatives alike?

Singapore has many features shared by other wealthy countries, such as a high capital stock, a predictable legal environment and a well-educated workforce, but what are some of the less common factors behind its success?

Strikingly, Singapore is one of the few countries where there is brain drain into the public sector. This stems partly from the high salaries paid.

Top bureaucrats typically receive more than their American equivalents, and Cabinet level pay may exceed US$800,000, with bonuses attached that can double that sum for excellent performance.

Yet it is not just about the money.

Since independence in 1965, Singaporean leaders have cultivated an ethos of public service in the bureaucracy.

The country moved from being relatively corrupt to having one of the best ratings on transparency indexes. There are now complex and overlapping incentives whereby top public sector workers are paid well, respected highly, and develop the personal networks for subsequent advancement in either the public or private sectors.

I've met a number of times with Singaporean government officials, and I've always been impressed with their state-of-the-art social science knowledge.

The participants typically have top educational backgrounds (doctorates from Harvard or Princeton are common, and now two of Singapore's universities have achieved world class status). Their analysis is pragmatically geared towards finding the right answer or at least a workable solution.

I view the development of Singaporean civil service culture as one of the world's great managerial and political success stories of the last 50 years, though it remains understudied and under discussed in the West.

Singapore also mixes many of the virtues of both small and big government.

The high quality of the civil service means the country gets "good government", which pleases many liberals and progressives.

The high quality of the decision-making means Singapore often looks to market incentives - congestion pricing for the roads is one example of many - which pleases conservatives and libertarians.

Singapore's health-care system has been praised by both liberals and conservatives.

The country has some of the world's best health outcomes, while spending only about 5 per cent of gross-domestic product on the medical sector, as compared with more than 17 per cent in the US. A statist perspective would emphasise that the government owns most of the hospitals, but market-oriented economists would stress that the hospitals are instructed to compete with one another.

Is Singapore a small government or a big government country?

The correct answer is both.

Government spending is about 17 per cent of GDP, which makes it look small and helps hold down taxes, which is good for business and productivity. (And there are no additional state and local governments.)

https:// www.straitstimes.com/singapore/trump-and-kim-can-learn-a-lot-from-singapore-us-economist-tyler-cowen

Singapore footing hotel bill for North Korean contingent at Trump-Kim summit: Vivian Balakrishnan

SINGAPORE - Singapore is footing the hotel bill for North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and his contingent, Foreign Minister Vivian Balakrishnan said on Monday (June 11).

"It's hospitality that we would have offered them, and as Chairman Kim said yesterday, he would have liked to have come to Singapore anyway, with or without the summit," Dr Balakrishnan said in an interview with the BBC.

Mr Kim, who is Chairman of North Korea's State Affairs Commission, arrived in Singapore on Sunday for a historic summit on Tuesday with United States President Donald Trump to discuss possible denuclearisation efforts.

"We would, of course, have offered hospitality," Dr Balakrishnan added, when asked if Singapore paid for the North Korean contingent's hotel stay at The St Regis Singapore.

He added that the expenditure forms part of the $20 million that Singapore is spending on the summit in all.

Of this, half is on security, said Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong earlier. Another $5 million, The Straits Times understands, goes towards facilitating the contingent of journalists here, numbering more than 2,500. This includes the setting up of the international media centre at the F1 Pit Building.

In a separate question, the BBC interviewer noted that Mr Kim is notoriously paranoid about his safety and asked what Singapore had to do to reassure him.

Dr Balakrishnan said the North Korean advance team came to Singapore, walked the grounds, checked the hotels and met local officials.

"I think over the weeks that they spent with us, they gained greater confidence that we are sort of no-nonsense but efficient people," he said. "We are good for our word, we are meticulous, we pay attention to details - every smallest detail. All that, I think, gave them confidence that this was the right site, the right choice."

He added: "Because what you want is a conducive site so that their minds are clear to focus on the substantive negotiations. And we have been able, so far anyway, to provide that confidence."

>>1708136

Indeed, when the cat's away the mice will play!

Trump-Kim summit could provide key intelligence to Iran's nuclear program

Iran’s hardline leadership is watching the historic Singapore summit between President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un for signs that Pyongyang could start sharing critical intelligence with Washington about its dealings with Tehran, argues a prominent Iran analyst.

Mr. Trump and Mr. Kim’s meeting, which revolves around the U.S’s demand that North Korea verifiably and irreversible denuclearize the Korean Peninsula, comes just a month after Mr. Trump withdrew from the 2015 Iranian nuclear deal that restricted the Islamic republic’s nuclear program in exchange for sanctions relief.

On Monday, Iranian officials dismissed the prospects for successful talks and warned Pyongyang to be highly suspect of Washington’s promises.

“As regards U.S. behavior, approach and its intentions,” Iranian foreign ministry spokesman Bahram Ghasemi told reporters in Tehran, “we are highly skeptical and look at its actions with utter pessimism.”

Beyond the usual sharp rhetoric, however, Iranian leadership will eagerly watch what kind of a deal Washington and North Korea could strike — in addition to scanning for signs that Pyongyang is “ready to share intelligence with Washington about its dealings with Tehran” according to Ali Alfoneh, a senior fellow at the Atlantic Council’s Rafik Hariri Centre for the Middle East.

Mr. Alfoneh, whose research includes Iranian civil-military relations with a special focus the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps, recently argued in an op-ed published in The Arab Weekly that Washington made a statement by offering North Korea, “a de facto nuclear power — prestige through a tete-a-tete at the highest political level” while brushing aside Tehran, “a nuclear threshold state” by withdrawing from the Iran deal.

“In other words, Washington treats nuclear powers with respect and aspiring nuclear powers with contempt,” he wrote.

This, he added, raises two major questions 1) is Iranian leadership even capable of getting a nuclear bomb to achieve a position like North Korea‘s? and 2) If Pyongyang reaches an understanding with Washington, will it compromise Tehran?

Mr. Alfoneh notes that Mr. Trump and Secretary of State Mike Pompeo have insisted that Tehran disclose its nuclear activities. North Korea, Mr. Alfoneh writes, can provide significant information about those activities, especially via connections the late Iranian President Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani maintained with Pyongyang.

In his memoirs, Mr. Rafsanjani openly discussed Iran’s arms and missile procurement from North Korea during the Iran-Iraq War (1980-88). Later entries about North Korea in the 1990s, however, are “more opaque” although Mr. Rafsanjani does mention summoning Majid Abbaspour, Iran’s then-presidential advisor on chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear industries — to procure a “special commodity” and unspecified “technical know-how” from the North Koreans in return for oil shipments to Pyongyang.

The late Iranian president apparently expressed anxiety that the “special commodity” could be intercepted by the U.S. but later gloated about its successful arrival after the U.S. Navy allegedly tracked the wrong ship from North Korea.

“Should the North Koreans, perhaps in return for favors from Washington, disclose the nature of Tehran’s procurements in the 1990s, the Trump administration will use that intelligence as proof of Iran’s nuclear ambitions and intentions,” Mr. Alfoneh writes.

“Of course,” he adds, “this depends on the outcome of the summit in Singapore.”

https:// www.washingtontimes.com/news/2018/jun/11/trump-kim-summit-could-provide-key-intelligence-ir/

>>1708594

Both were correct, just different time zones, sorry you feel so hurt. 11th state side, 12th Singapore side.

>>1708621

>>1708624

I'm thinking what is scaring these criminals is that, all of this Stales the Cabal once and for all through many reaches in this area of the world.

Donald Trump's expertise at laying it out layman

Polls have shown political watchers of both main parties’ persuasion — Democrat and Republican — would rather President Donald Trump pipe down a bit on the Twitter posts, and take a more nuanced, traditional approach to getting his message to the people.

But on taking complicated issues and making them understandable to the layperson, nobody beats a Trump on Twitter.

Look at what he’s making clear on trade, for example.

“The United States will not allow other countries to impose massive Tariffs and Trade Barriers on its farmers, workers and companies,” he tweeted just recently. “While sending their product into our country tax free. We have put up with Trade Abuse for many decades — and that is long enough.”

And this, another tweeted message: “Just left the @G7 Summit in beautiful Canada. Great meetings and relationships with the six Country Leaders especially since they know I cannot allow them to apply large Tariffs and strong barriers to …”

It was followed by this: “U.S.A. Trade. They fully understand where I am coming from. After many decades, fair and reciprocal Trade will happen!”

And another, just a few hours ago: “Fair Trade is now to be called Fool Trade if it is not Reciprocal. According to a Canada release, they make almost 100 Billion Dollars in Trade with U.S. (guess they were bragging and got caught!). Minimum is 17B. Tax Dairy from us at 270%. Then Justin [Trudeau] acts hurt when called out!”

And yet one more, a real cut-to-the-chaser of a message: “Why should I, as President of the United States, allow countries to continue to make Massive Trade Surpluses, as they have for decades, while our Farmers, Workers & Taxpayers have such a big and unfair price to pay? Not fair to the PEOPLE of America! $800 Billion Trade Deficit …”

The left, the anti-Trumpers, the elitists in both parties squirm and wince whenever they see Trump take to Twitter in what they call a tirade.

But here’s the thing: If a politician’s life blood is his ability to shape and sell a message to the public — which in turn breeds popularity, which in turn breeds votes — then nobody cuts through the clutter of a complicated politicized message like trade than Donald Trump on Twitter.

Economists, scholars and know-it-all types in government and media may wring their hands and accuse this president of a failing to understand the complicated — of a lack of proper education and training and political savvy and I.Q. to weave through the intricacies of complex matters like trade (the left did the same toward Ronald Reagan, by the way).

But Trump’s just talking to the regular people and telling what his goal is.

And once again — the goal resonates. Once again, it’s all about Making America Great Again. The policy discussion might change, but the theme remains the same.

And that’s a message that fits nicely within the confines of a short Twitter post. Truly, it takes a smart person to take a hard-to-understand issue and make it resonate to a layperson of average intellect — to summarize in just a short powerful soundbite both problem and solution. On that, on Twitter, Trump does the job well.

https:// www.washingtontimes.com/news/2018/jun/11/donald-trumps-expertise-laying-it-out-layman/

Many will think this is from a science fiction movie, Kim Jong Un tells Donald Trump

https:// graphics.straitstimes.com/STI/STIMEDIA/Interactives/2018/06/trump-kim-summit/index.html

>>1708724

I guess if you include the fact that Russia received it through Guistra in Canada, they might know a little something about it, kek

>>1708765

Had to post it, it was just to much fun not too!

>>1708651

Agree names, dates, pics, of the usual suspects seals it!

>>1708636

Indeed, and Vivian Balakrishnan has been all over this all day as well. Closet doors are wide open!

>>1708652

It is, I almost thought Trump was going to foot the bill, when it came out that Kim Jung Un couldn't afford it.