1 - White House News in Chinese (weebly.com)
Then-US Vice President Joe Biden (L) meets with General Lloyd Austin, the commander of United States Forces - Iraq (USF-I), and US ambassador in Iraq James Jeffrey (unseen) at the US embassy upon the former's arrival at Baghdad on a surprise visit on November 29, 2011. AHMAD AL-RUBAYE/AFP/Getty Images
Biden picks retired Gen. Lloyd Austin to be his secretary of defense, source says
Dec. 8 - (CNN)President-elect Joe Biden has selected retired Army Gen. Lloyd Austin, the former commander of US Central Command, to be his secretary of defense, a source familiar with the decision told CNN on Monday.
If confirmed by the Senate, Austin would be the first Black man to lead the Department of Defense.
In addition to serving as commander of United States Central Command, Austin previously served as the vice chief of staff of the Army.Politico was first to report on Biden's selection of Austin. The Biden transition team declined to comment to CNN.
Austin would need a congressional waiver to be confirmed for the civilian post because he retired from active-duty service only four years ago. Federal law requires seven years of retirement from active duty before taking on the role. continue to read
Biden picks retired Gen. Lloyd Austin to be his secretary of defense, source says
Dec. 8 - (CNN)President-elect Joe Biden has selected retired Army Gen. Lloyd Austin, the former commander of US Central Command, to be his secretary of defense, a source familiar with the decision told CNN on Monday.
If confirmed by the Senate, Austin would be the first Black man to lead the Department of Defense.
In addition to serving as commander of United States Central Command, Austin previously served as the vice chief of staff of the Army.Politico was first to report on Biden's selection of Austin. The Biden transition team declined to comment to CNN.
Austin would need a congressional waiver to be confirmed for the civilian post because he retired from active-duty service only four years ago. Federal law requires seven years of retirement from active duty before taking on the role. continue to read
Lloyd James Austin III (born August 8, 1953) is an American retired four-star general of the United States Army who served as the 12th commander of United States Central Command (CENTCOM). Austin was the first Black commander to head the organization.[1]
Before CENTCOM, Austin served as the 33rd vice chief of staff of the United States Army from January 31, 2012, to March 8, 2013. He was also the last commanding general of United States Forces – Iraq, Operation New Dawn, which ended on December 18, 2011, and then Vice Chief of Staff of the United States Army. Austin retired from the Army in April 2016.
In December 2020, it was announced that Austin would be nominated to serve as the United States Secretary of Defense in the Biden administration.
info. from Wikipedia
Lloyd James Austin III is being considered for Secretary of Defense.
Who is Lloyd J. Austin? Biden considers Mobile native for top Pentagon slot
Nov. 30 - President-Elect Joe Biden is reportedly considering Mobile native and retired four-star general Lloyd J. Austin III for Secretary of Defense.
If confirmed by the Senate, Austin, 67, would be the first Black American to fill the position.
Austin, a retired Army general and head of the U.S. Central Command, is one of several potential candidates.
According to The New York Times, Biden is also looking at Michèle Flournoy, a senior defense official for Presidents Bill Clinton and Barack Obama; Elizabeth Sherwood-Randall, who formerly served as a deputy energy secretary and National Security Council member, and Jeh Johnson, who became Secretary of Homeland Security under Obama.
CNN reports that Austin would need a congressional waiver to be confirmed for the civilian post because he retired from active-duty service four years ago. continue to read
Who is Lloyd J. Austin? Biden considers Mobile native for top Pentagon slot
Nov. 30 - President-Elect Joe Biden is reportedly considering Mobile native and retired four-star general Lloyd J. Austin III for Secretary of Defense.
If confirmed by the Senate, Austin, 67, would be the first Black American to fill the position.
Austin, a retired Army general and head of the U.S. Central Command, is one of several potential candidates.
According to The New York Times, Biden is also looking at Michèle Flournoy, a senior defense official for Presidents Bill Clinton and Barack Obama; Elizabeth Sherwood-Randall, who formerly served as a deputy energy secretary and National Security Council member, and Jeh Johnson, who became Secretary of Homeland Security under Obama.
CNN reports that Austin would need a congressional waiver to be confirmed for the civilian post because he retired from active-duty service four years ago. continue to read
关岛附近新建基地
美要在西太发起大规模军事行动？
20201206 |《今日关注》CCTV中文国际
Dec 7, 2020
美要在西太发起大规模军事行动？
20201206 |《今日关注》CCTV中文国际
Dec 7, 2020
Pompeo Designates ‘Violators Of Religious Freedom’ Including China, Saudi Arabia, Nigeria
Secretary of State Mike Pompeo designated new “violators of religious freedom” Monday, announcing new action intended to protect “those who simply want to exercise this essential freedom.”
Pompeo announced that the U.S. designated Burma, China, Eritrea, Iran, Nigeria, the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Tajikistan, and Turkmenistan as “Countries of Particular Concern” for “systematic, ongoing, egregious violations of religious freedom.” (RELATED: China Committing ‘Demographic Genocide’ Against Uighurs Through Forced Abortion, Sterilization, Mass Detention, AP Investigation Finds)
The Secretary of State also noted that Comoros, Cuba, Nicaragua, and Russia have been placed on a Special Watch List for “severe violations of religious freedom,” and that extremist groups al-Shabaab, al-Qa’ida, Boko Haram, Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, the Houthis, ISIS, ISIS-Greater Sahara, ISIS-West Africa, Jamaat Nasr al-Islam wal Muslimin, and the Taliban have been designated “Entities of Particular Concern.”
Dec. 7 - Today the U.S. designates Burma, China, Eritrea, Iran, Nigeria, the DPRK, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Tajikistan, and Turkmenistan as countries of concern under the International Religious Freedom Act of 1998 for engaging systematic, ongoing, egregious religious freedom violations.
— Secretary Pompeo (@SecPompeo) December 7, 2020
“We have not renewed the prior Entity of Particular Concern designations for al-Qa’ida in the Arabian Peninsula and ISIS-Khorasan, due to the total loss of territory formerly controlled by these terrorist organizations,” Pompeo said in a statement.
“While these two groups no longer meet the statutory criteria for designation, we will not rest until we have fully eliminated the threat of religious freedom abuses by any violent extremist and terrorist groups.” (RELATED: Pompeo Demands China End ‘Horrific’ And ‘Dehumanizing’ Forced Abortions, Sterilizations Of Uighurs)
Sudan and Uzbekistan are no longer on the special watch list due to progress in their respective governments, Pompeo said, citing “courageous reforms of their laws and practices stand as models for other nations to follow.”
“And yet our work is far from complete,” he said. “The United States will continue to work tirelessly to end religiously motivated abuses and persecution around the world, and to help ensure that each person, everywhere, at all times, has the right to live according to the dictates of conscience.” source
Secretary of State Mike Pompeo designated new “violators of religious freedom” Monday, announcing new action intended to protect “those who simply want to exercise this essential freedom.”
Pompeo announced that the U.S. designated Burma, China, Eritrea, Iran, Nigeria, the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Tajikistan, and Turkmenistan as “Countries of Particular Concern” for “systematic, ongoing, egregious violations of religious freedom.” (RELATED: China Committing ‘Demographic Genocide’ Against Uighurs Through Forced Abortion, Sterilization, Mass Detention, AP Investigation Finds)
The Secretary of State also noted that Comoros, Cuba, Nicaragua, and Russia have been placed on a Special Watch List for “severe violations of religious freedom,” and that extremist groups al-Shabaab, al-Qa’ida, Boko Haram, Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, the Houthis, ISIS, ISIS-Greater Sahara, ISIS-West Africa, Jamaat Nasr al-Islam wal Muslimin, and the Taliban have been designated “Entities of Particular Concern.”
Dec. 7 - Today the U.S. designates Burma, China, Eritrea, Iran, Nigeria, the DPRK, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Tajikistan, and Turkmenistan as countries of concern under the International Religious Freedom Act of 1998 for engaging systematic, ongoing, egregious religious freedom violations.
— Secretary Pompeo (@SecPompeo) December 7, 2020
“We have not renewed the prior Entity of Particular Concern designations for al-Qa’ida in the Arabian Peninsula and ISIS-Khorasan, due to the total loss of territory formerly controlled by these terrorist organizations,” Pompeo said in a statement.
“While these two groups no longer meet the statutory criteria for designation, we will not rest until we have fully eliminated the threat of religious freedom abuses by any violent extremist and terrorist groups.” (RELATED: Pompeo Demands China End ‘Horrific’ And ‘Dehumanizing’ Forced Abortions, Sterilizations Of Uighurs)
Sudan and Uzbekistan are no longer on the special watch list due to progress in their respective governments, Pompeo said, citing “courageous reforms of their laws and practices stand as models for other nations to follow.”
“And yet our work is far from complete,” he said. “The United States will continue to work tirelessly to end religiously motivated abuses and persecution around the world, and to help ensure that each person, everywhere, at all times, has the right to live according to the dictates of conscience.” source
