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Saturday, November 11, 2023

Biden Gets Scorched - by Republicans and Democrats - for Refusing to Sanction Hamas

The Biden administration is coming under well-deserved scrutiny for refusing to levy sanctions against Hamas for using civilians as human shields in its war against Israel. The terrorist group has used this tactic for decades. But in this current conflict, it has also been criticized for deliberately putting the lives of Palestinian civilians in danger.

Still, President Joe Biden, despite expressing support for Israel after the war started on October 7 when Hamas launched its initial surprise attack, doesn’t seem too keen on the idea of sanctioning the terrorist organization.

The Biden administration is not enforcing U.S. sanctions on Hamas’s use of human shields, drawing bipartisan concerns in Congress as the Iran-backed terror group uses civilians to shield itself from Israeli military attacks.
As Israel’s war on Hamas enters its second month, it has become increasingly clear the terror group is placing civilians in harm’s way in order to maximize casualties, in violation of a U.S. law barring the use of human shields.
"There still have been no sanctions imposed pursuant to this law" by the Biden administration, according to a bipartisan group of 22 congressmen. The group urges the administration to "prioritize the swift imposition and enforcement of all appropriate sanctions" on Hamas for its ongoing use of human shields in a letter sent to the State and Treasury Departments on Wednesday and obtained by the Washington Free Beacon.

Several lawmakers, led by Reps. Mike Gallagher (R-WI), and Brad Sherman (D-CA), have expressed concerns about Biden’s lack of action in this area. They are calling on the administration to impose and enforce sanctions on the terrorist group for endangering Palestinian civilians, which is required under the 2018 Sanctioning the Use of Civilians as Defenseless Shields Act. The law mandates that the president compile an annual list of individuals, organizations, or other entities who use human shields, then sanction them.

Further in the letter, the lawmakers noted that “while the U.S. government has taken measures to combat Hamas and Hezbollah in recent years, it has yet to sanction Hamas and Hezbollah leaders for their use of human shields.”

The lawmakers also argued that sanctioning Hamas officials “would send a message to officials of Hamas, Hezbollah, the Taliban, the Islamic State, Russia, and other prolific users of human shields that there is now a price to be paid for engaging in this horrific war crime.”

Interestingly enough, the United States and Israel have been pressuring the European Union to impose new sanctions on Hamas. However, the E.U.’s response has been inconsistent, with some diplomats pointing out that unanimous backing for new sanctions is tricky because of the sensitive nature of the Israel-Hamas war and the supposed lack of evidence against individual Hamas leaders.

At this point, it doesn’t make sense for the Biden administration to remain hesitant about taking action against Hamas. In other cases, people have argued against sanctions on authoritarian regimes like North Korea, Venezuela, and others because it would only harm the people being oppressed by these governments. However, in Hamas’ case, they already prevent Palestinian civilians from getting the resources they need; sanctions would have a limited impact on them.

It might not be clear exactly how painful sanctions would be for Hamas and its leaders. But if we want this war to end, applying as much pressure as possible might be the right course of action.

Leftists AG Letitia James Faces Heat for Attending Trump's Trial

New York Attorney General Letitia James faces criticism after making several appearances at former President Trump's civil trial— something AGs don't usually attend.

After suing Trump, his children, and the Trump Organization last year, James made at least five appearances at the courthouse in New York City last week. However, after reports surfaced criticizing her attendance on Thursday, she was a no-show.

More on James' inappropriate and unusual appearances at the trial from Fox News legal editor Kerri Kupec Urbahn:

It is so inappropriate and so highly unusual. Attorneys general do not attend trials. They just don't. The fact that she is going every day – on the taxpayers' dime – putting aside every other thing she has to do to sit there in the front row, to smile, after she campaigned on going against Donald Trump, it's to be in the shot, to make statements to the press and just further bolsters the widespread frustration that this is a political witch hunt.

The Democrat AG alleges that Trump misled banks and others about the value of his assets. Earlier this week, his daughter, Ivanka Trump, testified that she was neither aware nor involved in discussions surrounding her father's financial holdings.

Before recessing for the weekend, the 45th president's legal team asked the judge to make a directed verdict and end the trial. They claim James' office has failed to prove its case because there is no evidence of fraud, no victims, and no violations of covenants.

Trump Was Right, Joe Biden Will Lead the U.S. Into WWIII

Under President Joe Biden's time in office, the United States has been at the forefront of two wars— both of which he has expedited at the hands of his disastrous policies.

However, before any of these wars began, former President Trump predicted the outcome of Biden's presidency.

Earlier this week, Trump issued a stark warning to Mexico that if the world would eject into WWIII, the country would "no longer be around."

"And if World War III happens, probably Mexico will no longer be around," Trump told Univision Noticias host Enrique Acevedo. "Because the power of nuclear weapons is so big, if they hit us, you're gonna be wiped out too. That's how bad it is."

Last month, Trump warned that a third world war is imminent following Hamas's invasion of Israel.

The 45th president painted a grim picture of what the U.S. might look like if Biden's weakness continues to allow enemies to attack other countries. He said that such a war would be the deadliest the world has seen, pointing to advancements in weapons.

"That won't be a war with army tanks going back and forth, too," Trump said. "That will be a war with weaponry the likes of which this world has never seen before ... I know it. I know it better than anybody."

He added that the Democratic Party is quick to push so-called "climate change," but the real threat the U.S. faces is "nuclear warming."

FBI Makes Bold Statement In Investigation Against Dem Eric Adams

New York City Mayor Eric Adams (D) had his phone seized by the FBI as the agency continues its investigation into whether his 2021 campaign received illegal donations from the Turkish government.

On Friday, FBI agents with a court-authorized warrant reportedly stopped Adams on the street, requesting his security detail to step aside. The group then proceeded to enter his SUV, where they seized his cell phone and an iPad.

In a statement, Adams' campaign attorney, Boyd Johnson, remained innocent on behalf of the mayor.

After learning of the federal investigation, it was discovered that an individual had recently acted improperly. In the spirit of transparency and cooperation, this behavior was immediately and proactively reported to investigators. The mayor has been and remains committed to cooperating in this matter. On Monday night, the FBI approached the mayor after an event. The Mayor immediately complied with the FBI’s request and provided them with electronic devices. The mayor has not been accused of any wrongdoing and continues to cooperate with the investigation.

The FBI’s approach in daylight to Adams marks a significant turn in their investigation.

Following the seizure of his devices, the Democrat mayor insisted that he has nothing to hide and will cooperate with authorities.

Last week, FBI agents searched the home of Adams’ campaign consultant. They seized three iPhones, two laptops, personal documents, and other evidence.

According to the New York Times, the FBI also confiscated a “manila folder labeled Eric Adams" and seven "contribution card binders.”

The warrant obtained by the F.B.I. to search Ms. Suggs’s home sought evidence of a conspiracy to violate campaign finance law between members of Mr. Adams’s campaign, the Turkish government or Turkish nationals, and a Brooklyn-based developer, KSK Construction, whose owners are originally from Turkey. The warrant also sought records about donations from Bay Atlantic University, a Washington, D.C., college whose founder is Turkish and is affiliated with a school Mr. Adams visited when he went to Turkey as Brooklyn borough president in 2015.
The warrant, reviewed by The New York Times, indicated authorities were looking at whether the Turkish government or Turkish nationals funneled donations to Mr. Adams using a so-called straw donor scheme, in which the contributors listed were not the actual source of the money. The warrant also inquired about Mr. Adams’s campaign’s use of New York City’s generous public matching program, in which New York City offers an eight-to-one match of the first $250 of a resident’s donation.

Mayor Eric Adams’s Electronic Devices Seized By FBI

As part of an intensified corruption probe against New York City mayor Eric Adams’ 2021 campaign, the FBI confiscated electronic devices, including two or more cellphones, according to a New York Times (NYT) article published on Friday.

It comes after an FBI search of the residence of Adams’s primary campaign fundraiser, Brianna Suggs, which occurred earlier this month. During this period, investigators allegedly seized three cellphones and two laptop systems.

Prior reports claimed that Adams and his campaign staff had frequently turned down requests from authorities to reveal the source of around $300,000 in donations, however, it was unclear if this investigation included any allegations of breaking campaign finance laws.

The NYT described how FBI agents took “at least two cellphones and an iPad” that belonged to Adams earlier this week. This was days after the November 2nd raid that took place at 25-year-old Brianna Suggs’ residence.

The outlet was informed by insider sources that when agents approached Adams on the street, they ordered his security detail to move aside. They then entered his car and took the devices with the permission of a warrant that was granted by the court.

The document also stated that he received all of the equipment back “within a matter of days” and that the FBI was able to duplicate the data on the devices thanks to the warrant.

Adams, a former captain in the New York Police Department, released a statement through his spokesperson on Friday afternoon expressing how he had cooperated with authorities.

“As a former member of law enforcement, I expect all members of my staff to follow the law and fully cooperate with any sort of investigation, and I will continue to do that,” Adams said. “I have nothing to hide.”

Boyd Johnson, his campaign attorney, also posted a statement of his own.

“After learning of the federal investigation, it was discovered that an individual had recently acted improperly. In the spirit of transparency and cooperation, this behavior was immediately and proactively reported to investigators,” Johnson said.

However, he did not elaborate further on just who the individual was or what they had done specifically that was illegal.

One detail that was shared with reporters was how the investigation now serves to discover if Adams’s 2021 campaign efforts “conspired with the Turkish government and others to funnel money into its coffers.”

The warrant also stated that it was looking for information on donations made by Bay Atlantic University, a Turkish-founded college in Washington, D.C., which is connected to a school that Adams is rumored to have visited during his 2015 trip to Turkey as the president of the Brooklyn Borough Council.

The City, a local news website in New York City, stated that the donations that were claimed earlier to be under investigation were from about 500 distinct individuals.