The Dutch-led joint investigation team (JIT) named the men as Igor Girkin, Sergei Dubinsky and Oleg Pulatov from Russia, as well as Ukrainian Leonid Kharchenko.
The JIT, which is seeking to try the suspects under Dutch law, had previously said it had a “long list” of persons of interest and appealed again for witnesses as the investigation continues.
Who are the suspects?
The most prominent of the four is Igor Girkin (also known as Strelkov), who prosecutors say is a former colonel in Russia’s FSB intelligence service. He was given the minister of defence title in the rebel-held eastern Ukrainian city of Donetsk.
He is believed to be the highest military officer in the area who was in direct contact with the Russian Federation. In a statement Mr Girkin said: “I can only say that militia did not shoot down the Boeing.”
Image copyright Reuters
Image caption
An investigator inspects the wreckage of Malaysia Airlines Flight MH17
The others charged are:
Sergei Dubinsky (known as Khmury), who prosecutors say was employed by Russia’s GRU military intelligence agency, was a deputy of Mr Girkin and was in regular contact with Russia
Oleg Pulatov, known as Giurza, who the JIT says was a former soldier of GRU special forces and deputy head of the intelligence service in Donetsk
Ukrainian national Leonid Kharchenko, who has no military background but led a combat unit as a commander in Eastern Ukraine, according to prosecutors
“These suspects are seen to have played an important role in the death of 298 innocent civilians”, said Dutch Chief Prosecutor Fred Westerbeke.
“Although they did not push the button themselves, we suspect them of close co-operation to get the [missile launcher] where it was, with the aim to shoot down an airplane.”
Investigators, he added, had “evidence showing that Russia provided the missile launcher”.
The passenger jet left Amsterdam’s Schiphol Airport at 10:15 GMT on 17 July 2014 and was due to arrive at Kuala Lumpur in Malaysia the following day.
A few hours after take-off, the plane lost contact with air traffic control about 50km (30 miles) from the Russia-Ukraine border.
At the time, an armed conflict was raging on the ground in eastern Ukraine between Russian-backed separatists and Ukrainian government forces, and several government military aircraft had been downed in the previous weeks, while air strikes were carried out on rebel-held areas.
The plane crashed in the Donetsk area, in territory controlled by separatists. Parts of the wreckage were found distributed over an area of about 50 sq km (19 square miles).
In October 2015, the Dutch Safety Board concluded the plane had been hit by a Buk missile, causing it to break apart in mid-air.
Media captionAn animated video from the Dutch Safety Board shows the damage to the plane and how it was caused
Russia responded by denying any of its anti-aircraft missile systems had ever crossed the Ukrainian border. Its foreign ministry has accused the JIT investigation of being “biased and politically motivated”.
Under Article 61 of Russia’s constitution, no Russian citizen can be extradited to another state.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told the BBC before the charges were announced that his country had been given “no chance to take part” in the official investigation.
However, unnamed Dutch officials told news agencies that Russia had refused to co-operate with their investigation.
A former rebel official in Donetsk, Andrei Purgin, said it was “absurd” to accuse the separatists of involvement in downing the plane, Russia’s Interfax news agency reports.
Asked by AFP news agency, Ukrainian security services said they had “no information” on Leonid Kharchenko’s whereabouts or whether he was even still alive.
What reaction has there been to the charges?
UK Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt said Russia “must co-operate fully with the prosecution and provide any assistance it requests” in accordance with UN Security Council resolution 2166, which was passed in response to the downing of MH17.
“The international community stands together against the impunity of those responsible for the despicable murder of 298 innocent people,” he added.
Nato chief Jens Stoltenberg said the bringing of charges marked an “important milestone in the efforts to uncover the full truth and ensure that justice is done”.
Who were the victims?
A total of 283 passengers, including 80 children, and 15 crew members were killed on the flight.
Image copyright Various
Image caption
Those killed were from across the world
The dead included 193 Dutch nationals, 43 Malaysians, 27 Australians, 12 Indonesians, 10 Britons, four Belgians, four Germans, three Philippine nationals, one New Zealander and one Canadian.
Image caption
“It’s a start” – Silene Fredriksz, mother of one of the victims
Speaking ahead of Wednesday’s announcement, Silene Fredriksz, who lost her son Bryce, said that in the five years since the downing of MH17, some relatives had died not knowing the truth.
“We all get older… I hope that I will know the truth before I close my eyes,” she said.
Barry Sweeney, father of 28-year-old British victim Liam, said he was still looking for the truth.
“It’s not going to bring anyone back, but if I found out why it happened, it would bring a bit of closure,” he said.
“It was continuous,” he said. “Every couple months, you would hear of something else, something else.”
When Mr. Arbery was seen running through the neighborhood on the afternoon of Feb. 23, 2020, the men pursued him — a decision that prosecutors have characterized as one based on flimsy assumptions about Mr. Arbery and his presence in Satilla Shores.
“He was mad,” Mr. McMichael said. “Which made me think that something has happened. It’s not what I expected.”
He continued: “This guy is obviously — something is not right. He seems dangerous to me.”
Toward the end of his testimony, Mr. McMichael described the moment he realized that Mr. Arbery had died.
“I stood up, realized that I had a gun here, and that he’s passed away, and the police are on the scene,” Mr. McMichael said, his voice breaking as he neared tears. “So I walked over to the side, and put my shotgun down. After that, it was a blur.”
Mr. McMichael is expected back on the witness stand on Thursday morning.
Nevada state Sen. Yvanna Cancela and Erin Wilson, the Biden-Harris campaign’s national political director, will both serve as deputy executive directors on the inaugural committee.
Accompanying Biden and Harris’ announcement on Monday was the committee’s digital rollout, including a new website featuring an online store “with exclusive inaugural merchandise and collectables.”
In their statement, Biden’s inaugural team said the committee would “work closely with the Joint Congressional Committee on Inaugural Ceremonies … to coordinate all activities surrounding the 59th inaugural ceremonies, prioritizing keeping people safe and preventing the spread of COVID-19 while engaging all Americans.”
It remains unclear how the ongoing coronavirus pandemic will affect planning for the inauguration in less than two months, as public health experts warn of surging caseloads during the holiday season.
Allen, the committee’s CEO, acknowledged in a statement that “this year’s inauguration will look different amid the pandemic, but we will honor the American inaugural traditions and engage Americans across the country while keeping everybody healthy and safe.”
“Nightline” looks at the fallout from the indictment of Epstein, who allegedly abused “dozens” of underage girls and recruited a “vast network” of victims. READ MORE: https://abcn.ws/2JskRu0
Chile is set to become the first country to issue “immunity cards” to those who have recovered from the coronavirus, allowing holders to return to work, despite questions about whether those who have recovered are in fact immune, how long any immunity might last, and the accuracy of antibody tests.
“We have to learn to live differently,” Dr. Paula Daza, the undersecretary in Chile’s health ministry, said on Sunday, adding that Chileans must “gradually resume our lives.”
Anyone can apply for the cards, which will be issued starting Monday. To qualify, Chileans have to take a test that shows they have antibodies for the novel coronavirus. Those who have had the disease must be free of symptoms for at least 14 days — or 28, if they have a compromised immune system.
Under those criteria, 4,338 people are eligible, Dr. Daza said.
But critics have questioned the notion that recovered patients are not contagious and immune to re-infection, and raised doubts about the tests’ accuracy.
Chile has imposed quarantines that remain in place across parts of the capital, Santiago, and in other regions of the country. It has also tested more people for the virus than any other Latin American country, identifying 10,088 coronavirus cases, and 133 deaths.
The health minister, Jaime Mañalich, has reiterated that “the worst is yet to come,” with the number of cases expected to peak in May. The flu season, which is fast approaching along with winter in the southern hemisphere, is likely to strain Chile’s public health system further.
Some Democrats are criticizing Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez for her role in Amazon’s decision to cancel plans for a huge investment in New York; Doug McKelway reports.
Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez vigorously defended her role in sinking Amazon’s move to New York City on Tuesday in the face of bipartisan criticism, claiming the deal would have been “one of the biggest giveaways in state history” and would have priced people out of the local community.
“Frankly, the knee-jerk reaction assuming that I ‘don’t understand’ how tax giveaways to corps work is disappointing,” she tweeted. “No, it’s not possible that I could come to a different conclusion. The debate *must* be over my intelligence & understanding, instead of the merits of the deal.”
Amazon had cited the opposition of “a number of state and local politicians” in its decision to abandon the plans. Ocasio-Cortez and others at the local level had pointed to incentives such as a $2.5 billion in tax breaks as a reason for their opposition.
“If we were willing to give away $3 billion for this deal, we could invest those $3 billion in our district ourselves, if we wanted to. We could hire out more teachers. We can fix our subways. We can put a lot of people to work for that money, if we wanted to,” Ocasio-Cortez said last week.
Mayor Bill de Blasio pushed back on that claim on Sunday. Even as he slammed Amazon for its decision, the mayor said critics wrongly suggested that tax breaks represented money that could be spent on other things. He said it wasn’t “money you had over here. And it was going over there.”
The Democratic mayor said: “That $3 billion that would go back in tax incentives was only after we were getting the jobs and getting the revenue.”
Fellow Democratic Rep. Carolyn Maloney, D-N.Y., accused those who are against the deal, including Ocasio-Cortez, of being opposed to jobs.
“It used to be that we would protest wars. Now we are protesting jobs?” she said on CNN Friday, before criticizing the economic arguments of those opposed to the Amazon move.
“I’m a progressive too, but I’m pragmatic,” she said. “We are $4 billion less than we usually get and yet we are kicking out a company that would have been projected [to pay] over 10 years roughly $27 billion in taxes.”
New York Times columnist Andrew Ross Sorkin ripped into critics of the deal, saying it was evidence of a “financial literacy epidemic” in America.
“Quick lesson: NYC wasn’t handing cash to Amazon. It was an incentive program based on job creation, producing tax revenue,” he tweeted. “There isn’t a $3 billion pile of money that can now be spent on subways or education.”
But on Tuesday, Ocasio-Cortez mocked critics, saying “there’s NO WAY that this deal – one of the biggest giveaways in state history – could possibly have been bad, right?
“Surely there can’t be anything wrong with suddenly announcing a massive restructuring & pricing out of a community without any advance notice or input from them,” she asked.
In her list of criticisms, she included claims that Amazon was selling facial recognition tech to immigration officials, and that real-estate insiders were creating rent spikes.
“Folks handling the failed deal treated community w/condescension+disdain for their legitimate concerns,” she argued. “I warned early to any & all that surging NYC costs+failing subways are creating major political forces to be reckoned with.”
“But I don’t know what I’m talking about, right?” she quipped, with a shrugging emoji.
Stock futures recovered from earlier losses to trade higher early Tuesday morning stateside after White House trade advisor Peter Navarro clarified that the U.S.-China trade deal is not over.
As of early Tuesday morning stateside, Dow Jones Industrial Average futures were 190 points higher, implying a opening gain of around 246 points. S&P 500 and Nasdaq futures also pointed to a positive open for the two indexes.
“My comments have been taken wildly out of context,” Navarro said in a statement. “They had nothing at all to do with the Phase I trade deal, which continues in place.”
President Donald Trump also tweeted that the existing trade deal remains in place.
Earlier in the session, Dow futures had dropped about 400 points. Futures plunged after Navarro’s Monday interview on Fox News’ “The Story.”
Fox’s Martha MacCallum asked, “Do you think that the president sort of- I mean, he obviously really wanted to hang onto this trade deal as much as possible. And he wanted them to make good on the promises, because there had been progress made on that trade deal, but given everything that’s happened and all the things you just listed, is that over?”
“It’s over. Yes,” Navarro responded.
In his subsequent statement, Navarro said, ” I was simply speaking to the lack of trust we now have of the Chinese Communist Party after they lied about the origins of the China virus and foisted a pandemic upon the world.”
In his interview with Fox, Navarro said “the turning point” came when the U.S. heard about the coronavirus outbreak in China. Navarro claimed that the administration only heard about the virus after the trade deal between Washington and Beijing was signed on Jan. 15.
“He can’t continue as if nothing’s happened,” Ms. Le Pen said on French television. “The French have chosen us as the alternative. He won’t pacify the country unless he draws the consequences.”
She called on Mr. Macron to dissolve the National Assembly — he has refused — and institute proportional representation, which she insisted would more accurately reflect her party’s hold on the electorate. It currently has only seven representatives.
Mr. Macron has promised to institute a “dose” of proportional representation, but not enough to satisfy Ms. Le Pen.
“We’ve always called for a peaceful revolution,” she said.
“The face-off between nationalists and globalists is now in place, in durable fashion,” Ms. Le Pen said in a speech to supporters. “And this will condition the future choice in elections.”
If one thing was clear from Sunday’s result, it was that Ms. Le Pen’s forces have come back, perhaps stronger than ever, and are in a competitive position for France’s next presidential election, in 2022.
“What one saw in these Europeans, we’re in the face of a party that could win,” said Dominique Reynié, a political scientist who directs the Foundation for Political Innovation.
“The hatred of him is irrational in its intensity,” he said of Mr. Macron. “The next period is not going to be a cakewalk. We could have a very weakened president, with no moderate opposition.”
La Unión Tepito recibe cargamentos de droga a través de tráileres que introducen en la Ciudad de México diversos productos comestibles. La droga es vendida al menudeo en tiendas y “supercitos” del Centro Histórico y las colonias Morelos y Guerrero, aunque se comercializa también en Polanco, Roma y Condesa, entre otras zonas de la capital.
La Unión tiene también otras entradas: además del robo, el secuestro y la extorsión a comerciantes de la zona, se dedica al contrabando de ropa de marca falsificada, así como al de tabaco y alcohol.
Según un informe de inteligencia federal construido a partir del testimonio anónimo de comerciantes y vecinos de Tepito, las pacas de ropa que maneja el cártel proceden de contenedores enviados desde China: son descargadas en Belice y luego remitidas a Quintana Roo.
Desde aquel estado viajan a la capital del país, con el contubernio de diversas autoridades, a través de dos rutas: una que bordea la costa del Golfo y otra que se interna en el estado de Tabasco.
Otra “línea de negocios” de la Unión, según el documento, es el robo de camiones que transportan artículos electrónicos, sobre todo en la carretera México-Veracruz, revela el informe.
Los testigos señalan que con apoyo de patrulleros de seguridad pública capitalina y agentes de la procuraduría local involucrados con la organización delictiva, los miembros de la Unión obligan a los comerciantes de Tepito a vender los productos que contrabandean: ellos son los verdaderos dueños de todo lo se vende en las calles del barrio.
La procuraduría capitalina ha revelado que la Unión Tepito surgió a finales de la década pasada con la llegada a la Ciudad de México de Ricardo López Castillo, alias El Moco, un ex agente de la Procuraduría General de la República —y antes, de la Procuraduría General de Justicia del Distrito Federal—, que había entrado en tratos con narcotraficantes de Tamaulipas al grado de convertirse en líder de una de sus células. López Castillo estuvo a punto de ser asesinado por un grupo rival y volvió a la Ciudad de México.
En Tepito, El Moco se alió con Omar Romero, El Colosio, con los hermanos Francisco Hernández Gómez, Pancho Cayagua, y Armando Hernández Gómez, El Ostión, y con un sujeto apodado El Rachif o El Árabe. Con ellos fundó la organización que mueve la droga en la Ciudad de México.
Las autoridades consideran que El Moco es el jefe de sicarios de La Unión y está detrás de la desaparición de 12 jóvenes en el bar Heaven (mayo de 2013), del asesinato de cuatro personas en el gimnasio Body Extreme de Tepito (junio de 2013) y de la ejecución del dueño del bar Black, en la colonia Condesa (junio de 2015).
En mayo pasado la Unión Tepito sumergió a la Ciudad de México en una inédita ola de violencia. Una riña entre el líder, Pancho Cayagua, y su brazo derecho, Roberto Fabián Miranda, El Betito, culminó con una serie de asesinatos y descuartizamientos nunca antes vista en la capital.
Según la versión de la procuraduría capitalina, Pancho Cayagua y El Perro Salchicha (quien controla la venta de droga en Jesús Carranza y Matamoros, en Tepito) mandaron ejecutar a tres hombres que bebían en una cervecería de la colonia Prohogar: El Elvis, El Loco Fresa y El Calamardo. Todos eran gente de El Betito.
La respuesta de El Betito consistió en desmembrar a los autores de la ejecución. La cabeza y los brazos de uno fueron arrojados en la colonia Atlampa (sitio de reunión de Pancho Cayagua y El Perro Salchicha); la cabeza de otro cayó en la calle Matamoros. El mensaje era claro.
Pero por si hiciera falta, los sicarios dejaron una cartulina: “Sigues tú mi perro pana y tú mi perro salchicha”.
El documento señala los apodos de los sicarios más conocidos de la organización: El Japonés,El Chori, El Oriel, El Mamao, El Troll, El Huguito, El Caca, El Cara de Perro y El Fernandito.
Según el reporte, los líderes de la Unión no viven en Tepito: se han mudado a Puebla. Las reuniones con sus jefes, los narcotraficantes del Golfo, se llevarían a cabo en Toluca y Playa del Carmen.
El informe señala, por último, que la organización está vinculada también con grupos criminales que operan en Guerrero, encargados de surtirles metanfetaminas.
El documento parece confirmar que hay un vínculo entre la Unión Tepito y Guerreros Unidos. Que el grupo criminal con el que se involucró el alcalde de Iguala, José Luis Abarca, tiene relaciones con el grupo criminal que opera en la Ciudad de México.
New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern on Thursday announced the country was immediately banning “military-style semi-automatic weapons” after last week’s attack that killed 50 people at two mosques.
Speaking to reporters, the prime minister said the weapons would be banned in addition to “all assault rifles,” among other firearms. Ardern said that legislation is currently being drafted and she expects the law to take effect by April 11.
“We will ban all high-capacity magazines. We will ban all parts with the ability to convert semiautomatic, or any other type of firearm, into a military-style semi-automatic weapon,” the prime minister said. “In short, every semi-automatic weapon used in the terrorist attack on Friday will be banned in this country.”
New Zealand’s Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern speaks during a press conference following the March 15 mosque shooting, in Christchurch, New Zealand. (Kyodo News via AP)
Ardern said the government is working on a large-scale buyback plan for citizens possessing the weapons affected by the ban. The plan will allow the guns to be surrendered to police and “eventually destroyed.” Once the buyback is complete, she said, owners would receive “fair and reasonable compensation,” but did not elaborate.
Those who still possess banned guns after a “reasonable period for returns” has passed will be found breaking the law, Ardern said. Penalties will include fines of up to $4,000 and/or three years in prison, with the draft legislation proposing stiffer measures.
Ardern also said she and the Cabinet would work through legal exemptions to the ban, such as for farmers needing to cull their herds but said any exemptions would be “tightly regulated.”
“We do have guns in New Zealand that are used for legitimate purposes by responsible owners every single day and that includes our rural community that manage pests, use for animal welfare and also for recreation,” Ardern said.
Ardern said she believes the vast majority of these owners will support the ban because it’s about “national interest” and “safety.”
The ban comes six days after a gunman opened fire at two mosques in Christchurch. The massacre left 50 people dead and dozens of others injured.
Ardern said the man suspected of the attack bought his weapons legally with a standard gun license and modified their capacity by using 30-round magazines, “essentially turning them into military-style semi-automatic weapons.”
The 28-year-old suspect bought the weapons “through a simple online purchase,” she said, and “took a significant number of lives using primarily two guns.”
Mourners arrive for a burial service of a victim from the March 15 mosque shootings at the Memorial Park Cemetery in Christchurch, New Zealand on Thursday. (AP Photo/Vincent Thian)
The alleged shooter, whom Fox News is not naming, has been charged with one count of murder in the attacks, which became New Zealand’s deadliest mass shooting in modern history. He is expected to face additional charges at his next court appearance April 5.
Ardern’s announcement came as more of the dead were being buried. At least six funerals were held Thursday. Preparations were underway for a massive prayer service to be held Friday, with nearly 4,000 people expected to attend.
Cinco individuos asaltaron esta madrugada y se robaron a punta de revólver toda la recaudación del peaje Solís en el departamento de Maldonado.
Sobre las dos y media de la madrugada los delincuentes llegaron al peaje en donde se encontraban dos cajeras, la supervisora y dos funcionarios de la empresa de seguridad. Con el rostro cubierto con pañuelos y con armas de fuego redujeron al personal y les exigieron la recaudación. Según confirmó la vocera de Policía Caminera a Radio Montecarlo, Jennifer De León, se habrían llevado en efectivo un millón de pesos. Ningún trabajador resultó lesionado.
Los delincuentes utilizaron un automóvil Renault Clio rojo matrícula SBZ4374 que había sido reportado como robado el 18 de abril en Montevideo. Los asaltantes volvieron hacia Montevideo y pasando el puente sobre el arroyo Solís, ingresaron por una calle adyacente dejando el vehículo usado para el asalto con las luces encendidas y las puertas abiertas en el kilómetro 80 cerca de Jaureguiberry
La policía científica estudia las imágenes registradas en las cámaras de seguridad del peaje. Se está realizando a esta hora un rastrillaje por la zona.
Se hicieron presentes en el lugar jerarcas de la Jefatura de Policía de Maldonado, Policía Caminera y Policía Técnica.
Democrats insist, despite little chance of a conviction.
Former President Donald Trump parted ways with five of his impeachment lawyers just over a week before his Senate trial is set to begin, Fox News has confirmed.
South Carolina lawyers Butch Bowers and Deborah Barbier and former federal prosecutors Greg Harris, Johnny Gasser and Josh Howard had left the defense team by Saturday, a source said, calling it a mutual decision.
The source said the lawyers left over a difference of opinion on the direction of the defense’s argument.
Fast Facts
South Carolina lawyers Butch Bowers and Deborah Barbier have left the defense team, a source said.
Trump was impeached earlier this month for “incitement of insurrection” over the Jan. 6 U.S. Capitol riots.
South Carolina lawyers Butch Bowers and Deborah Barbier have left the defense team, a source said.
Trump was impeached earlier this month for “incitement of insurrection” over the Jan. 6 U.S. Capitol riots.
New additions were expected to join in the week ahead.
Another anonymous source told the Associated Press Bowers and Barbier left because Trump wanted them to make election fraud allegations during the trial.
The upheaval injected fresh uncertainty into the makeup and strategy of Trump’s defense team as he prepared to face charges that he incited the insurrection at the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6.
Trump was all but certain to be acquitted, however, because 45 out of 50 Republicans in the Senate voted earlier this month to dismiss the trial on a point of order brought forward by Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky.
The remaining five Republicans voted with Democrats to end debate on Paul’s motion that argued Trump’s impeachment trial is unconstitutional because he’s no longer in office.
Follow below for the latest updates on Trump’s impeachment. Mobile users click here.
New York Assembly Democrats vote 15-11 to block a bill that proposed expanding college tuition aid for children of deceased and disabled military veterans in the wake of approving a state budget that set aside $27 million in college tuition aid for undocumented immigrants.
New York Assembly Democrats on Tuesday blocked a bill that proposed expanding college tuition aid for children of deceased and disabled military veterans after– having a week earlier– approved a state budget that set aside $27 million in college tuition aid for illegal immigrants.
The Assembly’s Higher Education Committee voted 15 to 11 on Tuesday to shelve the bill, effectively quashing its chances of going to the floor, the Post-Standard reported.
The decision came after committee chair Deborah Glick, D-Manhattan, and Speaker Carl Heastie said $27 million from the state’s budget would go towards supporting the Jose Peralta New York State DREAM Act, which allows illegal immigrants to qualify for state aid for higher education, Newsweek reported.
Glick said any expansion of college tuition aid to Gold Star families was not within the state’s budget and pointed to an already-existing program that provides $2.7 million to 145 students who are dependents of vets who served in combat zones, the New York Post reported.
“Assemblywoman Glick should be ashamed of herself,” said State Sen. Robert Ortt, R-Niagara. “We set aside $27 million dollars for college for people that are here illegally… Apparently, $2.7 million is all that the families of soldiers who are killed, get. If you’re a child of a fallen soldier, you do not rank as high and you know that by the money.”
Mike Whyland, a spokesman for Assembly Democrats, said the Republican-led bill “would have expanded the eligibility beyond the scope and should be considered within the context of the budget.”
When asked about objections by GOP lawmakers, he said: “It’s purely political and it’s unfortunate that they are using children as pawns.”
Assemblyman Will Barclay, R-Pulaski, surmised that the Democrats’ refusal had less to do with budget restraints and more to do with the bill’s author: a Republican, Steve Hawley, R-Batavia.
“We get so caught up in majority and minority issues here, we can’t see the forest through the trees,” Barclay said. “I don’t know how they don’t justify this.”
CNN host Don Lemon was visibly flabbergasted by Fox News host Tucker Carlson, who claimed white supremacy was “actually not a real problem in America” during his program on Tuesday.
Carlson downplayed the evidence of the rise of white supremacy throughout the US and described it a “hoax … Just like the Russia hoax.”
Lemon was speechless after he replayed a portion of Carlson’s segment for his program.
“Wow,” Lemon said, after an extended pause. “Hold on a second. Was that not the dumbest thing you’ve ever heard?”
The FBI reported that since October, the majority of roughly 100 domestic terrorism-related arrests involving a racial motive were “motivated by some version of what you might call ‘white supremacist violence.'”
CNN host Don Lemon was visibly flabbergasted by Fox News host Tucker Carlson, who claimed white supremacy was “actually not a real problem in America” during his program on Tuesday.
Carlson downplayed the evidence of the rise of white supremacy throughout the US and described it a “hoax … Just like the Russia hoax.”
“It’s a conspiracy theory used to divide the country and keep a hold on power,” Carlson said on his program. “That’s exactly what’s going on.”
“If you were to assemble a list, a hierarchy of concerns, the problems this country faces, where would white supremacy be on the list? Right up there with Russia, probably,” Carlson added. “It’s actually not a real problem in America.”
Lemon was speechless after he replayed a portion of Carlson’s segment for his program.
“Wow,” Lemon said, after an extended pause. “Hold on a second. Was that not the dumbest thing you’ve ever heard?”
The FBI — which has received criticism for its handling of domestic terrorism concerns following the El Paso shooting that killed at least 22 people in Texas — reported that since October, the majority of roughly 100 domestic terrorism-related arrests involving a racial motive were “motivated by some version of what you might call ‘white supremacist violence.'”
The gunman in the El Paso shooting promoted white supremacist views in a purported manifesto.
From left, Melody Stout, Hannah Payan, Aaliyah Alba, Sherie Gramlich and Laura Barrios comfort each other during a vigil for victims of the shooting Saturday, Aug. 3, 2019, in El Paso, Texas. A young gunman opened fire in an El Paso, Texas, shopping area during the busy back-to-school season, leaving multiple people dead and more than two dozen injured. (AP Photo/John Locher)
“We take domestic terrorism or hate crime, regardless of ideology, extremely seriously,” FBI director Christopher Wray said at a congressional hearing in July. “We are aggressively pursuing it using both counterterrorism resources and criminal investigative resources and partnering closely with our state and local partners.”
The FBI was reportedly investigating around 850 domestic terrorism cases — 40% of which involved racial extremism, according to CBS News. The FBI also determined there were eight mass shootings in the country involving attackers who promoted white supremacy since 2017, according to The New York Times.
Additionally, the FBI Agents Association on Tuesday urged Congress to declare domestic terrorism a federal crime: “Acts of violence intended to intimidate civilian populations or to influence or affect government policy should be prosecuted as domestic terrorism regardless of the ideology behind them.”
Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine, left, speaks alongside Dayton Mayor Nan Whaley, right, during a vigil at the scene of a mass shooting, Sunday, Aug. 4, 2019, in Dayton, Ohio. A masked gunman in body armor opened fire early Sunday in the popular entertainment district in Dayton, killing several people, including his sister, and wounding dozens before he was quickly slain by police, officials said. (AP Photo/John Minchillo)
Up Next
See Gallery
President Donald Trump addressed the El Paso shooting on Monday and said the gunman was “consumed by racist hate.”
“In one voice, our nation must condemn racism, bigotry, and white supremacy,” Trump said at his press conference.
Lemon referred to Carlson’s monologue in light of the victims of the El Paso shooting.
“Yet, Tucker Carlson of Fox News is saying white supremacy is not a real problem in America,” Lemon said. “I wonder how the families of the victims in El Paso feel about his statement.”
Immigration and Customs Enforcement raids occurred in small towns where the workforce is made up largely of Latino immigrants. USA TODAY
DETROIT – Forty years ago, Jimmy Al-Daoud came from Greece to the U.S. legally as a 6-month-old baby, along with his Iraqi Christian parents, who were refugees.
The Hazel Park resident struggled with mental illness, homelessness and was convicted 20 times of crimes such as stealing power tools, assault and marijuana possession. In 2005 and 2018, an immigration judge ordered him removed from the U.S. despite the fact he had lived in the U.S. almost his entire life.
On June 2, agents with Immigration and Customs Enforcement deported him to Iraq after a federal appeals court decision in April opened the door for Iraqi deportations.
This week, Al-Daoud, 41, died in Iraq after struggling as a homeless man on the streets of Najaf and Baghdad to find insulin he needed for his diabetic condition, according to friends, the American Civil Liberties Union and U.S. Rep. Andy Levin, D-Mich.
For the past two years, Iraqi-American Christian leaders in Michigan have said that deporting Chaldeans back to Iraq would be a virtual death sentence. Al-Daoud’s death on Tuesday has confirmed their fears, say advocates.
“Jimmy Al-Daoud, a Chaldean resident of Oakland County, should have never been sent to Iraq,” said Levin. “For many reasons, it was clear that deporting Jimmy to a country where he had never been, had no identification, had no family, had no knowledge of geography or customs, did not speak the language and ultimately, had no access to medical care, would put his life in extreme danger. Jimmy died tragically yesterday of a diabetic crisis. His death could have and should have been prevented.”
ICE officials told the Free Press on Thursday that Al-Daoud cut off his tether in December and had absconded until police caught him in April for vehicle larceny. ICE said they provided him with enough medication to ensure his care when they deported him in June.
A video in June of Al-Daoud in Iraq that the ACLU says was taken by another deported Iraqi national shows him explaining how ICE agents deported him despite his pleas to stay.
“I was deported 2½ weeks ago,” he said in the video posted on Facebook, wearing a red shirt and sitting on the street. “I’ve been in the United States since 6 months old. … Two and a half weeks ago, immigration agent pulled me over and said I’m going to Iraq. And I refused. I said I’ve never been there. I’ve been in this country my whole life. … They refused to listen to me. … They wouldn’t let me call my family, nothing. … I begged them, I said, ‘Please, I’ve never seen that country. I’ve never been there.’ However, they forced me.”
Al-Daoud described his stay in Iraq as confusing and desperate.
“I don’t understand the language,” he said in the June video. “I’ve been sleeping in the streets. I’m diabetic. I’m take insulin shots. I’ve been throwing up, throwing up … trying to find something to eat. I got nothing over here.”
Levin and the ACLU confirmed that the video is of Al-Daoud.
Al-Daoud suffered “from mental health issues and had diabetes that required insulin twice per day,” said ACLU Michigan spokeswoman Ann Mullen. “He died in part due to not having access to quality health care despite being able to periodically receive insulin.”
It’s unclear whether Al-Daoud was born in Iraq or Greece, said the ACLU. Some documents show he was born in Greece, others in Iraq.
Leaving Iraq, his parents “made their way to Greece, where they applied for refugee status in the U.S.,” Mullen said. The family was in Greece just a few months before being admitted into the U.S. in 1979.
His death has outraged some in metro Detroit’s Iraqi Christian community, one of the largest in the U.S.
Officials with ICE in Detroit told the Free Press in a statement that Al-Daoud has a long history of criminal convictions over the past 20 years. Spokesman Khaalid Walls said Al-Daoud entered the U.S. “lawfully in 1979, before violating the terms of his status due to several criminal convictions.”
Under law, legal immigrants can be deported if they commit certain crimes.
ICE Detroit office said: “Al-Daoud has an extensive criminal history involving no less than twenty convictions between 1998-2017, to include assault with a dangerous weapon; assault and/or battery; domestic violence; contempt of court-failure to appear; breaking and entering; malicious destruction of a building; malicious destruction of property; assaulting, resisting, or obstructing a police officer; disorderly conduct; home invasion; possession of marijuana; larceny; breaking and entering a vehicle, and receiving and concealing stolen property.”
In 2012, Al-Daoud was arrested after he stole power tools from a garage in Ferndale, reported WWJ at the time. He was described in the story as a homeless man.
A Michigan appeals court later threw out the conviction after he served his time because he had represented himself in court without the judge warning him of the risks, reported the Associated Press in 2015.
ICE said that “Al-Daoud’s immigration case underwent an exhaustive judicial review before the courts ultimately affirmed he had no legal basis to remain in the U.S. He was ordered removed from the United States to Iraq on Nov. 8, 2005.”
In 2017, Al-Daoud became part of the ACLU lawsuit filed against ICE to block the deportations. ICE had arrested about 1,400 Iraqi nationals living in the U.S., most with criminal convictions who had final orders of deportation.
Before President Donald Trump took office, they were allowed to stay, but the Trump administration sought to remove them after striking a deal with Iraq to take them back. Many were able to have their cases reheard in immigration courts and temporarily had their deportations halted, but in December, the 6th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled against the ACLU, saying the deportations could not be blocked. In April, the full court refused to rehear the case, which means the deportations can continue.
“He was later granted a motion to reopen his immigration case but was again ordered removed to Iraq on May 14, 2018,” said ICE spokesman Walls. “Al-Daoud waived his right to appeal that decision.”
Levin said he’s trying to help get Al-Daoud a Catholic burial in Iraq. Christians are a minority in Iraq, where they are increasingly persecuted.
“At the moment, Iraqi authorities will not release Jimmy’s body to a Catholic priest without extensive documentation from his family members in the U.S.,” Levin said. “This seems to be a cruel irony, indeed. I am working with the Iraqi government to make sure this process happens as quickly and smoothly as possible.”
“Jimmy’s death has devastated his family and us,” said Miriam Aukerman, ACLU of Michigan senior staff attorney, who is litigating the Hamma v. Adducci lawsuit filed against ICE on behalf of Iraqi nationals. “We knew he would not survive if deported. What we don’t know is how many more people ICE will send to their deaths.”
Aukerman said Al-Daoud was “sleeping on benches in Najaf with no food, no money, nothing but the clothes on his back.”
According to ICE Detroit officials, “Al-Daoud was released from ICE custody on Dec. 18, 2018, pursuant to a Nov. 20, 2018, federal court decision, which ordered the release of Iraqi nationals who had been detained for removal.”
Al-Daoud then “immediately absconded from ICE’s noncustodial supervision program by cutting his GPS tether on the day of his release.”
ICE said he “remained an absconder until he was arrested by local law enforcement for larceny from a motor vehicle in April 2019. At his June 2, removal, he was supplied with a full complement of medicine to ensure continuity of care.”
Al-Daoud had first arrived in Najaf and then ended up in Baghdad, said Levin’s office and the ACLU.
In the June video taken a couple of weeks after his deportation – believed to be in Baghdad, according to Levin’s office – Al-Daoud recounted being thrown off the property of a place where he was trying to sleep because he was homeless.
“I was kicked in the back a couple of days ago,” Al-Daoud said, by a man who told him to “get off the guy’s property. I was sleeping on the ground. He claimed it was his property. I begged him, I said, ‘Please, I’ve never seen this country. I don’t understand the language. Nobody speaks English.’ “
This is a widget area - If you go to "Appearance" in your WP-Admin you can change the content of this box in "Widgets", or you can remove this box completely under "Theme Options"
