President Barack Obama is calling for “the strongest” sanctions against Iran for its alleged involvement in a plot to kill Saudi Arabia’s ambassador to the United States. Obama says the US has strong evidence to support claims that Iran was involved. The president elaborated on what specific sanctions he might support.
With the fall of Libya’s former government, many small groups of smugglers are transporting Libyan heavy weapons across Egypt to Gaza, taking advantage of the current lack of a domestic police force. Israel’s government is concerned about this smuggling, especially of antiaircraft missiles because Israel relies heavily on aircraft to combat Hamas forces in Gaza.
Fighting in Sirte, the home of Libya’s former dictator Muammar Qaddafi, has finally ceased with the report that Qaddafi was killed. Mixed emotions were felt in the nation as many citizens celebrated the death of the former leader, while others expressed their concerns about continued violence.
The Arab Spring series of revolutions in the Middle East and North Africa that began months ago are far from over, as protesters in Yemen and Syria have been re-energized by Qaddafi’s death. Demonstrators flooded the streets as the reports came out Friday, shouting chants such as “Your turn is coming, Bashar,” calling for the expulsion of Syria’s Bashar al-Assad.
President Barack Obama has stated that the last American soldiers will leave Iraq by the end of the year. This decision comes as an alteration to an earlier commitment made by the Obama administration to leave about 3,000 American troops to function as trainers for the growing Iraqi national military. Disagreements between the US and Iraq about immunity from legal prosecution for these trainers caused the change.
The late Steve Jobs told president Obama that he was “headed for a one-term presidency,” because of his policies toward businesses, says an authorized biography of the former Apple CEO and co-founder slated for release this week. Jobs reportedly told the president he needed to work on making business more profitable for Americans in order to be re-elected.
The Obama administration has approved the first oil-drilling plan for BP since the Deepwater Horizon explosion more than a year ago. Representative Edward Markey criticized the decision stating, “Comprehensive safety legislation hasn’t passed Congress, and BP hasn’t paid the fines they owe for their spill, yet BP is being given back the keys to drill in the gulf.”