The Trump administration is considering designating the Taliban a foreign terrorist organization to pressure the Afghan ruling group to be more helpful in countering terrorist entities within Afghanistan, Secretary of State Marco Rubio said May 21.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio defended President Donald Trump’s recent decision to lift sanctions on Syria (see 2505130061), saying the country’s transitional authority might collapse in weeks or months without outside assistance, a situation that could lead to civil war.
The White House defended its new AI partnership framework with the United Arab Emirates, saying in a statement late May 16 that the agreement “will help ensure the global AI ecosystem will be built with American chips and use American models, all while guaranteeing significant UAE investments into the United States.”
To deter an invasion of Taiwan, the U.S. government should make it clear it will inflict “economic pain” on China if Beijing launches an attack, a researcher told the House Select Committee on China May 15.
Seven Senate and House Democrats issued a joint statement May 16 criticizing the Trump administration’s reported new AI agreements with the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia, saying the deals don't have “credible security assurances” to prevent U.S. “adversaries” from accessing advanced American chips.
Chris Pratt, President Donald Trump’s nominee to be assistant secretary of state for political-military affairs, said May 15 that the Trump administration has directed him to address the delays and other complaints that are frequently made about the U.S. defense export process, including the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR).
The U.S. government could improve its ability to wield its economic statecraft tools, including sanctions, export controls and investment screening, by making several organizational changes, such as creating an interagency coordinating body co-led by a new high-ranking official at the State Department, a researcher told the House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on East Asia and the Pacific May 14.
President Donald Trump announced May 13 that he plans to order the “cessation of sanctions against Syria” to give the war-torn country a “chance at greatness.”
Senate Foreign Relations Committee ranking member Jeanne Shaheen, D-N.H., urged the Trump administration May 12 to impose additional sanctions on those fueling unrest in Haiti.
Sen. Tom Cotton, R-Ark., introduced a bill last week that would require export-controlled advanced computing chips to contain location verification mechanisms to prevent their diversion to “adversaries” such as China.