Latest news with #JointChiefsofStaff
The Herald Scotland
2 days ago
- Politics
- The Herald Scotland
Biden defends frequent use of autopen: 'I made every decision'
"I made every decision," Biden said in the interview, justifying the use of the autopen to replicate his signature because of the sheer volume of clemency actions on broad categories of people, including nonviolent drug offenders. "We're talking about a whole lot of people." Biden reduced the sentences of nearly 4,000 federal convicts in the final months of his presidency and issued preemptive pardons to potential targets of Trump, such as Gen. Mark Milley, former chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, as well as members of Biden's family. Biden's son, Hunter Biden, was the recipient of the only clemency warrant during this period that Biden signed by hand. More: Trump orders investigation of Joe Biden's alleged 'cognitive decline' and use of autopen "The autopen is, you know, is legal. As you know, other presidents used it, including Trump," Biden said, according to excerpts of the interview published by the Times. "They're liars," Biden said when asked about Republicans' allegations that his White House abused the autopen. "They've lied so consistently about almost everything they're doing. The best thing they can do is try to change the focus and focus on something else," the former president said. "It's consistent with Trump's game plan all along." Biden dropped out of the 2024 election in July of that year after he struggled to piece together coherent sentences during a debate with Trump the month before. In May of this year, Biden was diagnosed with an aggressive form of prostate cancer. Trump and fellow Republicans have suggested without evidence that Biden's aides used the autopen illegally, arguing the former president was incapable of making clemency decisions himself due to his diminished mental fitness. "I think it's the biggest scandal maybe in the last 100 years in this country," Trump said last month, days after ordering the Justice Department to determine who decided Biden's signature should be applied to clemency documents. "I doubt he knew," Trump said July 14, reacting to Biden's comments that he signed off on the clemency decisions. "I doubt they even spoke to him about it." According to the New York Times, the Biden White House followed a process to establish that the president verbally signed off on clemency decisions before using the signature device. Stefanie Feldman, who served as White House staff secretary under Biden, managed the use of the autopen. The Times highlighted emails between Biden officials supporting that such a process was in place. Biden did not individually approve each name included in the broad clemency actions that applied to large classifications of people, Biden aides told the Times. The former president instead signed off on the standards to determine which convicts should have their sentences reduced. More: Tarnished legacy? How Biden's age and refusal to pass torch earlier hang over his exit Harrison Fields, deputy press secretary of the Trump White House, said in a statement to USA TODAY that Biden "should not be trusted again" when asked to respond to Biden's claims in the interview. "The truth will come out about who was, in fact, running the country sooner or later, just as the truth is emerging about the state of Joe Biden's cognitive and physical health," Fields said. In December 2024, Biden commuted the sentences of nearly 1,500 people who were placed on home confinement during the COVID-19 pandemic and pardoned 39 others convicted of nonviolent crimes. The next month, he commuted 2,500 criminal sentences for nonviolent drug offenses that he described as "disproportionately long" compared with modern-day sentences. Also in December 2024, Biden pardoned Hunter Biden for gun and tax felonies and, separately issued a preemptive pardon to shield him from future charges by Trump. On his final day in office, Biden issued similar preemptive pardons for his brother James Biden and other relatives as well as individuals considered potential targets of Trump, including Miley, Dr. Anthony Fauci, who led the COVID-19 response, and members of Congress who oversaw the House investigation into the attack on the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021. More: Biden's doctor won't testify in Congressional investigation into his mental fitness Former Biden aides have been summoned to Congress as part of the Republican-led House Oversight Committee's investigation into Biden's mental fitness and his of the autopen. Last week, Biden's former White House physician, Dr. Kevin O'Connor, invoked his Fifth Amendment right and cited doctor-client confidentiality, declining to answer a series of questions from Republicans on the committee during a closed-door deposition. Former Biden aide Ashley Williamson appeared on July 11 for a deposition. Neera Tanden, a former domestic policy aide under Biden, was the first to testify last month on the autopen matter. The committee has also issued a subpoena for Anthony Bernal, former assistant to the president and senior advisor to first lady Jill Biden, to appear for a deposition on July 16. Reach Joey Garrison on X @joeygarrison.
Jordan News
2 days ago
- Politics
- Jordan News
Chairman of the Joint Chiefs Observes Night Exercise "Piercing Star" in Eastern Military Region - Jordan News
Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Major General Yousef Ahmed Al-Hunaiti, on Sunday evening observed the night tactical exercise 'Piercing Star' carried out by the 3rd Princess Basma Mechanized Battalion "Um Al-Nashama," one of the formations of the Eastern Military Region, at a designated training field. The exercise was attended by the Assistant for Operations and Training and the Region Commander. اضافة اعلان Major General Al-Hunaiti was briefed by the region and battalion commanders on the exercise objectives, area of operations, participating forces, and execution phases. The drill was part of the unit's operational and combat training plan, aimed at refining the skills of personnel and boosting their readiness under varied battlefield conditions. The exercise simulated complex combat scenarios including urban assault and clearing operations using armored vehicles and helicopters, engaging and destroying targets, performing medical evacuations, and utilizing drones for reconnaissance and precision strikes on high-value targets. It was executed according to the latest combat doctrines, employing light and medium weapons, sniper fire, mortars, anti-armor systems, and drones, with direct air support provided by the Royal Jordanian Air Force. At the conclusion of the drill, attended by several senior officers from the Jordan Armed Forces, Major General Al-Hunaiti addressed the troops, conveying the greetings and pride of His Majesty King Abdullah II, Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces, and His Royal Highness Crown Prince Al Hussein. He praised the participants for their outstanding performance, high professionalism, morale, and precision during the exercise.
Korea Herald
2 days ago
- Politics
- Korea Herald
Drone operations command raided in Yoon's martial law probe
South Korea's special counsel team raided the military's drone operations command Monday as part of its investigation into former President Yoon Suk Yeol over allegations of inciting insurrection. Led by Special Counsel Cho Eung-seok, the raid was part of a broader investigation into whether Yoon orchestrated a drone operation over North Korea in an attempt to fabricate a pretext for declaring martial law on Dec. 3. The special counsel team reportedly seeks evidence that drone units based in Pocheon, Gyeonggi Province, carried out a mission over Pyongyang in October under the direct orders of Yoon and then-Defense Minister Kim Yong-hyun. Investigators are also looking into whether the military engaged in a coordinated effort to conceal the operation. Monday's raid marked a sign that the insurrection probe has expanded into treason charges. At the time, North Korea claimed that South Korean drones had entered its airspace and dropped anti-regime leaflets over the capital. It released photos of an uncrewed aircraft, saying it had been recovered after crashing. South Korea's military initially denied the claim, later declining to confirm or deny whether the operation took place. A fire later broke out at the drone command's facility, fueling suspicions of a cover-up. The military said it was a routine incineration of documents unrelated to the case. Investigators are examining whether there were coordinated efforts within the military to conceal the operation, including the destruction or withholding of key records. The drone operations command, launched in 2023 as a joint unit of the Army, Navy, Air Force and Marine Corps, operates under the authority of the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. Monday's search covered 24 military-related sites, including the Defense Ministry, the Joint Chiefs of Staff, the National Security Office and the Defense Counterintelligence Command.
The Star
5 days ago
- Politics
- The Star
South Korea, US and Japan top military chiefs meet in Seoul
Gen, Yoshihide Yoshida (right), Chief of Staff, Joint Staff of Japan, Adm. Kim Myung-soo, chairman of the South Korean Joint Chiefs of Staff, and John Daniel Caine (left) Chairman of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff, pose during a Trilateral Chiefs of Defense meeting at the Defense Ministry in Seoul, South Korea, Friday, July 11, 2025. -- AP Photo/Ahn Young-joon SEOUL (AFP): The top military chiefs of South Korea, the United States and Japan met in Seoul Friday, as US President Donald Trump piles pressure on Washington's allies over defence spending and trade. General Dan Caine, the top US military officer, held talks with his South Korean counterpart Kim Myung-soo, and Japan's General Yoshihide Yoshida, as part of an annual meeting on regional security.
5 days ago
- Politics
Japan, U.S., S. Korea Top Uniformed Officers Vow Cooperation
News from Japan World Jul 11, 2025 22:37 (JST) Seoul, July 11 (Jiji Press)--Top uniformed officers from Japan's Self-Defense Forces, the U.S. military and the South Korean military on Friday agreed to continue their trilateral security cooperation, condemning North Korea's nuclear and missile development. The agreement was included in a joint statement released following a meeting in Seoul between Gen. Yoshihide Yoshida, chief of staff at the SDF's Joint Staff, Gen. Dan Caine, chairman of the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff, and Adm. Kim Myung-soo, chairman of South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff. Caine also called for coordination to deter China's military threats. While South Korea considers the trilateral security cooperation as a deterrent against North Korea, Caine said in the meeting that North Korea and China are promoting an unprecedented military buildup. He also said that the United States is focusing on rebuilding the deterrence, indicating his intention to use the trilateral framework to check China. [Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.] Jiji Press
