Pakistan to 'intensify' Yemen diplomacy: PM
Islamabad will "intensify" efforts to find a diplomatic solution to the Yemen conflict, Pakistan's PM says, after...
Monday, 13 April 2015
All kidnapped Lebanese truck drivers return home
BEIRUT: Nine Lebanese truck drivers kidnapped by the Nusra Front on the Syria-Jordan border earlier this month returned home Monday, ending a nearly two-week ordeal.
Around noon Monday, eight Lebanese truckers abducted at the Nassib crossing in southern Syria landed at Beirut airport.
Hours later, the ninth, Hasan Atat, crossed into Lebanon by land from Syria through the eastern Masnaa crossing, a General Security spokesperson told The Daily Star.
Agriculture Minister Akram Chehayeb, tasked with following up on the matter, welcomed the truckers upon their arrival at the airport.
One of the drivers, Abdel-Rahman Ahmad Houri, explained to the media that the Nusra Front was behind their abduction.
“We had arrived at the crossing when the war began,” he said in reference to the battle for the crossing between the Syrian army and rebels.
“The Jordanians had closed the borders, so we were stuck there and the rebels took over the crossing.”
He said several groups, some factions unidentifiable, entered the crossing after battle, including the Nusra Front which abducted the nine drivers.
After being held and interrogated for around a week in an underground location, the Dar al-Adel (Justice House) court run by the Nusra Front ordered their release, Houri explained. After that, they remained under “the protection of the Free Syrian Army,” he added.
Chehayeb thanked the FSA for ensuring the drivers’ safety, and underlined that no ransoms were paid in return for the drivers’ release.
As for the trucks, they were left at the Nassib crossing because they could not pass into Jordan, the driver said, highlighting that all of the trucks were looted and most were severely damaged.
Later in the day, Houri, from the Zghourta town of Maryata, and two other drivers who had arrived to Beirut’s airport were welcomed back by their families in north Lebanon. The men were identified as Mustafa Abu Arwa and Bader Alwan from the Akkar towns of Jdeidet al-Qoteih and Tal Hayat.
However, 231 drivers are stranded in Jordan and Saudi Arabia after the closure of the Nassib crossing. “The more difficult file remains that of the truck drivers stuck in Jordan and Saudi Arabia,” Chehayeb said.
Sixty truck drivers were stuck at the Jordan’s Jaber crossing, which is opposite the Nassib crossing.
As for the 171 truckers in Saudi Arabia, Chehayeb said Riyadh was assisting Lebanon.
Chehayeb announced that Lebanese nationals living in Saudi Arabia have pledged to help donate 400 riyals daily to help cover the cost of fellow countrymen while they remain stranded abroad.
The Nassib crossing, a vital path for Lebanon’s exports to Jordan and the Gulf, was taken over by Syrian rebels on April 1, one day after Jordan had closed the road on its side of the border and evacuated all civilians from the area. Around 30 Lebanese drivers were stuck at the crossing, but the majority have returned by car through Syria despite the risky security situation.
Lebanon vows ‘never again’ 40 years after war
BEIRUT: Officials swore Monday that Lebanon’s bloody 15-year civil war, which tore the country apart 40 years ago, would never be repeated. The war, which broke out April 13, 1975, left around 150,000 dead and plunged the country into long-standing political and economic crisis.
The country’s top officials and notable organizations took to social media among other methods to share their views to mark the anniversary of the war.
Future Movement leader Saad Hariri
Hariri pledged to help deter any likelihood of another civil war in Lebanon’s future. “40th anniversary of the start of Lebanon’s Civil War: Never again,” he tweeted Monday.
“We did not end our Civil War to push our country into the fires of other Arab wars,” Hariri said, in an indirect reference to Hezbollah’s participation in the Syrian war.
“We cannot protect Lebanon if we do not stop surrounding fires from reaching it, or worse, if we keep throwing ourselves into the flames.”
Progressive Socialist Party leader Walid JumblattJumblatt, whose party was among the most active in the war, described it as “the war of others on our land,” quoting late-intellectual Ghassan Tueini.
“I will not go on, because I was among the several factions who were driven by fanaticism and old grudges,” he said. “Whatever I say on this occasion, my point of view is not fair or objective ... I prefer to remain silent.”
The Druze leader called on the next generation, including his son and soon-to-be successor Taymur, not to repeat the mistakes of the past.
“My testament to Taymur and to all the Lebanese youth: Beware of violence and ignorance.”
Grand Mufti Abdel-Latif DerianDerian said Monday that “Lebanon today is in a bad state,” warning of the consequences of the presidential vacuum.
“Lessons must be learned from what happened during the conflicts experienced by this nation,” he said, asking leaders to adopt dialogue as a means to address disagreements.
Social Affairs Minister Rashid DerbasDerbas said that the Lebanese were now “immune” to civil war. He warned that there were still some looking to fuel strife and called on Lebanese to “be cautious not to fall again into the same hole.”
In an interview with a local TV channel, Derbas said: “I used to feel that life depended on my team losing or winning, and I discovered that all of Lebanon had lost.”
On the Cabinet’s role to prevent another war, the minister said that the government was not actually governing the country. “We’re just caretakers,” he said, because governance requires setting plans and programs and achieving them, “which is unfortunately not happening in our country.”
Minister of the Displaced Alice ShabtiniThe “Fighters for Peace” organization held a news conference in the Press Club Monday afternoon to air lessons learned from the war.
Shabtini, who sponsored and attended the conference, said: “The worth of life is to learn from history.”
“It’s my pleasure on this occasion to support and invite people to join this NGO [Fighters for Peace] whose founders wanted to expose our pacifist and civil culture,” she said.
The minister called on Lebanese to hang onto the policy of dialogue, as “experience has taught us that peoples and nations won’t be saved unless they establish the value of love and consecrate human freedoms.”Lebanese ForcesThe Lebanese Forces organized a day of events under the slogan: “April 13, 1975, courage didn’t die in us, we died with courage,” sponsored by LF chief Samir Geagea.
Activities include a Mass at Our Lady of Salvation Church in Ain al-Remmaneh, followed by a candle march and speeches.
Joy of GivingLebanese NGO “Joy of Giving” celebrated Monday around the National Museum with a display of colorful paintings depicting the beauty of Lebanon’s nature, as well as a theatrical show, performances and political discussions.
Religious figure Sheikh Mohammed Ali al-Hajj al-Ameli was at hand and addressed the crowd: “There is a big difference between Lebanon on April 13, 1975, when the county was divided, and today.”MP Ghassan MoukheiberChange and Reform bloc lawmaker Ghassan Moukheiber appealed for people not to hide the tragedies of the Civil War, but be open about them to the younger generation, in order to prevent them from reoccurring.
“We should work on documenting the atrocities of the wars and presenting them by all available means to the next generation, who did not witness them first hand, so all Lebanese can learn from them and avoid repeating the destructive mistakes of the past,” he said.
The Committee for the Families of the Kidnapped and DisappearedThe Committee of the Families of the Kidnapped and Disappeared and the “It Is Our Right to Know” campaign launched a campaign entitled “40 The War,” which will last five weeks.
The committee chairman Wadad Holwani said many hurtles lay in the way of the organization learning the truth about what happened to the disappeared. “Our struggle today has two sides,” he explained, describing them as institutional and legislative.
Our Unity Is Our SalvationAssaad Al-Chaftari, the head of Our Unity is Our Salvation, an umbrella organization for numerous Lebanese NGOs, said a campaign entitled, “We remember ... we proceed,” launched last week, was a message to ensure another war never occurs in Lebanon.
“Our society today is witnessing deep divisions and facing more challenges than it can face,” he said, describing the launching of the campaign as the duty of the organization, to prevent the tragedies of the war from ever happening again.
Transcript: NPR's Full Interview With Sen. Marco Rubio
Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., is running for president and spoke with NPR's Steve Inskeep on Monday ahead of his big announcement.
Rubio talked about how he hopes to stand out in the 2016 presidential field, Indiana's religious freedom law, the president's deal with Iran, immigration policy, and America's warming relationship with Cuba.
STEVE INSKEEP: In all the years I've been interviewing people, I don't think I've spoken with somebody on the day of an announcement like this. And I was thinking that if it were me, there might be a moment the night before where I was lying awake wondering if I was really ready for this. Did you have a moment of wondering if you were really ready for this?
SEN. MARCO RUBIO: Not last night, but, I mean, if you reach the point where you're wondering it the night before you announce, then you probably shouldn't run. I think anyone who's thinking about the highest office in the most powerful nation on earth has to spend some time analyzing whether they're prepared for the job. And look, I think the job is perhaps the most difficult job in politics anywhere in the world. You're the leader of the most powerful military on the planet. You make decisions that have global implications. And it's happening at a time when the country's going through an extraordinary economic transformation that is leaving many people insecure. But from all that and given both my experience at the local, state and federal level, and especially the lessons learned over the last five years as I've been engaged in federal policy making, I'm very confident that I have the judgment and the knowledge that I need to do a very good job as president of the United States. And clearly, as you see the history of the presidency, people who go into that office grow, the office helps you grow as well as you go through it and that's, having the ability to learn is a big part of the office as well. But I'm certainly capable from day 1. I'm very confident that I have the capability from day no. 1 to lead this country.
Are you also affirming that you are not giving up your — are you also affirming that you are not running for Senate?
I am not. And the reason I think strongly about that is, if you've decided that you want to serve this country as its president, that's what you should be running for. And I find myself in a situation where my Senate seat comes up for re-election at the exact same time as the presidency. And by Florida law, you can't run for both, anyway. But to even be thinking about a Plan B in case this doesn't work, I think diminishes your ability to succeed on the campaign because your mind will always be on, if this doesn't work, then I can do something else. And the truth is that, you know, I don't want to be in politics my entire life. And I'm prepared to serve this country now in its highest office and I'm excited about this opportunity.
You'll be in a crowded Republican field. How do you expect to distinguish yourself from your opponents on the Republican side?
Well, I expect that I'm going to go out and tell people my vision for the future of this country. I'm going to be very specific and detailed about our plans and how we're going to get there. In fact, I've done that already. We have a very detailed policy position that we've outlined on numerous issues over the last two years, culminating in my book that just came out earlier this year, American Dreams. And I think from that, voters are going to analyze the different position of the candidates, their capabilities, their history, but more importantly their view of the future and their plans to get us there and I'm very confident that that will lead to success.
Is there a sentence that people can have in their heads? Marco Rubio is different from the others because...
He has the clear view of how the 21st century can also be an American century.
We're in a moment where you have put out plans proposing to reshape the way the federal government deals with federal assistance to the poor.
Yes.
We're in a moment where Jeb Bush, who may also run, has a superPAC called Right to Rise. And this week, of course, Hillary Clinton declared her campaign for the presidency talking about helping everyday people. What's going on there?
Well, that's a good thing for our country because equality of opportunity has always defined us as a people and as a nation. And the fact that there are millions of people now in America that are starting to have significant doubts about whether we're still that kind of country should be deeply concerning to us. Our identity is at stake. Every country in the world has rich people. What makes America different is, we've had millions and millions of people who through hard work and perseverance are able to achieve happiness and upward mobility. And the fact that that's in danger and in question is deeply concerning, and should be. It threatens our identity. So I'm glad that people are talking about it. Ultimately, talking about it won't be enough. You have to have plans that work to help us address it. And for me it begins by embracing and acknowledging the reality that we are living through a massive transformation into this post-industrial 21st century economy that is both disruptive but also exciting. It comes not just with challenges, but also with opportunities. But we can only embrace those opportunities if we move forward on thinking about the changes we're going to have to make in order to fully enter the 21st century.
What's one way that your approach would be different from Jeb Bush's or Hillary Clinton's?
Well, as far as the Republican field is concerned, there will be plenty of time for comparison shopping. The truth is, for voters, the truth is that at this moment most of my opponents in the field beyond talking about upward mobility have not clearly outlined what they would do. We have a clear policy outline on each of these issues that people can read about. And if, you know, all of my opponents and other candidates in the Republican field choose to adopt some of those ideas, I'll consider that a victory as well as flattery. But on the Democratic side, I think, you know, Hillary Clinton is someone who's deeply wedded to the institutions of the 20th century. Her plans are to spend more money on the existing higher education system. That system doesn't work any more. It doesn't work any more because we don't graduate enough young people from high school ready to work. We need to do more of that — ready to work in trades as mechanics, airplane technicians and plumbers and engineers. These are good — welders. These are good 21st century jobs and we are capable of teaching people how to do that so at 18, 19 years of age, they can be employed. We also need to have more flexible, more flexibility in higher education for working Americans who can't afford to drop everything and go to school full-time for four years. We need to have programs that allow someone who works full time to learn at their own pace, on their own time, so that a receptionist can become a paralegal, so that the home-health aide making $10 an hour can become a dental hygienist making $55,000 a year. And then we have to have more quality measures in higher education. For example, before you take out a student loan—
Mhmm
I have a bill that says every student, before you take out a student loan, needs to be told how much you can expect to make when you graduate from that school with the degree you're pursuing so you can make an informed decision about whether or not it's worth it to borrow a bunch of money for that degree.
A Florida political reporter noticed that you spent a plane ride sitting beside Jeb Bush, more than two hours, coming back from an NRA convention. Did you guys talk about the presidential campaign at all?
Not in great detail. Jeb and I are friends, we'll always be friends. And I have tremendous admiration for him as a person, what he did as governor, and personal affection. And that's not going to change. I don't view, I'm not running against Jeb Bush and I'm not running against anybody in this field. I'm running because I strongly believe that I have something to offer this country that no one else in the field does at this moment in our history. And I'm going to go out there and do the best job that I can and — but, I mean, that's not going to impact our relationship in any way that's going to change how we feel about one another and it was great to see him and spend quality time just talking about good times and everything going on ...
You didn't talk politics very much at all?
... and everything in between. Sure, I mean we had observations about — we joked with a lot of the passengers who saw us sitting next to each other and we took some pictures with people and we told them, we warned them how historic a picture like that may be one day. And, um, but you know, we talked about the Masters, we talked about the Paleo diet, we talked about the Miami Dolphins. I mean it, we talked about, reminisced about old war stories from our time in the legislature, when I was in the legislature and he was governor. It was just a host of things.
Sooner or later if you go forward and he goes forward, there's going to be a moment where you're going to have to say, "Here's why it should be me and not him."
I don't know. I mean, I think this year's going to be quite different in that regard. We have a quality field of candidates who are going to be well financed and experienced, who are going to be running. And I think that'll change the nature of the race. There'll certainly be moments when others will try to draw distinctions. But in my mind, I'm going to talk about who I am and what I want to do. And I'll let voters make the decision about who they think is best capable at this moment of leading our country.
You scheduled an announcement at Miami's Freedom Tower, which has historic significance because Cubans who fled Fidel Castro's regime in the 60s and 70s received federal aid there. This brings to mind that you have strongly criticized President Obama's restoration of relations with Cuba. If you're elected, would you reverse that policy?
Absolutely, and I think the reason why is because I'm interested in, my interest in Cuba is freedom and democracy. I think the Cuban people, they are free, have the right to choose any economic model they want to follow. I don't believe these changes will actually further democracy. In fact, I think they will make it harder to achieve. The goal of the Castro regime is to create the impression and the reality that their form of government is a legitimate form of government and set it in concrete. They know they have a generational challenge. Most of their top leaders are in their 80s. The actuarial tables tell you they don't have much longer. And they want to leave in place global recognition for this form of government so that it can continue in perpetuity. And that means the Cuban people will never have the chance to experience what the people in the Dominican Republic and Haiti have, what the people in Mexico have, what the people in Peru have, what the people in Colombia have, which is free and fair elections. And that's all I want for the people in Cuba. And I think U.S. policy towards Cuba is a major leverage point that we can use to help the Cuban people achieve freedom for themselves.
But help me think through this. The president made this announcement, they're working on getting an embassy going at some point in the future. He went to Summit of the Americas where other countries in Latin America very much welcomed the restoration of relations. You're saying that if you're elected, you would close that embassy, you would break diplomatic ties, you would go back to the way things were?
We have an interest section in Cuba and it will continue to operate, but an embassy, I'm not, I don't believe this country should be diplomatically recognizing a nation of the nature of Cuba. Obviously there are other dictatorships in the world that we have relations with by geopolitical reality. You know, China's the largest country in the world, the second largest economy, the second largest military force. There are geopolitical realities there. Cuba is a brutal, tyrannical dictatorship 90 miles from the shore of our country. It is a nation that helps North Korea evade U.N. weapon sanctions. It is a country that harbors fugitives from American justice, including Medicare fraudsters and someone who killed a police officer in the United States. And I just think that we should have continued with the policy and perhaps looked for new ways of — continue with the policy of not recognizing that regime and not allowing them access to economic growth that would allow them to perpetuate themselves in power, and continue to search for ways to provide the Cuban people with more information about the reality of the world so they would be empowered to eventually create for themselves a democratic society.
You've also said that you would reverse the president's deal with Iran, assuming that that is finalized. You said you would absolutely do that. What would that look like on day one?
Well, I would not adhere — well, we have to understand the deal, basically, can be what it is on paper. What the president is banking on is that he's going to use a national security waiver to lift the sanctions on Iran, the economic sanctions that now exist. And we would simply re-impose the sanctions. And I still have tremendous questions about whether this deal's even viable. The Iranians are now saying that what we're saying the deal is and what they understand it to be are two different things. This issue of them asking for immediate relief of sanctions the minute the deal is signed is going to be a deal breaker. I hope it would be a deal break for this administration. And at the end of the day, we need to recognize that what Iran is trying to do here, and this is clear to anyone who has inside knowledge into this or has followed it closely, Iran is trying to maintain all the infrastructure they need to be nuclear capable without agreeing to any irreversible concessions. And that seems to be what they have achieved, if in fact this moves forward. So in my mind, we would just reinstitute the sanctions.
But I'm just thinking this through. The deal is made. It's made not just with the United States, but with the European allies. Would you move forward with re-imposing sanctions even if the Europeans don't go along with it?
Yes, it wouldn't be as effective, obviously. We would, ultimately, I think, the Europeans are going to have a test anyway because the Iranians are going to violate the sanctions at some point. They're going to evade it either by trying to take advantage of loopholes in the deal, or they'll just flat out evade it because they've always had a secret component to their, to their program. And at that point, they're going to have a huge test on their hands, which is, are they willing to live by the agreement that they even signed on to? But from the United States' perspective, while we want our allies to join us in this endeavor, and certainly sanctions against Iran would be more effective were they in conjunction with our allies around the world, we have to look out for our own national security concerns. And in my mind, if the president wanted this to be a permanent deal that survived his presidency, he would have brought it to Congress.
I'm just thinking through further, though, as part of this deal, assuming it's finalized, the Iranians get rid of a vast amount of enriched uranium, almost all they have. They limit the amount of enrichment that they will have. They limit the number of centrifuges they will operate and they will allow inspections for decades, actually. So you would say, all that, forget about it, it's done.
They would retain all the infrastructure, first of all, they ...
They retain infrastructure, sure.
They retain not only just infrastructure, they retain centrifuges, too. They may not be spinning them, but they will retain them in their possession. They continue to develop their long range missile capabilities, which are unstopped. There's no prohibition on them acquiring a weapon design as they probably, may even already have. They continue to sponsor terrorism all over the world. In fact, now they'll have more funding to pay for it, in places they already control, places like Beirut. They're increasingly active in Yemen. Their hand and their role's clear in Bahrain and in a growing number of places around the world. And they continue to be run by a radical Shia cleric who has apocalyptic views of the future and of their role in it. So none of these things change. Their infrastructure will remain in place and at some point, they could follow the North Korean model very easily, which is they can cook up an excuse for why they need to have a weapon program and move forward on it.
Is war inevitable then?
I hope not. My hope is that we can delay a program long enough and you would hope that there would be some sort of change in leadership in Iran that would at least allow them to decide that they would rather have an economy than have a weapon. You can't guarantee it. But at the end of the day no one wants war, but I actually think that this deal could advance the prospects of war. I think this deal and the fact that Iran will retain nuclear infrastructure increases the likelihood that one of their neighbors may take action against them, whether it's Israel or the Saudis or someone else. It also increases the likelihood now, that Iran becomes even more aggressive in its proxy wars that it's conducting all over the world. It also increases the likelihood that they'll increase their conventional capabilities threatening our U.S. presence in the region. And ultimately I think it almost guarantees an arms race in the region, because the Saudis have made very clear, and others, the Egyptians as well, that whatever Iran has, they'll get as well. So if Iran is allowed to enrich to a certain level, they will begin doing the same, requiring a capability to do the same.
Let me ask about a domestic issue. In recent weeks, the state of Indiana passed a Religious Freedom law, which was interpreted by many as discrimination, by others, as protection for people who don't want to take part in gay marriage. You defended the law and spoke about the hypothetical example of a florist who was asked to participate in a gay marriage and wanted to refuse. You said that person should have the right to follow their religious beliefs. Indiana, though, has since changed the law. Do you still support that concept?
Well, to be fair, I haven't read the change in detail to give you an opinion on it specifically, but I'll tell you where I stand. I don't believe you can discriminate against people. So I don't believe it's right for a florist to say, I'm not going to provide you flowers because you're gay. I think there's a difference between not providing services to a person because of their identity, who they are or who they love, and saying, I'm not going to participate in an event, a same-sex wedding, because that violates my religious beliefs. There's a distinction between those two things. So, certainly, you can't not — it's immoral and wrong to say, I'm not going to allow someone who's gay or lesbian to use my restaurant, stay in my hotel, or provide photography service to them because they're gay. The difference here is, we're not talking about discriminating against a person because of who they are, we're talking about someone who's saying — what I'm talking about, anyway, is someone who's saying, I just don't want to participate as a vendor for an event, a specific event that violates the tenets of my faith.
What if two gay people get married and then they go that night to a hotel. Can the hotelkeeper refuse service to them?
That's not part of an event. Again, I mean, that's, there's a difference between saying, we're not going to allow you to stay in our hotel, common lodging establishment where people have a right to shelter, food, medical care, and saying we're not going to, what we're not going to do is provide services to an event, to an actual event, which is the wedding itself. And I think that's the distinction point that people have been pointing to, and, because mainstream Christianity teaches that marriage is between one man and one woman. People feel very strongly about that. And to ask someone to individually provide services to something of that nature, I think violates their religious liberty.
There's a big question lurking here, which is that most Americans, according to surveys, now support gay marriage. A large minority of Americans still oppose gay marriage. The question is, that people seem to be wrestling with, is, what ground do opponents of gay marriage have left to stand on? What ground should they have to stand on?
First of all, if the majority of Americans support gay marriage, then you'll see it reflected in changes in state law, which has always regulated marriage. And so at the end of the day, if a majority of people in any given state in this country petition their legislature to change the definition of marriage to include the marriage of two people of the same sex, that'll be the law of the land. And that is what it is. Separate from that, there's a constitutional protection of religious liberty that allows people to live by the tenets of their faith both in their public and in private life. That doesn't mean that you're allowed to go in and disrupt a gay wedding. But by the same token, it doesn't mean that someone's allowed to come to you and force you to be a participant in a ceremony that violates the tenets of your faith. And to be honest, in the real world, 99.9% of the time, a same-sex couple doesn't want a florist or a photographer at their wedding that doesn't agree with the choice that they've made. So we're really talking about an issue that in large part is really not going to manifest itself in daily life, but in the instances that it does, there are individuals that don't want to be compelled by force of law to participate in an event that puts them in the position of violating their religious faith. There's a difference between that and discriminating against an individual because of who they are.
Are there are other specific situations on your mind where you feel that people who are opposed to gay marriage would need some kind of protection from, from it?
Well, I mean, that's the one that's in the news today. Again, I don't, we can always sit here and engage in hypotheticals, this, that, and the other, but at the end of the day, I mean, that's the one that's emerged because there's real cases behind people being fined for not providing services to a, to a ceremony as opposed to individuals.
When we spoke last year, we talked about immigration, an issue on which you worked for a time on an immigration reform bill. You said, first, the reason to do that is not political, it's substantive. But, second, that there would be a political effect. That if the Republican Party deals with immigration, it would then have an opportunity to talk with Latino voters about other issues. And, of course, this is a voter group where Republicans have done very poorly in recent elections. Immigration hasn't been dealt with. What are the likely consequences for the Republican party in 2016?
Well, again, every candidate has a different position on where they stand on the issue. From my perspective, I continue to believe it's an issue we need to address. The only point I've made is that I think the lessons of the last couple of years, for me, is that we're not going to be able to deal with it in one big piece of legislation. I still think we need to do immigration reform. I just don't think you can do it in a comprehensive, massive piece of legislation, given the lack of trust that there is today in the federal government. I honestly believe that the key to moving forward on immigration is to first and foremost prove to the American people that we are going to bring future illegal immigration under control — that if we legalize 12 million people, they won't be replaced by 12 million more who are here illegally. And I honestly believe, given my experiences on this issue now, that if we did that, the American people and the majority of Republicans and conservatives will be very reasonable and, and responsible about how we address the reality that we have 12 million human beings living in this country illegally.
But we're in a circumstance, granted there's still time, but we're in a circumstance where it doesn't look like immigration legislation is going to get through Congress before 2016. What does that mean for your party?
And I think, I think it's nearly – well, I just outlined to you what I think the key is to moving forward. And I think that's impossible as long as Barack Obama's president now, because on two instances, particularly very recently, last year, he issued an executive order ordering federal agencies not to enforce immigration law. So if I'm telling you that the key to moving forward is the enforcement of immigration law, then that says the notion that future illegal immigration will be brought under control, and you have a president that's ordering agencies not to enforce immigration law, our ability to convince people, no matter what we pass, that future illegal immigration will be brought under control, as long as Barack Obama's president, is nil.
How do you keep from getting hammered on that in a general election where the Hispanic vote may be very important?
Well, I don't know about the others, but I've done more immigration than Hillary Clinton ever did. I mean, I helped pass an immigration bill in a Senate dominated by Democrats. And that's more than she's ever done. She's given speeches on it, but she's never done anything on it. So I have a record of trying to do something on it. It didn't work because at the end of the day, we did not sufficiently address the issue of, of illegal immigration and I warned about that throughout that process, as well, that I didn't think we were doing enough to give that bill a chance of moving forward in the House.
Does your biography help?
I think biography's part of all of our lives, all of our candidacies, because it certainly influences how you view the country and how you view issues. I have a personal attachment to the working class because it's where I come from, it's still the neighborhood I live in, it's the people my children go to school with, it's the community that I'm involved in. And, but I also happen to think it's the identity of our country. And every candidate, you know, will bring to bear their experiences in life and how it's guided them and influenced their thinking, but from my perspective, I think it matters simply because it informs me on my policy decisions.
There's a big question here, also, because the Republican party, as many people have noted, faces a demographic challenge that gets a little worse with every election cycle. Growing groups in society, such as Latinos and others, are voting increasingly Democratic, and Republican voter groups, particularly older white voters, are getting smaller. What's the Republican Party need to do about that?
Well, at the end, I don't think people go to the ballot box and say, I'm a Latino, therefore I'm voting Democrat. I think they bring with them their hopes and fears about the future, and they vote for whoever they think best understands them. And the challenge the Republican Party has had is unfairly, but it's the reality, they've been portrayed as a party that doesn't care about people who are trying to make it. A disproportionate number of people who are trying to make it, who are working class, who are out there working for a living at $18 an hour, $15 an hour, happen to also be people from minority communities. And if you think someone doesn't care or understand people like you, no matter what your policies are, it's going to be difficult to get them to listen to you, much less vote for you. And so I hope the Republican Party can become the champion of the working class because I think our policy proposals of limited government and free enterprise are better for the people who are trying to make it than big government is. The fact is that big government helps the people who have made it. If you can afford to hire an army of lawyers, lobbyists and others to help you navigate and sometimes influence the law, you'll benefit. And so that's why you see big banks, big companies, keep winning. And everybody else is stuck and being left behind.
So you're beginning this gigantic game of Survivor with who knows how many other candidates. You're smiling as I say that. With who knows how many other candidates, what will determine who survives ultimately and how will you make sure it's you?
Well, there are basics about any campaign. Obviously you'll have to put time into it, you'll have to be able to raise sufficient funds to communicate your message. And on a daily basis, you have to make sure you do the best you can to help convince people in a crowded field that you're the best person at this time for the job that you seek. But beyond it, I really think the key is, who can inspire our country into believing that the future doesn't have to be worse than our past, that the 21st century can be better than the 20th. And then once you've inspired them to believe that, showing them how we can accomplish it. And I feel very confident in our ability to do it and I think that's why we're going to win.
Should I think of this as an insurgent campaign, because you don't have the resources of Jeb Bush, particularly?
Well, I think our resources will be sufficient to do the job we're trying to do. At the end of the day, this is not a fundraising competition in and of itself. You also have to have a message and a messenger and a policy outline that proves to people that, that your campaign is better for them than what someone else is offering. But I'm certainly not the frontrunner and — but that's O.K. The election isn't tomorrow.
What are you doing to make sure you don't run out of money?
(Laughs) We're going to, we, we're trying to raise as much money as we can and that's important. As long as the media outlets keep charging us for advertising, we'll have to keep raising money.
Senator Rubio, thanks very much.
Thank you.
In Photos: The President’s Trip to Jamaica and Panama
President Obama headed to Kingston, Jamaica for a town hall with the Young Leaders of the Americas. He went on to Panama City for the seventh Summit of the Americas. Check out the visit in photos:
Rubio 'Very Confident' He's Ready To Be President On 'Day No. 1'
Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., has to figure out how he stands out in what's likely to be a crowded Republican primary. AP hide caption
itoggle caption AP
Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., has to figure out how he stands out in what's likely to be a crowded Republican primary.
AP
Readiness to be president is a threshold question for many candidates. That's especially true when that candidate is 43 years old and a freshman senator.
No, not Barack Obama, but Marco Rubio, the Republican senator from Florida, who is expected to announce Monday that he's running for president.
"I'm certainly capable from Day 1," Rubio told NPR's Steve Inskeep in an interview in Miami hours before he announced. "I'm very confident that I have the capability from Day No. 1 to lead this country."
Obama, for the record, was just a couple years older than Rubio when he launched his bid for the White House in 2007. He was 45. Obama's election cuts both ways for Rubio. Some rank-and-file Republicans look at Obama and say the country needs someone with more experience. Others say if Obama could do it, then why not Rubio?
"I'm certainly capable from Day 1. I'm very confident that I have the capability from Day No. 1 to lead this country."
Still, Rubio's age and experience could be vulnerabilities in this presidential campaign, considering he will likely be running against more experienced governors like his one-time mentor, Jeb Bush, 62, the former Florida governor.
Just two other Republicans have officially declared — freshmen Sens. Ted Cruz, 44, of Texas and Rand Paul, 52, of Kentucky. Like Rubio, both were also swept into the Senate during the Tea Party wave of 2010.
In the NPR interview, Rubio cited his experience at all levels of government as reason he is qualified to be president — from serving as West Miami commissioner to the Florida state House, where he became speaker, to rising to the U.S. Senate.
"Given both my experience at the local, state and federal level, and especially the lessons learned over the last five years, as I've been engaged in federal policy making, I'm very confident that I have the judgment and the knowledge that I need to do a very good job as president of the United States," Rubio told Inskeep. "Clearly, if you see the history of the presidency, people that go into that office grow. The office helps you grow as well as you go through it. Having the ability to learn is a big part of the office as well."
Rubio noted, however, that he, like any serious potential candidate, did reflect on his readiness.
"I think anyone who's thinking about highest office in the most powerful nation on Earth has to spend some time analyzing whether they're prepared for the job," he said. "And look I think the job is perhaps the most difficult job in politics anywhere in the world. You're the leader of the most powerful military on the planet; you make decisions that have global implications, and it's happening at a time when the country is going through an extraordinary economic transformation that is leaving many people insecure."
But any second thoughts weren't coming on the eve of big announcement.
"Not last night," he said. "If you've reached the point that you're wondering it the night before you announce, then you probably shouldn't run."
After Years Of GOP Support, Cuban-Americans Become More Democratic
NPR's Audie Cornish talks with Guillermo Grenier, a sociology professor at Florida International University, about the likelihood that Cuban Americans will support a Republican candidate with a hard line towards softening U.S. relations with Cuba. He is leading a multi-year survey tracking the political attitudes of Cuban Americans.
Chinese Women's Rights Activists Released From Jail
Police in China have released five women's rights activists on bail. They are suspected of disturbing public order, and may still be indicted at a later date. The case has caused an international outcry and a chilling effect on gender rights work.
Senators To Review Bill Designed To Limit Iran Nuclear Deal
The Senate Foreign Relations Committee will take up a bill Tuesday, which intends to give Congress a voice on the Iran nuclear agreement. The bill would take away the president's power to lift sanctions on Iran for 60 days after an agreement is reached, so Congress would have time to review it. The White House spokesman said Monday the president would veto such a bill.
Russia Bans Some Internet Memes That Mock Public Figures
NPR's Robert Siegel interviews Kevin Rothrock, who wrote the article, "The Kremlin has declared war on memes" for Global Voices and Quartz. He talks about the Russian ruling banning the use a public figure's image in a meme if it has nothing to do with the celebrity's "personality."
Clinton Announcement Video Alludes To Unfairness Of American Life
In announcing her run for president, Hillary Clinton said "the deck is still stacked in favor of those at the top." NPR's Robert Siegel talks to pollster Carroll Doherty of the Pew Research Center about whether Americans agree with her.
MAP: How Two Tax Plans Would Impact You
12.1 million new jobs over 61 straight months of job growth: The clearest reflection that the economy works best when it’s working for everyone, not just the wealthy few.
That’s what middle-class economics is all about. And it is the backbone of the President’s budget – the clearest reflection of his priorities. The Congressional Republican budget is also the clearest reflection of their priorities, and the difference in visions could not be more stark.
Take a look at what each budget has planned for your taxes. The President’s budget provides significant benefits for a wide range of middle class and working families, from a boost for low-wage workers from expanding the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) to substantial tax cuts for middle-income parents with children in daycare or in college.
Republicans in Congress have taken a very different approach, giving huge tax giveaways — including eliminating the estate tax — to the wealthy and well-connected at the expense of the middle class and those struggling to get into the middle class.
What’s would eliminating the estate tax mean? It’d mean getting rid of all income and estate taxes on the wealthiest estates in America – valued at over $5.5 million in 2016. That would cost the American taxpayer $270 billion over the next ten years.
See how these two different tax plans would impact people in your state:
Serving Rural America’s Kids and Families
Ed. note: This is cross-posted on the U.S. Department of Agriculture's blog. See the original post here.
Every parent’s wish is for their children to thrive and prosper. Yet, too many of our nation’s families still live in poverty, despite doing their best to make ends meet. Rural families and children have additional challenges as schools, health care services, healthy food choices, jobs, and other opportunities are often miles away in a different town, county, or even state. The Obama administration is committed to these families, and believes that all children — no matter where they live — should have an opportunity to succeed.
Today, President Obama and I met with eight members of the National 4-H community in the Oval Office. Each one of them had an inspiring story about how they are opening up new doors for kids in their hometowns, and how this work is building stronger communities where they can learn, play, and grow.
We wanted to take a moment to introduce you to these young leaders and tell you about the projects that encouraged President Obama to invite them to the White House to say “thank you.” Investing in kids like these is an investment in America’s future.
Who Needs 1 SuperPAC When You Can Have 4?
Yankee player Phil Rizutto poses with about $500 after signing a new contract in 1950. The Ted Cruz camp recently leaked claims that they would pull in about $31 million in their campaign's first week. AP hide caption
itoggle caption AP
As Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., prepared for his official announcement of a White House run, so had Conservative Solutions PAC. It's a superPAC focused exclusively on helping Rubio reach his goal.
Technically, Conservative Solutions has no ties to Rubio. His campaign can't coordinate messages or strategy with it.
But Rubio isn't the first to have a superPAC revving up at announcement time. Since 2010, when federal courts approved these "independent expenditure" groups, financed by unlimited but disclosed contributions, superPACs have gone from luxury to standard equipment for a serious presidential bid. It's changing the nature of presidential campaigns.
Texas Sen. Ted Cruz, who officially declared last month, is backed by not one but four superPACs, in a network: Keep The Promise, and Keep The Promise numbers 1, 2 and 3. The Cruz camp leaked claims they would pull in $31 million in their first week.
The treasurer for Keep the Promise didn't respond to several interview requests.
The Cruz network is just one of this year's developments in superPACs — apparently meant to give donors more control over the activities they're paying so handsomely for.
"Maybe certain donors want to talk about some issues but they don't want to talk about others," said David Keating, president of the conservative Center for Competitive Politics. "Could be other donors like certain tactics, and want to speak thru, say, internet ads as opposed to TV ads. Or maybe they want to do positive ads instead of negative ads."
Keating says superPACs are just a means for donors to exercise their First Amendment political speech.
Not only does Keating support superPACs, he's one of three plaintiffs who created them, with a federal lawsuit. They won a federal appellate court ruling in the wake of the Citizens United decision by the Supreme Court, which permitted independent political spending by corporations and unions.
The heavyweight superPAC of the Republican primaries is backing former Florida governor Jeb Bush. In fact, Right To Rise, the superPAC, shares its name with Right To Rise PAC, which is directly linked to Bush. He's been soliciting money for both organizations.
At one superPAC event in New York City, the price of entry was $100,000. Bush aides have tried to dismiss rumors that the superPAC would raise $100 million by July 1, the cutoff date for its first public disclosure.
Bush says he's still just weighing the possibility of running.
The thing to keep in mind here is that regular contributions — the funds to candidates themselves — are capped at $2700 per person.
It can seem a pittance compared to the unlimited contributions collected by superPACs. And that suggests the balance of power may be shifting, even more than before, to outside groups.
Ken Gross, one of Washington's top campaign finance lawyers, said, "This may be the election where we see more outside money than we see candidate money."
The current presidential election cycle is just the second since superPACs were invented, and things change fast.
"Everyone will get more and more inventive when the stakes are the highest," said Diana Dwyre, a political scientist at California State University at Chico, who has written about superPACs and other independent political groups.
"You know, it's evolution," she said, "and it's finding new ways to do this same kind of campaign activities that candidates and parties have been doing for hundreds of years."
At some point, presidential strategists may shift their allegiance from superpacs to 501c4 "social welfare" groups; they offer freedom from donor disclosure, in addition to unlimited contributions. But the tax code prevents 501c4s from acting as purely political organizations. Worse, the IRS has a record of acting against 501c4s that seem intended to benefit one or a few individuals.
So, for this election cycle, the superPAC appears to be the new best friend of anyone running for president.
7 Things You Should Know About Marco Rubio
Rubio in 2008 as Florida House Speaker, unveiling a portrait that would hang in the House chamber. Phil Coale/AP hide caption
itoggle caption Phil Coale/AP
Rubio in 2008 as Florida House Speaker, unveiling a portrait that would hang in the House chamber.
Phil Coale/AP
Florida Republican senator Marco Rubio, who is expected to announce his bid for president Monday, was elected in 2010 as a Tea Party favorite. He's now trying to position himself as someone who represents a broad cross section of the Republican party.
At 43, he's one of the country's most high-profile Latino politicians and the GOP is also counting on him to help win over voters in a demographic with which they've historically struggled.
Here's what you might not know about Rubio:
He's the son Cuban immigrants, but mixed up the date his father came to the U.S.
Rubio had a gripping narrative about his family leaving Cuba after the rise of Communist leader Fidel Castro in 1959, which struck a chord with many of his Florida constituents. But a 2011 review by the Washington Post found that his parents actually left Cuba for Miami in 1956 not, as his bio once stated, "following Fidel Castro's takeover on the first day of 1959."
"If the Washington Post wants to criticize me for getting a few days wrong, I accept that," Rubio hit back in a Politico op-ed. "But to call into question the central and defining event of my parents' young lives — the fact that a brutal Communist dictator took control of their homeland and they were never able to return — it's something I will not tolerate."
Rubio holds a sword presented to him by then Gov. Jeb Bush, during ceremonies designating Rubio as the next Florida Speaker of the House in 2005. He became the first Cuban-American to serve in that capacity. Phil Coale/AP hide caption
itoggle caption Phil Coale/AP
Rubio holds a sword presented to him by then Gov. Jeb Bush, during ceremonies designating Rubio as the next Florida Speaker of the House in 2005. He became the first Cuban-American to serve in that capacity.
Phil Coale/AP
In 2006, Rubio became the first Cuban-American House speaker in Florida, and tells his parents' story often as a point of pride. But that story has also created an issue that may get stirred up again during his campaign — his grandfather was once ordered deported from the U.S. but stayed anyway.
He was once (briefly) Mormon.
The Rubio family, which was Catholic, moved from Florida to Nevada in the late 1970s and joined the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. According to Buzzfeed, the family was strongly influenced by first cousins living in the area who had converted to the faith a few years prior.
The Florida senator was baptized into the Mormon faith when he was approximately 8 years old, and family members recalled that he was deeply invested in the religion having met with missionaries, attended LDS youth events and even formed a singing group with his sister a la The Osmonds, who are among the most famous members of the Latter-Day Saints.
"He was totally into it," his cousin Michelle Denis told Buzzfeed.
But once the Rubios left Nevada and returned to Miami, they rejoined the Catholic Church apparently at the senator's urging.
He went to college on a football scholarship.
Rubio, who went to college on a football scholarship, catches a pass from University of Florida quarterback Chris Leak during Leak's visit to Florida's House of Representative in 2007. Phil Coale/AP hide caption
itoggle caption Phil Coale/AP
Rubio, who went to college on a football scholarship, catches a pass from University of Florida quarterback Chris Leak during Leak's visit to Florida's House of Representative in 2007.
Phil Coale/AP
A star player at South Miami High School, Rubio went to Tarkio College in Missouri for one year on a football scholarship. He transferred to Santa Fe Community College, and then graduated from the University of Florida. He earned his law degree from the University of Miami.
Rubio met his wife Jeanette, who was once a cheerleader for the Miami Dolphins, at a neighborhood party after high school. She generally stays out of the spotlight these days, and is rarely seen on the campaign trail or making speeches.
He got his start in politics on Bob Dole's presidential campaign.
Rubio got one of his first major roles in politics as 1996 Republican presidential contender Bob Dole's campaign chairman for Miami-Dade and Monroe Counties in Florida.
Manuel Roig-Franzia, in his biography The Rise of Marco Rubio, remarked that the senator, then 25, was already showing an aptitude for politics.
"If this election was an audition for host of a talk show, Dole wouldn't stand a chance," Rubio told Maclean's magazine. "This is a campaign that will truly test whether we're a nation of substance or style. "
Dole ultimately lost the race to former President Bill Clinton, and also fared poorly in the two counties Rubio was tasked with overseeing.
In 2014, Dole revealed skepticism in Rubio's ability to serve in the top role.
"A number of the younger members, first-termers like Rand Paul, Rubio and that extreme-right-wing guy Ted Cruz — all running for president now. I don't think they've got enough experience yet," Dole told The Hill .
His awkward sip of water went viral.
In this frame grab from video, Florida Sen. Marco Rubio takes a sip of water during his Republican response to President Barack Obama's 2013 State of the Union address. AP hide caption
itoggle caption AP
In this frame grab from video, Florida Sen. Marco Rubio takes a sip of water during his Republican response to President Barack Obama's 2013 State of the Union address.
AP
What the Internet will remember most about Rubio's turn at the GOP rebuttal to Obama's State of the Union in 2013, was an uncomfortable pause in the middle of the speech as he took a swig of his water bottle.
While speaking on foreign policy and the economy, the senator can be seen smacking his lips and later darting glances off screen. He then reaches for the bottle and takes a quick sip, struggling to maintain eye contact with the camera.
The moment sparked a torrent of tweets, memes and even the Buzzfeed gif treatment.
Rubio himself even got in on the fun, tweeting a water bottle captioned #GOPResponse.
He later told ABC's Good Morning America : "I needed water, what am I going to do?"
He used a GOP credit card for personal expenses, "maybe it was a back wax."
In 2010, the St. Petersburg Times — now the Tampa Bay Times — and the Miami Herald reported that the senator, while serving in the Florida House of Representatives charged more than $100,000 to a credit card given to him to use by the state GOP party from 2005 to 2008. Charges to the card included $1,000 in repairs to his family car, $7,000 for flights between the 2007 and 2008 legislative sessions and a $134 haircut.
Rubio told the Times that he tried to pay back all his personal expenses, and that he was "as diligent as possible to ensure the party did not pay for items that were unrelated to party business."
His then Senate race opponent, Charlie Christ, jumped on the scandal telling Fox News: "He charged $130 haircut, or maybe it was a back wax. We are not sure what all he got at that place."
He was part of the 'Gang of 8' on immigration.
Rubio was a key figure in the congressional group — composed of four Republicans and four Democrats — who drafted a 2013 immigration policy overhaul. Key provisions of the proposal include providing a five-year path to citizenship for young undocumented immigrants brought into the country, revamping visa programs and increasing the number of visas given to foreigners with advanced degrees.
"It is in our national interest to bring people out of the shadows," Rubio said in a 2013 news conference discussing the bill. "This is who we are. We are the most compassionate nation on earth."
Behind the Lens: Somewhere Under the Rainbow
When people ask me how I do what I do, I often recite the words of Bob Dylan: “I was just doing what I could with what I had where I was.” That kind of sums up my approach to my job as the President's photographer.
Every once in a while, you also just get very lucky. Such was the case last week, when a rainbow came along just as the President’s helicopter was arriving at the airport in Kingston, Jamaica, where he would board Air Force One for the flight to Panama. Fortunately, I was manifested aboard the second helicopter–which always arrives before Marine One–giving me a few minutes to prepare for photographing the rainbow.
In the first photograph, I framed the rainbow above Marine One as the President disembarked the helicopter.
JFK Profile In Courage Award Going To Former GOP Rep. Bob Inglis
In 2010, Republican Bob Inglis lost his congressional seat in the Tea Party wave for, among other things, accepting climate change. Today, the John F. Kennedy Library Foundation named Inglis the 2015 recipient of the John F. Kennedy Profile in Courage Award for political courage.
"Inglis is being awarded this honor for the courage he demonstrated when reversing his position on climate change after extensive briefings with scientists, and discussions with his children, about the impact of atmospheric warming on our future," the foundation said in a statement. "Knowing the potential consequences to his political career, Inglis nevertheless called on the United States to meaningfully address the issue. In June, 2010, Inglis lost his re-election to the U.S. Congress."
Inglis, a former South Carolina congressman, was first elected to Congress in 1992. He will receive the award at the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum in Boston on May 3.
Inglis now runs the Energy and Enterprise Initiative at George Mason University, which advocates a free-market approach to climate change. In a response posted on Twitter, Inglis said: "It's thrilling – incredibly thrilling – to be selected for this year's" award.
The Profiles in Courage prize was awarded last year to President George H.W. Bush. Other past winners include President Ford and Republican Sen. John McCain of Arizona, as well as former Democratic Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords of Arizona.
Reports: Marco Rubio Says He's Running For President
Sen. Marco Rubio (R-FL) addresses an event held by the American Enterprise Institute for Public Policy Research (AEI) in January of 2014 in Washington. Alex Wong/Getty Images hide caption
itoggle caption Alex Wong/Getty Images
Sen. Marco Rubio (R-FL) addresses an event held by the American Enterprise Institute for Public Policy Research (AEI) in January of 2014 in Washington.
Alex Wong/Getty Images
Florida Sen. Marco Rubio said Monday he will seek the Republican presidential nomination for 2016 contest, multiple news sources are reporting.
Rubio made the remarks in a conference call with donors, The Associated Press and The New York Times reported. Separately, Rubio's adviser told CNN the senator was running for president.
A formal announcement is expected later today.
The news is another chapter in what's been a fast and meteoric rise for the senator in national politics. Rubio served at the state level beginning in 2000 and by 2010, he had been elected to the United States senate.
Almost immediately, Rubio was seen as a Republican party leader, who, as the son of Cuban immigrants, could help turnaround the demographic ills of the GOP.
As he was described in a 2013 Time Magazine profile, "the charismatic conservative" had suddenly become the Tea Party's answer to President Obama. So much so, that in 2013 Rubio was picked by the party to deliver the Republican response to President Obama's State of the Union Speech.
Although Rubio's speech was somewhat overshadowed by him awkwardly reaching for a drink of water, it also introduced Rubio as a Hispanic Republican with moderate views on immigration and with a uniquely American story.
"My parents immigrated here in pursuit of the opportunity to improve their life and give their children the chance at an even better one," Rubio said. "They made it to the middle class, my dad working as a bartender and my mother as a cashier and a maid. I didn't inherit any money from them. But I inherited something far better – the real opportunity to accomplish my dreams."
As The Wall Street Journal reports, since that speech, Rubio has quietly moved into the upper tier of 2016 Republican contenders.
The paper adds:
"[Rubio] gave a well-reviewed performance at a recent gathering of donors organized by the conservative Koch brothers. He has raised eyebrows by securing the services of Jim Merrill, who directed both of Mitt Romney's presidential runs in New Hampshire, and the support of George Seay, a Texas financier who raised money for then-Texas Gov. Rick Perry last time around. He has laid a substantive groundwork with a series of detailed policy speeches over the past year."
With his announcement, Rubio joins a rapidly growing list of presidential hopefuls — on the Democratic side, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton announced her run over the weekend. And on the Republican side, Sen. Ted Cruz, another Cuban-American candidate, and Sen. Rand Paul have made their runs official. Former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush has formed an "exploratory committee" for a presidential run.
Ethiopian maid found hanged in Jbeil
BEIRUT: An 23-year-old Ethiopian maid was found hanged in an apparent suicide Monday at her employer’s house in Jbeil, the National News Agency reported.
Dizzy Jerma Bifkado was found hanged at the apartment located in the Jbeil suburb of Blat Monday, NNA added.
Accompanied by forensic experts, detectives arrived to the appartment to investigate the incident.
The body was moved to Sayyidat al-Maounat University Hospital in Byblos.
The incident came three days after another Ethiopian domestic worker had jumped from her employer’s house on the fourth floor in Bsalim, north of Beirut. She survived the fall but was severely injured.
According to the International Labor Organization, Lebanon is home to over 250,000 female migrant domestic workers, the majority of whom come from Sri Lanka, Ethiopia, the Philippines and Bangladesh to work as housemaids.
Rights groups have complained that employers often withhold pay, lock workers in their homes and confiscate their passports, among other abuses.
The harsh living conditions have pushed some migrant workers to commit suicide. Others have died or been seriously injured while trying to escape the employers’ residences.
In 2008, Human Rights Watch recorded one migrant domestic worker death per week from unnatural causes, including suicide.
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Police bust Syrian aide of north Lebanon preacher
BEIRUT: Internal Security Forces Sunday arrested an alleged Syrian aid of a radical north Lebanon preacher taken into custody last week.
The ISF’s Information Branch arrested Syrian national Ahmad Mohammad Abdo, also known as Abu Mousaab, following investigations into Sheikh Khaled Hablas who was arrested in Tripoli Thursday, a security source told the Daily Star Monday.
The 42-year old suspect, who works in a fast food restaurant in the Tripoli neighborhood of Zahriyeh, is said to have “close ties” to the radical preacher and is suspected of aiding him in recruiting young men from Tripoli and north Lebanon to fight in Syria, the source added.
The suspect is also accused of organizing a number of operations that targeted Lebanese troops in the town of Bhenin, where Hablas headed an anti-Army militia, according to the source.
Police Sunday chased down the suspect who was driving a motorbike, from the Tripoli citadel to the city’s old souk, which is only a few minutes away.
The arrest came three days after police shot dead notorious Islamist militant Osama Mansour and one of his partners in Tripoli during an operation to arrest Hablas.
Hablas has been pursued by security forces for allegedly orchestrating attacks against the Army. The Army has labeled the preacher a “terrorist.”
Hablas who led a militant group in the north Lebanon district of Minyeh is wanted for his involvement in the four-day clashes between the Lebanese army and Islamist militants in North Lebanon.
Interrogations of the radical cleric have uncovered key information about his joint operation with Mansour.
Security sources have said that the two men were planning to regroup forces and activate dormant terror cells in north Lebanon.
After Hablas was arrested, authorities raided his house and found enough evidence to incriminate him in a series of crimes and uncovered leads into the next operation, the source said.
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Lebanon mourns death of beloved actor
BEIRUT: Lebanese cultural and political figures mourned Tuesday the death of popular Lebanese Actor Issam Breidy, who was killed in a car accident one day earlier.
Actress Mirani Panossian, who co-starred with Breidy in the Lebanese sitcom "Arous w Aris" (Bride and Groom), described the late-actor as a man with “a smile of hope and eyes of intelligence and ambition.”
The Murex d'Or organization, behind the Golden Murex awards recognizing artistic accomplishments in Lebanon and the Arab world, posted a photo on their website showing Breidy hugging his brother after winning best supporting actor for his part in the Lebanese sitcom “Madam Carmen.”
Fadi Helou, the founder of Murex d’Or, wrote under the photo that Breidy was the “groom of the sky.”
Roua Productions, a prominent TV series production company, published previously unreleased photos of Breidy taken during the filming of a series called “Hotel al-Afrah” (Hotel of Happiness) a couple years earlier. The stars of the series, which has never aired on TV, commented on the photos by requesting a special airing of the show in commemoration of the late actor.
Lebanese politicians also expressed grief.
Culture Minister Raymond Areiji mourned Breidy’s death by saying that the accident was “a tragic and swift event that shocked the Lebanese art world.”
He described the late actor as an individual imbued with vitality and ambition, and said that his absence served as a loss of a great, young Lebanese talent.
“We are all saddened by the death of the artist Issam Breidy, my condolences to his family and all his fans,” Future Movement leader Saad Hariri said in a statement.
Justice Minister Ashraf Rifi said that Breidy’s death is a “tragedy for the Lebanese people and a loss for Lebanese art.”
Breidy was killed overnight Sunday when his vehicle overturned on the Dora Bridge outside Beirut.
The 35-year-old Breidy was reportedly driving on the bridge toward the Nahr al-Mot area when his black Lexus hit the concrete barriers and overturned.
Reports said he was thrown from the car and struck his head on the pavement. He was not wearing a seat belt.
His body was transferred Monday from the Mar Youssef Hospital in Dora to his Mount Lebanon hometown of Faytaroun, where he will be laid to rest Tuesday.
His family will be receiving condolences Monday through Thursday at the Mar Jerjes church in the town.
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