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    Blinken Says Biden Laid Groundwork for Trump’s Gaza Plan

      By
      Madeleine Jackson
      -
      4
      Joe Biden via Gage Skidmore Flickr

      Former Secretary of State Antony Blinken voiced his support this week for a Gaza plan laid out by President Donald Trump, saying it was in line with a deal he pursued under former President Joe Biden.

      “I do think it’s cause for some hope. I certainly hope that the plan gets fully accepted, fully adopted and fully implemented,” Blinken said.

      “This is essentially the plan that developed over many months and more or less [was] left in a drawer for the incoming administration, and I’m very, very glad they picked it up,” he told the podcast of former federal prosecutor Preet Bharara.

      But he also acknowledged risks in the framework, including allowing Israel to determine when the situation allows it to withdraw fully from Gaza.

      “There’s some loopholes that they could drive a truck through if they wanted to,” Blinken said of Israel.

      Blinken traveled a dozen times to the Middle East after the Oct. 7, 2023, attack on Israel by Hamas, eventually seeking to press both sides to accept a ceasefire as Israel waged a relentless retaliatory offensive.

      President Donald Trump announced that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu agreed to his plan to end Israel’s war with Hamas in the Gaza Strip during a press conference at the White House that followed a meeting between the two leaders on Monday.

      The United States released Trump’s 20-point plan in full moments before Trump and Netanyahu stepped out in front of reporters for the press conference.

      “I also want to thank Prime Minister Netanyahu for agreeing to the plan, and for trusting that if we work together, we can bring an end to the death and destruction that we’ve seen for so many years decades, even centuries. And begin a new chapter of security, peace, and prosperity for the entire region,” said Trump in his opening remarks.

      Read Trump’s peace plan, in full, below:

      1. Gaza will be a deradicalized terror-free zone that does not pose a threat to its neighbors.

      2. Gaza will be redeveloped for the benefit of the people of Gaza, who have suffered more than enough.

      3. If both sides agree to this proposal, the war will immediately end. Israeli forces will withdraw to the agreed upon line to prepare for a hostage release. During this time, all military operations, including aerial and artillery bombardment, will be suspended, and battle lines will remain frozen until conditions are met for the complete staged withdrawal.

      4. Within 72 hours of Israel publicly accepting this agreement, all hostages, alive and deceased, will be returned.

      5. Once all hostages are released, Israel will release 250 life sentence prisoners plus 1700 Gazans who were detained after October 7th 2023, including all women and children detained in that context. For every Israeli hostage whose remains are released, Israel will release the remains of 15 deceased Gazans.

      6. Once all hostages are returned, Hamas members who commit to peaceful co-existence and to decommission their weapons will be given amnesty. Members of Hamas who wish to leave Gaza will be provided safe passage to receiving countries.

      7. Upon acceptance of this agreement, full aid will be immediately sent into the Gaza Strip. At a minimum, aid quantities will be consistent with what was included in the January 19, 2025, agreement regarding humanitarian aid, including rehabilitation of infrastructure (water, electricity, sewage), rehabilitation of hospitals and bakeries, and entry of necessary equipment to remove rubble and open roads.

      8. Entry of distribution and aid in the Gaza Strip will proceed without interference from the two parties through the United Nations and its agencies, and the Red Crescent, in addition to other international institutions not associated in any manner with either party. Opening the Rafah crossing in both directions will be subject to the same mechanism implemented under the January 19, 2025 agreement.

      9. Gaza will be governed under the temporary transitional governance of a technocratic, apolitical Palestinian committee, responsible for delivering the day-to-day running of public services and municipalities for the people in Gaza. This committee will be made up of qualified Palestinians and international experts, with oversight and supervision by a new international transitional body, the “Board of Peace,” which will be headed and chaired by President Donald J. Trump, with other members and heads of State to be announced, including Former Prime Minister Tony Blair. This body will set the framework and handle the funding for the redevelopment of Gaza until such time as the Palestinian Authority has completed its reform program, as outlined in various proposals, including President Trump’s peace plan in 2020 and the Saudi-French proposal, and can securely and effectively take back control of Gaza. This body will call on best international standards to create modern and efficient governance that serves the people of Gaza and is conducive to attracting investment.

      10. A Trump economic development plan to rebuild and energize Gaza will be created by convening a panel of experts who have helped birth some of the thriving modern miracle cities in the Middle East. Many thoughtful investment proposals and exciting development ideas have been crafted by well-meaning international groups, and will be considered to synthesize the security and governance frameworks to attract and facilitate these investments that will create jobs, opportunity, and hope for future Gaza.

      11. A special economic zone will be established with preferred tariff and access rates to be negotiated with participating countries.

      12. No one will be forced to leave Gaza, and those who wish to leave will be free to do so and free to return. We will encourage people to stay and offer them the opportunity to build a better Gaza.

      13. Hamas and other factions agree to not have any role in the governance of Gaza, directly, indirectly, or in any form. All military, terror, and offensive infrastructure, including tunnels and weapon production facilities, will be destroyed and not rebuilt. There will be a process of demilitarization of Gaza under the supervision of independent monitors, which will include placing weapons permanently beyond use through an agreed process of decommissioning, and supported by an internationally funded buy back and reintegration program all verified by the independent monitors. New Gaza will be fully committed to building a prosperous economy and to peaceful coexistence with their neighbors.

      14. A guarantee will be provided by regional partners to ensure that Hamas, and the factions, comply with their obligations and that New Gaza poses no threat to its neighbors or its people.

      15. The United States will work with Arab and international partners to develop a temporary International Stabilization Force (ISF) to immediately deploy in Gaza. The ISF will train and provide support to vetted Palestinian police forces in Gaza, and will consult with Jordan and Egypt who have extensive experience in this field. This force will be the long-term internal security solution. The ISF will work with Israel and Egypt to help secure border areas, along with newly trained Palestinian police forces. It is critical to prevent munitions from entering Gaza and to facilitate the rapid and secure flow of goods to rebuild and revitalize Gaza. A deconfliction mechanism will be agreed upon by the parties.

      16. Israel will not occupy or annex Gaza. As the ISF establishes control and stability, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) will withdraw based on standards, milestones, and timeframes linked to demilitarization that will be agreed upon between the IDF, ISF, the guarantors, and the Unites States, with the objective of a secure Gaza that no longer poses a threat to Israel, Egypt, or its citizens. Practically, the IDF will progressively hand over the Gaza territory it occupies to the ISF according to an agreement they will make with the transitional authority until they are withdrawn completely from Gaza, save for a security perimeter presence that will remain until Gaza is properly secure from any resurgent terror threat.

      17. In the event Hamas delays or rejects this proposal, the above, including the scaled-up aid operation, will proceed in the terror-free areas handed over from the IDF to the ISF.

      18. An interfaith dialogue process will be established based on the values of tolerance and peaceful co-existence to try and change mindsets and narratives of Palestinians and Israelis by emphasizing the benefits that can be derived from peace.

      19. While Gaza re-development advances and when the PA reform program is faithfully carried out, the conditions may finally be in place for a credible pathway to Palestinian self-determination and statehood, which we recognize as the aspiration of the Palestinian people.

      20. The United States will establish a dialogue between Israel and the Palestinians to agree on a political horizon for peaceful and prosperous co-existence.

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      Trump Nears Final Decision On Homeland Security Role

        By
        Madeleine Jackson
        -
        1
        (Miami - Flórida, 09/03/2020) Presidente da República Jair Bolsonaro durante encontro com o Senador Marco Rubio..Foto: Alan Santos/PR

        One of President-elect Trump’s most consequential decisions for his administration is nearly done.

        President-elect Donald Trump is expected to select South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem to fill the role of Homeland Security secretary, multiple sources confirm to Fox News Digital.

        The Department of Homeland Security oversees U.S. Customs and Border Protection, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, U.S. Secret Service and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).

        If selected, Noem would work with Tom Homan, who was announced as Trump’s “border czar” on Sunday, and Stephen Miller, who was announced as the White House deputy of staff for policy on Monday.

        In an interview last week on Fox News’ “Your World,” Noem told host Neil Cavuto that Trump “has told me several times now, a couple of times just since Election Day, about how focused he is on doing big things…he knows he only has four years and he wants to hit the ground running. And he said anybody that I want around me needs to be thinking big, too.”

        Fox News also confirmed on Monday night that the president-elect is expected to choose Republican Sen. Marco Rubio of Florida as Secretary of State.

        An official announcement from Trump’s transition team on either Rubio or Noem had not been made yet.

        This is a breaking news story. Click refresh for the latest updates.

        Former Situation Room Officer Says Pence Came ‘Close’ To Being Killed on Jan. 6

          By
          Madeleine Jackson
          -
          4
          Elvert Barnes, CC BY-SA 2.0 , via Wikimedia Commons

          A former Situation Room officer said former Vice President Mike Pence came “close” to being killed on Jan. 6, 2021, during the riot at the U.S. Capitol.

          “It’s important to me that we don’t forget that it did come that close, and that we did have discussions, ‘If we lose the [vice president,] if the 25th [Amendment] is invoked,’” Mike Stiegler said in an interview with ABC’s George Stephanopoulos. “We started running through all of these game plans because it was getting close.”

          Stiegler also agreed with Stephanopoulos when he referred to the Jan. 6. riot as one “of our own people” and “inspired” by Trump.

          “But at the time, that’s not even in the forefront of our mind,” Stiegler continued. “It doesn’t matter how we got here. We’re here. How do we execute? How do we move forward?”

          Pence faced threats of violence on Jan. 6 for refusing to overturn the 2020 election. He was at the Capitol when rioters broke in and was taken to an underground loading dock amid the attack, according to the Secret Service.

          In March, Pence said that he will not endorse his former boss, saying he was “incredibly proud” of the Trump administration’s record, but “there were profound differences between me and President Trump on a range of issues.” 

          “In each of these cases, Donald Trump is pursuing and articulating an agenda that is at odds with the conservative agenda that we governed on during our four years,” Pence said. “And that’s why I cannot in good conscience endorse Donald Trump in this campaign.”

          Alleged Assailant In Las Vegas Cybertruck Explosion Named By Local Media

            By
            Madeleine Jackson
            -
            2
            Steve Jurvetson, CC BY 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons

            More details are coming out following the disturbing explosion outside the Trump Hotel in Las Vegas.

            Local outlets have reportedly identified the suspect in the Tesla Cybertruck explosion outside the Trump International Hotel in Las Vegas as 37-year-old Matthew Livelsberger, a Colorado native.

            KOAA first reported Livelsberger’s name, citing local senior enforcement sources. Livelsberger reportedly lived in Colorado Springs, had multiple addresses tied to his name, and has a U.S. military background.

            Police have confirmed that they have identified the driver of the truck, but have not officially confirmed it is Livelsberger.

            The blast outside of the Trump Hotel occurred on Wednesday, New Year’s Day. A deceased individual was found inside the truck, along with explosives, police revealed.

            Tesla CEO Elon Musk credited the design of his vehicle for the blast not having more impact on the building the truck was parked outside of.

            “The evil knuckleheads picked the wrong vehicle for a terrorist attack. Cybertruck actually contained the explosion and directed the blast upwards,” he wrote on X. “Not even the glass doors of the lobby were broken.”

            On the same day as the blast outside of the Trump hotel, more than a dozen people were killed in New Orleans after a man drove his car directly into a crowd on Bourbon Street. Dozens more were injured. Police said they have not found a direct connection between the two attacks, but they have yet to officially rule one out.

            Federal officials are investigating the incidents as possible acts of domestic terrorism.

            Shamsud Din Jabbar, a 42-year-old Texas man, was identified as the New Orleans suspect. Jabbar was killed by police after firing on officers and an ISIS flag was found in the vehicle.

            New York City Mayor Eric Adams (D) said there will be a heightened security presence in Times Square and at Trump Tower following the two deadly attacks in New Orleans and Las Vegas on New Year’s Day.

            “After the attacks in New Orleans and Las Vegas, @NYPDPC  and I have been in constant communication,” Adams wrote in a Thursday post on the social media platform X. 

            “While there are no immediate threats to our city at this time, out of an abundance of caution, we have heightened security and have increased NYPD presence at relevant locations, including at Trump Tower and in Times Square.”

            New York AG Demands Trump Pay Over $300 Million In Fraud Case

              By
              Madeleine Jackson
              -
              4
              Image via Pixabay free images

              New York Attorney General Letitia James (D) asked the judge in former President Donald Trump’s civil fraud case to impose a $370 million fine on the former president on Friday.

              In Friday’s court filing ahead of closing remarks James accused Trump, his business, and several top executives — including his adult sons — of using “myriad deceptive schemes” to falsely inflate his net worth by billions.

              “The conclusion that defendants intended to defraud when preparing and certifying Trump’s (statements of financial condition) is inescapable,” reads the state’s post-trial brief. 

              In addition to paying the $370 million penalty, James also asked the judge to issue a lifetime ban on the former president and two top executives from doing real estate business in New York.

              In their post-trial brief, Trump’s counsel repeated claims they made at trial — that banks wanted to work with the Trump Organization, did their due diligence and found no fraud. 

              “Errors or misstatements happen all the time in accounting, if there are no indicia of fraud such as concealment, forgery, or deceit, then there is no basis to determine that these SFCs are fraudulent, and any misstatements are just accidental errors,” the defense brief states.

              Trump’s adult sons, Donald Trump Jr. and Eric Trump, also defendants in the case, urged the judge to dismiss the case against them. They claimed the attorney general failed to show they had “anything more than a peripheral knowledge or involvement in the creation, preparation or use” of their father’s financial statements.

              “The record evidence and testimony adduced at trial conclusively establishes that the SFCs were prepared, in their entirety, by others at the company working in conjunction with the company’s long time outside accountants,” their lawyer, Clifford Robert, wrote in their joint post-trial brief. 

              How ‘Woke’ and Compromised is the FBI and Its ‘Agents Association’?

                By
                Paul Crespo
                -
                2

                ANALYSIS – As someone involved in national security for over 30 years, I’ve written a lot about the FBI – about its successes as well as its politicization, and corrupt, partisan leadership. 

                I’ve even argued that perhaps the entire FBI should be dissolved or broken up.

                But I’ve generally defended the rank-and-file field agents, some whom I’ve known or worked with. I’ve noted that most are hardworking, honorable patriots.

                In a recent piece I even noted that a ‘Sizable Percentage’ of FBI Agents and Employees were reportedly ‘sympathetic’ to the Capitol rioters and believed the FBI was conducting a witch hunt against them.
                So, it saddens, and angers me, when I read that the FBI leadership lauded clueless or woke agents from the D.C field office who took a knee in front of BLM protesters and rioters in the summer of 2020.
                Recall that these police-hating, BLM race riots caused over $2 billion in damages nationwide, caused multiple civilian deaths, and injured over 2,000 local police and other law enforcement. 
                As Gagliano notes: “Seattle and Minneapolis police precincts were occupied and immolated, a federal courthouse was firebombed while federal agents were trapped inside, and deadly “autonomous zones” were established in Democrat-led cities.”
                This is the BLM mob these DC agents kneeled for in DC, and leadership lauded.
                What’s more, the FBI Agents Association rewarded these kneeling agents kowtowing to the BLM mob with $100 gift cards.

                Founded in 1981, the nonprofit organization boasts 14,000 members, including 90% of the current FBI agent workforce, and used to command respect from the rank-and-file agents.

                But maybe not so much now.

                James Gagliano, a retired FBI supervisory special agent, writes in New York Post:

                FBI executive management lauded on-duty agents who knelt before Black Lives Matter protesters at the height of the George Floyd unrest and riots for their “de-escalation” efforts, The Washington Times recently reported. A whistleblower said the counterterrorism special agent in charge of the Washington, DC, field office even hugged each of them after the June 4, 2020, incident. While not all the “presence patrol” agents assigned to the scene — which included the Supreme Court and the National Archives — “took a knee” in a show of solidarity or an act of cowardice and capitulation, at least seven did.

                And what was the FBI Agents Association’s response to this embarrassing gesture? Well, as the paper reported and FBI insiders confirmed to me, the organization rewarded the kneelers with a $100 “attaboy” — or what it describes as gift cards of “modest value.”

                While seven idiotic agents kneeling may only be a very small number of the entire FBI field agent force, the fact that our premier law enforcement agency had any who did that is disturbing.

                But even worse is the leadership and the association rewarding them for it.

                Gagliano rightly notes: “With outrageous, political decisions by its board, it has sullied itself just as James Comey, Andrew McCabe, Peter Strzok, Lisa Page and Kevin Clinesmith annihilated the top law-enforcement agency’s reputation during the 2016 Russiagate hoax.”

                This is why the FBI is now distrusted by about half the country. Only 44% of Gallup respondents in 2021 felt the Bureau was doing an “excellent” or “good” job.

                Gagliano concludes:

                I have come to grips with the fact that my beloved FBI has been irreparably broken by woke activists serving amongst its senior ranks. And with the Justice Department appearing to do this president’s bidding by targeting his political adversaries, it will take a monumental house-cleaning and seismic shift in culture at both DOJ and the FBI to begin to restore America’s trust and confidence.

                This something I have said before and wholeheartedly agree with. A thorough FBI housecleaning is badly needed

                Opinions expressed by contributors do not necessarily reflect the views of Great America News Desk.

                Report: Fox News Promotes Obama-Era Adviser To Anchor

                  By
                  Madeleine Jackson
                  -
                  2
                  Looking east towards 6th Avenue along north (48th Street) side of Fox News building on a snowy afternoon. [Photo Credit: Jim.henderson, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons]

                  Fox News has promoted Gillian Turner to a dual role as anchor and State Department and foreign policy correspondent

                  Turner has been at Fox since 2014, first as a contributor, and was hired as a correspondent four years later.

                  She most recently served as a regular substitute anchor on the network’s leading news programs, including “Fox News Sunday,” “Special Report” and “America’s Newsroom.”

                  Turner has foreign policy experience, after stints working for Jones Group International, with former national security adviser Jim Jones and with the White House National Security Council during the administrations of Presidents George W. Bush and Barack Obama.

                  This article was republished with permission from American Liberty News.

                  Hillary Clinton Endorses Democrat Primary Opponent In Rare Rebuke

                    By
                    Madeleine Jackson
                    -
                    2
                    Hillary Clinton via Gage Skidmore Flickr

                    A shocking betrayal…

                    Former failed Democrat presidential candidate Hillary Clinton made the rare move of endorsing the primary opponent of a sitting House Democrat.

                    The former secretary of state who remains a vocal influence over the Party opted to endorse George Latimer instead of Rep. Jamaal Bowman (D-NY) on Wednesday.

                    Rep. Jamaal Bowman, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

                    “With Trump on the ballot, we need strong, principled Democrats in Congress more than ever,” wrote Clinton on X, adding:

                    In Congress, @LatimerforNY will protect abortion rights, stand up to the NRA, and fight for President Biden’s agenda—just like he’s always done.

                    Make a plan to vote by June 25th!

                    According to Mediaite, last month CNN’s Manu Raju wrote that it is “the most competitive primary an incumbent House Democrat is facing anywhere in the country.”

                    Bowman, a progressive Democrat and member of the so-called “Squad,” has faced intense criticism from party colleagues over his strong criticism of Israel during its war against Hamas in Gaza following Oct. 7th.

                    “He’s gone far enough out that even the left-leaning Israel advocacy group J Street withdrew its endorsement of Bowman in January, complaining that he had crossed a line in putting the blame for the conflict too much on Israel and not on Hamas,” reported Raju in May, adding:

                    Now even many of Bowman’s fellow New York Democrats in Congress say privately they doubt he will win – but more than that, when asked by CNN, several pointedly refused to say that they want Bowman to win, or that they would support him as the race enters its final month ahead of the June 25 primary.

                    Bowman was also censured by the House last December after he pulled a fire alarm in an apparent effort to disrupt a vote. Bowman initially claimed he “mistakenly” pulled the alarm while rushing to vote. However, security footage late made public debunked his story. (RELATED: House Votes To Censure Democrat Rep. For Pulling Fire Alarm To Delay Vote)

                    Article Published With The Permission of American Liberty News.

                    DeSantis PAC Spokesman Admits ‘We Are Way Behind’

                    By
                    Madeleine Jackson
                    -
                    0
                    Ron DeSantis via Gage Skidmore Flickr

                    The truth is coming out…

                    A prominent pro-Ron DeSantis official is admitting the truth about the Florida governor’s presidential campaign, which does not sound good.

                    According to Mediate, Never Back Down PAC spokesman Steve Cortes “got pretty blunt” and was “sounding a decidedly dour note” on DeSantis’ ability to overtake the ex-president in the GOP presidential primary in a Twitter Spaces chat hosted by @CryptoLawyerz, an anonymous right-leaning account who says he is an attorney and formerly worked at the Department of Justice.

                    “Right now in national polling we are way behind, I’ll be the first to admit that,” said Cortes. “I believe in being blunt and honest. It’s an uphill battle but clearly Donald Trump is the runaway frontrunner.”

                    He added that DeSantis’ campaign was the “clear underdog,” and added that in the first four primary states, “which matter tremendously, polls are a lot tighter, we are still clearly down. We’re down double digits, we have work to do.”

                    During Sunday’s Twitter Space, Cortes did find some reason for optimism in DeSantis’ primary efforts — but not for DeSantis himself, predicting that the primary battle would make Trump a “better” and more competitive general election candidate.

                    “If we do not prevail — and I have every intent on winning, I didn’t sign up for this to come in second — but if we do not prevail I will tell you this, we will make President Trump better for having this kind of primary,” said Cortes.

                    Cortes also offered praise for Trump’s skills on the debate stage, joking that it might help DeSantis if Trump carries through on his threat to boycott the first RNC-hosted debate next month:

                    “Is Ron the debater that Trump is?” he said. “No, no he isn’t.”

                    “Absolutely Donald Trump is the maestro of it right, no doubt about it, right. When he gets on the debate stage, you know, and on his feet, in front of a microphone, he debates like Jack Nicklaus played golf, there’s no doubt about it,” Cortes said.

                    Star Witness Michael Cohen Admits He Wanted Top Role In Trump Admin.

                      By
                      Madeleine Jackson
                      -
                      0
                      Gage Skidmore Flickr

                      On Thursday, former Donald Trump “fixer” Michael Cohen admitted he would have liked to have been considered to fill the role of chief of staff during the Trump Administration.

                      Cohen, who testified Thursday that he was offered a role in the White House, said he didn’t want to go to the White House and rather wanted to serve as Trump’s personal attorney.

                      When asked if he wanted to work in the White House, Cohen responded, “No sir.”

                      Trump’s lawyer Todd Blanche asked Cohen if the truth is that he really wanted to work in the White House. Cohen responded, “No sir.”

                      Blanche then asked Cohen if he had hoped to be named the White House chief of staff, to which he denied.

                      Blanche then outlined several conversations Cohen had with other individuals, including his daughter, about the possibility of serving as chief of staff under Trump.

                      Cohen, who testified that he spoke with Trump about serving as his personal attorney, said he wanted a hybrid position, one with access to Trump but not considered a White House employee.

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