International
Biden emphasizes that US support for Israel against Iran is “steal”
US President Joe Biden stressed after meeting with his National Security team that the United States’ commitment to Israel against Iran is “stiron.”
The president accompanied his message in X with a photo of the meeting in the crisis room of the White House, known as the ‘Situation Room’, in which he is next to the Secretary of State, Antony Blinken, and the Secretary of Defense, Lloyd Austin, among others.
Both Biden and Blinken, who appear from the front, are seen with a serious countenance, in a suit but without a tie.
The National Security team, an emergency meeting this Saturday afternoon, also included the director of the CIA, Bill Burns; the White House National Security Advisor, Jake Sullivan, and the head of the Joint Chief of Staff, Charles Brown, among others, as previously reported by the White House.
Biden had planned to spend the weekend at his beach residence in Delaware but returned unexpectedly just before the Iranian attack on Israel was confirmed.
That offensive comes in retaliation against Israel for the attack on the Iranian consulate in Damascus that killed seven members of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard, in addition to destroying the building attached to the Tehran embassy, which was the residence of the Iranian ambassador.
US President Joe Biden assured the Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, of his support against Iran. He assured that US forces have helped to stop that attack and advanced that he will summon his G7 counterparts to coordinate a diplomatic response.
“I have told him that Israel has demonstrated a remarkable ability to defend itself against and even defeat unprecedented attacks – sending a key message to its enemies that they cannot effectively threaten Israel’s security,” he said in a statement released by the White House.
The presidential statement assures that the United States helped Israel tonight to “smoill almost all incoming drones and missiles” launched by Iran or its allied militias in the region, which the Israeli Ministry of Defense quantified at just over 200.
Since the US Presidency, US support had been reaffirmed in recent days and this same Saturday, but this phone call offered the Democratic president the opportunity to communicate it directly to Netanyahu on the same day that Iran fulfilled its threat.
Biden pointed out that under his instructions, and to support the defense of Israel, last week the US Army moved planes and defense destroyers against ballistic missiles to the region.
The president condemned the Iranian attack “as firmly as possible.” He recalled that it originated, not only in Iran, but also in Yemen, Syria and Iraq, where Allied militias in Tehran operate.
This Sunday, according to Biden, the United States will summon the rest of the G7 leaders “to coordinate a united diplomatic response to Iran’s brazen attack.”
Biden added that although the United States has not recorded attacks against its forces or facilities this Saturday, it will remain vigilant about it and will not hesitate to “take the necessary steps” to protect its people.
The Pentagon reported that its forces in the Middle East remain in an alert position to protect its soldiers and allies after intercepting “dozens of missiles and drones aimed at Israel” launched by Iran and its allied militias.
“US forces in the Middle East on April 13 intercepted dozens of missiles and drones aimed at Israel launched from Iran, Iraq, Syria and Yemen. Our forces remain deployed to protect US troops and our allies in the region, provide support to Israeli defense and promote regional stability,” U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin said in a statement.
The head of the Pentagon condemned “the unprecedented and irresponsible attacks” of Iran and its allies, and asked them to stop any plan for new attacks and reduce the escalation of tension with Israel.
“We are not looking for the conflict with Iran, but we will not hesitate to act to protect our forces and in support of the defense of Israel,” Austin said.
Former US President and electoral pre-candidate Donald Trump (2017-2021) showed the country’s support for Israel. He considered that Iran’s attack would not have occurred if he had been in the White House.
“UNITED STATES SUPPORTS ISRAEL!” he said on his social network, Truth Social.
The former Republican president added in another message on that same account that “the attack should never have been allowed to take place.” He emphasized that that “NEWR” is what would have happened if he were president.
International
ACLU seeks emergency court order to stop venezuelan deportations under Wartime Law
The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) on Friday asked two federal judges to block the U.S. government under President Donald Trump from deporting any Venezuelan nationals detained in North Texas under a rarely used 18th-century wartime law, arguing that immigration officials appear to be moving forward with deportations despite Supreme Court-imposed limitations.
The ACLU has already filed lawsuits to stop the deportation of two Venezuelan men held at the Bluebonnet Detention Center, challenging the application of the Alien Enemies Act of 1798. The organization is now seeking a broader court order that would prevent the deportation of any immigrant in the region under that law.
In an emergency filing early Friday, the ACLU warned that immigration authorities were accusing other Venezuelan detainees of being members of the Tren de Aragua, a transnational criminal gang. These accusations, the ACLU argues, are being used to justify deportations under the wartime statute.
The Alien Enemies Act has only been invoked three times in U.S. history — most notably during World War II to detain Japanese-American civilians in internment camps. The Trump administration has claimed the law allows them to swiftly remove individuals identified as gang members, regardless of their immigration status.
The ACLU, together with Democracy Forward, filed legal actions aiming to suspend all deportations carried out under the law. Although the U.S. Supreme Court recently allowed deportations to resume, it unanimously ruled that they could only proceed if detainees are given a chance to present their cases in court and are granted “a reasonable amount of time” to challenge their pending removal.
International
Dominican ‘False Hero’ Arrested for Faking Role in Nightclub Collapse That Killed 231
A man identified as Rafael Rosario Mota falsely claimed to have rescued 12 people from the collapse of the Jet Set nightclub in Santo Domingo—a tragedy that left 231 people dead—but he was never at the scene.
Intelligence agents in the Dominican Republic arrested the 32-year-old man for pretending to be a hero who saved lives during the catastrophic incident, authorities announced.
Rosario Mota had been charging for media interviews in which he falsely claimed to have pulled survivors from the rubble after the nightclub’s roof collapsed in the early hours of April 8, during a concert by merengue singer Rubby Pérez, who was among those killed.
“He was never at the scene of the tragedy,” the police stated. The arrest took place just after he finished another interview on a digital platform, where he repeated his fabricated story in exchange for money as part of a “media tour” filled with manipulated information and invented testimonies.
“False hero!” read a message shared on the police force’s Instagram account alongside a short video of the suspect, in which he apologized: “I did it because I was paid. I ask forgiveness from the public and the authorities.”
Central America
Nicaraguan Exiles to Mark 7th Anniversary of 2018 Protests with Global Commemorations
The Nicaraguan opposition in exile announced on Thursday that it will commemorate the seventh anniversary of the April 2018 protests against the government of President Daniel Ortega and his wife, Rosario Murillo, with events in Costa Rica, the United States, and several European countries.
The commemorative activities—which will call for justice for the victims, as well as freedom and democracy for Nicaragua—will include religious services, public forums, cultural fairs, and other public gatherings, according to official announcements.
In April 2018, thousands of Nicaraguans took to the streets to protest controversial reforms to the social security system. The government’s violent response quickly turned the demonstrations into a broader call for the resignation of President Ortega, who is now 79 and has been in power since 2007.
The protests resulted in at least 355 deaths, according to the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR), although Nicaraguan organizations claim the toll is as high as 684. Ortega has acknowledged “more than 300” deaths and maintains the unrest was an attempted coup d’état.
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