Latest news with #U.S.SenateArmedServicesCommittee
Egypt Today
01-06-2025
- Business
- Egypt Today
Egypt's FM, US Senator Tim Sheehy discuss bilateral ties, war in Gaza
CAIRO – 1 June 2025: Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty received Republican Senator Tim Sheehy, a member of the U.S. Senate Armed Services Committee, during his visit to Egypt, on Saturday. The meeting focused on ways to enhance the strategic partnership between Egypt and the United States, and on expanding cooperation in the political, economic, military, and technical fields. Minister Abdelatty expressed his aspiration for deeper coordination with the U.S. administration and both houses of US Congress in support of advancing bilateral relations that serve the mutual interests of both countries. He also emphasized Egypt's commitment to strengthening economic, trade, and investment cooperation, highlighting the outcomes of the Egyptian-American Economic Forum, held in Cairo on May 25–26, which saw the participation of leading American companies. Minister Abdelatty reviewed Egypt's ongoing efforts to promote security and stability in the Middle East, stressing that the Egypt-U.S. partnership remains a cornerstone in supporting regional peace and stability. The two sides exchanged views on a range of regional developments, including the situation in Gaza, where Minister Abdelatty reiterated Egypt's ongoing coordination with the United States and Qatar to achieve a ceasefire and facilitate the delivery of humanitarian aid to the Palestinian people. He firmly reiterated Egypt's rejection of any attempts to forcibly displace Palestinians from their land. The meeting also touched on the positive impact of recent de-escalation efforts in the Red Sea on maritime security and international trade routes, underscoring the importance of continued cooperation to preserve regional stability.
Newsweek
14-05-2025
- Politics
- Newsweek
Ukraine Crisis Could Spark 'Direct' Russia-US Confrontation—NORAD Commander
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. The war in Ukraine could escalate into a direct confrontation between the U.S. and Russia, according to the Pentagon. General Gregory Guillot, the head of the U.S. Northern Command (USNORTHCOM) and North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) issued the warning to the U.S. Senate Armed Services Committee. In a written statement to U.S. lawmakers, Guillot said that more than three years on from the start of Russia's full-scale invasion there are "several plausible pathways" in the which the war could escalate into a direct military conflict with the United States. Newsweek has contacted the Kremlin for comment. General Gregory Guillot is seen during a U.S. Senate Armed Services Committee nomination hearing on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C., on July 26, 2023. General Gregory Guillot is seen during a U.S. Senate Armed Services Committee nomination hearing on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C., on July 26, It Matters The specter of escalation has hung over the war in Ukraine since Vladimir Putin launched his full-scale invasion in February 2022, especially given the repeated nuclear threats issued by Moscow. Guillot also referred to other adversaries such as Iran and North Korea, highlighting the security and defense issues for the Trump administration as it seeks to end the war in Ukraine and combat countries seeking to challenge the U.S. military in the future. What To Know Guillot addressed lawmakers from the Senate Armed Services Committee on Tuesday. In a written statement presented to the committee, Guillot said the probability of a direct conflict between the U.S. and one of its key rivals is increasing. The statement said that while China, Russia, North Korea and Iran seek to avoid armed conflict with the U.S., they might try to capitalize on the perception of a Western decline to challenge American power, which could risk miscalculation. Guillot then said that in the fourth year of Russia's invasion of Ukraine there are several ways that the war could escalate into a direct military conflict with the United States. The U.S. general also referred to other conflicts that threaten to involve the U.S. such as the war in the Middle East sparked by Hamas' October 7, 2023 attack on Israel that threatens to embroil the U.S. in a direct conflict with Iran and its proxies. Guillot said tensions in the Taiwan Strait and South China Sea carry a constant risk of escalation into armed conflict between China and the United States, with "consequences that could span a generation." He said strategic cooperation between and among the U.S.'s four main adversaries had grown substantially since the beginning of the Ukraine War, increasing the risk that war with one could quickly expand into war with an enemy coalition. What People Are Saying General Gregory Guillot: "As Russia's brutal and misguided invasion of Ukraine enters its fourth year, there remain several plausible pathways by which the war could escalate into a direct military conflict with the United States." What Happens Next Russian media outlets reported Guillot's comments, which come amid anticipation over negotiations to end the war in Ukraine, whose president Volodymr Zelensky has said he would be in Turkey on Thursday ready for direct talks with Putin, who has not committed to attending.
Japan Times
31-03-2025
- Politics
- Japan Times
U.S. senators from both parties urge formal probe of Signal chat attack plan
The top Republican and Democrat on the U.S. Senate Armed Services Committee said on Thursday they had asked the Pentagon to investigate the Trump administration's use of the Signal messaging app to discuss sensitive attack plans. In a letter to Steven Stebbins, the acting Inspector General at the Defense Department, Republican Sen. Roger Wicker, the panel's chairman, and Sen. Jack Reed, its ranking Democrat, asked for an inquiry and assessment of the facts surrounding the Signal chat and department policies "and adherence to policies" about sharing sensitive information. The Armed Services Committee oversees the Department of Defense, authorizing its nearly $1 trillion budget. Stebbins' office said it was reviewing the letter but declined further comment.
Yahoo
27-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
US senators confirm call for formal probe of war plan Signal chat
By Patricia Zengerle WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The leaders of the U.S. Senate Armed Services Committee confirmed on Thursday that they have asked the Defense Department for an inquiry into Trump administration officials' discussion of sensitive attack plans on the Signal messaging app, including recommendations to address any issues. In a letter to Steven Stebbins, the acting Inspector General at the department, Republican Senator Roger Wicker, the panel's chairman, and Senator Jack Reed, its ranking Democrat, asked for an inquiry and assessment of the facts surrounding the Signal chat and department policies "and adherence to policies" about sharing sensitive information. Stebbins' office did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Wicker had said on Wednesday he and Reed planned a letter, after critics said U.S. troops could have died if the information in the chat had fallen into the wrong hands. Wicker and Reed also asked for an assessment of Defense Department classification and declassification policies, and how the policies of the White House, Pentagon and intelligence and other agencies differ, if at all, as well as "An assessment of whether any individuals transferred classified information, including operational details, from classified systems to unclassified systems, and if so, how." After the review is finished, they said in the letter, dated Wednesday, that the Armed Services Committee would work with Stebbins to schedule a briefing. Although no Republican member of Congress has called for any official to resign, a few members of Trump's party have joined Democrats in expressing concern about the chat on Signal, an encrypted commercial messaging app, about the planned killing of a Houthi militant in Yemen on March 15. CABINET SECRETARIES, VP, INTELL CHIEFS ON CHAT The chat included National Security Adviser Mike Waltz, Vice President JD Vance, Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard, CIA Director John Ratcliffe and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, who did not know that Jeffrey Goldberg, editor-in-chief of the Atlantic, was inadvertently included. A wide range of Democrats have called for the resignations of Hegseth and others who participated in the chat. As administration officials have discussed, and at times sought to downplay, the incident, they have focused on the question of whether any of the information was classified, and which agency might have classified it. They also have insisted it did not include "war plans," although the messages listed the time of the planned attack and equipment - including aircraft - that would be involved. "I am appalled by the egregious security breach from top administration officials," Republican Senator Lisa Murkowski said on "Their disregard for stringent safeguards and secure channels could have compromised a high-stakes operation and put our servicemembers at risk. I hope this serves as a wake-up call that operational security must be a top priority for everyone—especially our leaders," she said. The Defense Department's inspector general, a nonpartisan official charged with rooting out waste, fraud and abuse, was one of several officials Trump has fired since he began his second term in January. Trump has not named a permanent replacement.
Reuters
27-03-2025
- Politics
- Reuters
US senators confirm call for formal probe of war plan Signal chat
WASHINGTON, March 27 (Reuters) - The leaders of the U.S. Senate Armed Services Committee confirmed on Thursday that they have asked the Defense Department for an inquiry into Trump administration officials' discussion of sensitive attack plans on the Signal messaging app, including recommendations to address any issues. In a letter to Steven Stebbins, the acting Inspector General at the department, Republican Senator Roger Wicker, the panel's chairman, and Senator Jack Reed, its ranking Democrat, asked for an inquiry and assessment of the facts surrounding the Signal chat and department policies "and adherence to policies" about sharing sensitive information. Stebbins' office did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Wicker had said on Wednesday he and Reed planned a letter, after critics said U.S. troops could have died if the information in the chat had fallen into the wrong hands. Wicker and Reed also asked for an assessment of Defense Department classification and declassification policies, and how the policies of the White House, Pentagon and intelligence and other agencies differ, if at all, as well as "An assessment of whether any individuals transferred classified information, including operational details, from classified systems to unclassified systems, and if so, how." After the review is finished, they said in the letter, dated Wednesday, that the Armed Services Committee would work with Stebbins to schedule a briefing. Although no Republican member of Congress has called for any official to resign, a few members of Trump's party have joined Democrats in expressing concern about the chat on Signal, an encrypted commercial messaging app, about the planned killing of a Houthi militant in Yemen on March 15. CABINET SECRETARIES, VP, INTELL CHIEFS ON CHAT The chat included National Security Adviser Mike Waltz, Vice President JD Vance, Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard, CIA Director John Ratcliffe and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, who did not know that Jeffrey Goldberg, editor-in-chief of the Atlantic, was inadvertently included. A wide range of Democrats have called for the resignations of Hegseth and others who participated in the chat. As administration officials have discussed, and at times sought to downplay, the incident, they have focused on the question of whether any of the information was classified, and which agency might have classified it. They also have insisted it did not include "war plans," although the messages listed the time of the planned attack and equipment - including aircraft - that would be involved. "I am appalled by the egregious security breach from top administration officials," Republican Senator Lisa Murkowski said on "Their disregard for stringent safeguards and secure channels could have compromised a high-stakes operation and put our servicemembers at risk. I hope this serves as a wake-up call that operational security must be a top priority for everyone—especially our leaders," she said. The Defense Department's inspector general, a nonpartisan official charged with rooting out waste, fraud and abuse, was one of several officials Trump has fired since he began his second term in January. Trump has not named a permanent replacement.
