by Kristopher Seals
UNITED STATES: Lawmakers Go Postal on Postmaster
After a deluge of complaints, the man in charge of the post office decided to halt some controversial plans.
Upon assuming office in June, Postmaster General Louis DeJoy has made several efforts to cut costs within the United States Postal Service, such as banning overtime and reducing trips. These efforts have come under fire, as many lawmakers, mostly democrats, have suggested that the measures were being employed to mess with the election process. The emphasis of the accusation is on mail-in ballots, and the ballots being process in time to be counted for the election.
On Aug. 13, DeJoy explained that while attempts are being made to improve service, there were indeed delays in mail delivery, dubbing them “unintended consequences.” In speaking on the postal service, President Trump said that funds to USPS were being held up in order to hinder the prospect of mail-in voting, with fear of fraud as his reasoning.
This news enraged officials on Capitol Hill, and DeJoy ended up being summoned to speak in front of the Senate and House for questioning at a later date. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi also order Congress back into session to address the matter of securing the voting process.
On Aug. 18, DeJoy announced that the cost-cutting measures, including the removal of mailboxes and sorting machines, would be suspended until after the election. Nonetheless, there are calls for the FBI to get involved.
The news comes at a sad time for Trump, who recently suffered the loss of his brother Robert on Aug. 15.
MIDDLE EAST: Mixed Feelings on Israel-UAE Deal
A deal between two middle eastern powers has some people delighted and other cautiously optimistic.
On Aug. 13, U.S. President Donald J. Trump, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel, and Sheikh Mohammed Bin Zayed, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the United Arab Emirates spoke and agreed to the full normalization of relations between Israel and the United Arab Emirates.
This historic diplomatic breakthrough will advance peace in the Middle East region and is a testament to the bold diplomacy and vision of the three leaders and the courage of the United Arab Emirates and Israel to chart a new path that will unlock the great potential in the region. All three countries face many common challenges and will mutually benefit.
Delegations from Israel and the United Arab Emirates will meet in the coming weeks to sign bilateral agreements regarding investment, tourism, direct flights, security, telecommunications, technology, energy, healthcare, culture, the environment, the establishment of reciprocal embassies, and other areas of mutual benefit. Opening direct ties between two of the Middle East’s most dynamic societies and advanced economies will transform the region by spurring economic growth, enhancing technological innovation, and forging closer people-to-people relations.
As a result of this diplomatic breakthrough and at the request of President Trump with the support of the United Arab Emirates, Israel will suspend declaring sovereignty over areas outlined in the President’s Vision for Peace and focus its efforts now on expanding ties with other countries in the Arab and Muslim world. The United States, Israel and the United Arab Emirates are confident that additional diplomatic breakthroughs with other nations are possible, and will work together to achieve this goal.
The United Arab Emirates and Israel will immediately expand and accelerate cooperation regarding the treatment of and the development of a vaccine for the coronavirus. Working together, these efforts will help save Muslim, Jewish, and Christian lives throughout the region.
This normalization of relations and peaceful diplomacy will bring together two of America’s most reliable and capable regional partners. Israel and the United Arab Emirates will join with the United States to launch a Strategic Agenda for the Middle East to expand diplomatic, trade, and security cooperation.
Along with the United States, Israel and the United Arab Emirates share a similar outlook regarding the threats and opportunities in the region, as well as a shared commitment to promoting stability through diplomatic engagement, increased economic integration, and closer security coordination.
The United States and Israel recall with gratitude the appearance of the United Arab Emirates at the White House reception held on January 28, 2020, at which President Trump presented his Vision for Peace, and express their appreciation for United Arab Emirates’ related supportive statements. The parties will continue their efforts in this regard to achieve a just, comprehensive and enduring resolution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
As set forth in the Vision for Peace, all Muslims who come in peace may visit and pray at the Al Aqsa Mosque, and Jerusalem’s other holy sites should remain open for peaceful worshippers of all faiths.
Prime Minister Netanyahu and Crown Prince Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan express their deep appreciation to President Trump for his dedication to peace in the region and to the pragmatic and unique approach he has taken to achieve it.
While the deal has certain advantages for Israel, Palestine is placed at a disadvantage, as nothing is mentioned about that nation achieving official statehood. Meanwhile, Saudi Arabia is not in full support of the move, while Pakistan is among several nations that will not recognize Israel until Palestine has its own state.
CARIBBEAN: Puerto Rican Legislator Indicted
A federal grand jury in the District of Puerto Rico returned a 13-count indictment against legislator María Milagros Charbonier-Laureano (Charbonier), aka “Tata,” a member of the Puerto Rico House of Representatives, as well as her husband Orlando Montes-Rivera (Montes), their son Orlando Gabriel Montes-Charbonier, and her assistant Frances Acevedo-Ceballos (Acevedo), for their alleged participation in a years-long theft, bribery, and kickback conspiracy.
The indictment charges Charbonier, Montes, Montes-Charbonier, and Acevedo with conspiracy; theft, bribery, and kickbacks concerning programs receiving federal funds; and honest services wire fraud. Charbonier, Montes, and Montes-Charbonier are facing two counts of money laundering. The indictment also charges Charbonier with obstruction of justice for destroying data on her cell phone.
According to the allegations in the indictment, from early 2017 until July 2020, Charbonier, Montes, Montes-Charbonier, and Acevedo executed a scheme to defraud the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico by engaging in a theft, bribery, and kickback scheme. In early 2017, Charbonier inflated her assistant Acevedo’s salary from $800 on a bi-weekly, after-tax basis to $2,100; this amount increased to nearly $2,900 by September 2019. Out of every inflated paycheck, it was agreed that Acevedo would keep a portion, and kick back between $1,000 and $1,500 to Charbonier, Montes, and Montes-Charbonier.
“Puerto Rico legislator María Milagros Charbonier-Laureano, her family, and her associates allegedly carried out a brazen scheme to defraud the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico through bribery, kickbacks, theft, and fraud,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General Brian C. Rabbitt of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “When elected officials betray the people’s trust in order to enrich themselves at the public’s expense, the Justice Department will hold them accountable.”
“I encourage those who have information of public officials involved in criminal acts to come forward. We will continue investigating and prosecuting elected officials whose criminal conduct enriches themselves at the expense of the government and their constituents,” said U.S. Attorney Muldrow for the District of Puerto Rico. “I commend our partners from the FBI for their tremendous efforts investigating this matter, particularly during the pandemic. I would also like to recognize the Public Integrity Section attorneys who supported this investigation and traveled to Puerto Rico in order to work with our District to present this case to the Grand Jury.”
“Most of the work we do takes place behind the scenes. Quality investigative work requires time and patience,” said Special Agent in Charge Rafael Riviere Vázquez of the FBI’s San Juan Field Office. “It is my hope that the people of Puerto Rico never doubt that we are doing the work that we have been entrusted to do. Public Corruption is FBI San Juan’s priority and it will continue to be a priority. Puerto Rico belongs to each and every one of us, and together we can take it back.”
The indictment further alleges that the defendants used a variety of means to transfer the kickbacks from Acevedo to Charbonier and her family. Allegedly, Acevedo would sometimes transfer cash by hand to Montes, Montes-Charbonier, and other individuals connected to Charbonier; Acevedo would sometimes transfer kickbacks in approximately $500 increments to Montes or to Montes-Charbonier using ATH Móvil, a mobile phone application that allows individuals who bank at certain financial institutions to send money to each other through an interface on their cell phones; and, at times, Acevedo left cash kickbacks in a pre-determined location, such as Charbonier’s purse or inside of a vehicle, for Charbonier to later collect.
Money laundering counts against Charbonier, her husband and son involve the secretive maneuvers that the Charbonier family used to move their illegally derived cash among themselves in a manner designed to conceal and disguise the nature, location, source, ownership, and control of that cash.
The indictment also charges Charbonier with obstruction of justice. After learning of the existence of the investigation into illegal activities in her office and after learning that a warrant had been obtained for one of her phones, Charbonier allegedly proceeded to delete certain data on the phone. In particular, Charbonier deleted nearly the entire call log, nearly all WhatsApp messages, and nearly all iMessages associated with this phone, the indictment alleges.
This indictment is the result of an ongoing investigation by the FBI and is being prosecuted by Trial Attorney Jonathan E. Jacobson of the Criminal Division’s Public Integrity Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney María L. Montañez Concepción from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Puerto Rico.
An indictment is merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
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AFRICA: Lake Chad Attacks Condemned
The Secretary-General strongly condemned “heinous attacks” against civilians in the Lake Chad Basin, a UN spokesperson said on Aug. 3.
“The attacks led to the killing and abduction of many civilians, including women, children and displaced people who had fled violence,” Deputy Spokesperson Farhan Haq said in a statement, referring to assaults in the Lac Province of Chad and the Far North Region of Cameroon on July 31 and Aug. 2 respectively.
News reports pinned responsibility for this most recent aggression in the troubled region on Boko Haram jihadists.
Mr. Haq spelled out that “those responsible for these atrocities must be held accountable.”
“International human rights law and international humanitarian law must be fully respected and all civilians in Cameroon and Chad must be protected”, he stressed on behalf of the UN chief.
In conclusion, the spokesperson upheld the UN’s “steadfast” support to the countries of the Lake Chad Basin in their efforts “to overcome the scourge of terrorism, and address the security, political, humanitarian and socio-economic challenges in the region.”
In separate coverage on the morning of Aug. 4, the UN refugee agency (UNHCR) expressed outrage over an “unprovoked and brutal attack” on 800 internally displaced people (IDPs) in a makeshift camp in Cameroon’s Far North region.
“At least 18 people were killed and 11 injured in the incident during the early hours of Sunday August 2,” UNHCR spokesperson Babar Baloch told journalists at a regular press briefing in Geneva.
While some of the wounded were evacuated to Mokolo district hospital, an hour’s drive from Nguetchewe, another 1,500 people, including terrified residents of the hosting village, fled to the nearby town of Mozogo for safety.
“UNHCR is deploying an emergency mission to assess the situation and evaluate the protection and health needs of those affected, Mr. Baloch updated.
This attack follows a significant rise in violent incidents in Cameroon’s Far-North Region in July, including looting and kidnapping by Boko Haram and other armed groups active in the region.
The Far North region, tucked between Nigeria’s Borno and Adamawa states and Lake Chad, currently hosts 321,886 IDPs and 115,000 Nigerian refugees.
The UNHCR spokesperson called this incident “a sad reminder of the intensity and brutality of the violence in the wider the Lake Chad Basin region that has forced more than three million people to flee.”
“UNHCR calls on all actors to respect the civilian and humanitarian character of IDP camps, and to respond promptly to the urgent needs of people who have fled violence and suffered multiple displacements,” concluded the UN refugee agency’s spokesperson.
