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Group Names : Cecilia, Angel, Marben, Sandra 

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Group Names : Cecilia, Angel, Marben, Sandra 

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U.S Helps Afghanistan Evacuate into refugee Agencies

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Tens of thousands of Afghans who helped American forces over the two-decades-long war are now arriving in the U.S. as refugees, following what, for many, has been a harrowing escape from the Taliban-controlled country as it erupts into more violence.

Most will start the new American chapter of their lives at military installations scattered across the U.S. where they'll be vetted before moving on to more permanent destinations. That includes Texas, which has become one of several hubs for refugees who've been granted special immigration visas for working with the U.S. in Afghanistan.

The sudden influx means resettlement agencies across Texas and elsewhere, are rushing to secure housing, schooling, groceries and furniture for the new arrivals.

Marisol Girela is the associate vice president for social programs for RAICES, an organization that helps refugees resettle in San Antonio, Texas.

"We've seen a very dramatic increase in the amount of people that we have been seeing since the start of the crisis in July and now August," Girela told NPR.

She said that so far this week, RAICES has resettled six families. "That's about 20 people," Girela estimates, adding that by the end of August, the agency will have helped 60 people begin the transition into their new lives. July was the same, she said.

"We do see some single people, usually men, who get here through the [special immigrant visa] program, but for the most part, we help families," Girela said.

It's been a heavy lift for the organization, which is the smaller of two resettlement agencies in San Antonio.

Refugees are on a tight budget from the moment they step off the plane

A big chunk of the work begins even before a refugee sets foot in the San Antonio airport. With funding from the U.S. Committee for Refugees and Immigrants and with donations, Girela and her colleagues take care of all of the logistical relocation details. They find appropriate housing, set up utilities, arrange furniture and make sure there are plates in cupboards and silverware in drawers. "They have already been through so much - through so much trauma. These are not things they should have to think about."

Nearly all of those expenses come out of a one-time stipend refugees receive upon arrival. The USCRI allocates $1,200 per person - adults and children receive the same amount - which must be used within 90 days.

"We also take some of that money to buy grocery cards and provide families with a little cash for any additional expenses that come up," Girela said. "This is where donations really make a difference. The more we get from people - a free sofa or canned food - the more of their own money they can keep."

RAICES also handles all of the paperwork required to register families for social services programs, including SNAP, better known as food stamps, and Medicaid. The group also enrolls children in local schools.

"We are on a very tight time crunch to get families set up" so they can be self-sustaining as quickly as possible, she said.

Finding jobs and becoming self-sufficient takes priority

RAICES provides job skills training and helps with job hunting. "We have a very high job success rate," Girela says, though she notes that most people find "starter jobs" at local food processing or packaging plants in San Antonio.

"A lot of the people we're helping actually have degrees and are pretty highly educated so they take these jobs" on a temporary basis, while RAICES helps them navigate recertification or other education programs.

Qualifying adults can also get monthly refugee cash assistance. The amounts vary depending on household size, but a single adult gets about $415 a month for the first four months; the assistance then goes down to a little less than $200 a month. The sum also decreases depending on any income earned.

There's also the cultural adjustment component

It seems like an obvious thing to say, Girela noted, but "everything is incredibly different here." Almost immediately, she and her team begin a cultural orientation process that includes lessons on U.S. currency, how and where to send a monthly rental payment, how to buy a money order or how set up a checking account.

"The great thing is we have a pretty big Afghan community here in San Antonio so our clients have a built-in support system that they can turn to," Girela said. Odd or embarrassing questions can be answered by members of their own community who have been through a similar transition, according to Girela.

In a way, Girela says, the "go, go, go" pace of the first few weeks can keep new arrivals from processing their feelings about the move halfway around the world. But once routines are established and the initial shock wears off, signs of the psychological and emotional toll begin to show.

"Maybe the honeymoon period has kind of ended," she said. "But that's when we start to observe if there's any trauma that may have taken place."

It's possible that the evacuees who make it out of Kabul on these final flights before the Aug. 31 deadline could have a very different experience, Girela said. "But we'll be here for them," she added.

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Waves Of Afghan Refugees Are Arriving In The U.S. Here's Some Help They Can Expect

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Tens of thousands of Afghans who helped American forces over the two-decades-long war are now arriving in the U.S. as refugees, following what, for many, has been a harrowing escape from the Taliban-controlled country as it erupts into more violence. Most will start the new American chapter of their lives at military installations scattered across the U.S.

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Daniela Bravo, Vivica Booth, Anai Flores, Cinthia alvarado, Roselin Manzo 

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Daniela Bravo, Vivica Booth, Anai Flores, Cinthia alvarado, Roselin Manzo 

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https://www.un.org/en/our-work/maintain-international-peace-and-security

This is an example of world peace because the United Nation was spicifically created to mantain international peace since the Second World War.

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Ian Gallegos, Anna frank, Mackenzie Chambers, Cristina Quintero

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Ian Gallegos, Anna frank, Mackenzie Chambers, Cristina Quintero

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Growing trade between Israel and the US is being supported by both countries. They are expanding by limiting barriers and trying to be more transparent.

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Implemented the 1992 Cuban Democracy Act which was made to pressure the Cuban regime to start meaningful political and economic reform through tough economic sanctions, in order to support and help the Cuban people in their struggle for democracy and a higher standard of living.

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PROMOTING PEACE AND DEMOCRACY IN LATIN AMERICA

"Democracy has swept every country but one [Cuba] in the Americas, giving people a vote and a voice in their future. Decades of coups and civil wars have given way to stability, peace, to free markets and to the search for social justice and a cleaner environment. The electricity of change is surging throughout our hemisphere."
President Clinton
Mexico City
May 7, 1997

By promoting equitable and sustainable development within the Western Hemisphere, President Clinton has strengthened stability and promoted democracy, the expansion of economic opportunity and the social and environmental concerns of Latin America. Under President Clinton's leadership, the United States has become a catalyst for peace and cooperation, laying the groundwork for a new era of hemispheric relations characterized by greater integration and genuine partnerships. Our shared political values and a common commitment to open markets unite the region and prepare us to meet the challenges of the next century.

A RECORD OF ACCOMPLISHMENT
Strengthening Western Hemisphere Cooperation

Hosted the first Summit of the Americas in Miami in 1994, which led to the adoption of a Declaration of Principles and a Plan of Action that promotes hemispheric cooperation on a full spectrum of political, economic, security and social issues. A second Summit was held in Santiago, Chile, in 1998, and accelerated implementation of the Plan of Action.

Worked to strengthen the Inter-American System and the Organization of American States to provide leadership and follow-up to Summit initiatives and to serve as a rallying point for the preservation and protection of democratic institutions in the Hemisphere.

Worked with the Bolivian government to ensure the success of the 1996 Sustainable Development Summit in Santa Cruz. Vice President Gore led the U.S. delegation.

Provided technical and financial assistance to judicial reform efforts intended to promote just, efficient and modern legal systems in Latin America; promoted establishment of the regional Judicial Studies Center to act as a research center and information clearinghouse on judicial reform.

Negotiated and signed the Inter-America Convention Against Corruption, a path-breaking agreement that sets new international standards by committing signatories to cooperate in investigating, prosecuting, and eliminating corrupt business practices. Negotiated and signed OAS conventions on firearms and transparency in arms acquisition.

Held the Vital Voices of the Americas conference in Uruguay in 1998 with the First Lady's leadership - to promote the participation of women in the political and economic sectors of Latin America. Additional conferences were held in the Caribbean, Brazil, Guatemala and Bolivia.

Developed a new era in hemispheric security relations through military-to-military consultations, expanded confidence and security building measures, and the meetings of mainly civilian Defense Ministers at Defense Ministerial of the Americas meetings in Williamsburg, Virginia , Argentina, Colombia, and Brazil.

Promoting Peace and Democracy

Promoted free and fair elections throughout the Hemisphere, including Mexico, Venezuela, Suriname and the Dominican Republic, by offering support to both the electoral process and the presence of international observation delegations. United the Hemisphere's major democracies to protect democratic initiatives under stress and safeguard the integrity of elections in Guatemala, Peru, Paraguay, Ecuador and Haiti.

Solidified close bilateral cooperation with Mexico to encourage electoral reform prior to the 1994 Mexican elections and subsequent reforms up to and following the 2000 elections.

Helped negotiate an end to the thirty-year Guatemalan Civil War, in concert with an international "group of friends," while providing financial support for the peace process.

Responded to Peru's political crisis in 2000 by supporting the OAS reform process to promote freedom of expression, electoral reform, judicial reform and protection of human rights.

Worked with regional partners in South America to stop April 1996 and May 2000 coup attempts in Paraguay to support the democratic government and responded quickly in 1999 to the assassination of Vice President Argana and the subsequent civil disturbances.

Worked with regional partners to roll back the January 2000 coup in Ecuador and help restore constitutional order through the accession of the Vice President.

Assembled a 30-country multinational force under United Nations aegis that restored to power Haiti's democratically-elected government in 1994 and continued to support democratic consolidation and institutional development.

Worked with other regional governments in order to halt the 1995 border war between Peru and Ecuador, monitor the disputed border area through the Military Observer Mission Ecuador-Peru (MOMEP), and broker a definitive solution to the longstanding territorial dispute.

Implemented the 1992 Cuban Democracy Act designed to pressure the Cuban regime to enact meaningful political and economic reform through tough economic sanctions, in order to support the Cuban people in their struggle for democracy and a higher standard of living.

Crafted policy responses to promote democratic institutions in Venezuela and bilateral and multilateral cooperation with the Venezuelan government.

Expanding Prosperity

Led a bipartisan coalition to win approval and implement the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), creating American jobs, reducing trade barriers, safeguarding the integrity of our financial institutions, and protecting the safety of our workforce and the health of our environment.

Launched the negotiations for the Free Trade Area of the Americas at the First Summit of the Americas in 1994 and established a completion date of 2005.

Marshaled international support for the Mexican economy following the peso crisis of 1995, for the Brazilian economy after the Asian economic crisis spurred a downturn in 1998-1999, and for the Argentine economy experiencing turmoil in 2000.

Won approval for Caribbean Basin Initiative enhancement legislation to promote economic prosperity in Central America and the Caribbean.

Launched negotiations for a comprehensive bilateral Free Trade Agreement with Chile.

Strengthening Alliances, Building Partnerships, and Responding to Hemispheric Needs

Completed the implementation of the 1978 Panama Canal treaties, guaranteeing a seamless and secure transfer of control of the Canal to Panama on December 31, 1999.

President Clinton traveled to Cartagena, Colombia in August 2000 to support the Colombian Government's comprehensive, integrated strategy for dealing with surging coca production, an economic recession and negotiations to end its long civil conflict and to lead a bi-partisan effort to provide financial support for Plan Colombia.

Responded to Hurricane Mitch devastation in Central America with emergency relief assistance and then, working with the Congress, provided $759 million in reconstruction aid. Provided emergency aid to Belize in the wake of Hurricane Keith.

Strengthened bilateral relationship with Mexico through progress on migration, the environment and U.S.-Mexican border infrastructure.

Developed close bilateral relationship with Brazil through efforts such as the marshaling of U.S. government support for Brazil's Alcantara space launch facility.

Strengthened bilateral relations with countries of the Southern Cone by including leaders of Brazil, Chile, and Argentina in the Progressive Governance Conferences in Berlin, Florence, and New York.

Combating Threats

Reduced drug cultivation and processing dramatically in Bolivia and Peru.

Improved interdiction through multilateral air, sea and land efforts - highlighted by the establishment of Forward Operating Locations for U.S. counter-drug aircraft in Ecuador and the Netherlands Antilles.

Expanded regional anti-money laundering efforts and precursor chemical activities, while actively pursuing the extradition of drug traffickers and other organized crime figures.

Worked bilaterally and regionally to combat alien smuggling.

Launched the OAS Multilateral Evaluation Mechanism to gain more multilateral cooperation in the counter-drug struggle.

Developed comprehensive support package to help Colombia combat the scourge of drug-trafficking.

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PROMOTING PEACE AND DEMOCRACY IN LATIN AMERICA

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PROMOTING PEACE AND DEMOCRACY IN LATIN AMERICA "Democracy has swept every country but one [Cuba] in the Americas, giving people a vote and a voice in their future. Decades of coups and civil wars have given way to stability, peace, to free markets and to the search for social justice and a cleaner environment.

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The Biden administration launched a dramatic series of moves Thursday to reinforce Kabul and allow for the safe removal of a significant number of personnel from the American embassy there, as it becomes ever clearer to administration officials that the looming collapse of Afghanistan's government and the fallout for its citizens could threaten to become a permanent stain on Biden's foreign policy legacy. The Pentagon announced 3,000 troops are being deployed to assist with the drawdown of the embassy to only a "core diplomatic presence"

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Jason, Angie,Brayam,Melany, Mauricio, Jose Borja

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Jason, Angie,Brayam,Melany, Mauricio, Jose Borja

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How this correlates with the Concern for Humanity, is typically with how events had impacted the way many people from foreign countries are currently experiencing. Which such detrimental events that had happened to the thousands of Allies that had aided the US in the battles against the terrorist group, Taliban. Flee into the US as refugees.

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our American troops  tried to save Afghanistan people because some would be killed if they stayed there. The Taliban swept into Kabul on Sunday after President Ashraf Ghani fled the country, bringing an end to a two-decade campaign in which the U.S. and its allies had tried to transform Afghanistan.

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The World Health Organization (WHO) is examining ways to continue delivering supplies to Afghanistan. Since the terrorist attack on Thursday. This is an example of world peace because it´s the WHO helping countries in need.

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U.S. President Donald Trump bombed Iran General Qasem Soleimani. President Trump claimed that it was "to stop, not start a war"
www.bbc.com

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He was in charge of the Quds Force's clandestine missions and its provision of guidance, funding, weapons, intelligence, and logistical support to allied governments and armed groups, including Hezbollah, Hamas and Islamic Jihad.

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Qasem Soleimani: US strike on Iran general was unlawful, UN expert says

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He was in charge of the Quds Force's clandestine missions and its provision of guidance, funding, weapons, intelligence, and logistical support to allied governments and armed groups, including Hezbollah, Hamas and Islamic Jihad.

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U.S. president Biden created a new alliance between the U.S., Australia and Great Britain by giving Australia top secret information on how to construct a nuclear submarine to defend its coast and keep an eye on China and the reasoning behind this is because china has created islands in the south china sea claiming it as "New Territory" and this poses as a threat not only to Australia but to the world as well.

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President Biden spoke Wednesday about a new initiative with Britain and Australia to add to the Western presence in the Pacific. Credit... Doug Mills/The New York Times

WASHINGTON - The Biden administration took a major step on Wednesday in challenging China's broad territorial claims in the Pacific, announcing that the United States and Britain would help Australia to deploy nuclear-powered submarines, adding to the Western presence in the region.

If the plan comes to fruition, Australia may begin conducting routine patrols that could move through areas of the South China Sea that Beijing claims as its exclusive zone and range as far north as Taiwan. The announcement, made by President Biden, Prime Minister Boris Johnson of Britain and Prime Minister Scott Morrison of Australia, is a major step for Australia, which until recent years has been hesitant to push back directly at core Chinese interests.

Australia has felt increasingly threatened, however, and three years ago was among the first nations to ban Huawei, the Chinese telecommunications giant, from its networks. Now, with the prospect of deploying a new submarine fleet, Australia would become a far more muscular player in the American-led alliance in the Pacific. The vessels are equipped with nuclear propulsion systems that offer limitless range and run so quietly that they are hard to detect. For Mr. Johnson, the new defense arrangement would bolster his effort to develop a "Global Britain" strategy that focuses on the Pacific, the next step after Brexit took the country out of the European Union.

"This is about investing in our greatest source of strength, our alliances, and updating them to better meet the threats of today and tomorrow," Mr. Biden said in the East Room, flanked by two televisions showing the British and Australian leaders at their remote press briefings. "It's about connecting America's existing allies and partners in new ways."

Mr. Biden and Mr. Morrison said Australia would not arm the submarines with nuclear weapons. Australia is a signatory to the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty, which bans it from acquiring or deploying nuclear weapons.

The submarines almost certainly would carry conventional, submarine-launched cruise missiles.

"Let me be clear: Australia is not seeking to acquire nuclear weapons or establish a civil nuclear capability," Mr. Morrison said.

Yet even conventionally armed submarines, staffed by Australian sailors, could alter the naval balance of power in the Pacific.

"Attack submarines are big deal, and they send a big message," said Vipin Narang, a Massachusetts Institute of Technology professor who studies the use of nuclear weapons and delivery systems among major powers. "This would be hard to imagine five years ago, and it would have been impossible 10 years ago. And that says a lot about China's behavior in the region."

Zhao Lijian, a spokesman for the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs, told a regular news briefing in Beijing on Thursday that the submarine agreement would "seriously damage regional peace and stability, exacerbate an arms race and harm international nuclear nonproliferation agreements," Global Times, a Chinese newspaper controlled by the Communist Party, reported.

"This is utterly irresponsible conduct," Mr. Zhao said.

In Australia, the move was considered a momentous shift by some strategists. "The Australian decision to go this way is not just a decision to go for a nuclear-powered submarine," said Hugh White, a professor at Australian National University and a former Australian defense official. "It's a decision to deepen and consolidate our strategic alignment with the United States against China."

He added, "This just further deepens the sense that we do have a new Cold War in Asia and that Australia is betting that in that new Cold War, the U.S. is going to emerge victorious."

The announcement is the latest action in a U.S. strategy to push back on Chinese economic, military and technological expansion, carried out by Mr. Biden; his national security adviser, Jake Sullivan; and his Asia coordinator, Kurt Campbell. Over the past eight months, they have blocked China from acquiring key technologies, including materials for semiconductor production; urged nations to reject Huawei; edged toward closer dealings with Taiwan; and denounced China's crackdown on Hong Kong.

Next week, Mr. Biden will gather the leaders of "the Quad" - an informal partnership of the United States, Japan, India and Australia - at the White House for an in-person meeting, another way to demonstrate common resolve in dealing with Beijing.

Mr. Biden spoke with President Xi Jinping of China last week for roughly 90 minutes, only the second time the two leaders have spoken in since Mr. Biden took office. Few details of the conversation were revealed, so it is unclear whether Mr. Biden gave his Chinese counterpart warning of the move with Australia. But none of it would have come as a surprise to Beijing; earlier, the Australians had announced a deal with France for less technologically sophisticated submarines. That deal collapsed.

Nonetheless, the decision to share the technology for naval reactors, even to a close ally, was a major move for Mr. Biden - one bound to raise protests by China and questions from American allies and nonproliferation experts. The United States last shared the nuclear propulsion technology with an ally in 1958 in a similar agreement with Britain, administration officials said.

"There is a shared understanding that we need to strengthen deterrence and actually be prepared to fight a conflict if one occurs," said Bonnie Glaser, director of the Asia program at the German Marshall Fund, a policy think tank. "It reflects growing concern about Chinese military capabilities and intentions."

The nuclear reactors that power American and British submarines use bomb-grade, highly enriched uranium, a remnant of Cold War-era designs. And for two decades, Washington has been on a drive to eliminate reactors around the world that use bomb-grade fuel, substituting them with less dangerous fuel to limit the risk of proliferation.

The movement gained momentum after the Sept. 11 attacks. President Barack Obama ran a series of "nuclear summits" for world leaders, used to pressure nations to remove from service old reactors that used highly enriched uranium so that the fuel could never fall into the hands of terrorists.

But the arrangement with Australia seems almost sure to move in the other direction: Australia is likely to power its submarines with highly enriched uranium, because for now, there is little choice. Aware of the contradiction, administration officials cast the decision as an "exception," though one they would not make for other major allies. That includes South Korea, which in decades past was caught moving toward building its own nuclear arsenal. Australia has been a leader in the nonproliferation movement.

A senior administration official deeply involved in the negotiations over the deal said on Wednesday that the United States had not made a deal like this in decades and that, "after today, it's not likely we will do it again."

Officials said that the details would be worked out over the next 18 months, including strict controls on nuclear technology. They said Australia had already agreed not to produce the highly enriched fuel, meaning it will probably buy it from American stockpiles. Defense Secretary Lloyd J. Austin III will lead the administration in the partnership, which also involves collaborating on cybertechnology and artificial intelligence.

The United States has explored moving away from highly enriched uranium. A study by the Pentagon's top nuclear advisory group concluded in 2019 that the United States should shift to reactors that burn low-enriched uranium, which cannot be easily diverted to use in weapons. But that process, the experts concluded, could not begin until after 2040.

"There will be many who say we are giving the Australians a gateway drug for a nuclear capability,'' Mr. Narang said. "It is not something we would let other major allies get away with, much less help make it possible."

But China's aggressive tactics in the Pacific and America's desire to ensure security for Taiwan required the United States to empower Australia, even if it meant carving an exception to the effort to reduce the use of weapons-grade nuclear fuel, according to Elbridge Colby, the former deputy assistant secretary of defense strategy and force development.

"If nonproliferation has to take a back seat, that's the right call," said Mr. Colby.

Australia has, for more than seven decades, been a member of the "Five Eyes," the intelligence alliance that includes the major English-speaking victors of World War II. The other four are the United States, Britain, Canada and New Zealand. They regularly exchange information on cyberthreats and a range of terrorism threats.

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Biden Announces Defense Deal With Australia in a Bid to Counter China

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WASHINGTON - The Biden administration took a major step on Wednesday in challenging China's broad territorial claims in the Pacific, announcing that the United States and Britain would help Australia to deploy nuclear-powered submarines, adding to the Western presence in the region.

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The U.S. has growing concerns that china is committing a genocide and has placed sanctions on China for its Human rights abuse against the largely Muslim Uyghur minority group western allies have also taken notice of this problem and have endorsed the sanctions.

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The sanctions come days after the Biden administration's heated encounter with Chinese officials in Alaska, and will most likely widen tensions between Washington and Beijing.

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U.S. Joins Allies to Sanction China Over Treatment of Uyghurs

Jen Psaki, the White House press secretary, said that the United States and several of its allies were sanctioning Chinese officials because of "serious human rights abuses" against the Uyghur ethnic minority in Xinjiang.

"The U.S., E.U. and other countries announced new sanctions on China, with respect to human rights abuses. Did anything happen, that happened in Anchorage affect that?" "Well, on the first question, I'm not aware of any linkage or plans to pull that back. Obviously, this was a reaction to what we felt were serious human rights abuses. Obviously, the Europeans felt this as well against members of Xinjiang's ethnic and religious minority groups. No meeting would change our concerns related to that. And we took action, as you noted, in unity with the United Kingdom, Canada and the European Union, who also acted against human rights abusers in connection with these atrocities. And we continue to have grave concerns about China's crimes against humanity and genocide on Uyghurs in Xinjiang. But I don't have anything to predict for you on future sanctions. Obviously, this is an issue that was raised in this meeting last week and was an issue that was raised by the president in his conversation with President Xi just a few weeks ago." "What will the U.S. do, if anything, if China doesn't change its approach?" "This is, again, we will be evaluating what the appropriate next steps are in close coordination with our partners and allies around the world. And as secretary of state noted in his comments after this meeting, we are certain that the Chinese are noting that we are working much more closely with our allies and partners than had happened over the last four years, that we are focused on taking steps to invest in and improve our economic competition here at home. Those are all steps we're certain are taking note of."

Jen Psaki, the White House press secretary, said that the United States and several of its allies were sanctioning Chinese officials because of "serious human rights abuses" against the Uyghur ethnic minority in Xinjiang. Credit Credit... Ng Han Guan/Associated Press

WASHINGTON - The United States placed sanctions on top Chinese officials on Monday, as part of a multinational effort to punish Beijing for human rights abuses against the largely Muslim Uyghur minority group, which American officials have called a genocide.

The penalties - in coordination with the European Union, the United Kingdom and Canada - come days after the Biden administration's heated encounter with Chinese officials in Alaska, and will most likely widen tensions between Washington and Beijing.

"Amid growing international condemnation, the P.R.C. continues to commit genocide and crimes against humanity" in its western Xinjiang region, Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken said in a statement on Monday, referring to the People's Republic of China.

"The United States reiterates its calls on the P.R.C. to bring an end to the repression of Uyghurs, who are predominantly Muslim, and members of other ethnic and religious minority groups in Xinjiang, including by releasing all those arbitrarily held in internment camps and detention facilities," he added.

The United States imposed penalties on Wang Junzheng, the secretary of the Party Committee of the Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps, and Chen Mingguo, director of the Xinjiang Public Security Bureau, for their roles in detaining and severely abusing Uyghur Muslims and other ethnic minorities in Xinjiang, the Treasury Department said.

Understand the Infrastructure Bill

One trillion dollar package passed. The Senate passed a sweeping bipartisan infrastructure package on Aug. 10, capping weeks of intense negotiations and debate over the largest federal investment in the nation's aging public works system in more than a decade.

The final vote. The final tally in the Senate was 69 in favor to 30 against. The legislation, which still must pass the House, would touch nearly every facet of the American economy and fortify the nation's response to the warming of the planet.

Main areas of spending. Overall, the bipartisan plan focuses spending on transportation, utilities and pollution cleanup.

Transportation. About $110 billion would go to roads, bridges and other transportation projects; $25 billion for airports; and $66 billion for railways, giving Amtrak the most funding it has received since it was founded in 1971.

Utilities. Senators have also included $65 billion meant to connect hard-to-reach rural communities to high-speed internet and help sign up low-income city dwellers who cannot afford it, and $8 billion for Western water infrastructure.

Pollution cleanup: Roughly $21 billion would go to cleaning up abandoned wells and mines, and Superfund sites.

The sanctions were imposed under the Global Magnitsky Act, which allows the executive branch to use economic penalties to punish officials of other nations for human rights violations. The action will freeze any assets these officials hold in the United States.

The U.S. move came hours after the European Union, United Kingdom and Canada levied their own sanctions against Chinese officials and entities for human rights violations in Xinjiang. The European Union targeted four Chinese officials, along with the Xinjiang Public Security Bureau. The United Kingdom and Canada did the same.

In response to the European Union action on Monday, Chinese officials imposed sanctions on 10 Europeans, including members of the European Parliament.

"This move, based on nothing but lies and disinformation, disregards and distorts facts," a representative of the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement condemning the European Union action, adding that the effort "grossly interferes in China's internal affairs" and "severely undermines China-E.U. relations."

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Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken, left, with the national security adviser, Jake Sullivan, after closed-door U.S.-China talks in Alaska on Friday. In a statement Monday, Mr. Blinken said China "continues to commit genocide and crimes against humanity." Credit... Pool photo by Frederic J. Brown

Mr. Blinken said the joint action is an effort on the part of the United States to work "multilaterally to advance respect for human rights." A joint statement released by the top diplomats representing the United States, Canada and the United Kingdom, among others, demanded that Beijing "end its repressive practices against Uyghur Muslims and members of other ethnic and religious minority groups in Xinjiang, and to release those arbitrarily detained."

Two Western allies heavily dependent on trade with China - Australia and New Zealand - issued their own joint statement endorsing the Xinjiang-related sanctions, but stopped short of announcing their own penalties on Chinese officials.

China's crackdown on Uyghurs has included forced sterilizations and sending hundreds of thousands of people - if not a million or more - to indoctrination camps intended to instill loyalty to the Chinese Communist Party and break down adherence to Islam.

In a separate action on Monday, the United States announced sanctions in coordination with the European Union that named military officials and other entities in Myanmar for their violent repression of democratic protests.

The U.S. action against Beijing seems in line with the diplomatic vision set forth by Mr. Blinken and Jake Sullivan, President Biden's national security adviser, in their first face-to-face meeting with Chinese officials in Alaska last week. Mr. Sullivan said the United States remained "cleareyed" about the challenges that lay ahead for the world's two largest economic and technological powers.

The penalties also come on the heels of the Biden administration's decision to place sanctions on 24 Chinese officials for undermining democratic freedoms in Hong Kong, and are in a similar vein to the Trump administration's strategy of using sanctions as a means to punish Chinese officials for human rights abuses.

Omer Kanat, the executive director of the Uyghur Human Rights Project, praised the coordinated effort by many nations to penalize Chinese officials.

"Unprecedented cooperation between governments like this is how genocide will be brought to an end," Mr. Kanat said in a statement on Monday. "This is what Uyghurs have been asking for - the dam has broken and the response has finally begun."

Ana Swanson contributed reporting.

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U.S. Joins Allies to Punish Chinese Officials for Human Rights Abuses

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The sanctions come days after the Biden administration's heated encounter with Chinese officials in Alaska, and will most likely widen tensions between Washington and Beijing. WASHINGTON - The United States placed sanctions on top Chinese officials on Monday, as part of a multinational effort to punish Beijing for human rights abuses against the largely Muslim Uyghur minority group, which American officials have called a genocide.

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NATO has an intergovernmental military alliance between 28 European countries and 2 North american countries. The way this treaty works is if any members of NATO are to go to war then all members will have to go to war this ensures World peace and decreases chances of war between any foreign countries.

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The North Atlantic Treaty Organization was created in 1949 by the United States, Canada, and several Western European nations to provide collective security against the Soviet Union.

Signing of the NATO Treaty

NATO was the first peacetime military alliance the United States entered into outside of the Western Hemisphere. After the destruction of the Second World War, the nations of Europe struggled to rebuild their economies and ensure their security. The former required a massive influx of aid to help the war-torn landscapes re-establish industries and produce food, and the latter required assurances against a resurgent Germany or incursions from the Soviet Union. The United States viewed an economically strong, rearmed, and integrated Europe as vital to the prevention of communist expansion across the continent. As a result, Secretary of State George Marshall proposed a program of large-scale economic aid to Europe. The resulting European Recovery Program, or Marshall Plan, not only facilitated European economic integration but promoted the idea of shared interests and cooperation between the United States and Europe. Soviet refusal either to participate in the Marshall Plan or to allow its satellite states in Eastern Europe to accept the economic assistance helped to reinforce the growing division between east and west in Europe.

In 1947-1948, a series of events caused the nations of Western Europe to become concerned about their physical and political security and the United States to become more closely involved with European affairs. The ongoing civil war in Greece, along with tensions in Turkey, led President Harry S. Truman to assert that the United States would provide economic and military aid to both countries, as well as to any other nation struggling against an attempt at subjugation. A Soviet-sponsored coup in Czechoslovakia resulted in a communist government coming to power on the borders of Germany. Attention also focused on elections in Italy as the communist party had made significant gains among Italian voters. Furthermore, events in Germany also caused concern. The occupation and governance of Germany after the war had long been disputed, and in mid-1948, Soviet premier Joseph Stalin chose to test Western resolve by implementing a blockade against West Berlin, which was then under joint U.S., British, and French control but surrounded by Soviet-controlled East Germany. This Berlin Crisis brought the United States and the Soviet Union to the brink of conflict, although a massive airlift to resupply the city for the duration of the blockade helped to prevent an outright confrontation. These events caused U.S. officials to grow increasingly wary of the possibility that the countries of Western Europe might deal with their security concerns by negotiating with the Soviets. To counter this possible turn of events, the Truman Administration considered the possibility of forming a European-American alliance that would commit the United States to bolstering the security of Western Europe.

Signing of the Brussels Treaty

The Western European countries were willing to consider a collective security solution. In response to increasing tensions and security concerns, representatives of several countries of Western Europe gathered together to create a military alliance. Great Britain, France, Belgium, the Netherlands and Luxembourg signed the Brussels Treaty in March, 1948. Their treaty provided collective defense; if any one of these nations was attacked, the others were bound to help defend it. At the same time, the Truman Administration instituted a peacetime draft, increased military spending, and called upon the historically isolationist Republican Congress to consider a military alliance with Europe. In May of 1948, Republican Senator Arthur H. Vandenburg proposed a resolution suggesting that the President seek a security treaty with Western Europe that would adhere to the United Nations charter but exist outside of the Security Council where the Soviet Union held veto power. The Vandenburg Resolution passed, and negotiations began for the North Atlantic Treaty.

In spite of general agreement on the concept behind the treaty, it took several months to work out the exact terms. The U.S. Congress had embraced the pursuit of the international alliance, but it remained concerned about the wording of the treaty. The nations of Western Europe wanted assurances that the United States would intervene automatically in the event of an attack, but under the U.S. Constitution the power to declare war rested with Congress. Negotiations worked toward finding language that would reassure the European states but not obligate the United States to act in a way that violated its own laws. Additionally, European contributions to collective security would require large-scale military assistance from the United States to help rebuild Western Europe's defense capabilities. While the European nations argued for individual grants and aid, the United States wanted to make aid conditional on regional coordination. A third issue was the question of scope. The Brussels Treaty signatories preferred that membership in the alliance be restricted to the members of that treaty plus the United States. The U.S. negotiators felt there was more to be gained from enlarging the new treaty to include the countries of the North Atlantic, including Canada, Iceland, Denmark, Norway, Ireland, and Portugal. Together, these countries held territory that formed a bridge between the opposite shores of the Atlantic Ocean, which would facilitate military action if it became necessary.

The result of these extensive negotiations was the signing of the North Atlantic Treaty in 1949. In this agreement, the United States, Canada, Belgium, Denmark, France, Iceland, Italy, Luxemburg, the Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, and the United Kingdom agreed to consider attack against one an attack against all, along with consultations about threats and defense matters. This collective defense arrangement only formally applied to attacks against the signatories that occurred in Europe or North America; it did not include conflicts in colonial territories. After the treaty was signed, a number of the signatories made requests to the United States for military aid. Later in 1949, President Truman proposed a military assistance program, and the Mutual Defense Assistance Program passed the U.S. Congress in October, appropriating some $1.4 billion dollars for the purpose of building Western European defenses.

Soon after the creation of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, the outbreak of the Korean War led the members to move quickly to integrate and coordinate their defense forces through a centralized headquarters. The North Korean attack on South Korea was widely viewed at the time to be an example of communist aggression directed by Moscow, so the United States bolstered its troop commitments to Europe to provide assurances against Soviet aggression on the European continent. In 1952, the members agreed to admit Greece and Turkey to NATO and added the Federal Republic of Germany in 1955. West German entry led the Soviet Union to retaliate with its own regional alliance, which took the form of the Warsaw Treaty Organization and included the Soviet satellite states of Eastern Europe as members.

The collective defense arrangements in NATO served to place the whole of Western Europe under the American "nuclear umbrella." In the 1950s, one of the first military doctrines of NATO emerged in the form of "massive retaliation," or the idea that if any member was attacked, the United States would respond with a large-scale nuclear attack. The threat of this form of response was meant to serve as a deterrent against Soviet aggression on the continent. Although formed in response to the exigencies of the developing Cold War, NATO has lasted beyond the end of that conflict, with membership even expanding to include some former Soviet states. It remains the largest peacetime military alliance in the world.

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Milestones: 1945-1952 - Office of the Historian

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This article explains how the U.S. has helped Israel by sending over billions of dollars and military equipment overseas, Israel and the U.S. also have a shared commitment to democracy, economic prosperity, and regional security.

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More information about Israel is available on the U.S.-ISRAEL RELATIONS Israel Page and from other Department of State publications and other sources listed at the end of this fact sheet.
The United States was the first country to recognize Israel as a state in 1948, and the first to recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel in 2017. Israel is a great partner to the United States, and Israel has no greater friend than the United States. Americans and Israelis are united by our shared commitment to democracy, economic prosperity, and regional security. The unbreakable bond between our two countries has never been stronger.
U.S. Security Cooperation with Israel
A long-standing U.S. priority is to promote a comprehensive and lasting solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. The United States is also committed to encouraging increased cooperation and normalization of ties between Israel and Arab and Muslim majority states, as exemplified by the Abraham Accords and normalization agreements between Israel and the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Morocco and Sudan.

The United States is also committed to encouraging increased cooperation and normalization of ties between Israel and Arab and Muslim majority states, as exemplified by the Abraham Accords and recent normalization agreements between Israel and the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Morocco and Sudan.
Bilateral Economic Relations
Israel's security is a long-standing cornerstone of U.S. foreign policy. The United States' commitment to Israel's security is supported by robust defense cooperation and the 10-year, $38 billion Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) signed by the United States and Israel in 2016. Consistent with the MOU, the United States annually provides $3.3 billion in Foreign Military Financing and $500 million for cooperative programs for missile defense.
Israel's Membership in International Organizations
In addition to security assistance, the United States participates in a variety of exchanges with Israel, including joint military exercises, research, and weapons development. Further, through the annual Joint Counterterrorism Group and regular strategic dialogues, the United States and Israel work together to counter a range of regional threats.
Bilateral Representation
The U.S.-Israel economic and commercial relationship is strong, anchored by bilateral trade of close to $50 billion in goods and services annually. U.S.-Israel bilateral economic relations are codified in a number of treaties and agreements, including the 1985 U.S.-Israel Free Trade Agreement (FTA) and the Agreement on Trade in Agricultural Products. Since signing the FTA in 1985, U.S.-Israel bilateral goods and services trade has grown eight-fold, making the United States Israel's largest trading partner. U.S. goods exports to Israel in 2019 were $14.7 billion, with $19.6 billion of imports in 2019. U.S. exports of services to Israel were an estimated $5.7 billion in 2019, with imports of $7.4 billion. The United States and Israel also coordinate scientific and cultural exchanges through the Binational Science Foundation (BSF), the Binational Agricultural Research and Development Foundation (BARD), Binational Industrial Research and Development Foundation (BIRD) and the U.S.-Israeli Education Foundation. To facilitate economic cooperation, the two countries convene a Joint Economic Development Group each year to discuss our economic partnership and possible initiatives for the coming year.

Israel and the United States belong to a number of the same international organizations, including the United Nations, Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, International Monetary Fund, World Bank, and World Trade Organization. Israel also is a Partner for Cooperation with the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe and an observer to the Organization of American States.

Principal embassy officials are listed in the Department's Key Officers List.

Israel proclaimed Jerusalem as its capital in 1950. The United States recognized Jerusalem as the capital of Israel on December 6, 2017, and the U.S. Embassy to Israel moved from Tel Aviv to an interim facility in Jerusalem on May 14, 2018. The United States maintains a large Embassy Branch Office in Tel Aviv.

Israel maintains an embassy in the United States at 3514 International Drive NW, Washington DC, 20008 (tel. 202-364-5500). More information about Israel is available from the Department of State and other sources, some of which are listed here:

CIA World Factbook Israel Page
U.S. Embassy
History of U.S. Relations With Israel
Office of the U.S. Trade Representative Country Page
U.S. Census Bureau Foreign Trade Statistics
Export.gov International Offices Page
Library of Congress Country Studies
Travel Information

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U.S. Relations With Israel - United States Department of State

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More information about Israel is available on the Israel Page and from other Department of State publications and other sources listed at the end of this fact sheet. U.S.-ISRAEL RELATIONS The United States was the first country to recognize Israel as a state in 1948, and the first to recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel in [...]

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(NAFTA) was enacted in 1994 and created a free trade zone between Mexico, America, and Canada and as of January 1st, 2008, all tariffs and quotas were eliminated on U.S. exports to Mexico and Canada.

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International Trade Administration | Trade.gov

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The North American Free Trade Agreement is now the U.S. Mexico- Canada Agreement as of July 2020.