Author: Josh Lederman
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As US warns of Cuba attacks, tourists ask: Were we hit, too?
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CHARLESTON, S.C. — Chris Allen’s phone started buzzing as word broke that invisible attacks in Cuba had hit a U.S. government worker at Havana’s Hotel Capri. Allen’s friends and family had heard an eerily similar story from him before. The tourist from South Carolina had cut short his trip to Cuba two years earlier after…
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‘I’m intact,’ Tillerson says, brushing off drama with Trump
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WASHINGTON — Secretary of State Rex Tillerson on Sunday ducked, danced and sidestepped the question of whether he truly called President Donald Trump a “moron,” dismissing the brouhaha as the “petty stuff” of Washington. Though they keep coming, Tillerson insisted the persistent queries aren’t hindering his mission as the nation’s top diplomat. Asked about a…
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Dangerous sound? What Americans heard in Cuba attacks
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WASHINGTON — It sounds sort of like a mass of crickets. A high-pitched whine, but from what? It seems to undulate, even writhe. Listen closely: There are multiple, distinct tones that sound to some like they’re colliding in a nails-on-the-chalkboard effect. The Associated Press has obtained a recording of what some U.S. Embassy workers heard…
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Bergdahl expected to plead guilty to desertion, misbehavior
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WASHINGTON — Army Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl, who was held captive by the Taliban for half a decade after abandoning his Afghanistan post, is expected to plead guilty to desertion and misbehavior before the enemy, two individuals with knowledge of the case said. Bergdahl’s decision to plead guilty rather than face trial marks another twist in…
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AP sources: US cuts embassy staff as mysterious attacks resume, urges no travel to Cuba
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WASHINGTON — The United States is warning Americans against visiting Cuba and ordering more than half of U.S. personnel to leave the island, senior officials said Friday, in a dramatic response to what they described as “specific attacks” on diplomats. The decision deals a blow to already delicate ties between the U.S. and Cuba, longtime…
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Castro’s denial: Personal assurance clouds probe of attacks
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HAVANA — Raul Castro seemed as rattled as the Americans. The Cuban president sent for the top American official in the country to address grave concerns about a spate of U.S. diplomats harmed in Havana. There was talk of futuristic “sonic attacks” and the subtle threat of repercussions by the United States, until recently Cuba’s…
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US: Another health attack on diplomats in Cuba last month
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WASHINGTON — Mysterious health attacks on the American diplomatic community in Cuba continued as recently as August, the United States said Friday, despite earlier U.S. assessments that the attacks had long stopped. The U.S. increased its tally of government personnel affected to 19. The new U.S. disclosures came the same day that the union representing…
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Trump renews Afghan war commitment, sees no speedy exit
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President Donald Trump speaks at Fort Myer in Arlington Va., Monday, Aug. 21, 2017, during a Presidential Address to the Nation about a strategy he believes will best position the U.S. to eventually declare victory in Afghanistan. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster) Carolyn Kaster
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AP sources: US seeks to test Iran deal with more inspections
WASHINGTON — The Trump administration is pushing for inspections of suspicious Iranian military sites in a bid to test the strength of the nuclear deal that President Donald Trump desperately wants to cancel, senior U.S. officials said. The inspections are one element of what is designed to be a more aggressive approach to preventing Iran…
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Trump expresses frustration with China over North Korea support
WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump expressed frustration with China on Wednesday for failing to do more to cut off support to North Korea and exert pressure to curb its nuclear pursuits. North Korea’s intercontinental ballistic missile test this week demonstrated a dangerous new reach for weapons it hopes to top with nuclear warheads one day.…