The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Joe Biden

  • Biden urges Trump to ‘grow up’

    United States Vice-President, Joe Biden, has told President-elect Donald Trump to “grow up” and criticised his attacks on the intelligence community.

    On Friday, Mr. Trump will be briefed on allegations Russia meddled in the U.S presidential election – claims he has cast doubt on.

    Mr. Biden said it was “absolutely mindless” for the president-elect not to have faith in intelligence agencies.

    Russia denied hacking alleged to have helped Mr. Trump defeat Hillary Clinton.

    Late on Thursday, Mr. Trump questioned how intelligence agencies were confident about the alleged Russian hacking “if they never even requested an examination of the computer servers” belonging to the Democratic National Committee (DNC).

    “For a president not to have confidence in, not to be prepared to listen to, the myriad intelligence agencies, from defence intelligence to the CIA, is absolutely mindless,” the BBC quoted Mr. Biden as saying in an interview with the PBS network.

    “The idea that you may know more than the intelligence community knows – it’s like saying I know more about physics than my professor. I didn’t read the book, I just know I know more.”

    When asked what he thought of Mr. Trump’s regular attacks on Twitter, Mr. Biden said: “Grow up Donald, grow up, time to be an adult, you’re president. Time to do something. Show us what you have.”

    He went on to call Mr. Trump “a good man.”

     

  • Biden counsels Buhari on terror war

    Biden counsels Buhari on terror war

    … Military options alone can’t end insurgency – U.S vice president

    President Muhammadu Buhari and United States vice president, Joe Biden, meet in Washington on Monday and compared notes on terror war undertaken by both countries.

    America had been beleaguered by terrorists, who launched massive attacks that killed thousands in September 2001, while Nigeria battles the Boko Haram sect causing carnage in the Northeast part of the country.

    At the breakfast meeting hosted by Biden at his Naval Observatory official residence, the American Vice President shared with President Buhari what the U.S had learnt from the terror war, counseling that victory cannot come from military option alone.

    A statement issued by the President’s media aide, Femi Adesina, quoted Biden as saying “military option must be combined with strong socio-economic support programmes,” promising that America would work with Nigeria in that direction.

    He assured of the U.S goodwill in rebuilding the Nigerian economy, but observed that corruption and weak institutions must be tackled, if Nigeria was to benefit from reforms.

    Biden added that seasoned technocrats must manage key sectors of the Nigerian economy, and only then would investors be attracted to the country.

    He also congratulated Buhari on his victory in the March 28 presidential election, adding that it was obvious that the President enjoys the confidence of the Nigerian people.

    Buhari thanked the U.S for standing by Nigeria in the run up to general elections early this year, noting that the visit of the Secretary of State, John Kerry, was critical as it sent home the message that America would not brook the subversion of the people’s will.

     

  • Biden calls Jonathan, hails president’s roles in polls’ success

    Biden calls Jonathan, hails president’s roles in polls’ success

    United States vice president, Mr. Joe Biden, on Tuesday spoke with President Goodluck Jonathan on telephone to commend him for his roles in the successful conduct of Nigeria’s general election.

    A statement issued by the Public Affairs Section of the U.S embassy in Abuja, said the American vice president noted that President Jonathan’s decision to accept results of the March 28 presidential election  and congratulate the President-elect, Gen. Muhammadu Buhari, as well as his steps to ensure a successful transition, have strengthened the country democracy and set a strong example for Africa and the world.

    He encouraged President Jonathan to continue playing leadership roles in global affairs after his exit from office on May 29.

    It would be recalled that the President had in a move that confounded even his hardest critics congratulated the President-elect before the Independent National Electoral Commission announced the winner of the election on March 31.

    The phone call that took place almost 10 hours before INEC officially declared Buhari the winner with a total of 15,424,921 votes against 12,853,162 for Jonathan doused tension that was gradually building up in many parts of the country.

    Although many had argued that it took the prompting of U.S President, Barack Obama and British Prime Minister, Mr. David Cameron, who repeatedly called Jonathan to concede defeat, before the President eventually put a call across to his All Progressive Congress rival at exactly 5:15pm on March 31, that move catapulted the President from villain – the status he acquired because of his poor handling of national affairs to national hero.

    He has been described as the “real hero” of Nigeria’s democratic process, alongside the INEC Chairman, Prof. Attahiru Jega and few others.

  • Biden reassures Buhari on Boko Haram, Chibok girls

    Biden reassures Buhari on Boko Haram, Chibok girls

    U‎nited States has again reassured President-elect, Gen Muhammadu Buhari of  of its readiness to support Nigeria in the efforts to recover the over 200 kidnapped Chibok girls.

    The support, according to US Vice President, Joe Biden, also includes the fight against Boko Haram.

    The over 200 secondary school girls were kidnapped from their school in Chibok, Borno state a year ago.

    Vice President Biden made this known during a telephone chat with Nigeria President-elect, Gen. Muhammadu Buhari.

    Biden who spoke with Nigerian President-elect Muhammadu Buhari to congratulate him on his victory in the recent Nigerian elections according to excerpts from their discussion which was made available to Diplomatic Correspondents in Abuja also said his country was ready to expand collaboration with Nigeria in the new dispensation.

    ‎According to the readout “Vice President Biden spoke with Nigerian President-elect Muhammadu Buhari to congratulate him on his victory in the recent Nigerian elections and affirm that the United States stands ready to expand collaboration with Nigeria on issues of common concern, including economic and security matters.

    “The Vice President commended President-elect Buhari for his leadership in helping to ensure the elections were conducted peacefully and urged him to continue to foster a smooth, inclusive, and peaceful transition with President Jonathan.

    “The Vice President expressed the United States’ support for Nigeria’s efforts to counter Boko Haram, recover hostages held by the group, and protect civilian populations.  The Vice President also expressed the willingness of the United States to partner more closely with Nigeria to strengthen its economy.‎”

  • Joe Biden apologises to UAE for Syria comments

    Joe Biden was talking to students at Harvard University when he made the controversial comments

    US Vice-President Joe Biden has apologised to the United Arab Emirates after suggesting it had fuelled the rise of extremist groups in Syria.

    The White House confirmed the call to the UAE, a day after Mr Biden offered a similar apology to Turkey.

    The authorities in the UAE had earlier condemned his remarks to students at Harvard University last week.

    The UAE is among several Arab states that have joined the US-led alliance against jihadists in Syria and Iraq.

    The coalition has been bombing the extremist Islamic State (IS) group, which controls a broad swathe of territory in Iraq and Syria, in recent weeks.

    ‘Amazing’ comments

    Mr Biden told the Harvard students on Thursday that Turkey, the UAE and Saudi Arabia had extended “billions of dollars and tens of thousands of tonnes of weapons” to Sunni fighters battling Syrian President Bashar al-Assad’s forces.

    He called the crown prince of Abu Dhabi, Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, on Sunday to offer his apologies, following a request from the UAE authorities for “a formal clarification” of the comments.

    His remarks were “amazing and ignore the role of the Emirates in the fight against extremism and terrorism,” UAE Foreign Minister Anwar Mohammad Gargash said, quoted by state-run WAM news agency.

    In the telephone call, Mr Biden said that his remarks “regarding the early stages of the conflict in Syria were not meant to imply that the UAE had facilitated or supported IS, al-Qaeda or other extremist groups in Syria”.

    It is the second time in two days that he has had to call a key coalition partner to clarify his remarks.

    On Saturday, he rang Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan after he reacted angrily to the comments, saying that if “Mr Biden used such language, that would make him a man of the past for me”.

    It is not unusual for Joe Biden to speak his mind but recently he has found himself back-pedalling fast multiple times, says the BBC’s Tom Esslemont in Washington.

    There is no suggestion it will affect the strategic partnership with Turkey or the UAE, but his comments have clearly struck a raw nerve, he adds.

    The latest development comes amid reports that Australia and Belgium have flown their first missions in Iraq, with Belgian jets carrying out their first bombing raid against Islamic State (IS) militants there.

  • Nigeria, U.S seal pact on Ebola

    Nigeria, U.S seal pact on Ebola

    President Goodluck Jonathan and United States Vice President, Joe Biden, have agreed that Nigeria and the U.S would work together to urgently curtail the outbreak of Ebola virus.

    The News Agency of Nigeria reports that Jonathan and Biden met in Washington D.C on Tuesday on the sideline of the on- going U.S-Africa African leader’s summit.

    NAN reports that Ebola virus has killed two people in Nigeria since a 40-year old Liberian and American citizen Patrick Sawyer died of the disease in Lagos.

    According to the World Health Organisation, over 800 persons have died from the Ebola virus from the three main hit West African countries of Liberia, Guinea and Sierra Leone.

    Meanwhile, the White House statement said Biden reiterated the U.S partnership in the fight against terrorism in Nigeria.

    The U.S vice president stressed the need to pursue holistic approaches that respect and protect human rights

     

  • Eric H. Holder, Jr

    Eric H. Holder, Jr. was sworn in as the 82nd Attorney General of the United States on February 3, 2009 by Vice President Joe Biden. In 1997, Mr. Holder was named by President Clinton to be the Deputy Attorney General, the first African-American named to that post. Prior to that he served as U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia. In 1988, Mr. Holder was nominated by President Reagan to become an Associate Judge of the Superior Court of the District of Columbia. Mr. Holder, a native of New York City, attended public schools there, graduating from Stuyvesant High School where he earned a Regents Scholarship.

    He attended Columbia College, majored in American History, and graduated in 1973. He graduated from Columbia Law School in 1976.

    While in law school, he clerked at the N.A.A.C.P. Legal Defense Fund and the Department of Justice’s Criminal Division. Upon graduating, he moved to Washington and joined the Department of Justice as part of the Attorney General’s Honors Program. He was assigned to the newly formed Public Integrity Section in 1976 and was tasked to investigate and prosecute official corruption on the local, state and federal levels.Prior to becoming Attorney General, Mr. Holder was a litigation partner at Covington & Burling LLP in Washington.

    http://www.justice.gov/ag/meet-ag.html

     

  • Iran rejects U.S nuclear talks offer

    Iran rejects U.S nuclear talks offer

    Iran’s supreme leader has dismissed a United States offer of one-to-one talks on Tehran’s nuclear programme.

    Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said in a speech posted online that the U.S was proposing talks while “pointing a gun at Iran.”

    On Saturday, U.S Vice-President Joe Biden suggested direct talks, separate to the wider international discussions due to take place later this month.

    But the U.S widened sanctions on Iran on Wednesday, aiming to tighten a squeeze on Tehran’s ability to spend oil cash.

    Iran, which is subject to an array of international sanctions, has long argued that its nuclear programme is for energy generation and research.

    BBC says Tehran’s critics believe the government is developing nuclear weapons.

    The five permanent members of the United Nations Security Council plus Germany have held a series of negotiations over the years, but there has been no breakthrough.

    Mr. Biden offered during a security conference in Germany to hold direct talks.

    He said Washington was prepared to hold one-to-one talks with Iran “when the Iranian leadership, supreme leader, is serious.”

    “That offer stands, but it must be real and tangible and there has to be an agenda that they are prepared to speak to. We are not just prepared to do it for the exercise,” he said.

     

  • Obama sworn in for second term

    Obama sworn in for second term

    President Barack Obama was on Sunday sworn in as second term president of the United States

    He was  sworn in at a very brief ceremony in the Blue Room of the White House, taking the oath from Chief Justice John Roberts.

    He will be sworn in again at a  public ceremony at the Capitol in Washington on Monday.

    Joe Biden, the vice-president, was sworn in before his boss at an early morning ceremony at his official residence, before the two laid a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknowns at Arlington National Ceremony.

    Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor – picked by Mr Obama to be the first Hispanic judge to sit on the High Court in his first term – made her own slice of history by leading Biden as he took the oath.