Group of Japanese atomic bomb survivors wins 2024 Nobel Peace Prize
Nihon Hidankyo, a Japanese organization representing thousands of survivors of the 1945 U.S. atomic bombings in Hiroshima and Nagasaki, was announced as the recipient of the 2024 Nobel Peace Prize on Friday, Oct. 11. The survivors, also known as hibakusha, were honored for their activism against nuclear weapons.
“The hibakusha helps us describe the indescribable, to think the unthinkable and to grasp the incomprehensible pain and suffering caused by nuclear weapons,” Jorgen Watne Frydnes, the Norwegian Nobel Committee Chairman, said. “The Norwegian Nobel Committee wishes nevertheless to acknowledge one encouraging fact — no nuclear weapons have been used in war in nearly 80 years.”
The prize was awarded as conflicts rage in Ukraine and the Middle East, with the Nobel Committee expressing concern that “the taboo against the use of nuclear weapons is under pressure.”
Last month, Russian President Vladimir Putin announced his country was changing its nuclear doctrine, widening the threats it considered would warrant a nuclear strike from Moscow.
“In awarding this year’s Nobel Peace Prize to Nihon Hidankyo, the Norwegian Nobel Committee wishes to honor all survivors who despite physical suffering and painful memories have chosen to use their costly experience to cultivate hope and engagement for peace,” Frydnes said.
The survivors of the 1945 atomic bombings are the latest anti-nuclear activists to win the peace prize. The most recent of the winners, the International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons, received the honor in 2017.
Over 200,000 people were killed in the two U.S. atomic bombings. About 114,000 of the approximately 650,000 survivors are still alive today.
Israel kills Hezbollah commander during deadliest attack in Beirut in years
Israel unleashed the deadliest attack on Lebanon’s capital in years on Friday, Sept. 20, killing the Commander of Hezbollah’s Elite Radwan Force Ibrahim Akil and at least 10 other Hezbollah operatives, while wounding dozens of people. Israeli forces launched the airstrike in a heavily populated area of Beirut, saying it targeted Akil, who the United States says was involved in two terrorist attacks in 1983 that killed more than 300 people at the U.S. Embassy in Beirut and U.S. Marine barracks.
Akil is also accused of taking American and German hostages in Lebanon in the 1980s.
Israel said the airstrike is in response to an attack by Hezbollah earlier Friday that saw around 140 rockets pound northern Israel. Hezbollah said those rockets were in retaliation for the pager and walkie-talkie attacks that injured thousands and killed more than a dozen people. The explosions targeted Hezbollah members in a mass bombing. Israel has neither confirmed nor denied it is behind the sophisticated operations.
Israel forces’ targeted killing of Akil is the most bloodshed in a Beirut neighborhood since a monthslong war between Hezbollah and Israel in 2006.
Hezbollah and Israel have exchanged fire since Hamas’ Oct. 7 attack on Israel. Akil allegedly had plans to pull off a similar act of terrorism in northern Israel.
The U.S. State Department posted $7 million reward last year for information leading to Akil’s identification, location arrest or conviction.
Israel strikes Lebanon as Hezbollah vows revenge for device explosions
Israel unleashes heavy strikes on Lebanon as Hezbollah vows revenge for the recent device explosions. And a sheriff has been charged with the murder of a judge in Kentucky. These stories and more highlight your Unbiased Updates for Friday, Sept. 20, 2024.
More strikes in Lebanon as fears of an escalating war grow
Israel carried out its strongest strike yet against Hezbollah in Lebanon Thursday night, Sept. 19, intensifying the conflict between the two that started almost a year ago after Hamas’ terrorist attack on Israel.
The strikes, which were part of a bigger exchange of fire between the Israeli military and the militant group, came after two days of attacks targeting wireless devices in Lebanon.
Those attacks, which caused thousands of pagers and walkie-talkies to explode, are widely believed to have been orchestrated by Israel against Hezbollah. However, hundreds of civilians were also hurt, some even killed. Israel has not commented on the explosions.
Hezbollah’s leader said Thursday Israel has “crossed all the red lines” and vowed revenge.
Attacks have been ramping up between the Iranian-backed militant group and Israel since the start of the war in Gaza with Hezbollah claiming it’s part of a “supportive front” for Palestinians in the Gaza Strip.
Meanwhile, Israel is turning more of its military attention toward the border with Lebanon. Soldiers have taken up a new artillery position in the Israeli-controlled Golan Heights. Residents there have been warned by Israel’s military to stay inside or close to a bomb shelter for the time being.
The heightening tensions in the Middle East come as President Joe Biden looks to help secure a cease-fire deal between Israel and Hamas. The Wall Street Journal, however, has reported senior U.S. officials don’t expect a cease-fire to be reached by the end of Biden’s term.
Harris talks with Oprah, Trump speaks with Jewish supporters
Thursday was a busy day for both Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump with both presidential candidates participating in campaign events.
The Vice President took part in an evening live-stream from Michigan hosted by Oprah Winfrey. During the event titled United for America — which also featured celebrities like Meryl Streep and Jennifer Lopez — Harris spoke about stepping up to be the Democratic presidential nominee once President Biden dropped out of the race.
“I felt a sense of responsibility, to be honest with you, and with that comes a sense of purpose,” Harris said. “But we’re all here, and you all are taking time of out of your busy lives because there really is so much at stake.”
Harris also touched on her stances on gun violence, abortion rights, and cutting costs for the middle class.
Meanwhile, Republican presidential nominee former President Trump spoke to a group of Jewish donors during an event in Washington called Fighting Antisemitism in America.
“With your vote, I will be your defender, your protector, and I will be the best friend Jewish Americans have ever had in the White House,” he said. “Sadly, and I have to say this, and it hurts me to say it; you’re going to still vote for Democrats, and it doesn’t make sense. I say all the time that any Jewish person that votes for her — especially now — her or the Democrat Party should have their head examined.”
During his address, Trump also criticized the Biden-Harris administration’s handling of the war in Gaza and the protests on college campuses.
Kentucky sheriff charged with killing judge inside courthouse
Kentucky State Police said Mullins died at the scene and Stines surrendered to authorities. Stines has been charged with one count of first-degree murder.
Law enforcement officials are still investigating what led up to the killing.
Mark Robinson vows to stay in NC governor race after CNN report
Controversy is surrounding the race for governor in North Carolina. Republican candidate Mark Robinson has vowed to remain in the race after CNN published a story Thursday alleging he made lewd and inflammatory statements on the message board of a pornographic website more than 10 years ago.
Robinson denies these allegations.
Among the accusations in the report, CNN said Robinson expressed support for reinstating slavery. The comments were made between 2008 and 2012, before Robinson entered politics. He was elected North Carolina’s lieutenant governor in 2020.
In an interview with CNN, Robinson called the report “tabloid trash” and said, “I’m not going to get into the minutia of how somebody manufactured this, these salacious tabloid lies.”
He had a similar message in a social media video posted before the CNN report was made public.
“Let me reassure you: the things that you will see in that story, those are not the words of Mark Robinson,” he said. “You know my words, you know my character, and you know that I have been completely transparent in this race and before.”
Robinson added, “We are staying in this race, we are in it to win it, and we know that, with your help, we will.”
Nike replaces CEO with former executive to shake up brand
Big changes are coming to Nike as the sneaker brand is looking to get back on the right foot with a switch in leadership. Nike announced Thursday it will replace CEO John Donahoe with a company veteran: former senior executive Elliot Hill.
The move comes as Nike is hoping to revive sales amid growing competition. Hill is set to take over as CEO on Oct. 14.
Shohei Ohtani becomes first MLB player to reach 50/50 milestone
History was made on the baseball diamond Thursday night by Los Angeles Dodgers star Shohei Ohtani.
During Thursday night’s game against the Miami Marlins, Ohtani became the first player in Major League Baseball history to hit 50 home runs and steal 50 bases in a single season. But he didn’t stop there.
All in all, Ohtani was 6 for 6 in the game with three home runs and 10 RBIs in the Dodgers’ 20 to 4 rout of the Marlins, clinching a playoff spot for LA.
Philly teen accused of terror plot at Pride parade, planned to go to Syria
A Philadelphia teen who was arrested as a minor for allegedly attempting to join a global terrorist group as a bombmaker will be prosecuted as an adult, according to First Assistant District Attorney Robert Listenbee on Wednesday, Sept. 18. Law enforcement also shared new details about the suspected bombmaker, Muhyyee-Ud Din Abdul-Rahman.
The Philadelphia District Attorney’s Office said “overwhelming evidence” collected during an investigation that spanned more than a year showed the then-17-year-old “intended to cause a mass casualty event.”
Authorities say Abdul-Rahman allegedly wanted to join an international terror group and claim that he tested detonation devices more than a dozen times in his backyard and in the woods behind it. Police also said he had considered targeting Philadelphia’s Pride parade by placing bombs in trash cans along the route.
Investigators said that they found internet searches on his two phones, where he was scoping out the location of the parade and where trash cans would be located. However, he never pulled off the attack.
The teen was taken into custody in August 2023, and he previously told detectives that he was upset with homosexuality and how it was “pressed upon children” in the United States.
Officials also discovered searches for nuclear power station locations, Army-Navy football games and details about Fort Bragg and the Pentagon as well as 40 other military bases and entities.
Following his arrest, police found a passport, tactical gear, uniforms, radios, knives and other military equipment needed for his intended trip to Syria.
The teen allegedly communicated with KTJ; a global terror group affiliated with al-Qaida. Detectives assert that although he had a college scholarship for wrestling, he would’ve thrown it all away to become a bombmaker for the terrorist organization.
“He was ready to leave his family, his friends, his school, and his wrestling team,” Listenbee said. “He had no intention of going to college in the United States and he knew that if he traveled to Syria that he would never be able to come back to the United States.”
Abdul-Rahman is charged with attempt to commit weapons of mass destruction, criminal conspiracy, arson, causing or risking catastrophe, and related offenses.
WWII survivor advances nuclear tech after being saved by the atomic bomb
In 1945, the U.S. dropped two nuclear bombs on Japan to bring an end to World War II. For Jeff Eerkens, the military operation did more than end the war — it saved his life. Eerkens was imprisoned in a Japanese internment camp in the Pacific when the bombings helped secured his release. The nuclear event inspired him to dedicate his career to nuclear technology.
“Energy is man’s third most important need after water and food,” Eerkens said in a statement. “We are entering a war-like energy-deprivation period as serious as World War II. Strong Manhattan-project-like leadership is now needed. Green nuclear power is the only practical solution to simultaneously ameliorate global warming, avoid dependence on foreign oil/gas, and overcome oil/gas depletion.”
Following the war, Eerkens went on to develop a groundbreaking laser process to make uranium more suitable for use as nuclear fuel. Now known as the “Father of Laser Enrichment,” Eerkins co-founded LIS Technologies, a company focused on using this method for a variety of applications, including giving nuclear power plants the resources they need to produce energy.
“With lasers, the process can be more targeted and energy efficient,”Christo Liebenberg, who co-founded LIS Technologies with Eerkens and now serves as the company’s CEO, told Straight Arrow News. “You can reduce the operational costs of nuclear fuel production, but it also has a reduced environmental impact. Nuclear power is a key player in decarbonization, as the world pushes towards net zero carbon emissions, nuclear power will play a central role.”
While major nuclear accidents like Chernobyl, Fukushima and Three Mile Island turned public opinion against nuclear energy, the global push to reduce carbon emissions is giving nuclear power a second chance. Countries are increasingly considering it as a key part of their strategies for a low-carbon future.
“After the Three-Mile-Island reactor meltdown in 1979 in the U.S. and Russia’s Chernobyl accident in 1986, public hysteria fanned by fear-mongering antinuclear activists caused cancellations and moratoria on construction of new nuclear plants,” Eerkens said. “Any further delay of a committed worldwide nuclear energy program will cause certain impoverishment and death of many people by 2050.”
LIS Technologies claimed their laser enrichment method is safer, more cost-effective and more environmentally friendly than traditional approaches. As Eerkens reflects on his life, he hopes the technology that once helped secure his freedom will now contribute to the world’s clean energy future.
President Biden to hold press conference as George Clooney, Sen. Welch call for a change
President Joe Biden is set to hold a press conference as George Clooney joins the calls for him to step aside. And the NBA scores big with its latest TV rights deal. These stories and more highlight The Morning Rundown for Thursday, July 11, 2024.
Biden to hold press conference as Clooney, Welch call for a change
President Joe Biden will hold his first solo press conference of the year Thursday, July 11. It’s also the first since his rocky performance in the June 27 presidential debate, as calls for him to step aside as the Democratic nominee continue to grow.
On Wednesday, July 10, it was Hollywood actor and longtime Democratic donor George Clooney calling for Biden to withdraw from the race. This happened just weeks after Clooney hosted a fundraiser for Biden’s campaign that brought in more than $30 million.
In an op-ed piece for The New York Times, Clooney wrote that the Biden he saw at the fundraiser was not the Biden of 2010 or 2020, saying, “He was the same man we all witnessed at the debate.”
“As Democrats, we collectively hold our breath or turn down the volume whenever we see the president, whom we respect, walk off Air Force One or walk back to a mic to answer an unscripted question,” Clooney wrote. “Is it fair to point these things out? It has to be. This is about age. Nothing more. But also, nothing that can be reversed. We are not going to win in November with this president.”
Clooney joined a chorus of Democrats who have recently spoken up for Biden to drop out, including nine House members. And on Wednesday, Peter Welch of Vermont became the first Democratic senator to join the call.
Welch wrote in an op-ed in The Washington Post that Biden should step down for “the good of the country.”
“We need him to put us first, as he has done before. I urge him to do it now,” Welch said.
On Thursday afternoon, Democratic senators will meet with senior advisers from the Biden campaign as they look to express their concerns following the debate. Then the president’s press conference — dubbed by Bloomberg News and cited by the White House as a “big boy press conference” — will take place at 5:30 p.m. ET as the three-day NATO summit winds down in Washington.
NATO calls China “decisive enabler” of Russia’s war in Ukraine
In recent months, the U.S. and European leaders have accused China of bolstering Russia’s defense sector with supplies critical to rebuilding the Russian military. Beijing has denied the accusations.
“China provides dual use equipment, microelectronics, a lot of other tools which are enabling Russia to build the missiles, to build the bombs, to build the aircrafts, to build the weapons they’re using to attack Ukraine,” NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said on Wednesday, July 11, the second day of the NATO summit in Washington, D.C. “And the fact that this is now clearly stated, agreed by all NATO allies, is an important message to China. And then, of course, we also then state that it cannot continue like this.”
The NATO nations also affirmed the importance of their Indo-Pacific partners, which are not members of the alliance, with leaders from Japan, South Korea, New Zealand and Australia joining the summit.
NATO and the Indo-Pacific partners said they plan to launch four joint projects including supporting Ukraine, bolstering cooperation on cyber defense, countering disinformation and working on artificial intelligence.
China is accusing NATO of overreaching and inciting confrontation in the Indo-Pacific region.
U.S. to resume shipping 500-pound bombs to Israel
The United States is resuming shipping 500-pound bombs to Israel after pausing the shipment of nearly 2,000 of them in mid-May. However, U.S. officials said they’ll continue to hold back on a delivery of much larger 2,000-pound bombs over concerns they could be used in densely populated areas of Gaza.
The U.S. is specifically concerned the large bombs would be used in Israel’s ground invasion of Rafah, where more than a million Palestinians have taken refuge since the war with Hamas began.
U.S. officials said the smaller 500-pound bombs had been put together in a shipment with the larger bombs, which is why they were delayed. They have since been separated and can now be sent to Israel.
AOC files impeachment articles against Supreme Court justices Thomas, Alito
Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., has introduced articles of impeachment against conservative Supreme Court Justices Samuel Alito and Clarence Thomas. Ocasio-Cortez is accusing them of what she calls “unchecked corruption” for refusing to recuse themselves from certain cases, like the recent decision to grant former President Donald Trump immunity and improperly failing to disclose gifts from wealthy donors.
However, it’s unlikely the justices will be impeached. A majority vote of 218 is required for the House to adopt the articles. Currently in the House, Republicans hold 219 seats and Democrats hold 213.
Reports: NBA finalizes 11-year $76B deal with NBC, Amazon, Disney
TNT Sports, which has been airing the NBA since the 1980s, will have a five-day window to match one of the deals once the league shares the finished contracts.
The agreement, which breaks NBA records for length and value, would take effect for the 2025-2026 season.
‘Inside Out 2’ becomes Pixar’s highest-grossing movie of all time
There’s a whole lot of joy over at Pixar studios; its latest movie has made box office history. “Inside Out 2” is officially Pixar’s highest-grossing movie of all time.
So far, the film about a teenager’s emotions has earned $1.25 billion worldwide, passing “Incredibles 2,” which made $1.24 billion in its run. “Inside Out 2” now ranks as the fourth-highest grossing animated movie of all time.
The top spot currently belongs to Disney’s 2019 film “Frozen 2” which grossed $1.45 billion globally during its release.
Video undermines official DOD report of attack during Afghanistan withdrawal
A CNN exclusive revealed new evidence that challenges the Pentagon’s narrative of the events during the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan. On Aug. 26, 2021, a suicide bomber attacked Kabul airport, killing 13 U.S. service members and approximately 170 Afghans. The Pentagon consistently stated that the bomb alone caused all casualties.
However, recently released GoPro footage from a Marine at the scene shows multiple instances of gunfire immediately following the blast— far more than the Pentagon’s stated “three bursts.” The footage documented at least 11 separate instances of gunfire within four minutes, which contradicts official reports.
The Department of Defense released the results of a two-year supplemental review in April. The department that found no new information had any material impact on the original investigation’s findings. However, CNN interviews and additional evidence tell a different story.
U.S. military personnel described the gunfire originating from a nearby group of Marines.
U.S. Central Command maintained a lone suicide bomber carried out the attack and that no one was hit by gunfire. Testimony from over 100 witnesses supported that conclusion.
However, discrepancies remain. An officer’s account one month after the attack praised a Marine for “putting down” an opposing gunman. Christian Sanchez, a soldier injured in the blast, confirmed he returned fire after the explosion in an interview with “The Brrks Podcast.“
Despite extensive social media testimonies from U.S. service members who witnessed significant gunfire, officials have dismissed these claims as effects of traumatic brain injury from the blast. The Pentagon has released only five minutes of edited drone footage from the aftermath, raising further questions about the completeness of the evidence.
Russia to mass produce ‘invisible’ glide bomb with cluster munitions
Russia said it’s going to start mass producing a new type of cluster bomb that’s supposedly invisible to radar. Russian state media reported the Drel — or “Drill” in Russian — is a new type of glide bomb made by the state-owned Rostec defense conglomerate.
‼️🇷🇺 Russia to start serial production of "Drel" glide bombs this year#Russia plans to start serial production of its new glide "Drel" bomb this year, according to a representative of Rostec.
The production of the first batch of the 'Drel' aerial bomb is planned for 2024. pic.twitter.com/ZE66rBpUmg
Drels are some of Russia’s newest weapons, so there isn’t a lot of publicly available details on them. They are aerial bombs, so they’ll need some sort of delivery system — likely strapped to the belly of a bomber.
The Russian government said the Drel achieves independent glided flight by using deployable wings.
In Russia, the Kremlin said its new glide bombs are also resistant to radio jamming and can avoid radar detection, making the weapons more difficult to destroy if true.
Russia said the Drel is a cluster munition as well. That means instead of creating a single explosion when it detonates, the Drel releases smaller explosive devices called “bomblets” above its target. Those bomblets are typically spread across a wide area, killing or damaging anything or anyone close enough to the detonations.
Not every bomblet always explodes, though. Undetonated ordinance poses a threat to both soldiers and civilians for years to come. That’s why cluster bombs are banned by more than 100 countries. So why do the United States, Ukraine and Russia still use them? In essence, because they’re good at what they do.
When troops and equipment are in the open, a handful of cluster munitions flinging potentially hundreds of bomblets can take out large numbers of troops, equipment and lightly-armored vehicles — all without leaving massive craters or destroying entire buildings. The United States military said it limits the use of cluster munitions to military targets. There’s plenty of evidence, however, showing Russia doesn’t hold itself to the same standard.
While critics of cluster munitions contend the U.S. shouldn’t be sending any to Ukraine, the Ukrainian military essentially told the world, “Send us all you have.”
Ukraine is heavily outmanned and outgunned by Russia, so the Ukrainian Armed Forces see cluster munitions as a great equalizer in the conflict. Ukraine used a small number of ATACMS missiles carrying cluster munitions to take out 14 Russian attack helicopters at two different airfields in October.
Bombings kill more than 100 in Iran as polarizing military figure honored
Two bombs exploded minutes apart, rocking the city of Kerman, Iran, about 510 miles southeast of the capital, Tehran, Wednesday, Jan. 3. The blasts killed more than 100 people, injured dozens more and left countless people running for safety.
The second bomb sent shrapnel into a screaming crowd fleeing the first explosion.
The gathering marked the fourth anniversary of the killing of Gen. Qassem Soleimani, the head of the Revolutionary Guard’s elite Quds Force. Soleimani was killed in a U.S. drone strike in Iraq. The blasts occurred near his gravesite as thousands of people lined up for the event.
Moments later, the area turned into a chaotic scene. Wounded laid on the ground as first responders scrambled to tend to the injured and dead.
Iranian Interior Minister Ahmad Vahdi told state television that the second blast killed and wounded the most people.
According to The Associated Press, a delayed second explosion is often used by militants to target emergency personnel who are responding to the scene, inflicting more casualties. Screams of people trying to escape could be heard on state TV. Officials said some people were hurt racing from the scene.
No group immediately claimed responsibility for what appears to be the deadliest militant attack to target the country since its 1979 Islamic Revolution.
Iran, which supports Hamas, Hezbollah and Yemen’s Houthi rebels, has many enemies who could be behind the assault, including exiled groups, militant organizations and state actors.
The deadly bombings come as Iranian-backed groups have intensified confrontation with Israel and the U.S. amid the war in Gaza.
While Israel has carried out attacks in Iran over its nuclear program, it has conducted targeted assassinations, not mass casualty bombings.
According to The Associated Press, Sunni extremist groups including the Islamic State group have conducted large-scale attacks in the past that killed civilians in Shiite-majority Iran, though not in a relatively peaceful Kerman.
Iran has also seen mass protests in recent years, including those over the death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini in 2022. Iran has also been targeted by exile groups in attacks dating back to the 1979 Islamic Revolution.
Soleimani was the architect of Iran’s regional military operations. He’s hailed as a national icon among supporters of the country’s theocracy. Soleimani also helped secure Syrian President Bashar Assad’s government after the 2011 Arab spring protest.
The uprisings against Assad eventually turned into a civil and regional war, which is still raging on. The general also killed U.S. troops during the 2003 invasion of Iraq, arming militants with roadside bombs used to kill and maim service members. Following the attacks, American officials called for his death.
A drone strike launched by the Trump administration in eventually killed Soleimani after escalating incidents followed by America’s 2018 unilateral withdrawal from Iran with world powers. The polarizing military figure has drawn large processions in the past. During his funeral in 2020, a stampede broke out in Kerman, killing 56 people and injuring more than 200 others.
US military equipment left in Afghanistan now in hands of Pakistani militants
Pakistani officials are warning that U.S. military equipment left behind during the United States’ withdrawal from Afghanistan is now in the hands of a militant group that is threatening Pakistan. The high-tech munition was abandoned by the U.S. in order to get troops out of the region quickly.
Pakistan Interim Prime Minister Anwar ul Haq Kakar expressed serious concern over the firepower, helicopters, guns, ammunition and other military equipment now belonging to terrorists associated with Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP).
TTP is closely linked to al-Qaida and the Afghan Taliban, which overtook Afghanistan’s government following the United States’ departure.
It is unclear how much high-tech weaponry was left behind during the withdrawal, however U.S. defense officials have confirmed it was a “significant” amount.
The Pakistani government officials who spoke to The Associated Press say the TTP’s threat to the region has increased significantly since gaining access to modern military equipment. According to their sources, TTP fighters can now target Pakistani troops from a distance because of the new weaponry.
The caretaker prime minister is calling for a plan-to-action to tackle the challenge of U.S. leftover equipment.
It is unknown how the TTP gained control of the U.S. equipment, but the Pakistani Taliban has posted videos online boasting newly found guns with laser and thermal sighting systems
Two security officials told the AP that the Afghan Taliban likely sold the equipment or gifted it to their allies.
This is the latest ramification of the U.S. withdrawal, which is still widely criticized two years later.
Thirteen U.S. service members and over 100 Afghan civilians were killed in Kabul after a deadly bombing at the airport during the early days of the Biden administration.
Pakistan became a key ally of Washington in its war against terror after the 9/11 attacks in the United States.