Trump's son-in-law gets back top secret security clearance
Washington, May 24: Jared Kushner, the son-in-law of US President Donald Trump and one of his closest advisers, received a permanent security clearance on Wednesday, dispelling doubts about his possible recent loss of clout in US relations with Mexico, China and Israel.
The FBI completed its thorough investigation of Kushner's financial activities and foreign contacts, a task taking more than a year and which had to be finalized before the husband of Trump's oldest child Ivanka could re-obtain permission to access the most closely guarded US secrets, Efe reported.
"His application (for security clearance renewal) was properly submitted, reviewed by career officials, and went through the normal process," Kushner's lawyer, Abbe Lowell, said in a statement.
"Having completed these processes, Mr. Kushner is looking forward to continuing the work the President has asked him to do."
Lowell did not say what level of clearance Kushner had been granted, but sources familiar with the matter told The Washington Post that it is a "top secret" authorization, which would enable the young real estate mogul to view very sensitive US government intelligence information.
Last February, Kushner lost the temporary top secret clearance he had enjoyed since Trump came into power in January 2017, and his access to sensitive intelligence information was curtailed, although he did retain a lower clearance level, that of "secret".
That move was the result of a decision by White House Chief of Staff John Kelly to withdraw the temporary top secret clearances from those employees who had held them for more than eight months without the required background investigations on them having been completed.
In Kushner's case, the delay in the FBI investigation of his background combined with the investigation of Special Counsel Robert Mueller into his contacts with Russian officials raised speculation about whether he could be subject to blackmail, a situation that could put the confidential information he might know at risk.
The White House said in February that Kushner's loss of top secret clearance would not affect his diplomatic activities, and apparently it has not done so.
Kushner has been intimately involved in US negotiations to recraft the North American Free Trade Agreement with Mexico and Canada, and last week he travelled to Israel to inaugurate the new US Embassy in Jerusalem.
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CM Siddaramaiah says no decision taken on 4 per cent Muslim reservation in govt tenders
Mysuru (Karnataka), Nov 13: Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Wednesday said there was a demand for four per cent reservation for Muslims in government tenders, but no decision has been taken yet on it.
Prominent Muslim leaders, including Karnataka Minister for Municipal Administration and Hajj, Rahim Khan, Congress MLAs and MLCs wrote to the chief minister on August 24 demanding to consider giving four per cent reservation to socially and economically backward Muslims in government contracts. The chief minister wrote on the petition on August 31 that the file should be put up, sources said.
"There was a demand for four per cent reservation, but we have not taken any decision yet," Siddaramaiah told reporters here.
When asked about the BJP raking up this issue, he said, "The BJP wants to communalise everything. Their job is to create a rift between Hindus and Muslims. Did they ever wish peace in society?"
BJP state president B Y Vijayendra termed the purported move unhealthy.
"In a bid to woo the Muslim community, the @INCKarnataka government is going to give reservation in contracts as well, which will damage the health of a harmonious society," he said in a post on ‘X’.
He said it had become inevitable to protest against such stances of the Congress government.
Former Union Minister Rajeev Chandrasekhar alleged in his post on social media 'X' saying what seemed like "shameless appeasement politics" to be a "cover for Congress corruption machine".
ಮುಸ್ಲಿಂ ಸಮುದಾಯವನ್ನು ಓಲೈಸುವ ನಿಟ್ಟಿನಲ್ಲಿ ಸರಣೀ ರೂಪದಲ್ಲಿ ಹೆಜ್ಜೆಗಳನ್ನು ಇಡುತ್ತಿರುವ @INCKarnataka ಸರ್ಕಾರ ವಕ್ಫ್ ವಿವಾದದ ನಂತರ ಗುತ್ತಿಗೆಯಲ್ಲೂ ಮೀಸಲಾತಿ ನೀಡಲು ಹೊರಟಿರುವುದು ಸಾಮರಸ್ಯ ಸಮಾಜದ ಸ್ವಾಸ್ಥ್ಯ ಹಾಳುಮಾಡುವ ನಡೆಯಾಗಿದೆ.
— Vijayendra Yediyurappa (@BYVijayendra) November 12, 2024
ಪರಿಶಿಷ್ಟರಿಗೆ ಒಳ ಮೀಸಲಾತಿ ಹಾಗೂ ಜಾತಿ ಗಣತಿಯ ವಿವಾದಗಳು ನಮ್ಮ ಮುಂದಿರುವಾಗ ಮತ್ತೊಂದು… pic.twitter.com/1mnZqxpLpQ
