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Analysis-ISIS raid gives Biden a foreign policy win as Ukraine, midterms loom

Published

3 years ago

February 5, 2022

The U.S. raid in Syria that led to the death of Islamic State’s leader is a much-needed national security win for President Joe Biden after the messy withdrawal from Afghanistan while he tries to project an image of strength in a standoff with Russia over Ukraine, analysts said.

Islamic State leader Abu Ibrahim al-Hashemi al-Quraishi, blew himself up as U.S. forces approached. The raid on the jihadist leader came after months of planning and was authorized by Biden earlier this week.

As well as dealing a blow to ISIS, the raid came at a good time for Biden, who is locked in a tense strategic tussle with Russia over Ukraine. John Bolton, a former national security adviser to President Donald Trump, said the successful operation could show strength to Russian President Vladimir Putin.

“It can’t hurt in the sense that it was a clear win,” he acknowledged. “A lot of people should take notice of that,” said Bolton, a former U.S. ambassador to the United Nations under President George W. Bush.

U.S. prestige suffered from the chaotic pullout from Afghanistan last August after 20 years of war. Even though his predecessor Trump also favored a withdrawal and agreed a deal with the Taliban, Biden’s poll numbers dived after the messy withdrawal.

David Gergen, a former aide to Democratic and Republican presidents, said the Afghanistan chaos still hangs over Biden’s foreign policy record despite the success against Islamic State.

“I think the trouble he faces in the international scene is stickier than it looks. It’s going to be hard to reverse public opinion,” Gergen said.

Bolton, one of the main foreign policy hawks in the former Bush administration, said going after Quraishi in northwestern Syria was “the right thing to do.” But the legacy of Afghanistan still weighs heavily on Biden despite the raid, he said.

“I don’t think it can repair the damage that was done to his credibility and America’s credibility by withdrawing from Afghanistan.”

Another stern test for Biden is the standoff with Russia over Ukraine. The United States and other Western nations say Russia’s massing of some 100,000 troops along the Ukraine border could be a prelude for an invasion.

“I think the overall question is going to be how this gets resolved with the Russians,” Gergen said. “He’s going to be tested on toughness. But he’s also going to be tested on competence.”

POLITICAL GAINS?

At home, Biden is stuck in a months-long slump in the polls, reflecting Americans’ frustration over the COVID-19 pandemic and inflation-plagued economy. That worries Democrats ahead of November’s midterm elections.

While the midterms are months away and foreign policy is not a main priority for voters, demonstrating command in the raid on Quraishi and standing up to Putin can be helpful to Biden’s position with U.S. voters, said David Axelrod, a former adviser to President Barack Obama.

“One of his problems right now is that the world seems out of control – everyday events in people’s lives. They’re looking for Biden to show command, so any opportunity to do that is valuable,” Axelrod said. “These things are valuable from a political standpoint. Shows of strength are valuable.”

Biden traveled to New York on Thursday to meet with the city’s mayor, Eric Adams, a former police officer, and called for greater investments in local police departments and social services. Republicans have suggested Biden is weak on crime and tried to tie him to calls by some Democrats to “defund” the police. Biden has rejected the “defund” push.

Gergen said the Democratic president seems to be making an effort to project strength. “I do think Biden is trying to toughen up in the public eye,” he said.

Biden beat Trump in the 2020 election in part by arguing he would bring competence to the job, and he enjoyed approval ratings close to 60% during his first few months in office. They fell to the lowest level of his presidency this week according to a Reuters/Ipsos opinion poll, which found 41% of U.S. adults approved of his performance in office and 56% disapproved.

The combination of the Syria raid and the New York visit could offset some Republican criticism, said Mo Elleithee, executive director of Georgetown University’s Institute of Politics and Public Service.

“It’s hard to argue someone is weak on fighting terror … after they’ve taken out, you know, one of the world’s top terrorists,” Elleithee said. “He was able to show results – important results – in national security, and I think you see him appearing like the grown-up in the room on crime.”

(Reporting by Jeff Mason; Editing by Heather Timmons and Alistair Bell)

News

Allen nets shutout as Devils burn Oilers 3-0

Published

8 hours ago

November 4, 2024

Anne Joseph

EDMONTON – Jake Allen made 31 saves for his second shutout of the season and 26th of his career as the New Jersey Devils closed out their Western Canadian road trip with a 3-0 victory over the Edmonton Oilers on Monday.

Jesper Bratt had a goal and an assist and Stefan Noesen and Timo Meier also scored for the Devils (8-5-2) who have won three of their last four on the heels on a four-game losing skid.

The Oilers (6-6-1) had their modest two-game winning streak snapped.

Calvin Pickard made 13 stops between the pipes for Edmonton.

TAKEAWAYS

Devils: In addition to his goal, Bratt picked up his 12th assist of the young season to give him nine points in his last eight games and now 15 points overall. Nico Hischier remains in the team lead, picking up an assist of his own to give him 16 points for the campaign. He has a point in all but four games this season.

Oilers: Forward Leon Draisaitl was held pointless after recording six points in his previous two games and nine points in his previous four. Draisaitl usually has strong showings against the Devils, coming into the contest with an eight-game point streak against New Jersey and 11 goals in 17 games.

KEY MOMENT

New Jersey took a 2-0 lead on the power play with 3:26 remaining in the second period as Hischier made a nice feed into the slot to Bratt, who wired his third of the season past Pickard.

KEY RETURN?

Oilers star forward and captain Connor McDavid took part in the optional morning skate for the Oilers, leading to hopes that he may be back sooner rather than later. McDavid has been expected to be out for two to three weeks with an ankle injury suffered during the first shift of last Monday’s loss in Columbus.

OILERS DEAL FOR D-MAN

The Oilers have acquired defenceman Ronnie Attard from the Philadelphia Flyers in exchange for defenceman Ben Gleason.

The 6-foot-3 Attard has spent the past three season in the Flyers organization seeing action in 29 career games. The 25-year-old right-shot defender and Western Michigan University grad was originally selected by Philadelphia in the third round of the 2019 NHL Entry Draft. Attard will report to the Oilers’ AHL affiliate in Bakersfield.

UP NEXT

Devils: Host the Montreal Canadiens on Thursday.

Oilers: Host the Vegas Golden Knights on Wednesday.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 4, 2024.

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Mahomes throws 3 TD passes, unbeaten Chiefs beat Buccaneers 30-24 in OT

Published

8 hours ago

November 4, 2024

Anne Joseph

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Patrick Mahomes threw for 291 yards and three touchdowns, and Kareem Hunt pounded into the end zone from two yards out in overtime to give the unbeaten Kansas City Chiefs a 30-24 win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Monday night.

DeAndre Hopkins had two touchdown receptions for the Chiefs (8-0), who drove through the rain for two fourth-quarter scores to take a 24-17 lead with 4:17 left. But then Kansas City watched as Baker Mayfield led the Bucs the other way in the final minute, hitting Ryan Miller in the end zone with 27 seconds to go in regulation time.

Tampa Bay (4-5) elected to kick the extra point and force overtime, rather than go for a two-point conversion and the win. And it cost the Buccaneers when Mayfield called tails and the coin flip was heads. Mahomes and the Chiefs took the ball, he was 5-for-5 passing on their drive in overtime, and Hunt finished his 106-yard rushing day with the deciding TD plunge.

Travis Kelce had 14 catches for 100 yards with girlfriend Taylor Swift watching from a suite, and Hopkins finished with eight catches for 86 yards as the Chiefs ran their winning streak to 14 dating to last season. They became the sixth Super Bowl champion to start 8-0 the following season.

Mayfield finished with 200 yards and two TDs passing for the Bucs, who have lost four of their last five.

It was a memorable first half for two players who had been waiting to play in Arrowhead Stadium.

The Bucs’ Rachaad White grew up about 10 minutes away in a tough part of Kansas City, but his family could never afford a ticket for him to see a game. He wound up on a circuitous path through Division II Nebraska-Kearney and a California junior college to Arizona State, where he eventually became of a third-round pick of Tampa Bay in the 2022 draft.

Two year later, White finally got into Arrowhead — and the end zone. He punctuated his seven-yard scoring run in the second quarter, which gave the Bucs a 7-3 lead, by nearly tossing the football into the second deck.

Then it was Hopkins’ turn in his first home game since arriving in Kansas City from a trade with the Titans.

The three-time All-Pro, who already had caught four passes, reeled in a third-down heave from Mahomes amid triple coverage for a 35-yard gain inside the Tampa Bay five-yard line. Three plays later, Mahomes found him in the back of the end zone, and Hopkins celebrated his first TD with the Chiefs with a dance from “Remember the Titans.”

Tampa Bay tried to seize control with consecutive scoring drives to start the second half. The first ended with a TD pass to Cade Otton, the latest tight end to shred the Chiefs, and Chase McLaughlin’s 47-yard field goal gave the Bucs a 17-10 lead.

The Chiefs answered in the fourth quarter. Mahomes marched them through the rain 70 yards for a tying touchdown pass, which he delivered to Samaje Perine while landing awkwardly and tweaking his left ankle, and then threw a laser to Hopkins on third-and-goal from the Buccaneers’ five-yard line to give Kansas City the lead.

Tampa Bay promptly went three-and-out, but its defence got the ball right back, and this time Mayfield calmly led his team down field. His capped the drive with a touchdown throw to Miller — his first career TD catch — with 27 seconds to go, and Tampa Bay elected to play for overtime.

UP NEXT

Buccaneers: Host the San Francisco 49ers on Sunday.

Chiefs: Host the Denver Broncos on Sunday.

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NHL roundup: Kuemper helps visiting Kings shut out Predators 3-0

Published

8 hours ago

November 4, 2024

Anne Joseph

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Darcy Kuemper made 16 saves for his first shutout of the season and 32nd overall, helping the Los Angeles Kings beat the Nashville Predators 3-0 on Monday night.

Adrian Kempe had a goal and an assist and Anze Kopitar and Kevin Fiala also scored. The Kings have won two of their last three.

Juuse Saros made 24 saves for the Predators. They are 1-2-1 in their last four.

Kopitar opened the scoring with 6:36 remaining in the opening period. Saros denied the Kings captain’s first shot, but Kopitar collected the rebound below the goal line and banked it off the netminder’s skate.

Fiala, a former Predator, made it 2-0 35 seconds into the third.

The Kings held Nashville to just three third-period shots on goal, the first coming with 3:55 remaining and Saros pulled for an extra attacker.

Elsewhere in the NHL on Monday:

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DEVILS 3 OILERS 0

EDMONTON, Alta. (AP) — Jake Allen made 31 saves for his second shutout of the season and 26th of his NHL career, helping the New Jersey Devils close their western Canadian road trip with a 3-0 victory over the Edmonton Oilers.

Jesper Bratt had a goal and an assist and Stefan Noesen and Timo Meier also scored. The Devils improved to 8-5-2. They have won three of their last four after a four-game skid.

Calvin Pickard made 13 saves for Edmonton. The Oilers had won two straight.

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