{"id":2115558,"date":"2023-12-04T16:52:02","date_gmt":"2023-12-04T21:52:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/dems-to-force-vote-on-biden-nominee-who-hindered-return-of-american-hostage\/"},"modified":"2023-12-04T16:52:36","modified_gmt":"2023-12-04T21:52:36","slug":"dems-to-force-vote-on-biden-nominee-who-hindered-return-of-american-hostage","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/dems-to-force-vote-on-biden-nominee-who-hindered-return-of-american-hostage\/","title":{"rendered":"Dems to push vote on Biden nominee who impeded American hostage&#8217;s return"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"float:left\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">24<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fdems-to-force-vote-on-biden-nominee-who-hindered-return-of-american-hostage%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2115558&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><blockquote>\n<h2>Republicans Block Nomination of Elizabeth Richard, Citing Concerns Over Hezbollah Influence<\/h2>\n<figure><figcaption>Biden counterterrorism nominee Elizabeth Richard (LinkedIn)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/blockquote>\n<div>\n<p>Senate Democrats are \u2064set to push for a confirmation vote on a Biden administration \u200cnominee this week, despite\u200c criticism surrounding her alleged \u200bappeasement of Iran-linked terrorists and her failure to \u200csecure the release\u200d of an American \u2064hostage, according to the <em>Washington Free\u200c Beacon<\/em>.<\/p>\n<p>Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer\u200b has filed\u200b cloture on Elizabeth \u2063Richard, a former \u2063American ambassador to Lebanon, who is nominated to become the Biden administration&#8217;s next coordinator for counterterrorism. This move comes in response to a Republican hold on the nomination. The vote is scheduled for \u200bTuesday.<\/p>\n<p>Republican critics, including Senator Ted Cruz, placed a hold on Richard&#8217;s nomination \u2063last year. They argue that during her tenure as U.S. ambassador \u200dto Lebanon,\u2064 Richard prioritized the Iran-backed Hezbollah terror group, which effectively controls the country,\u2064 over the release of an imprisoned American hostage. \u200bCritics claim that \u2062Richard&#8217;s policies undermined American counterterrorism efforts in the region by advocating for increased U.S. funding to Hezbollah-controlled security forces\u2063 and avoiding diplomatic confrontation with\u200d the terror group. Despite these concerns, Schumer\u2064 has the power to move the nomination\u200d forward as\u200c the majority leader.<\/p>\n<p>The American hostage, Amer Fakhoury, spent six months in prison and was released after Richard was replaced\u2062 by the current ambassador. Fakhoury&#8217;s family blames Richard&#8217;s inaction for his death, as he developed cancer while imprisoned and passed \u2062away five months\u200c after returning to the United States.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;As \u2062the family of the late U.S. hostage, Amer Fakhoury, we are shocked\u200c by the news that Ambassador Richard is being confirmed as the next counterterrorism \u200d [czar] in the \u2064State Department,&#8221; said Fakhoury&#8217;s family in a statement last year. &#8220;Our father would still be here today if the U.S. embassy under Ambassador [Richard] prioritized an American citizen&#8217;s life first instead of catering to the Hezbollah-backed Lebanese government.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>Richard has also faced criticism for advocating increased U.S. funding to Lebanon&#8217;s Internal Security Forces (ISF), which critics argue are under Hezbollah&#8217;s control. The ISF played \u200ba\u200b role in dismantling Israeli spy cells stationed in Lebanon, compromising Israel&#8217;s ability to monitor Hamas \u2063and Hezbollah movements prior to a terror attack.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;Elizabeth Richard&#8217;s tenure as ambassador to Lebanon shows that her idea of counterterrorism is \u200bappeasing Hezbollah\u200b and \u200dfunding allies\u200d of Hezbollah\u2014an evil terrorist group backed by Iran,&#8221; stated\u200d Cruz earlier this year.\u2063 &#8220;Now the\u2063 Biden administration wants to make her the \u200dState Department \u200bCoordinator for Counterterrorism. Americans will be\u200c less safe if she is confirmed.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>Richard also faced criticism for refusing to allow increased \u2064security at the U.S. embassy \u2063in Beirut following the assassination of Iranian terror leader Qassem Soleimani. She made this decision\u2062 without consulting\u2064 senior \u2062State Department officials, which was seen as an act of insubordination.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p> <\/p>\n<h2> Why is \u2063it important \u200bfor\u2064 the Biden\u2063 administration to prioritize national\u200b security and select officials with a strong commitment to \u200dcombating terrorism, and \u200dhow does \u2064Richard&#8217;s \u2063nomination raise concerns in this\u2062 regard<\/h2>\n<p><span>  Rity\u2063 forces and failing to take stronger action against the terrorist organization.<\/p>\n<p>Hezbollah has\u200b been designated as\u200c a terrorist organization by the United \u2063States government and is responsible for numerous attacks against American interests and allies. The \u200bgroup is known for\u200d its involvement in drug trafficking, money laundering, \u2062and arms smuggling\u200c activities, which pose a\u2062 significant \u200dthreat\u200d to global \u200bsecurity.<\/p>\n<p>The concerns over \u200bRichard&#8217;s alleged appeasement of Hezbollah stem from her reported efforts to maintain a working relationship with the Lebanese\u200d government, which \u200cincludes political parties \u200bwith ties\u200b to Hezbollah. Critics argue that\u2064 this approach not only legitimizes the\u2063 terrorist group \u200bbut also\u200d hinders efforts to combat its influence and dismantle its\u200b extensive network.<\/p>\n<p>Furthermore, Richard&#8217;s failure to secure the release of an American hostage held captive in \u2063Lebanon has\u2064 raised serious doubts about her effectiveness in\u200b dealing with terrorism-related \u200bissues. The role of the \u200ccoordinator for counterterrorism is crucial in developing strategies to prevent and combat terrorist activities, and it requires an \u200cindividual with \u200ba proven track record of successfully navigating complex\u2063 international \u200brelationships and advocating for the interests of the United States.<\/p>\n<p>It is important for the \u200dBiden administration to prioritize \u2063national security\u2062 and select officials who have demonstrated a strong commitment to combating terrorism. The nomination of Elizabeth Richard raises \u200dconcerns about the administration&#8217;s approach\u200c in this critical area.<\/p>\n<p>Senate Democrats&#8217; decision \u200cto push for\u2064 a confirmation vote despite these concerns shows\u200b a willingness to prioritize political considerations over\u2063 national security. \u200bIt\u2064 is essential for members of Congress to thoroughly evaluate nominees based \u2063on their qualifications and their ability to \u2063effectively\u200d address the challenges posed\u2064 by \u200cterrorist organizations.<\/p>\n<p>The \u200bUnited States cannot afford to undermine\u200c its counterterrorism efforts by appointing \u2062individuals who may have sympathies or \u2064a history of appeasement towards terrorists. The Senate must carefully consider the consequences \u200dof\u200d confirming\u200d a nominee who has failed to take strong action against Hezbollah and failed to secure the\u200c release \u2063of an American \u2064hostage.<\/p>\n<p>The fight\u200c against\u200b terrorism requires a steadfast commitment \u2062to holding responsible\u200c individuals and\u2062 organizations accountable.\u200c The United States must send a strong message that appeasement \u200dof terrorists will not\u2063 be tolerated and that\u200d those who prioritize\u200b terrorist groups over American national security will face consequences.<\/p>\n<p>In conclusion, \u200dthe nomination of Elizabeth \u2064Richard as the Biden administration&#8217;s coordinator\u2064 for counterterrorism raises \u200cconcerns about\u200c her alleged appeasement \u200dof\u200b Hezbollah and her \u200dfailure to secure the release of an American\u200c hostage. \u2063It is \u200bcrucial for the Senate to\u2063 carefully \u200devaluate her qualifications and \u2064her commitment to prioritizing \u200bnational security and combating terrorism. The\u2064 fight against terrorism requires\u2062 individuals\u200b who will\u200d stand firm against terrorist organizations and prioritize the safety and security of the United\u2064 States and its allies.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Senate Democrats plan to push for a confirmation vote on Elizabeth Richard, a Biden nominee criticized for appeasing Iran-linked terrorists and obstructing the release of an American hostage. Republicans had placed a hold on her nomination, citing concerns about her efforts to pressure Hezbollah-controlled Lebanon<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":117,"featured_media":2115559,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/cndimages.nyc3.digitaloceanspaces.com\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/IMG_2758-scaled-1.jpg","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[544],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2115558","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-the-free-beacon"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/cndimages.nyc3.digitaloceanspaces.com\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/IMG_2758-scaled-1.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2115558","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/117"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2115558"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2115558\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2115559"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2115558"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2115558"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2115558"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}