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U.S. NEWS Thursday 4 May 2023

Relatives of Americans held abroad seek action from Biden

By ERIC TUCKER ich and another American
Associated Press in Russia, Paul Whelan.
WASHINGTON (AP) — Rel- Hannah Sharghi, whose fa-
atives of Americans de- ther, Emad, has been held
tained abroad gathered in Iran since 2018 on espio-
outside the White House nage charges her family
on Wednesday to urge the says are false, pleaded with
Biden administration to do Biden to bring her father
more to bring their loved home so that “he is able to
ones home. They said they be my dad again,” instead
wanted more direct ac- of a diplomatic “pawn.”
cess to President Joe Biden “We have asked for a
to be able to better make meeting with the president
their case. for so long now that I frankly
The meeting unfolded don’t know how else to ask
against the backdrop of or what else to say,” she
high-profile prisoner releas- said.
es over the last year, includ- Roger Carstens, the U.S.
ing of WNBA star Brittney government’s special presi-
Griner in Russia, civilian dential envoy for hostage
contractor Mark Frerichs in affairs, said in an interview
Afghanistan, a group of oil on CNN this week that ef-
executives in Venezuela forts to bring home de-
and Paul Rusesabagina of Joey Reed, father of Trevor Reed, speaks outside the White House in Washington, Wednesday, tained Americans continue
“Hotel Rwanda” fame. May 3, 2023, asking the Biden administration to help free hostages and detainees. regardless of whether a
But dozens of Americans Associated Press family speaks to Biden. He
still remain held overseas said that of the 27 people
by foreign governments, els of our government to Marine veteran released brought our son home.” the U.S. has brought home
and the recent arrest in bring our families home,” by Russia in an April 2022 Months after Reed was re- in the last two years, only
Russia of Wall Street Journal Harrison Li, whose father, prisoner swap for a Russian leased, the U.S brought two have families that have
reporter Evan Gershkovich Kai Li, has been imprisoned pilot convicted in a drug home Griner in a separate met with the president.
has drawn fresh attention in China since 2016, said trafficking conspiracy case. one-for-one swap involv- “The real metric, the real
to their plight and under- in an interview before the In the weeks before Reed’s ing convicted arms dealer measure of success, is
scored how hostage diplo- event. release, his parents scored Viktor Bout. Griner was not whether someone comes
macy remains a persistent, But he noted that for all the a meeting with Biden and present Wednesday, in- home, steps on a tarmac
national security priority for countries where the U.S. also demonstrated outside stead participating in a on U.S. soil and falls into the
the U.S. has had recent success, the White House. “When media day for her WNBA loving arms of their family,”
“Seeing all these people China is not one of them. he called us,” said Reed’s team. She has emerged as he said, adding, “Wheth-
come home in the last year, Also attending Wednes- father, Joey, “it meant ev- an emissary for the hostage er the president speaks
I think it shows us that it’s day’s event were some of erything to us. I mean, it and detainee community, to a family or not doesn’t
possible. There just needs to the Americans who’d been gave us a complete new using her star status to raise stop the machinery of try-
be the will from the presi- freed over the last year, perspective and an abil- attention for others left be- ing to get the job actually
dent, from the highest lev- including Trevor Reed, a ity to hang in there until he hind, including Gershkov- done.”q

GOP subpoenas FBI for Biden records; WH denounces ‘innuendo’

By FARNOUSH AMIRI er, chairman of the House The subpoena seeks all so-
Associated Press Oversight Committee and called FD-1023 forms and
WASHINGTON (AP) — A Accountability, is seeking a accompanying attach-
top House Republican specific FBI form from June ments and documents.
subpoenaed FBI Director 2020 that is a report of con- The lawmakers used the
Chris Wray on Wednesday versations or interactions word “alleged” three times
for what he claimed are with a confidential source. in the opening paragraph
bureau records related to Comer, in a letter to Wray of the letter and offered no
President Joe Biden and his with Republican Sen. evidence of the veracity of
family, basing the demand Chuck Grassley of Iowa, the accusations or any de-
on newly surfaced allega- said that “it has come to tails about what they con-
tions he said an unnamed our attention” that the bu- tend are “highly credible
whistleblower made to reau has such a document unclassified whistleblower
Congress. that “describes an alleged disclosures.”
The White House said it criminal scheme” involving Comer and Grassley said
was the latest example in Biden and a foreign na- those “disclosures” de-
the yearslong series of “un- tional “relating to the ex- mand further investigation,
founded, unproven” po- change of money for pol- and they want to know FBI Director Christopher Wray testifies before the House
litical attacks against Biden icy decisions” when Biden whether the FBI investigat- Appropriations subcommittee Commerce, Justice, Science,
by Republicans “floating was vice president and in- ed and, if so, what agents and Related Agencies budget hearing for Fiscal Year 2024, on
anonymous innuendo.” cludes “a precise descrip- found.q Capitol Hill in Washington, Thursday, April 27, 2023.
Kentucky Rep. James Com- tion” about it. Associated Press