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A2 UP FRONT
Saturday 24 February 2018
US weighs Sheldon Adelson offer to fund Jerusalem embassy

By JOSH LEDERMAN Adelson, a Las Vegas ca- letter sent to Congress, the
Associated Press sino magnate and staunch State Department said the
WASHINGTON (AP) — The Israel supporter, had of- interim facility's inaugura-
Trump administration is fered to pay the difference tion will coincide with the
considering an offer from between the total cost — 70th anniversary of Israel's
Republican mega-donor expected to run into the independence on May 14.
Sheldon Adelson to pay for hundreds of millions of dol- "It's the right thing to do,"
at least part of a new U.S. lars — and what the admin- Trump said Friday of the
embassy in Jerusalem, four istration is able to raise. embassy relocation.
U.S. officials told The Associ- Under any circumstance, Adelson’s unconventional
ated Press. letting private citizens offer, made around the
Lawyers at the State De- cover the costs of an of- time Trump announced in
partment are looking into ficial government building December that the embas-
the legality of accepting would mark a significant sy would move, would ad-
private donations to cover departure from historical dress the president’s stated
some or all of the embassy practice. In the Jerusa- distaste for shelling out eye-
costs, the officials said. The In this Sept. 26, 2016, file photo, Chief Executive of Las Vegas lem case, it would add yet popping sums for overseas
discussions are occurring as Sands Corporation Sheldon Adelson sits with his wife Miriam another layer of contro- diplomatic facilities. Al-
the administration plans a waits for the presidential debate between Democratic presi- versy to Trump's politically though Trump has promot-
ribbon-cutting for a scaled- dential nominee Hillary Clinton and then-Republican presiden- charged decision to move ed the Jerusalem move as
down, temporary embassy tial nominee Donald Trump at Hofstra University in Hempstead, the embassy, given Adel- fulfilling a key campaign
N.Y.
that will open in May — (AP Photo/Patrick Semansky) son's longstanding affilia- promise, he also was out-
more than a year ahead of tion with right-wing Israeli spoken last month in blast-
schedule. solicit contributions not only evangelical Christian and politics. ing the $1 billion price tag
In one possible scenario, from Adelson but potential- American Jewish commu- The move of the embassy for a new embassy in Lon-
the administration would ly from other donors in the nities, too. One official said from Tel Aviv to the dis- don. “This is a government
puted holy city cleared a project. It’s a government-
final bureaucratic hurdle run embassy,” Klein said. “I
this week when Secretary don’t want people to be
of State Rex Tillerson signed able to say it was Jewish
off on the security plan. In a money.”q

US tightens sanctions on

North Korean shipping

By MAT PENNINGTON ing Chinese and Russian
ZEKE MILLER business networks — it
WASHINGTON (AP) — The significantly tightens the
Trump administration es- noose on North Korean
calated pressure on North trading. Mnuchin told re-
Korea Friday by slapping porters that the U.S. has
sanctions on scores of now imposed more than
companies and ships ac- 450 sanctions against the
cused of illicit trading with North, about half of them
the pariah nation. Treasury in the last year — including
Secretary Steven Mnuchin "virtually all their ships that
said the U.S. has now black- they're using at this mo-
listed virtually all ships being ment in time."
used by the North. Trump, who has vowed to
The administration billed it use force if necessary to
as the largest installment of prevent North Korea ac-
North Korean economic re- quiring a nuclear-tipped
strictions to date as it inten- missile that could strike the
sifies its campaign of "maxi- U.S. mainland, warned that
mum pressure" to get the if sanctions don’t work, the
North to give up its nuclear U.S. would move to “phase
weapons. President Donald two” in its pressure cam-
Trump went further, declar- paign against Pyongyang.
ing in a speech Friday at He told a White House news
the Conservative Political conference that could be
Action Conference that it “very rough” and “very un-
was "the heaviest sanctions fortunate for the world.” He
ever imposed on a country did not elaborate. “It really
before." is a rogue nation,” Trump
While that claim was ques- said in reference to North
tionable — previous U.S. Korea. “If we can make a
measures have targeted deal it will be a great thing.
bigger players in the North If we can’t, something will
Korean economy, includ- have to happen.”q