By Syndicated Content
By Richard Cowan
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Democrats in the U.S. House of Representatives on Wednesday will try to advance a bill that could lead to reparations for Black Americans as part of a broader effort to address centuries of enslavement followed by modern-day institutional racism.
It faces an uphill climb in Congress, where prominent Republicans oppose the measure and none have joined the 175 Democrats who signed on as co-sponsors. Representative Jim Jordan, the senior Republican on the House Judiciary Committee that is scheduled to vote on the measure on Wednesday, intends to oppose it, an aide said.
US President Joe Biden plans to present on Wednesday the details of his plans to have all American troops out of war-torn Afghanistan by September 11 this year, the 20th anniversary of the 2001 terrorist attack on the twin towers in New York. Ahead of a formal announcement, a senior official said Biden has decided to draw down the remaining US troops from Afghanistan and finally end the US war there after 20 years. There are currently 2,500 US troops in Afghanistan. The president will deliver remarks tomorrow on the way forward in Afghanistan, including plans and timeline for withdrawing US troops in close coordination with our partners, allies and the Afghan government, also his commitment to focusing on threats and opportunities we face around the world, White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki said on Tuesday.
U S House Democrats try to advance bill that could lead to reparations for Black Americans theglobeandmail.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from theglobeandmail.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
US says troops to leave Afghanistan by September 11
US soldiers load onto a Chinook helicopter to head out on a mission in Afghanistan. File photo: US Army handout via Reuters
Reuters, Washington
Reuters, Washington
US President Joe Biden plans to withdraw the remaining 2,500 US troops from Afghanistan by September 11, 2021, 20 years to the day after the al Qaeda attacks that triggered America s longest war, US officials said on Tuesday.
The disclosure of the plan came on the same day that the US intelligence community released a gloomy outlook for Afghanistan, forecasting low chances of a peace deal this year and warning that its government would struggle to hold the Taliban insurgency at bay if the US-led coalition withdraws support.