Trump thanks N Korea’s Kim for handing over war remains’ Agencies

Honolulu : The US military is beginning the painstaking process of analysing remains from the Korean War now that they are back on American soil after having been handed over by North Korea last week.

Vice President Mike Pence and the top commander of US forces in Asia, Adm Phil Davidson, received the remains contained in 55 caskets during an emotional and solemn ceremony on Wednesday after the caskets arrived by military cargo jets from South Korea.

“They were husbands and fathers, brothers and neighbors — long gone, but never lost to the memory of their loved ones,” Pence said during the ceremony at a military base in Hawaii.

The homecoming comes 65 years after an armistice ended the conflict and after President Trump received a commitment from North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, at their June summit in Singapore, for their return.

Trump, in a tweet on Wednesday night, thanked Kim “for keeping your word & starting the process of sending home the remains of our great and beloved missing fallen! I am not at all surprised that you took this kind action.”

Each container was covered in an American flag and carried off the aircraft by one Marine, one sailor, one soldier and one airman.

The troops carefully set each box on risers inside a hangar as Pence stood watching with his hand over his heart. Davidson saluted. Some of the invited guests wiped tears from their eyes during the procession.

The homecoming comes 65 years after an armistice ended the conflict and weeks after Trump received a commitment from North Korean leader Kim Jong Un for their return.

US waives India from CAATSA

The US Congress passed the conference report on National Defence Authorisation Act-2019, which paves the way for waiver to India from punitive Countering America’s Adversaries Through Sanctions Act or CAATSA, under which sanctions kick off on countries that purchase significant military equipment from Russia. The Senate passed the John McCain National Defence Authorisation Act for Fiscal Year 2019.

Senate caps US aid to Pak to $150mn

The Act-2019 (NDAA-19) which capped its security-related aid to Pakistan to $150 million, significantly below the historic level of more than $1 billion to $750 million per year. This year’s defence legislation, however, removes certain conditions – like action against Haqqani network or LeT – as was the case in the past few years for disbursement of US aid to Pakistan.                  —Agencies