Israel's Gantz to talk defense in U.S.
JERUSALEM -- Israeli Defense Minister Benny Gantz headed to Washington on Monday for talks with his U.S. counterpart on maintaining Israel's qualitative military edge in the Middle East after its historic normalization agreement with the United Arab Emirates.
Since the agreement was announced last month, the UAE has made no secret about its desire to acquire F-35 warplanes and other advanced U.S.-made weaponry. Israel is the only U.S. ally in the Middle East to possess the stealth fighter jet.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu initially said he opposed the sale of the planes to any other nation in the region, even an Arab country at peace with Israel. But he has softened his line, signaling he will trust the U.S. to honor its commitment to ensure Israel's military edge in the region, even if the UAE obtains F-35s.
Gantz's office said he would meet with U.S. Defense Secretary Mark Esper and other top Pentagon officials. It said the trip would include "meetings to discuss maintaining Israel's qualitative edge, international policy vis-a-vis Iran and strategy for stopping its expansion and entrenchment in the Middle East, as well as discussion on defense cooperation and procurement."
Gantz, a former chief of staff of the Israeli military, has had cool relations with Netanyahu since the rivals formed their coalition government in May. Gantz was not informed about the deal with the UAE until after it was reached.
Will serve as Mali VP, junta leader says
BAMAKO, Mali -- The head of Mali's military junta said Monday that he will serve as the vice president in a transitional government that is supposed to bring about a return to democracy, more than a month after he led a coup to overthrow the president.
The move announced by Col. Assimi Goita on state television may be rejected by the international community, which has called for civilian leadership during the political transition and for the junta to be dissolved.
Goita said retired Col. Maj. Bah N'Daw, 70, a former defense minister, has been named president of the transitional government, which is to be inaugurated Friday. Both positions were chosen by a transition committee selected by the junta that included its members and representatives of political parties, civil and religious groups.
The 15-nation West African region bloc known as ECOWAS had demanded that the president and prime minister in any transitional government must be civilians. It was not immediately clear whether they would accept Goita as vice president.
Already the regional group has closed borders to Mali and stopped financial flows to the country in the wake of the coup. It was not immediately clear what additional actions ECOWAS may take after Monday's announcement.
Palestinian exile's backers said jailed
RAMALLAH, West Bank -- Palestinian security forces have detained dozens of supporters of a rival to President Mahmoud Abbas who is based in the United Arab Emirates, his political group said Monday.
Mohammed Dahlan, a former senior Palestinian official who was banished from the West Bank in 2010 after a falling-out with Abbas, has denied any role in the UAE's agreement to normalize ties with Israel, which most Palestinians view as a betrayal of their cause.
Dahlan's political movement said in a statement that dozens of its members have been detained or summoned for questioning by Palestinian security forces in the West Bank in recent days, calling it a "stark violation of the law."
Palestinian security officials declined to comment.
Dahlan, a former security chief in Gaza, has long been seen as a potential successor to the 84-year-old Abbas. In exile, Dahlan has cultivated close ties with Egypt and the UAE, where he is based.
His forces battled the Islamic militant group Hamas in the months before it seized power in Gaza in 2007, but in recent years he has worked with Hamas to provide aid to the territory, which has been under an Israeli-Egyptian blockade since the takeover.
Japan premier, Trump discuss alliance
TOKYO -- Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga held his first talks with President Donald Trump since he took office, a diplomatic phone call that was one of his first as the country's leader and one that highlights the close tie between the allies.
Suga was elected last Wednesday, replacing Shinzo Abe, who forged close personal ties and regularly held meetings and phone calls with Trump. Abe stepped down due to ill health after nearly eight years in office.
"I told him that the Japan-U.S. alliance is the foundation of regional peace and stability, and we agreed to continue to coordinate closely," Suga told reporters late Sunday after the call with Trump.
Suga said Trump also said he wanted to further develop the alliance together.
He said the leaders agreed to cooperate in the fight against the coronavirus and on North Korea's missile and nuclear threats.
-- Compiled by Democrat-Gazette staff from wire reports