Ben Rhodes

WASHINGTON, DC - In a congressional hearing on NATO this past Tuesday, Damon Wilson, the executive vice president of the Atlantic Council, referred to NATO membership for Cyprus as a means of reunifying the country. He had earlier made a more detailed case in a piece titled "NATO Membership for Cyprus.

U.S. Barack Obama on Dec. 15 said the United States would retaliate against Russian hacking after the White House accused Russian President Vladimir Putin of direct involvement in cyberattacks designed to influence the U.S. election.

U.S. President Barack Obama will make his case directly to President-elect Donald Trump not to derail the recent U.S.-Cuba detente, the White House said on Dec. 13, insisting that "turning back the clock" would be damaging to American interests and the Cuban people. 

Outgoing US President Barack Obama is expected acknowledge the sacrifices made by the Greek people as a result of the prolonged economic crisis facing the country, during his official 2-day visit to Athens next week.

Syrian state TV said Sept. 21 that a military warplane had crashed and the pilot was rescued after carrying out a combat mission against the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) northwest of the capital, Damascus.

Republican frontrunner Donald Trump called on Dec. 7 for a "total and complete shutdown" of Muslims entering the United States, unleashing some of the most provocative and divisive remarks of his controversial presidential campaign.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has instructed Israeli officials to keep low-key about Friday's scheduled release by the United States of Israeli spy Jonathan Pollard, a cabinet minister said.

The former U.S. Navy analyst's espionage for Israel in the 1980s remains a strain on ties with Washington, and his parole terms dictate that he stay in the United States for five years. 

Barack Obama and Benjamin Netanyahu will hold a post-row summit on Nov 9, hoping a massive 10 year defense deal will help them move beyond a bitter public fight that shook a decades-old alliance.

US President Barack Obama on June 10 approved the deployment of 450 more US military trainers to Iraq, a cautious bid to reverse gains by the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) group.

U.S. President Barack Obama will meet Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi on the sidelines of a weekend Group of Seven summit in Germany, the White House said on June 7.

The meeting will allow Obama to discuss the "situation on the ground and our effort to support Iraqi forces," senior White House aide Ben Rhodes told reporters in a conference call ahead of Obama's trip.