The House Foreign Affairs Committee says President Joe Biden's administration declined in a closed-door briefing to give details about why Robert Malley, the US special envoy for Iran, has been placed on leave.
“They refused to provide us any significant new information, including the reason his security clearance was revoked,” a committee representative told The National.
“We plan to follow up again to get actual information very soon.”
That would be the third attempt by the Republican-controlled committee to get answers from the administration over its placing of Mr Malley on leave pending a security clearance review.
Committee chairman Michael McCaul requested the closed-door briefing with the State Department after it declined a previous inquiry about the development.
“This is a person whose mission is to negotiate with the Islamic Republic of Iran – nothing could be more serious than this,” Mr McCaul had said.
The committee representative confirmed the closed-door meeting had taken place on Friday.
Washington confirmed Mr Malley's suspension in June, right after US officials travelled to Oman to engage in indirect walks with Tehran, according to Iran’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
In a written response to Mr McCaul's first inquiry, the State Department said “the department is not in a position to provide further documents or information related to this personnel-security clearance matter”.
The letter, signed by assistant secretary for the Bureau of Legislative Affairs Naz Durakoglu, added that it was working on identifying “responsive information or records that may be appropriately provided to the committee given the sensitivity associated with that category of information”.
The House committee representative told The National the Biden administration had cited the Privacy Act in its tight-lipped response to questions over Mr Malley's leave.
The Privacy Act “prohibits the disclosure of a record about an individual from a system of records absent the written consent of the individual”, according to the Department of Justice, but has exceptions for disclosure, including to Congress.
The State Department declined to comment on the foreign affairs committee's characterisation of the meeting.
“Rob Malley remains on leave. We have nothing further to share at this time due to privacy considerations,” a department official told The National.
UK's plans to cut net migration
Under the UK government’s proposals, migrants will have to spend 10 years in the UK before being able to apply for citizenship.
Skilled worker visas will require a university degree, and there will be tighter restrictions on recruitment for jobs with skills shortages.
But what are described as "high-contributing" individuals such as doctors and nurses could be fast-tracked through the system.
Language requirements will be increased for all immigration routes to ensure a higher level of English.
Rules will also be laid out for adult dependants, meaning they will have to demonstrate a basic understanding of the language.
The plans also call for stricter tests for colleges and universities offering places to foreign students and a reduction in the time graduates can remain in the UK after their studies from two years to 18 months.
Best Foreign Language Film nominees
Capernaum (Lebanon)
Cold War (Poland)
Never Look Away (Germany)
Roma (Mexico)
Shoplifters (Japan)
FFP EXPLAINED
What is Financial Fair Play?
Introduced in 2011 by Uefa, European football’s governing body, it demands that clubs live within their means. Chiefly, spend within their income and not make substantial losses.
What the rules dictate?
The second phase of its implementation limits losses to €30 million (Dh136m) over three seasons. Extra expenditure is permitted for investment in sustainable areas (youth academies, stadium development, etc). Money provided by owners is not viewed as income. Revenue from “related parties” to those owners is assessed by Uefa's “financial control body” to be sure it is a fair value, or in line with market prices.
What are the penalties?
There are a number of punishments, including fines, a loss of prize money or having to reduce squad size for European competition – as happened to PSG in 2014. There is even the threat of a competition ban, which could in theory lead to PSG’s suspension from the Uefa Champions League.
CHELSEA SQUAD
Arrizabalaga, Bettinelli, Rudiger, Christensen, Silva, Chalobah, Sarr, Azpilicueta, James, Kenedy, Alonso, Jorginho, Kante, Kovacic, Saul, Barkley, Ziyech, Pulisic, Mount, Hudson-Odoi, Werner, Havertz, Lukaku.
THE%20HOLDOVERS
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EDirector%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EAlexander%20Payne%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarring%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Paul%20Giamatti%2C%20Da'Vine%20Joy%20Randolph%2C%20Dominic%20Sessa%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ERating%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%204.5%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Your Guide to the Home
- Level 1 has a valet service if you choose not to park in the basement level. This level houses all the kitchenware, including covetable brand French Bull, along with a wide array of outdoor furnishings, lamps and lighting solutions, textiles like curtains, towels, cushions and bedding, and plenty of other home accessories.
- Level 2 features curated inspiration zones and solutions for bedrooms, living rooms and dining spaces. This is also where you’d go to customise your sofas and beds, and pick and choose from more than a dozen mattress options.
- Level 3 features The Home’s “man cave” set-up and a display of industrial and rustic furnishings. This level also has a mother’s room, a play area for children with staff to watch over the kids, furniture for nurseries and children’s rooms, and the store’s design studio.
