The Trump administration’s national security lapse in mistakenly revealing US plans to bomb Yemen’s Houthi rebels is still making waves in Washington but there is something in the background that’s even more damaging than the carelessness of the events themselves – it is the tolerance for lying and disinformation in public life and an accompanying failure to hold anyone to account.
The sequence of events involving the Signal chat group is now well-known and remains profoundly embarrassing for all involved – but every one of them is still in place. Incompetence goes unpunished, even as the world knows that the chat group mistakenly included the editor-in-chief of The Atlantic magazine, Jeffrey Goldberg. He – along with the others who have security clearance – received war plans about air strikes in Yemen.
The extraordinary carelessness of all this is bad enough. So is the refusal – so far at least – of anyone to resign, to be fired or even to appear especially contrite. The key players have publicly been combative and unrepentant – and that’s the problem. Behind this story is the mindset of those involved, and in some cases that mindset is to say things that do not fit the facts and demonstrate a lack of remorse that makes it difficult to know what to believe and who to trust in future.
A quick recap reveals why shading the truth is so damaging. As the world now knows, Pete Hegseth, the US Secretary of Defence, sent details of the Yemen bombing mission to the Signal group. This group had been set up by US National Security Adviser Mike Waltz and mistakenly included Goldberg, who broke the story. There are now reports in German newspaper Der Spiegel that their journalists have found more online personal data, contact information and even the passwords of some members of this top-tier, high-security group. The blunt rudeness shown by Vice President JD Vance towards America’s European allies has also been widely reported.
But it is the Trump administration’s misinformation and refusal to face the facts that may ultimately prove to be the most damaging consequence of this fiasco. If top government officials do not engage properly with the truth, then it is difficult – even for those of us who admire the US – to trust their accounts in the future.
Of course, none of us is perfect. We all sometimes make embarrassing mistakes. I recall a colleague who once wrote an online message critical of her boss. In her anger, she mistakenly sent the email not to a friend but to the manager she was criticising. Oops. It was all hugely embarrassing and she apologised, but making mistakes and owning up to them is how grown-ups in functioning organisations work.
The Trump administration, as we are witnessing, appears to act differently. Instead of apologies and resignations, the result has been – to put it bluntly – denial and aggression. There was the immediate denial that US national security had somehow been jeopardised by the Signal group’s loose talk. Then there was a denial that any of this extraordinary breach was a big deal. This was followed by a systematic attack on the motives and supposed bias of all those – especially Goldberg – who simply pointed out an astonishing failure of common sense from some of those entrusted with the defence and security of 380 million Americans.
It is the Trump administration’s misinformation and refusal to face the facts that may ultimately prove to be the most damaging consequence of this fiasco
Donald Trump Jr., for example, used Elon Musk’s X platform to ask: “Why doesn’t Jeffrey Goldberg disclose to readers in his stories that he is a registered Democrat. His wife also worked for Hillary Clinton and has donated nearly $25k to Democrats.” All of that may be true, but so what? You can be sure Goldberg or any self-respecting editor would have published the story if it had happened to Democratic president Joe Biden too. Besides, surely inviting a supposed political opponent into a secret chat group makes the Trump administration seem even more ridiculous?
Then there was the denial that the security lapse was all that serious. Goldberg published the initial story under the headline “The Trump administration accidentally texted me its war plans.” He carefully wrote his story to avoid quoting specific details about military operations, the timing of the attacks and the US military hardware involved. But Mr Hegseth shot back that “nobody was texting war plans”. Tulsi Gabbard, Donald Trump’s Director of National Intelligence, told the Senate Intelligence Committee that she did not remember specific weapons being mentioned. White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said the story was a “hoax” from a “Trump hater”. Goldberg then published details showing that these were indeed war plans mentioning specific weapons and timings of the strike.
We can understand the embarrassment and the anger among the Trump team, but it is the failure of anyone to be held accountable and the denial of facts that are the most troubling. This suggests significant problems for the future. Shooting the messenger rather than addressing the message reveals deep flaws at the heart of the Trump administration is a sign of serious trouble ahead.
The specs: 2018 Nissan 370Z Nismo
The specs: 2018 Nissan 370Z Nismo
Price, base / as tested: Dh182,178
Engine: 3.7-litre V6
Power: 350hp @ 7,400rpm
Torque: 374Nm @ 5,200rpm
Transmission: Seven-speed automatic
Fuel consumption, combined: 10.5L / 100km
The specs
Engine: 4.0-litre flat-six
Torque: 450Nm at 6,100rpm
Transmission: 7-speed PDK auto or 6-speed manual
Fuel economy, combined: 13.8L/100km
On sale: Available to order now
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
UPI facts
More than 2.2 million Indian tourists arrived in UAE in 2023
More than 3.5 million Indians reside in UAE
Indian tourists can make purchases in UAE using rupee accounts in India through QR-code-based UPI real-time payment systems
Indian residents in UAE can use their non-resident NRO and NRE accounts held in Indian banks linked to a UAE mobile number for UPI transactions
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Key features of new policy
Pupils to learn coding and other vocational skills from Grade 6
Exams to test critical thinking and application of knowledge
A new National Assessment Centre, PARAKH (Performance, Assessment, Review and Analysis for Holistic Development) will form the standard for schools
Schools to implement online system to encouraging transparency and accountability
'Peninsula'
Stars: Gang Dong-won, Lee Jung-hyun, Lee Ra
Director: Yeon Sang-ho
Rating: 2/5
MOUNTAINHEAD REVIEW
Starring: Ramy Youssef, Steve Carell, Jason Schwartzman
Director: Jesse Armstrong
Rating: 3.5/5
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Zayed Sustainability Prize
Zayed Sustainability Prize
Porsche Macan T: The Specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4-cyl turbo
Power: 265hp from 5,000-6,500rpm
Torque: 400Nm from 1,800-4,500rpm
Transmission: 7-speed dual-clutch auto
Speed: 0-100kph in 6.2sec
Top speed: 232kph
Fuel consumption: 10.7L/100km
On sale: May or June
Price: From Dh259,900
The five pillars of Islam
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Match info
Deccan Gladiators 87-8
Asif Khan 25, Dwayne Bravo 2-16
Maratha Arabians 89-2
Chadwick Walton 51 not out
Arabians won the final by eight wickets
The specs
Engine: Four electric motors, one at each wheel
Power: 579hp
Torque: 859Nm
Transmission: Single-speed automatic
Price: From Dh825,900
On sale: Now
COMPANY PROFILE
Founders: Alhaan Ahmed, Alyina Ahmed and Maximo Tettamanzi
Total funding: Self funded
The five pillars of Islam
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Founders: Ines Mena, Claudia Ribas, Simona Agolini, Nourhan Hassan and Therese Hundt
Date started: January 2017, app launched November 2017
Based: Dubai, UAE
Sector: Private/Retail/Leisure
Number of Employees: 18 employees, including full-time and flexible workers
Funding stage and size: Seed round completed Q4 2019 - $1m raised
Funders: Oman Technology Fund, 500 Startups, Vision Ventures, Seedstars, Mindshift Capital, Delta Partners Ventures, with support from the OQAL Angel Investor Network and UAE Business Angels
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Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
The burning issue
The internal combustion engine is facing a watershed moment – major manufacturer Volvo is to stop producing petroleum-powered vehicles by 2021 and countries in Europe, including the UK, have vowed to ban their sale before 2040. The National takes a look at the story of one of the most successful technologies of the last 100 years and how it has impacted life in the UAE.
Read part four: an affection for classic cars lives on
Read part three: the age of the electric vehicle begins
Read part one: how cars came to the UAE
if you go
The flights
Etihad and Emirates fly direct from the UAE to Seoul from Dh3,775 return, including taxes
The package
Ski Safari offers a seven-night ski package to Korea, including five nights at the Dragon Valley Hotel in Yongpyong and two nights at Seoul CenterMark hotel, from £720 (Dh3,488) per person, including transfers, based on two travelling in January
The info
Visit www.gokorea.co.uk
KILLING OF QASSEM SULEIMANI
The five pillars of Islam
Zayed Sustainability Prize
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About Karol Nawrocki
• Supports military aid for Ukraine, unlike other eurosceptic leaders, but he will oppose its membership in western alliances.
• A nationalist, his campaign slogan was Poland First. "Let's help others, but let's take care of our own citizens first," he said on social media in April.
• Cultivates tough-guy image, posting videos of himself at shooting ranges and in boxing rings.
• Met Donald Trump at the White House and received his backing.
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David Haye record
Total fights: 32
Wins: 28
Wins by KO: 26
Losses: 4
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Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
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Cricket World Cup League Two
Teams
Oman, UAE, Namibia
Al Amerat, Muscat
Results
Oman beat UAE by five wickets
UAE beat Namibia by eight runs
Namibia beat Oman by 52 runs
UAE beat Namibia by eight wickets
Fixtures
Saturday January 11 - UAE v Oman
Sunday January 12 – Oman v Namibia
The years Ramadan fell in May
Saudi Cup race day
Schedule in UAE time
5pm: Mohamed Yousuf Naghi Motors Cup (Turf), 5.35pm: 1351 Cup (T), 6.10pm: Longines Turf Handicap (T), 6.45pm: Obaiya Arabian Classic for Purebred Arabians (Dirt), 7.30pm: Jockey Club Handicap (D), 8.10pm: Samba Saudi Derby (D), 8.50pm: Saudia Sprint (D), 9.40pm: Saudi Cup (D)
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GAC GS8 Specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo
Power: 248hp at 5,200rpm
Torque: 400Nm at 1,750-4,000rpm
Transmission: 8-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 9.1L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh149,900
BMW M5 specs
Engine: 4.4-litre twin-turbo V-8 petrol enging with additional electric motor
Power: 727hp
Torque: 1,000Nm
Transmission: 8-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 10.6L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh650,000
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Europe wide
Some of French groups are threatening Friday to continue their journey to Brussels, the capital of Belgium and the European Union, and to meet up with drivers from other countries on Monday.
Belgian authorities joined French police in banning the threatened blockade. A similar lorry cavalcade was planned for Friday in Vienna but cancelled after authorities prohibited it.
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Countdown to Zero exhibition will show how disease can be beaten
Countdown to Zero: Defeating Disease, an international multimedia exhibition created by the American Museum of National History in collaboration with The Carter Center, will open in Abu Dhabi a month before Reaching the Last Mile.
Opening on October 15 and running until November 15, the free exhibition opens at The Galleria mall on Al Maryah Island, and has already been seen at the Jimmy Carter Presidential Library and Museum in Atlanta, the American Museum of Natural History in New York, and the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine.
