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Army private who fled to North Korea charged with desertion, held by US military, officials tell AP_我的网站

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A | US President Joe Biden is expected in the Palestinian Authority later this month, where he will meet a number of senior officials, including the PNA's president Mahmoud Abbas.,In recent months, officials in Ramallah have grown increasingly frustrated with the Biden administration, because of its inability to deliver promises made to the Palestinians during his pre-election campaign.,Broken Promises?,Palestinians had expected that Biden would open a consulate in East Jerusalem to compensate them for moving the US embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem in 2018. That, however, didn't happen, something that served to strengthen the Palestinians' anger.,They also hoped he would renew the operation of the Palestinian Liberation Organisation's office in Washington that was shut down under Donald Trump. And they anticipated that the new boss in DC would unlock much-needed funds to the Palestinians after their budget was significantly trimmed in 2018.,"In his visit, Joe Biden is not going to deal with the most acute issues that have been bothering the Palestinians," says Hani Al Masri, a Ramallah-based political analyst. "They will not talk about freezing Israel's settlement activity. Nor will they focus on Israel's attacks on worshippers, or their arrests and assassinations. They will only speak about how to make sure Abbas survives and remains in his seat.",Abbas has become increasingly unpopular with the general public in the Palestinian territories. According to a recent poll, conducted by the Palestinian Center for Policy and Survey Research, more than 70 percent of Palestinians would like Abbas to resign, and 84 percent believed his government was corrupt.,But so far as Washington is concerned, says Al Masri, it is vital Abbas remains in position as he adheres to the security cooperation with Israel and is opposed to Hamas and this is why Washington would like to see him stay put, the analyst argues.,Shifting Interests,However, there's another reason Washington supports Abbas - America's domestic policy and its national interests.,"Right now, there are many other issues that occupy decision makers in Washington ahead of their mid-terms in November. One of them is Ukraine. Another one is their struggle to replace Russian energy. A third is the Iranian nuclear file. They have no room for any Israeli-Palestinian peace process," explains Al Masri.,Israel, for its part, doesn't seem interested in a peace process either. Although Prime Minister Yair Lapid, during his first official trip to France, said he would be willing to meet Abbas, such a meeting has not been scheduled. For the next three months, the Jewish state's interim PM will be busy with his pre-election campaign. A regulation of the conflict with the Palestinians will not be a priority for him.,US Embassy in Jerusalem Calls For Calm Following Clashes Between Israelis and Palestinians15 April, 14:47 GMT,Americans, Al Masri reckons, understand this and this is why they will not apply pressure to Israel preferring rather to retain the status quo. At the same time, those in Washington who want to present themselves as supporters of the Palestinians will ask officials in Jerusalem to make certain concessions.,Those are likely to include additional work permits to Gazans or removing some restrictions on worshippers, who pray at the Al Aqsa mosque in East Jerusalem. "Anything major is out of question," Al Masri declares.,"At present, what we can expect is only small and rather insignificant steps. Biden's trip will not bring a breakthrough. It is not in the interests of any side."。 WASHINGTON -- An Army private who fled to North Korea before being returned home to the United States last month has been detained by the U.S. military, two officials said Thursday night, and is facing charges including desertion and possessing sexual images of a child.The eight counts against Pvt. Travis King are detailed in a charging document seen by The Associated Press. The officials who confirmed King's confinement spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because the charges have not been publicly announced.King's mother, Claudine Gates, said in a statement that she loved her son “unconditionally” and was “extremely concerned about his mental health.”“As his mother, I ask that my son be afforded the presumption of innocence,” she said.Desertion is a very serious charge and can result in imprisonment for as much as three years. King is also accused of kicking and punching other officers last year, unlawfully possessing alcohol, making a false statement and possessing a video of a child engaged in sexual activity. That allegation dates to July 10, the same day he was released from a South Korean prison where he had served nearly two months on assault charges.One week later, King, 23, ran across the heavily fortified border from South Korea and became the first American detained in North Korea in nearly five years. He was set to be sent to Fort Bliss, Texas, where he could have faced potential additional disciplinary actions and discharge.Officials said King was taken to the airport and escorted as far as customs. But instead of getting on the plane, he left and later joined a civilian tour of the Korean border village of Panmunjom. He ran across the border, which is lined with guards and often crowded with tourists, in the afternoon. After about two months, Pyongyang abruptly announced that it would expel him. He was flown on Sept. 28 to an Air Force base in Texas.His release from North Korea was aided by Swedish officials who took King to the Chinese border, where he was met by U.S. Ambassador to China Nicholas Burns, the Swedish ambassador to China and at least one U.S. Defense Department official. He was then flown to a U.S. military base in South Korea before heading to the U.S.Once back in the U.S., King was taken to Brooke Army Medical Center at Fort Sam Houston outside San Antonio. He went through what the military describes as a “reintegration” process that included medical exams, psychological assessments and debriefings. And he was also allowed to meet with family.Because he had willingly run into enemy hands, he legally was kept in military custody throughout that process.At the time, officials said they did not know exactly why North Korea decided to let King go, but suspected Pyongyang determined that as a low-ranking serviceman he had no real value in terms of either leverage or information. King joined the Army in January 2021, and served as a cavalry scout.While he was gone, Army leaders declared him absent without leave, opting to not consider him a deserter, which is far more serious. By declaring King a deserter, the Army would have to conclude that King left and intended to stay away permanently. In times of war, desertion can carry the death penalty.Service members can go AWOL for several days, but may return voluntarily. The punishment can include confinement in the brig, forfeiture of pay or dishonorable discharge and it is largely based on how long they were away and whether they were apprehended or returned on their own.The charging document does not provide significant detail on any of the allegations, though it does accuse King of knowingly possessing a video of a child engaging in sexual conduct last July 10 and says that he solicited a user of Snapchat, a social media platform, to produce images of underage sexual activity.Sean Timmons, an attorney who specializes in military law at the Tully Rinckey law firm and who reviewed the charging document, said all the transactions that occurred on Snapchat were not secure or private and were accessible by the government. “He probably reasonably believed his illegal conduct would have no evidentiary trail, but Snapchat actually saves everything,” Timmons said.___Associated Press writer Tara Copp in Washington contributed to this report.。