Trump Eyes Former Institute of Peace Building for Peace HQ
- WASHINGTON (AP) - The Trump administration is considering basing the newly formed Board of peace - linked to the Gaza ceasefire and broader international goals - in the...
- The building's status is currently tied up in litigation brought by former employees and executives of the U.S.
- "A stay is not permission for the loser of a case to hijack the property of the winning party," said George Foote, counsel for former USIP leadership and...
Trump Administration Considers Housing Gaza Peace Board in Disputed U.S. Institute of Peace Building
WASHINGTON (AP) - The Trump administration is considering basing the newly formed Board of peace – linked to the Gaza ceasefire and broader international goals – in the Washington building formerly occupied by the U.S. institute of Peace, according to four administration officials. The officials, speaking on the condition of anonymity Thursday, emphasized that a final decision regarding the board’s administrative staff location hasn’t been made.
The building’s status is currently tied up in litigation brought by former employees and executives of the U.S. Institute of Peace after the administration seized the facility last year and dismissed most of its staff. It has been renamed the Donald J. Trump U.S. Institute of Peace, but that change remains legally contested.
“A stay is not permission for the loser of a case to hijack the property of the winning party,” said George Foote, counsel for former USIP leadership and staff. “The government does not have a license to rename the USIP headquarters building or lease it out for ten years. It certainly has no right to open the building to a new international institution like the proposed Board of Peace.”
Rumors about using the building for the Board of Peace surfaced after the administration used the board’s logo superimposed on an image of the U.S. Institute of Peace building and its distinctive dome.
Trump unveiled the Board of Peace last week at the World economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland. The board currently comprises 27 “founding members” – world leaders tasked with overseeing Trump’s Gaza ceasefire plan.
However, Trump appears to have larger ambitions for the board, with its charter outlining plans to address and resolve other global conflicts. Several of America’s key allies have declined to join, suspecting it might potentially be an attempt to compete with the U.N. Security Council.
WATCH: Trump introduces Gaza ‘Board of Peace’ at Davos forum