Brief by Shorts91 Newsdesk / 01:01am on 18 May 2025,Sunday International
On May 18, 2025, the Trump administration appointed two former jihadist operatives, Ismail Royer and Shaykh Hamza Yusuf, to the White House Advisory Board of Lay Leaders, sparking major controversy. Royer was convicted in 2004 for aiding individuals to join a Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) training camp in Pakistan and engaging in terrorist activities in Kashmir; he served 13 years of a 20-year sentence. The move drew backlash from Trump ally Lara Loomer, who called it “insane.” The appointments raise serious concerns about vetting, national security, and implications for U.S.-India relations. (PC: Britannica)
