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U.S. Vice President Mike Pence paid a somber visit to the site of the Dachau concentration camp on Sunday, walking along the grounds where tens of thousands of people were killed during World War II. (Feb. 19)

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Raw: VP Mike Pence Visits Dachau - Iosco County News Herald

Vice President Mike Pence, along with second lady Karen Pence and their eldest daughter Charlotte, visited a Nazi concentration camp Sunday near Munich, Germany.

They were met by Karl Freller, the director of the Foundation of Bavarian Memorial Sites. They were also joined by a survivor of the camp, Abba Naor, a Jewish Lithuanian who today lives in Israel.

The Pences walked around the camp, touring various areas, including the prison yard. They also spent time in a building which contains exhibits about the Nazis. They stood before a large map showing the network of camps around Germany and Nazi-occupied countries elsewhere in Europe.

Naor spoke to the vice president about conditions at Dachau, which opened in March 1933 and was liberated by American forces in April 1945.

Of the camp's liberation by American troops, he said, "One morning, they came," he said. "Strange faces."

The Pences visited another room that housed examples of Nazi propaganda.

Outside, the Pences spent time looking at the International Monument, a sculpture made of dark bronze designed by Nandor Glid in 1997. It features short strands of barbed wire on which skeletons are hanging with their heads dangling sharply. On either side of the sculpture are concrete fence posts which closely resemble the ones actually used to support the barbed wire fence around the camp.

Below the monument on a stone wall are bronze numbers denoting the dates the camp operated, 1933-1945.

The vice president and second lady placed a wreath of white flowers in front of the wall. They stood for a moment in silence and then walked back toward the center of the yard.

They also visited the Jewish Memorial, situated near the prison fence. The structure is built from basalt lava and features a sloping ramp down to an underground prayer room. The roof is also sloped upward and a stone menorah sits on the building's apex.

Pence spoke for a while with Charlotte Knobloch and Karin Offmann from the Bavarian Jewish Council. The group descended the ramp down to the prayer room -- which was lit with candles -- and observed a moment of silence. They later visited the camp's crematorium.

According to the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum, the number of prisoners incarcerated in Dachau between 1933 and 1945 exceeded 188,000. The number of prisoners who died in the camp and the subcamps between January 1940 and May 1945 was at least 28,000, to which must be added those who perished there between 1933 and the end of 1939, as well as an uncounted number of unregistered prisoners.

It is unlikely that the total number of victims who died in Dachau will ever be known, according to the museum.

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Mike Pence, family visit Nazi concentration camp in Germany - ABC News

Vice President Mike Pence arrives for a news conference with President Donald Trump, Thursday, Feb. 16, 2017, in the East Room of the White House in Washington. Andrew HarnikAP

WASHINGTON (AP) Making his debut on the world stage, Vice President Mike Pence will seek to reassure skeptical allies in Europe about U.S. foreign policy under President Donald Trump, who has made his "America First" mantra a centerpiece of his new administration.

Pence's trip to Germany and Belgium, his first overseas trip as vice president, is aimed at reassuring European and Middle Eastern partners about the U.S. commitment to trans-Atlantic institutions like NATO and the European Union, White House advisers said ahead of the trip. The visit comes amid concerns in Europe about Russian aggression, and lingering questions about Trump's relationship with Russian President Vladimir Putin and whether the new president may promote isolationist tendencies.

The dismissal of Trump's national security adviser, retired Gen. Michael Flynn, has also put Pence and his stature within the administration under new scrutiny. Flynn was forced to resign Monday following reports he misled Pence about contacts with a Russian diplomat, which the vice president learned about through media accounts.

Pence was arriving in Germany on Friday to attend the Munich Security Conference, where he will deliver a speech Saturday and then meet with German Chancellor Angela Merkel. Pence is also scheduled to sit down with the leaders of the Baltic States of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania and Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko countries facing the threat of Russian aggression along with Turkish Prime Minister Binali Yildirim.

"These are pretty blunt-spoken people and they are very nervous. Pence is looking like an adult," said James Jeffrey, a U.S. ambassador to Iraq during the Obama administration and a distinguished fellow at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy. "The question is will Trump listen to him?"

Pence was also expected to meet with the leaders of Iraq and Afghanistan, where the U.S. is embroiled in two separate wars. In the earliest days of his presidency, Trump declared his intention to fight and defeat the Islamic State group. But he also remarked that the U.S. may get a second chance to take Iraqi oil as compensation for its efforts in the war-torn country, a notion rebuffed by Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi, who will be meeting with Pence.

Trump's immigration and refugee ban has also ruffled feathers with a number of Muslim-majority countries affected by the order currently tied up in court, including Iraq a close ally in the fight against IS.

The American allies will be seeking clues from Pence as to how the Trump administration plans to deal with Russia in the aftermath of Flynn's departure, U.S. inquiries into Russia's involvement in the presidential election and Trump's past praise for Putin.

European countries along Russia's border were rattled about deeper U.S.-Russian ties after Trump suggested sanctions imposed after Russia's annexation of Crimea could be eased in exchange for a nuclear weapons deal and the president referred to NATO as "obsolete" in an interview before his inauguration.

NATO, or the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, is a military alliance of European and North American democracies created after World War II to strengthen international cooperation as a counter-balance to the rise of the Soviet Union. In 2014, the 28-member alliance created a rapid-reaction force to protect the most vulnerable NATO members against a confrontation with Russia.

But Trump cast doubt as a candidate about whether the U.S. might fulfill its NATO obligations if he won the White House, saying in a July interview that he would decide whether to protect the Baltic republics against Russian aggression based on whether those countries "have fulfilled their obligations to us."

Pence will travel to Brussels, Belgium, on Sunday for meetings related to NATO and the European Union. His Monday itinerary includes face-to-face meetings with EU Council President Donald Tusk, EU Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker and NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg.

As part of his message, Pence is expected to press allies in Europe to raise their defense budgets to NATO's target of 2 percent of GDP. Germany has been wary of the costs and pointed to its expenditures from supporting refugees and investing in international development.

As Indiana's governor, Pence led a number of foreign trade missions, and he traveled to Iraq and Afghanistan as a member of Congress. But he is just beginning his relationships with foreign leaders and aides said the trip was also aimed at establishing personal relationships with U.S. partners.

"There's considerable concern, but because they don't know (Pence) they're willing to give him a chance," said Julianne Smith, a former deputy national security adviser to Vice President Joe Biden. "This is the opportunity for the administration to reassure very skittish allies across the European continent and beyond."

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Associated Press writer Vivian Salama contributed to this report.

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Mike Pence Hopes to Reassure Skeptical Allies Over Trump, Putin and the US Commitment to Europe - TIME

While President Donald Trump escapes his tumultuous White House for a campaign rally in Florida today, Republicans in Washington must be wondering how they can get rid of this guy.

The quicker Mike Pence takes the oath of office, the better!

It's not that anyone should be surprised. I mean, the Donald Trump in the White House is the same Donald Trump everyone saw during the campaign. Did they really believe he would pivot into, well, a president?

Yet, it's probably worse that most people thought.

You know what's happening. And where it's going isn't good. Trump's chances of holding office for a full term seem to be diminishing.

If he resigns, it would be much less damaging to Republicans for it to happen sooner rather than later. The longer Republicans appear to support him, the more tainted they become.

If Pence becomes president this year, he'll have plenty of time to establish a normal administration and to disassociate himself from Trump by 2020.

He won't have instant credibility, of course. After all, he bought into the Trump candidacy and has been a loyal vice president so far despite how ill-served he's been by his boss.

Remember, Trump fired National Security Adviser Mike Flynn Monday, supposedly for lying to Pence about his conversations with the Russian ambassador. Yet Trump was told Jan. 26 about Flynn's talks ... but never let Pence in on it. So, Flynn was sacked for lying to Pence while Trump merely withheld the truth from Pence. Yeah, not much of a difference. Pence should be ticked off about the whole deal.

Pence ought to quit, except ... he might be president in the near future.

For the sake of our country, let's hope he doesn't have to wait.

Continued here:
President Mike Pence ... soon? - Greensboro News & Record (blog)

MUNICH -- Vice President Mike Pence vowed Saturday that the United States will hold Russia accountable even as President Trump searches for new common ground with Moscow at the start of his presidency.

Pence, in an address to the Munich Security Conference, also offered assurances to European allies that the U.S. strongly supports NATO. He said the U.S. would be unwavering in its commitment to trans-Atlantic institutions like NATO.

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In his first overseas trip as vice president, Pence sought to calm nervous European allies who remain concerned about Russian aggression and have been alarmed by Mr. Trumps positive statements about Russian President Vladimir Putin. The address to foreign diplomats and security officials also sought to reassure international partners who worry that Mr. Trump may pursue isolationist tendencies.

Pence said the U.S. would demand that Russia honor a 2015 peace deal agreed upon in Minsk, Belarus, to end violence in eastern Ukraine between government forces and Russia-backed separatists.

Know this: The United States will continue to hold Russia accountable, even as we search for new common ground which as you know President Trump believes can be found, Pence said.

Pence met afterward with German Chancellor Angela Merkel, who addressed the conference just before the vice president. Merkel stressed the need to maintain international alliances and told the audience, with Pence seated a few feet away, that NATO is in the American interest.

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President Trump's travel ban has driven a wedge between him and European allies, along with his skepticism of NATO and the EU. The fear in Europe...

European countries along Russias border are rattled by the prospect of deeper U.S.-Russia ties after Mr. Trump suggested sanctions imposed after Russias annexation of Crimea could be eased in exchange for a nuclear weapons deal, and after the president referred to NATO as obsolete in an interview before his inauguration. Mr. Trump has since tempered his language, stressing the importance of the NATO alliance during his telephone conversations with foreign leaders.

Pence also scheduled meetings Saturday with the leaders of the Baltic States of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania, and with Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko - countries dealing with the threat of Russian incursion. Pence also planned to meet with Turkish Prime Minister Binali Yildirim.

The visit, which includes a stop in Brussels on Sunday and Monday, comes amid worries in Europe about Russian aggression, Mr. Trumps relationship with Putin and whether the new president may promote isolationist tendencies through his America First mantra.

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The vice president has sent reassuring messages through his own engagement but that hasnt been enough to dispel the concerns that you see in many parts of Europe, says Jeff Rathke, a senior fellow with the Center for Strategic and International Studies. There are such grave challenges that the U.S. and Europe faces that it only heightens the desire for additional clarity from Washington.

Pences stature within the administration was also under scrutiny because of the recent dismissal of Mr. Trumps national security adviser, retired Gen. Michael Flynn. Flynn was forced to resign Monday following reports he misled Pence about contacts with a Russian diplomat. The vice president learned that he had been misled through media accounts about two weeks after the president was informed.

After Flynns ouster, Mr. Trump has had trouble finding a replacement. Retired Vice Adm. Robert Harward turned down the post after the White House rejected Harwards request to hire his own staff, CBS News chief White House correspondent Major Garrett reported this week.

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CBS News has learned former CIA Director David Petraeus is no longer being considered for the position. One other candidate is Mr. Trumps acting National Security Adviser Keith Kellogg.

On Saturday, Mr. Trump was focused on his thank you rally in Melbourne, Florida, some three months after the election, CBS News correspondent Manuel Bojorquez reports. He said the crowds are expected to be massive.

Pence is also expected to meet with the leaders of Iraq and Afghanistan, where the U.S. is embroiled in two separate wars. Mr. Trump has made clear his intention to defeat the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria, or ISIS. But he also said the U.S. may get a second chance to take Iraqi oil as compensation for its efforts in the war-torn country, a notion rebuffed by Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi, who will be meeting with the vice president.

Mr. Trumps immigration and refugee ban has ruffled feathers with a number of Muslim-majority countries affected by the order currently tied up in court, including Iraq - a close ally in the fight against ISIS.

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During his news conference this week, President Trump blamed what he described as a "bad decision" and a "bad court" for blocking his controversi...

In Munich, the American allies were searching for clues from Pence as to how the Trump administration plans to deal with Russia in the aftermath of Flynns departure, U.S. inquiries into Russias involvement in the presidential election and Mr. Trumps past praise for Putin.

In his remarks, Pence also reinforced the Trump administrations message that NATO members must spend more on defense.

NATOs 28-member countries committed in 2014 to spending 2 percent of their gross domestic product on defense within a decade. But only the U.S. and four other members of the post-World War II military coalition are meeting the standard, Pence said.

Failure to meet the commitment, he said, erodes the very foundation of our alliance.

Let me be clear on this point: The president of the United States expects our allies to keep their word, to fulfill this commitment and, for most, that means the time has come to do more, Pence said.

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Mike Pence promises to hold Russia accountable - CBS News