{"id":31647,"date":"2024-02-09T21:09:23","date_gmt":"2024-02-10T05:09:23","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/occupysf.net\/?p=31647"},"modified":"2024-02-09T21:09:24","modified_gmt":"2024-02-10T05:09:24","slug":"biden-memo-on-us-arms-transfers-called-too-little-too-late","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/occupysf.net\/index.php\/2024\/02\/09\/biden-memo-on-us-arms-transfers-called-too-little-too-late\/","title":{"rendered":"Biden Memo on US Arms Transfers Called ‘Too Little Too Late’"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
\"Israeli<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

An Israeli soldier grimaces under the weight of a 155mm artillery shell of the type provided in bulk by the United States in the Upper Galiliee region of northern Israel on October 18, 2023. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

(Photo: Jalaa Marey\/AFP via Getty Images)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“If existing restrictions were enforced, the U.S. would have firmly halted all offensive military support for Israel rather than continuing to fuel its devastating war,” said one group.<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

BRETT WILKINS<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Feb 09, 2024 (CommonDreams.org)<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

As U.S. arms continue to fuel Israel’s genocidal war on Gaza<\/a>, critics responded skeptically on Friday to a memo from President Joe Biden requiring human rights assurances from governments receiving American weapons, noting that the White House issued\u2014and ignored\u2014a similar directive last year.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Biden’s memo<\/a>\u2014which is modeled on an amendment proposed<\/a> by Sen. Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.)\u2014”requires the secretary of state to obtain certain credible and reliable written assurances from foreign governments receiving defense articles… and requires the secretaries of state and defense to provide periodic congressional reports to enable meaningful oversight.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“The question has always been what the administration is willing to do in practice, not in theory.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The White House said the policy is meant to “prevent arms transfers that risk facilitating or otherwise contributing to violations of human rights or international humanitarian law” and “strengthen ally and partner capacity to respect their obligations under international law and reduce the risk of civilian harm.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Referring to the far-right administration of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Van Hollen said<\/a> that “this new policy will help hold all recipients of U.S. weapons\u2014including the Netanyahu government\u2014more accountable. It’s a huge step forward in shining a light on the use of U.S. taxpayer dollars, and will have a lasting impact for years to come.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Skeptics, however, noted the yawning chasm between U.S. policy and practice. David Sirota, founder of the investigative news site The Lever<\/em>, said<\/a> on social media that “this isn’t new. This is a press release designed to distract from basically the same directive [Biden] issued less than a year ago, which he just totally ignored.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, the question has always been what the administration is willing to do in practice, not in theory.

If existing restrictions were enforced, the US would have firmly halted all offensive military support for Israel rather than continuing to fuel its devastating war.<\/p>— NIAC (@NIACouncil) February 9, 2024<\/a><\/blockquote>