Seems we're approaching 'Freedom Fries' quality of congressional engagement in foreign relations.

Obstruction of humanitarian aid into Gaza bearing on section 620I of the Foreign Assistance Act and the Biden administration's pending report under National Security Memorandum-20.

Kirby possibly disclosing a bit more than previously about US intelligence sharing with Israel on high-value targets in Gaza.

A reminder that Israel's law of war compliance also bears on whatever assurances the US may have received in connection with intelligence sharing.

Pleased to speak with Marco Werman on The World about the US government's pause on the transfer of a shipment of air delivered munitions to Israel.

theworld.org/segments/2024/…

Respectfully, the US government has previously imposed an arms embargo on a real deal NATO ally.

The sky did not fall.

Pleased to speak with Marco Werman on The World about the US government's pause on the transfer of a shipment of air delivered munitions to Israel.

theworld.org/segments/2024/…

This was the rationale the Obama and Trump administrations used for continuing to provide PGMs to Saudi Arabia as well.

Logic didn't hold for Saudi and doesn't hold with Israel.

IDF has been very precisely striking things like ambulances, aid workers, and children at play.

.Department of State's report to Congress under NSM-20 on Israel's law of war compliance and humanitarian aid efforts is delayed.

State also continues to suppress part of OIG report on a prior occasion US aided mass killing of civilians by a partner--Saudi Arabia.
nytimes.com/2020/08/11/us/…

The perfect candidate for folks with a taste for the de-wormer Ivermectin.

Seeing as the US has much more leverage with Israel than Hamas, if the Biden administration really wants a ceasefire that results in the release of live hostages, it may need to use that leverage.

Seeing General (Ret.) 'Righteous Strike' now justify civilian casualties in Gaza by invoking allied bombing in World War II.

Once again, for those in the back, there have been some significant developments in the law of war since WWII.

Spoke with Michael Crowley of The New York Times about the Biden administration's recalcitrance in applying the conditions in US law and its own stated policies to arms transfers to Israel.

nytimes.com/2024/05/07/us/…

Old enough to remember when the Obama admin finally paused PGM transfers to Saudi Arabia in 2016 after RSAF bombed a funeral full of civilians in Yemen.

And Biden admin doing same again in 2021.

USG regularly having to relearn lessons about risks of arming reckless partners.

“In practice, it may be a policy call from the White House — but that’s not the way it should work,” said Brian Finucane who spent a decade in the State Department’s Office of the Legal Adviser.

“U.S. law should be applied. If the outcome is something you don’t like, tough luck.”

From my colleague Falko Ernst on why the US running a targeted killing program in Mexico would be a bad idea.

Amongst the many ridiculous features of the United States' post-October 7th response (e.g. a new war with the Houthis), the Gaza pier project stands out.

It’s possible that State Dept report on Natl Security Memo 20 compliance to Congress, due tomorrow, slips a bit, State spox says. They are still aiming to finish it tomorrow.

'Donald the dove' may or may not seek significant armed conflict, but as with the Soleimani strike, his desire to use the CT direct action playbook against other targets carries real risks he doesn't fully consider beforehand.