Biden admin says military aid to 'Israel' will not be conditioned: CNN
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In a report by CNN, plans to condition military aid to "Israel" are revealed to be inaccurate despite Democratic insistence, and US complicity in the Gaza genocide is detailed.
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US President Joe Biden pauses during a meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to discuss the war on Gaza, in occupied Palestine, Oct. 18, 2023 (AP)
US lawmakers have been increasingly demanding imposing conditions on aid being sent to "Israel", linking the delivery of aid with the guaranteed protection of civilians in Gaza. The Biden administration, on its part, appears to have no intentions of enforcing these demands, as report by CNN detailed.
President Joe Biden spoke to Democratic donors in Washington this week and revealed that the US and "Israel" have faced a minor deadlock in postwar plans for Gaza, as Netanyahu refused the presence of the Palestinian Authority in the Strip. Biden had also warned Netanyahu of growing international discontent with "Israel's" military conduct in Gaza, saying the occupation entity is getting more and more politically isolated. In the same context, Biden claimed, “We [Biden administration] not going to do a damn thing other than protect Israel in the process. Not a single thing.”
US officials also told CNN that the US has no plans to constrain military aid, adding that they expect its allies to use US-manufactured and funded weapons and artillery within the frames of humanitarian international law and pointed out that the IOF are already assisted by military lawyers that help determine whether a strike is launched within the law or not.
This sparks controversy, as the US and "Israel" both utilize this tactic to justify their attacks rather than legitimately assess the legality of the matter. CNN also reported that Biden opts for "quiet pressure" on "Israel" as it seems more effective, rather than threats of withholding and conditioning weapons.
Highlighting the enduring commitment of the US to supply weapons to "Israel", the State Department issued an emergency declaration on a Friday night to lawmakers, facilitating the expedited sale of numerous tank munitions. This process bypassed the usual 20-day review period granted to congressional committees for such sales. According to a source in Congress, the State Department did not offer any assurances to lawmakers regarding the administration's oversight of the utilization of these munitions, prompting dissatisfaction among some Democratic lawmakers with the decision.
Democratic Sen. Elizabeth Warren said, “It’s a mistake for the Biden admin to bypass Congress to approve the sale of tank ammo for Israel amid unacceptable civilian harm. Weapons transfers demand public scrutiny and thorough review. U.S. military aid should be contingent on upholding our values and international law,” on X (formerly Twitter).
It's a mistake for the Biden admin to bypass Congress to approve the sale of tank ammo for Israel amid unacceptable civilian harm. Weapons transfers demand public scrutiny and thorough review. U.S. military aid should be contingent on upholding our values and international law. https://t.co/EQnkqhNQIA
— Elizabeth Warren (@SenWarren) December 12, 2023
Read more: Palestinian factions denounce US veto in UN ceasefire resolution
'Israel' gets the United States' special treatment
Contrary to the case of "Israel", the Biden administration has faced multiple challenges in opening a free-flow channel of weapons to Ukraine. Congress Republicans blocked a bill to send military aid worth almost $60 billion to Kiev. Republicans are ever-more openly rejecting the need to fund Ukraine, saying that President Joe Biden needs to devote more attention to domestic security, particularly to stopping illegal migration over the US-Mexican border.
On the other hand, Biden has lifted all restrictions on aid to "Israel". As reports of Israeli war crimes executed with US-made or supplied weapons circulate, such as the firing of US-made white phosphorus on Southern Lebanon, National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby replied, “Any time that we provide items like white phosphorous to another military, it is with the full expectation that it will be used in keeping with those legitimate purposes and in keeping with the law of armed conflict.”
Blatant violations of the law; no accountability
The US official proceeded to explain that the US identifies a strike's legitimacy within the law, not by the casualties it has killed, but by the target itself. This means that if a target was perceived to be a legitimate threat, then the number of victims that fall as a consequence relinquishes the possibility of a violation of law.
In further justification of the mass violations that are co-attributed to the US, two US officials also mentioned that "Israel" has a large supply of weapons that are not affiliated with the US, therefore it cannot consistently inform the latter when one of its bombs was used. Human rights organizations refuted this idea, saying it is indeed possible.
“The US may share responsibility for serious violations of international humanitarian law committed by Israel with US-supplied weapons, as all states have a duty not to knowingly contribute to internationally wrongful acts by other states,” Amnesty said in a statement.
In confidential briefings to legislators, US officials disclosed that the intelligence community's estimate indicates "Israel" employed 22,000 guided and unguided bombs provided by the US in the initial six weeks of the war, as per a source with direct knowledge of the situation.
Read more: State Dept. employee says Biden complicit in Gaza genocide: Axios
A call for 'change'
On November 29, a cohort of Democratic US Senators declared their ongoing support for increased US funding of "Israel", emphasizing, however, that such assistance would not be granted as a "blank check."
"We continue to support additional assistance to Israel in the aftermath of the brutal Hamas attacks - but we are all in agreement that this assistance must be consistent with our interests and values… US assistance has never come in the form of a blank check - regardless of the recipient,” the lawmakers said in a statement.
They also declared their support for an amendment to the Biden administration's supplementary funding request.
This amendment would mandate the President to confirm to Congress, within 30 days, that parties receiving US military aid from the supplementary funding are using it in compliance with international humanitarian law and the law of armed conflict.
“It is imperative that all assistance to Israel abide by U.S. and international law, prioritize the protection of civilians, assure the provision of desperately needed humanitarian assistance to civilians in Gaza, and align with a long-term vision for peace, security, and two-state diplomatic solution,” Democratic Sen. Ed Markey stated last week.
If approved, the language contained in the 2024 annual intelligence authorization bill would mandate that the intelligence community inform Congress if any intelligence provided by the US and used by other parties leads to civilian casualties. Although the legislation was drafted before October 7, it has garnered renewed significance amid increasing scrutiny surrounding "Israel's" utilization of American assistance in Gaza.
