A good question some of us have been asking for months now.

Why Does the U.S. Arm Ukraine With Fanfare and Israel in Secret? nytimes.com/interactive/20…

Fun fact:

The Biden administration has left on the books Bill Barr’s 1989 DOJ Office of Legal Counsel opinion that provides permission for the president to unilaterally “override” the UN Charter and engage in illegal acts of aggression.

justsecurity.org/73412/revisiti…

Notwithstanding 100+ days of US air strikes in Yemen against the Houthis and sharper rhetoric, Houthi attacks continue.

Predictable and predicted.

Important report from Hala Gorani.

The IDF likes to cite its evacuation warnings as evidence of its commitment to preventing CIVCAS and taking feasible precautions required by the law of war.

The reality is different.

Following Rahmon’s Italian holiday with amusement.

Years ago, while in Dushanbe for negotiations, a policeman tried to shake me down for a “sidewalk tax” outside the foreign ministry.

After I explained I was a diplomat and showed my dip passport, he replied: “OK, discount.”

Two children die from extreme heat in #Gaza , Philippe Lazzarini says, as temps reach 104F this week- 20 degrees hotter than usual.

As summer approaches, UN Chief warns of danger for Gazans living in “greenhouses-like structures under scorching heat.”
washingtonpost.com/world/2024/04/…

This follows US officials calling for Israel to investigate these mass graves as opposed to an independent investigation.

So much for that.

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Report of a USAID memo on Gaza titled: 'Famine Inevitable, Changes Could Reduce but Not Stop Widespread Civilian Deaths.'

Document reportedly assesses Israel not complying with the humanitarian assistance requirements of National Security Memorandum-20.

Over 100 days after the US began airstrikes in Yemen against the Houthis, Houthi attacks on maritime traffic persist.

Put differently, a US ambassador and the Speaker of the House oppose following US law.

Will be interesting to see how USG responds to any ICC action, particularly if the ICC moves against both Israeli and Hamas personnel.

Netanyahu says ICC decisions will not affect Israel's actions, set dangerous precedent reuters.com/world/middle-e…

Wait until folks at Department of State see the IDF videos coming out of Gaza.

Useful analysis of the REPO Act from Ingrid Wuerth.

As for how Biden admin actually uses this new authority, plausible it will confiscate profits but not principal of Russian assets in US, which seems to be preferred approach of some foreign partners.
lawfaremedia.org/article/the-co…

Without taking a position on the underlying legal issue, better for Kirby to punt such questions to administration lawyers than shoot from the hip on international law on TV.

The US government has not to date conducted any rigorous examination of IDF law of war compliance in Gaza.

Nor has it supported independent investigations on the ground.

Almost like it doesn't want answers.

Relevant to the issue of whether US armed forces will be introduced into hostilities or a situation of imminent hostilities for the purposes of the War Powers Resolution in connection with the Gaza pier project.

US-Houthi hostilities continue without congressional authorization.

Again raising the question of whether US armed forces have been introduced into hostilities under the War Powers Resolution in connection with this pier project.