After a sobering trip to #Kyiv, Secy of State Antony J. #Blinken is urging #POTUS#Biden to lift some restrictions on how Ukraine can use American arms.
“When a #police department upgrades its #guns, what happens to the old ones? A CBS #News investigation found #law enforcement agencies routinely resold or traded in their used duty #weapons, a practice that has sent thousands of guns into the hands of criminals.
In a 16-year period ending in 2022, the ATF identified more than 52,000 guns recovered from #crime scenes that were once used by police agencies. It took a federal court order for the ATF to release that data”
The Telegraph headline on Palestinian refugees is in essence identical to how rightwing British tabloids wrote about Jewish refugees when Britain denied them safe refuge during the Holocaust.
These institutions are dedicated to White supremacy at all costs. They view us as disposable nonhumans.
Any PoC and/or Jew who thinks these people are on their side is wrong. They may temporarily pretend to not hate Jews or Ukrainians or whoever but that’s all it is: temporary.
The #Republican-led UnitedStates House of
Representatives passed a bill on Thurs that would force President Joe #Biden to send weapons to Israel, seeking to rebuke the Democrat for delaying bomb shipments as he urges Israel to do more to protect #civilians during its war w/ #Hamas.
Should police officers be deployed in schools for safety?
Are the children safe?
Some U.S. school districts that removed police officers in the wake of George Floyd’s death in 2020 are rethinking what safety experts called a “knee-jerk reaction” as fights and incidents with guns that endanger students spark concern.
WSJ reports that the #Biden administration notified Congress on Tuesday that it was moving forward with more than $1 billion in new #weapons deals for #Israel.
Facing Russian Advance, a Top Ukrainian General Paints a Bleak Picture
#Ukraine’s forces are stretched thin & have minimal reserves to draw on, the chief of #military#intelligence said, in addition to shortages of #weapons.
“The situation is on the edge,” Gen Kyrylo Budanov, head of #Ukraine’s #military#intelligence agency said…from a bunker in Kharkiv. “Every hour this situation moves toward critical.”
His assessment echoed…other Ukrainian officers…, the country’s military prospects are dimming. Besides being outnumbered, Ukrainians face critical shortages of #weapons, esp artillery ammo, & $60.8B worth of arms from the #US —approved 3 wks ago after months of gridlock in #congress —has barely begun to arrive.
Following the #Biden administration's announcement that the US will withhold large bombs and artillery shells if Israel moves into a full invasion of Rafah, #Netanyahu asserted Israel's readiness to proceed independently into the crowded city.
“If we have to stand alone, we will stand alone. If we need to, we will fight with our fingernails,” declared Netanyahu in a video statement.
Israel has reached out to US Senators to condemn Biden's decision and demand the immediate reinstatement of #weapons to Israel, with some senators even calling for Biden's impeachment over this move.
#Robot dogs armed with AI-targeting rifles undergo US Marines #SpecialOps evaluation
it's the possibility of arming them with #weapons for remote engagement that may draw the most attention. But it's not unprecedented: The US Marine Corps has also tested robotic dogs armed with rocket launchers in the past. #ai
“#Civilians have been killed in #Gaza as a consequence of those bombs & other ways in which they go after population centers,” #Biden said in an interview airing Wed evening on CNN, referring to 2k-pound #bombs supplied by the #US “I made it clear that if they go into #Rafah — they haven’t gone in…yet — if they go…, I’m not supplying the #weapons that have been used historically to deal …with the cities….”
US House of Representatives Speaker Mike Johnson and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell sent a letter to President Biden expressing “alarm” and concern about the decision “to pause” a weapons shipment to Israel.
They also asked for clarification by the end of the week.
Biden confirmed in an interview that US munitions used by Israel have killed Palestinian civilians.
The #Biden admin paused the shipment of thousands of weapons to #Israel, including controversial 2k-pound bombs, amid mounting concern about the country’s plan to expand a military operation in southern #Gaza that could dramatically increase the conflict’s death toll, U.S. ofcls said Tues.
But in recent days, it became clear to the #Biden admin that “Israeli leaders seemed to approach a decision point on such an operation,” forcing Washington to initiate its review of proposed transfers.
Despite the pause, the #IDF has enough #weapons supplied by the #US & other partners to conduct the #Rafah op if it chooses to cast aside US objections, the 1st ofcl said.
…powerful pro-Israel interest groups including the American Israel Public Affairs Cmte… is spending tens of millions …this #election cycle to unseat #Democrats it views as insufficiently pro- #Israel.
#Republicans assailed news of a delay in #weapons approvals as a “reprehensible” betrayal. “The #UnitedStates must stand with Israel. Period,” said Rep. Russell Fry (R-SC).
“Israel should not launch a major ground operation in #Rafah, where more than a million people are sheltering with nowhere else to go,” said a senior administration official, explaining the #US decision to pause the #weapons shipments. “We are especially focused on the end-use of the 2,000-pound bombs and the impact they could have in dense urban settings as we have seen in other parts of #Gaza.” https://www.washingtonpost.com/national-security/2024/05/07/biden-delays-weapons-israel-rafah/