The Middle East

[foxbat1]

Originally Posted by Priapus

It just depends on the time frame you're considering. Right now, their focus is on expanding into Gaza. I don't see Israel as being inherently bad, but their conduct of late is frankly appalling and I am not afraid to call it out. I wish my government could muster the same civility.

I think Israel can't continue to exist in its current form, and creating it was a mistake. It was a Zionist project from the start and everyone knew that the Zionists were not going to be content with just a small homeland shared with non-Jews.

Maybe it can continue in name, like South Africa, but only with radical changes, starting with regime change and war crimes trials.

[badman999]

Originally Posted by foxbat1

Oh come on. Israel provokes them, or just straight up lies about it like with this recent attack on Iran's embassy. Israel is almost always the instigator.

Not that it matters. International law is clear. You can defend yourself, but when it's over the borders remain where they were, you don't get to annex the other country or keep the spoils. It's that way to prevent countries doing exactly what Israel does - claim self defence in order to steal more land.

I'm curious, what law is this?

[foxbat1]

Some disturbing details are emerging about Israel's AI that it uses for targeting bombing. Called "Lavender", apparently one of the inputs is if an individual is a member of a WhatsApp group that also has a suspected Hamas member in it.

Being in the wrong WhatsApp group can get a 2000 lbs bomb dropped on your refugee camp.

[badman999]

Originally Posted by foxbat1

Some disturbing details are emerging about Israel's AI that it uses for targeting bombing. Called "Lavender", apparently one of the inputs is if an individual is a member of a WhatsApp group that also has a suspected Hamas member in it.

Being in the wrong WhatsApp group can get a 2000 lbs bomb dropped on your refugee camp.

"details are emerging" - "one of the inputs"


Would you rather a flawed algorithm, or would you rather the army procecuted the war without an algorithm Because your make believe international law doesn't require an algorithm in prosecuting a war against an agressor. It required "reasonable steps". No other country in the world - even - has fought a war by algorithm. It's only your love of Hamas and anti-Semitism that could drive your lunacy of criticising what is world leading in terms of protecting civilians. At the same time, you condone targeted strikes on civilians by your heroes, Hamas, and by Iran. Or do you claim Iran's drones and missles were targeted by failsafe algorithms?

Hamas is still launching rockets into Israel (although fewer) - are you satisfied at their algorithm?

[foxbat1]

Blinken Is Sitting on Staff Recommendations to Sanction Israeli Military Units Linked to Killings or Rapes

A special State Department panel recommended months ago that Secretary of State Antony Blinken disqualify multiple Israeli military and police units from receiving U.S. aid after reviewing allegations that they committed serious human rights abuses.

But Blinken has failed to act on the proposal in the face of growing international criticism of the Israeli military’s conduct in Gaza, according to current and former State Department officials.

The incidents under review mostly took place in the West Bank and occurred before Hamas’ Oct. 7 attack on Israel. They include reports of extrajudicial killings by the Israeli Border Police; an incident in which a battalion gagged, handcuffed and left an elderly Palestinian American man for dead; and an allegation that interrogators tortured and raped a teenager who had been accused of throwing rocks and Molotov cocktails.

https://www.propublica.org/article/i...hts-violations

[SexObjex]

Originally Posted by foxbat1

Blinken Is Sitting on Staff Recommendations to Sanction Israeli Military Units Linked to Killings or Rapes

I was unaware that the war in Gaza is under the jurisdiction of the United States military or that Israel is accountable to U.S. military and diplomatic leaders.

It's true that we send them aid, weapons and the like. Everyone loves to bring this up and assign collective blame to every American taxpayer every time some poor pitiful shivering cowering Palestinian victim gets bombed for being a human shield for terrorists. How come collective blame doesn't work in the other direction, which is Gazans are being necessarily punished for atrocities committed in their name and the existential threat they manifest to the state of Israel.

[foxbat1]

Originally Posted by SexObjex

I was unaware that the war in Gaza is under the jurisdiction of the United States military or that Israel is accountable to U.S. military and diplomatic leaders.

It's true that we send them aid, weapons and the like. Everyone loves to bring this up and assign collective blame to every American taxpayer every time some poor pitiful shivering cowering Palestinian victim gets bombed for being a human shield for terrorists. How come collective blame doesn't work in the other direction, which is Gazans are being necessarily punished for atrocities committed in their name and the existential threat they manifest to the state of Israel.

Since the US supplies them with aid and weapons, it has a responsibility to ensure that they are used properly and not for genocide or war crimes. There is actual legal liability, as Germany is discovering now that it is before the ICJ for supplying Israel with weapons.

Any Gazan who commits crimes can be prosecuted for them at the ICC, if there is evidence. Unfortunately any evidence tends to get bombed, and for some reason Israel has refused to allow survivors of October 7th and former hostages to talk to the UN investigators. So maybe ask Israel why none of them are being prosecuted.

[SexObjex]

Originally Posted by foxbat1

Since the US supplies them with aid and weapons, it has a responsibility to ensure that they are used properly and not for genocide or war crimes.

That's interesting. Who is going to hold the U.S. accountable for living up to these responsibilities? Is it the U.N., which is doing such a fantabulous job of holding Russia accountable for its 10 year rape and depredations of Ukraine?

International law, "laws of war" are a joke. They exist not to influence or deter ongoing conflicts but to punish the losers of a finished war. It's a nice little smarmy salve for diplomats who want to think they represent well behaved and civilized nations. Newsflash: We are not and war is not.

[Devius]

EU to tighten Iran sanctions after Israel attack

The EU has agreed to expand sanctions on Iranian producers of drones and missiles following Tehran's unprecedented attack on Israel.

"It's very important to do everything to isolate Iran," European Council President Charles Michel said.

The bloc already has multiple sanctions in place against Iran, including for selling drones to Russia for use in its war against Ukraine.

The US has hinted it will impose its own new penalties in the coming days.

The EU's new sanctions were agreed during a summit in Brussels which marked the first meeting between the bloc's 27 leaders since Iran's direct assault on Israel on Saturday, involving more than 300 missiles and drones fired from Iran, Iraq, Syria and Yemen which were mostly downed by Israel and its allies.

Tehran has maintained it was retaliation for a presumed Israeli air strike on its consulate in Syria on 1 April, in which 13 people were killed.

Israel - which appears to have only countered with a diplomatic offensive so far - has not ruled out a response.

But world leaders have continued to urge restraint, in a bid to prevent a wider conflict in the Middle East.

"For us, it is important that this moment is now also used for further de-escalation and that Israel also uses this success to strengthen its position in the whole region and not respond with a massive attack of its own," German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said after Wednesday's meeting.

Israel has called on its allies to sanction Tehran's missile programme and for the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) - a major military and political force in Iran - to be designated a terrorist organisation, something the US has done but the EU and UK have not.

The EU already has a wide range of measures in place which target Iran over its human rights abuses, nuclear proliferation activities and military support for Russia.

Speaking about the possibility of further sanctions on Tuesday, US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen said that "all options to disrupt terrorist financing of Iran continue to be on the table".

She also signalled that Iran's oil exports could be "a possible area" Washington targets.

"Clearly, Iran is continuing to export some oil. There may be more that we could do."

In a later statement, US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan said that Iran's missile and drone programme as well as the IRGC and the Iranian defence ministry would also be covered.

Source:
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-68842436