In late March a drone strike was carried out in Syria. Not by the United States or Israel, but by forces opposing the illegal US occupation of eastern Syria. The strike left one American contractor dead and several US service members injured.
Washington’s Position in Syria Under Fire (Literally)
Tag: Center for Strategic and International Studies
Going to war? Good news! The United States is 13 years behind in ammunition production, NYT reports
[2002] U.S. Announces Intent Not to Ratify International Criminal Court Treaty
U.S. Announces Intent Not to Ratify International Criminal Court Treaty
On May 6, 2002, the Bush Administration announced that the United States does not intend to become a party to the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court. John Bolton, the Under Secretary of State for Arms Control and International Security, sent a letter to Kofi Annan, the Secretary-General of the United Nations, stating that “the United States does not intend to become a party to the treaty,” and that, “[a]ccordingly, the United States has no legal obligations arising from its signature on December 31, 2000.” [1]
…
While the policy merits of the Bush Administration’s announcement are of course open to debate, the announcement appears to be consistent with international law. There is nothing in international law that obligates a signatory to a treaty to become a party to the treaty, [6] and the Rome Statute itself (in Article 125) states that it is “subject to ratification, acceptance or approval by signatory States.” In addition, Article 18 of the Vienna Convention on the Law of Treaties provides that, upon signing a treaty, a nation is “obliged to refrain from acts which would defeat the object and purpose” of the treaty “until it shall have made its intention clear not to become a party to the treaty.” The Vienna Convention thus contemplates that nations may announce an intent not to ratify a treaty after signing it.
Related:
International Criminal Court: Letter to UN Secretary General Kofi Annan
Secretary Rumsfeld Statement On The ICC Treaty
American Foreign Policy and the International Criminal Court
President Clinton Statement on Signature of the International Criminal Court Treaty
HUGE. In China-Brokered Deal, Iran and Saudi Arabia Restore Diplomatic Ties
HUGE. In China-Brokered Deal, Iran and Saudi Arabia Restore Diplomatic Ties
Regime change for Saudi, or maybe some US-backed terrorist attacks?!
Related:
China brokers Iran-Saudi detente, raising eyebrows in Washington
Though blunting China’s influence in the Middle East and other parts of the world remains a priority for the Biden administration, it is of “two minds” about the latest agreement, said Jon Alterman, a Middle East scholar at the Center for Strategic and International Studies.
“It wants the Saudis to take increasing responsibility for their own security,” he said, “but it does not want Saudi Arabia freelancing and undermining U.S. security strategies.”
America’s $52 Billion Plan to Make Chips at Home Faces a Labor Shortage + manufacturing chips in the US could make smartphones more expensive
America’s $52 Billion Plan to Make Chips at Home Faces a Labor Shortage
Another possible fix would be to keep people in the workforce longer, by raising the age at which workers can begin collecting Social Security or tapping into their pensions or 401(k)s. Yet Harry Holzer, a former US Department of Labor chief economist now at Georgetown University, says that neither feels politically feasible right now. Immigration has been a toxic issue in American politics for years, and Social Security has long been an untouchable entitlement. “None of that is doable,” Holzer says, which means “our labor force growth is going to continue to be modest.”
Related:
How manufacturing chips in the US could make smartphones more expensive
Morcos says a top concern of his is the narrowness of the CHIPS Act. Without bringing related device manufacturing back to the U.S., such as device batteries, sensors, cameras, antennas, and hundreds of other components, the manufacturing process could require the most critical component to be produced stateside, then shipped overseas to be assembled with hundreds of other components into a device that is then shipped back to the U.S. for the American consumer.
Work longer, for less pay, and you still won’t be able to afford the latest smartphone or laptop?! 🤷🏼♀️
US Claims Chinese “Incursion” Near Taiwan, US Sells Taiwan Millions in Arms as Next Proxy War Brews
How Ukraine war has shaped US planning for a China conflict
Yes, I do think the US has an eye on instigating a conflict with China.
As the war rages on in Ukraine, the United States is doing more than supporting an ally. It’s learning lessons — with an eye toward a possible clash with China. No one knows what the next U.S. major military conflict will be or whether the U.S. will send troops — as it did in Afghanistan and Iraq — or provide vast amounts of aid and expertise, as it has done with Ukraine. But China remains America’s biggest concern. U.S. military officials say Beijing wants to be ready to invade the self-governing island of Taiwan by 2027, and the U.S. remains the island democracy’s chief ally and supplier of defense weapons.
How Ukraine war has shaped US planning for a China conflict
Related:
China accuses U.S. of flying spy balloons into Chinese airspace more than 10 times + NSC Lies
China accuses U.S. of flying spy balloons into Chinese airspace more than 10 times
John Kirby, spokesperson for the U.S. National Security Council, said in a MSNBC interview on Monday that this claim was not true.
“Any claim that the US government operates surveillance balloons over the PRC is false. It is China that has a high-altitude surveillance balloon program for intelligence collection, that it has used to violate the sovereignty of the US and over 40 countries across 5 continents,” wrote Adrienne Watson, another NSC spokesperson, on Twitter.
Previously:
U.S. military’s newest weapon against China and Russia: Hot air
The Pentagon is working on a new plan to rise above competition from China and Russia: balloons.
The high-altitude inflatables, flying at between 60,000 and 90,000 feet, would be added to the Pentagon’s extensive surveillance network and could eventually be used to track hypersonic weapons.
[2022] U.S. military’s newest weapon against China and Russia: Hot air
John Hamilton, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons.
The Pentagon is quietly transitioning high-altitude balloon projects to the military services.
U.S. military’s newest weapon against China and Russia: Hot air
CSIS advises US to prepare for possible redeployment of tactical nukes to S. Korea
A Washington think tank is advising the US government to review military exercises in preparation for the redeployment of tactical nuclear weapons in South Korea. The think tank also advised the US to consider partial sanctions relief for North Korea on the condition that it ceases its nuclear weapons and missile tests.
CSIS advises US to prepare for possible redeployment of tactical nukes to S. Korea
H/T: WENT2THEBRIDGE.ORG
Ms. Cat’s Chronicles 
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