Tag: John Kirby

U.S. Pushes to Shape Israel’s Rafah Operation, Not Stop It + Washington sends Israel more city-busting bombs to level Rafah

Tina Marie (Ms. Cat)

U.S. Pushes to Shape Israel’s Rafah Operation, Not Stop It

Rafah has been at the center of a growing rift between Israeli and U.S. political leaders. Those tensions boiled over on Monday, when Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu canceled a visit to Washington by top aides to discuss U.S. concerns over the planned offensive on Rafah, where Hamas fighters are making a final stand. The tit-for-tat move was in response to the U.S. abstaining from a United Nations Security Council resolution that called for an immediate cease-fire while also demanding the release of hostages.

Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, however, proceeded with his meetings at the White House and Pentagon on Monday and Tuesday, which had been previously scheduled. Gallant is part of Israel’s three-member war cabinet that includes Netanyahu and Benny Gantz, the prime minister’s chief political rival.

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Both sides also agreed that the Hamas battalions in Rafah must be dislodged so that the militants cannot attempt a comeback or continue to smuggle weapons into the enclave, which are prerequisites for ending the war and paving the way for a new political authority in Gaza. And that means trying to find ways to work with Israel on its Rafah strategy, for lack of better options.

Related:

Washington sends Israel more city-busting bombs to level Rafah

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Hype on iPhone ‘ban’ shows US has a guilty conscience

Tina Marie (Ms. Cat)

The biggest destroyer of the global economic and trade order is being paranoid. This is perhaps the most incisive and vivid explanation of why the US government and media outlets have seen a rumored ban on iPhones as China’s retaliation against the US.

Hype on iPhone ‘ban’ shows US has a guilty conscience

Related:

US spokesman behind on the news pours gas on seemingly settled China iPhone ban

In what appears to be a statement generated before news of the Chinese government refuting ban rumors, the White House chimed in on the matter, as reported by Bloomberg. The National Security Council shared that it is watching the issue with concern.

The US should be very careful about what it promises to do for Ukraine

Tina Marie (Ms. Cat)

  • US shouldn’t support or extend a security guarantee — through NATO or bilaterally — to Ukraine.
  • Doing so would endanger US national security and increase the odds of a direct clash with Russia.
  • Daniel L. Davis is a senior fellow at Defense Priorities and a retired US Army lieutenant colonel.
The US should be very careful about what it promises to do for Ukraine

Related:

21 Miles of Obstacles

Why NATO Won’t Back Automatic Membership For Ukraine

It is understandable that Zelensky passionately desires to join NATO. But the alliance is composed of 31 current members and their individual and collective needs must be considered in equal amounts to the desires of the Ukrainian president. The harsh truth is that there is no viable path to a military victory for Ukraine, now or in the foreseeable future, regardless of how many planes, tanks, and missiles the West may contribute.

FLASHBACK: White House Press Secretary Said Using Cluster Munitions Would Be A Potential ‘War Crime’

Tina Marie (Ms. Cat)1 Comment

Then-White House press secretary Jen Psaki called Russia’s alleged use of cluster munitions a potential “war crime” in the early days of the country’s invasion of Ukraine.

FLASHBACK: White House Press Secretary Said Using Cluster Munitions Would Be A Potential ‘War Crime’

Psychopathic hypocrites! 🤬

Related:

White House de facto admits to committing war crimes in Ukraine — Russian Embassy

NBC Claims Former US Officials Held Secret Talks With Russians

Tina Marie (Ms. Cat)

Update: Russia‘s Foreign Ministry spokeswoman called the report “disinformation”

Report: Former Senior US Officials Held Secret Talks With Russians

Regarding OSCE, they’ve done that, before, and they don’t seem so neutral.

Related:

Former U.S. officials have held secret Ukraine talks with prominent Russians

“A neutral organization — either the UN or the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe — would send in observers to monitor and enforce the cease-fire and pullback,” the former U.S. officials wrote. “Assuming a cease-fire holds, peace talks should follow.”

The West Needs a New Strategy in Ukraine

NBC ‘spreading disinfo’ on Ukraine talks – Moscow

Interesting USG Reactions to Wagner Group Rebellion

Tina Marie (Ms. Cat)

American officials determined as early as January there was an internal power struggle underway between the private military group Wagner and the Russian government, and have been gathering and closely ‘monitoring’ intelligence on the volatile dynamic ever since, according to officials.

US has closely ‘monitored’ power struggle between Prigozhin and Russian government for months

Related:

US to delay Wagner sanctions for fear of siding with Putin: WSJ

Cameron Hudson, a former chief of staff to the US special envoy for Sudan, stated that Washington had a strategy to “target, isolate, and weaken Wagner’s growth in Africa,” adding that by maintaining that approach, Washington is now potentially assisting Putin.