US President Joe Biden has said that countries receiving American weapons must adhere to international law in a memorandum issued on Thursday night.
The executive order requires foreign governments receiving military aid to provide written assurances that they are abiding by the laws of war.
The move comes after the president admitted Israel had gone “over the top” in its response in Gaza.
Israel is the largest recipient of US military financing.
In the memorandum, President Biden said that “credible and reliable written assurances” must be provided to the US by foreign governments that receive American weapons to ensure they are used in accordance with international law.
As part of this, foreign governments must also provide assurances that US humanitarian aid is being delivered to civilian populations caught in a conflict.
Yeah, it has the structure to be useful, but the timelines and protocols make me think it could be fairly limp wristed in enforcement. Israel has 45 days to provide a written assurance and should the US decide it violates that (which it hasn’t in an official capacity yet) Israel has to provide a plan to remedy that, then failing that plan, these remediation actions can come into effect. I’d also imagine this would start with a modest reduction in aid before a total cut.
It doesn’t seem very toothsome with how quickly war and atrocities can be committed.
I hope I’m wrong and this is the start of a way for the US to stop providing aid to monsters, but Israel is but the loudest issue relating to this right now. I doubt this will affect how the US arms right wing groups across the globe to further its hegemony.