berg80
Diamond Member
- Oct 28, 2017
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As Joe's presidency comes to a close an assessment of his mistakes is called for. All presidents make them for reasons both of omission and commission. Let's look at his. First and foremost, IMO, was a violation of the Leahy Law.
The Hamas October 7 terrorist attack on Israel, and Israel’s response to it, have focused attention on the role of U.S. security assistance in Gaza. United States law requires foreign nations, including Israel, to comply with international human rights standards and international humanitarian law to receive U.S. security assistance. The best known of these laws, the “Leahy law,” mandates that U.S. security assistance may not be provided to units of foreign security forces that are alleged to have committed gross violations of human rights.
For seven and a half years, I served as director of the State Department office that leads Leahy vetting of foreign security units. I have seen how even and fair application of the Leahy law is key to U.S. foreign policy and credibility abroad. But when it comes to Israel — the story so far is about a lack of application.
U.S. State Department spokespersons assert that the department complies with the Leahy law via “ongoing processes,” and that treatment of Israel under the Leahy law is the same as for any other country.
Both assertions are incorrect.
www.justsecurity.org
There's no gray area here. We have enough reliable reporting about what happened in Gaza to know Israel committed human rights atrocities. Biden kept the flow of military assistance to Israel going anyway.
Immigration. In his zeal to reverse the imposition of inhumane treatment on immigrants by djt, felon, Biden failed to address one of the underlying problems with immigration policy. Namely, making the criteria for those who qualify to get asylum more strict. When he finally did act during the summer of 2024 it had the desired affect of reducing the number of immigrants trying to get in to the country. But his legacy on immigration had already been established.
www.nbcnews.com
Afghanistan. Even though a review of the Abbey Gate suicide bombing by a member of ISIS determined it was not preventable, it served to worsen what already had become a chaotic withdrawal. Part of the reason falls on Biden for not fully considering the ramifications of the mixed intel he received on the stability of the Afghan military and the government. Part falls on djt, felon, for the conditions he set when his admin agreed to the withdrawal. Part falls on the cowardice of the Afghanis.
www.factcheck.org
DEI. His initiatives with respect to DEI were successful and arguably necessary in an attempt to further level the playing field for employment in the federal workplace. But he should have been savvy enough to realize how they would be politically exploited by cynics and bigots.
www.whitehouse.gov
The pardon. I understand the nature of the criticism and the motivation for it. My problem with pardoning Hunter isn't so much the pardon itself but that Joe went back on his word. From my perspective it was otherwise defensible for two reasons. 1. Hunter did not receive the same treatment by the justice system anyone else would have received. He was prosecuted because he is Joe's son. 2. Joe had a reasonable belief the DoJ under djt, felon, would have harassed his son after announcing its intension to abuse the power of the Justice Dept.
Israel and the Leahy Law
The Hamas October 7 terrorist attack on Israel, and Israel’s response to it, have focused attention on the role of U.S. security assistance in Gaza. United States law requires foreign nations, including Israel, to comply with international human rights standards and international humanitarian law to receive U.S. security assistance. The best known of these laws, the “Leahy law,” mandates that U.S. security assistance may not be provided to units of foreign security forces that are alleged to have committed gross violations of human rights.
For seven and a half years, I served as director of the State Department office that leads Leahy vetting of foreign security units. I have seen how even and fair application of the Leahy law is key to U.S. foreign policy and credibility abroad. But when it comes to Israel — the story so far is about a lack of application.
U.S. State Department spokespersons assert that the department complies with the Leahy law via “ongoing processes,” and that treatment of Israel under the Leahy law is the same as for any other country.
Both assertions are incorrect.
Israel and the Leahy Law
Former State Department official discusses how the Department assesses Israel's compliance with the Leahy law, which imposes human rights conditions on US assistance.
www.justsecurity.org
There's no gray area here. We have enough reliable reporting about what happened in Gaza to know Israel committed human rights atrocities. Biden kept the flow of military assistance to Israel going anyway.
Immigration. In his zeal to reverse the imposition of inhumane treatment on immigrants by djt, felon, Biden failed to address one of the underlying problems with immigration policy. Namely, making the criteria for those who qualify to get asylum more strict. When he finally did act during the summer of 2024 it had the desired affect of reducing the number of immigrants trying to get in to the country. But his legacy on immigration had already been established.
Attempted border crossings dropped to the lowest level of the Biden presidency in September
Attempted border crossings dropped to a new low in September
At fewer than 54,000 apprehensions, the number is also the lowest since August 2020 during the Trump administration, and it is similar to September totals in 2018, 2019 and 2020.
www.nbcnews.com
Afghanistan. Even though a review of the Abbey Gate suicide bombing by a member of ISIS determined it was not preventable, it served to worsen what already had become a chaotic withdrawal. Part of the reason falls on Biden for not fully considering the ramifications of the mixed intel he received on the stability of the Afghan military and the government. Part falls on djt, felon, for the conditions he set when his admin agreed to the withdrawal. Part falls on the cowardice of the Afghanis.
Kabul Airport Attack Review Reaffirms Initial Findings, Identifies Attacker
A supplemental review of the original investigation into the 2021 suicide bombing attack that killed 13 U.S. service members and roughly 170 Afghan civilians has reaffirmed the military's findings of
www.defense.gov
Timeline of U.S. Withdrawal from Afghanistan - FactCheck.org
We lay out many of the key diplomatic decisions, military actions, presidential pronouncements and expert assessments of the withdrawal agreement that ended the U.S. military's 20-year war in Afghanistan.
www.factcheck.org
DEI. His initiatives with respect to DEI were successful and arguably necessary in an attempt to further level the playing field for employment in the federal workplace. But he should have been savvy enough to realize how they would be politically exploited by cynics and bigots.
FACT SHEET: President Biden Signs Executive Order Advancing Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility in the Federal Government | The White House
Today, President Biden signed an Executive Order to advance diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility (DEIA) in the Federal workforce. This
The pardon. I understand the nature of the criticism and the motivation for it. My problem with pardoning Hunter isn't so much the pardon itself but that Joe went back on his word. From my perspective it was otherwise defensible for two reasons. 1. Hunter did not receive the same treatment by the justice system anyone else would have received. He was prosecuted because he is Joe's son. 2. Joe had a reasonable belief the DoJ under djt, felon, would have harassed his son after announcing its intension to abuse the power of the Justice Dept.
