"Israel Violates Law on U.S. Weapons in Mideast"

According to the article, this view of the illegality of what Israel is doing with arms obtained from the US is shared by others. A senior research associate with the Arms Trade Resource Center at the World Policy Institute in New York said,

exists needs to be known. It gives some leverage to stop ignoring this law.

or arms gifts to Israel?

I won't hold my breath.

The victims are of no concern to those who profit from the killing

I am pretty sure though that the chimp and company will ignore this law too. And more civilians die, and more radicals created, and so on, and so on, and so on.

It is just so tragic and sad.

:kick:

perfectly legal.

Redstone

and banks of Western media defending their actions against civilians, either.

needs to be part of the discussion. Even aside from questions of morality, those who say "it's none of our business" are factually wrong as well.

I doubt most Americans know that they are paying for what Israel is doing to the civilians and infrastructure of Lebanon.

...platform:



  AIPAC plays a very tight game.

PB

article on it:



All too many Dem politicians have been swayed too.

PB

in US politics, from the New Yorker magazine in 2005:
http://www.newyorker.com/fact/content/articles/050704fa_fact

There are some extremists in the Likud who have wanted the US to take out Iran for them for a long, long time. They want it very badly and have damn near set it all up: another major war, US vs. Iran.

Here are the figures for 2004:

pro-Israeli PACs:

Party Split:
Dems:
Repubs:
Others: $3,760,996
$2,190,124
$1,000

Total contributions to All Candidates: $5,952,120

http://www.opensecrets.org/industries/summary.asp?Ind=Q05&recipdetail=A&sortorder=U&Cycle=2004

pro-Arab PACs: $109,000

http://www.opensecrets.org/pacs/lookup2.asp?strid=C00194225&cycle=2004
http://www.opensecrets.org/pacs/lookup2.asp?strid=C00346239&cycle=2004

Top receipents of money in 2004

Pro-Israel:
Money to Congress

Election cycle: All Cycles 2006 2004 2002 2000 1998 1996 1994 1992 1990

List: Summary Top 20 Members All Senators All Members of the House All Senate Candidates All House Candidates Sort by Amount Sort by Name Sort by State

Candidate
Amount

Bush, George W (R)
$262,766

Daschle, Tom (D-SD)
$245,075

Specter, Arlen (R-PA)
$235,200

Lieberman, Joe (D-CT)
$231,050

Wyden, Ron (D-OR)
$162,950

Boxer, Barbara (D-CA)
$142,110

Murray, Patty (D-WA)
$130,745

Mikulski, Barbara A (D-MD)
$127,125

Lantos, Tom (D-CA)
$124,600

Deutsch, Peter (D-FL)
$119,400

Feingold, Russell D (D-WI)
$113,703

Brownback, Sam (R-KS)
$98,600

Berkley, Shelley (D-NV)
$98,044

Dodd, Chris (D-CT)
$97,150

Schumer, Charles E (D-NY)
$96,000

Bennett, Robert F (R-UT)
$95,750

Bayh, Evan (D-IN)
$95,250

Reid, Harry (D-NV)
$94,200

Frost, Martin (D-TX)
$92,654

Inouye, Daniel K (D-HI)
$91,200


Pro-Arab, doesn't come in a list based on $$$ contributed but here is the data. http://www.opensecrets.org/pacs/lookup2.asp?strid=C00346239&cycle=2004

2006

Pro-Israel: All Candidates: $1,754,504
Incumbents Only: $1,703,032

http://www.opensecrets.org/industries/summary.asp?Ind=Q05&recipdetail=A&sortorder=U&Cycle=2006

Pro-Arab: $4,000 in total

http://www.opensecrets.org/pacs/lookup2.asp?strid=C00194225&cycle=2006


Pro-Israel:
Money to Congress

Election cycle: 2006

List: Summary Top 20 Members All Senators All Members of the House All Senate Candidates All House Candidates Sort by Amount Sort by Name Sort by State

Candidate
Amount

Clinton, Hillary Rodham (D-NY)
$83,818

Kyl, Jon (R-AZ)
$79,750

Stabenow, Debbie (D-MI)
$77,406

Kirk, Mark (R-IL)
$66,664

Nelson, Ben (D-NE)
$65,500

Conrad, Kent (D-ND)
$63,600

Lieberman, Joe (D-CT)
$63,000

Talent, James M (R-MO)
$61,010

Nelson, Bill (D-FL)
$60,111

Santorum, Rick (R-PA)
$57,000

Berkley, Shelley (D-NV)
$44,000

Menendez, Robert (D-NJ)
$43,611

Lugar, Richard G (R-IN)
$39,710

Hoyer, Steny H (D-MD)
$37,250

Feinstein, Dianne (D-CA)
$33,500

DeWine, Mike (R-OH)
$33,000

Engel, Eliot L (D-NY)
$32,000

Ros-Lehtinen, Ileana (R-FL)
$30,500

Carper, Tom (D-DE)
$29,650

Cardin, Ben (D-MD)
$29,192

Pro-Arab: $4,000

http://www.opensecrets.org/pacs/lookup2.asp?strid=C00194225&cycle=2006


The interesting thing is that virtually every Senator gets a substantial amount from AIPAC when they are up for election. The data for all Senators in 2004.

Candidate
Amount

Daschle, Tom (D-SD)
$245,075

Specter, Arlen (R-PA)
$235,200

Lieberman, Joe (D-CT)
$231,050

Wyden, Ron (D-OR)
$162,950

Boxer, Barbara (D-CA)
$142,110

Murray, Patty (D-WA)
$130,745

Mikulski, Barbara A (D-MD)
$127,125

Feingold, Russell D (D-WI)
$113,703

Brownback, Sam (R-KS)
$98,600

Dodd, Chris (D-CT)
$97,150

Schumer, Charles E (D-NY)
$96,000

Bennett, Robert F (R-UT)
$95,750

Bayh, Evan (D-IN)
$95,250

Reid, Harry (D-NV)
$94,200

Inouye, Daniel K (D-HI)
$91,200

Shelby, Richard C (R-AL)
$83,900

Grassley, Chuck (R-IA)
$73,500

Bunning, Jim (R-KY)
$71,150

Murkowski, Lisa (R-AK)
$68,850

Dorgan, Byron L (D-ND)
$63,390

Lincoln, Blanche (D-AR)
$60,149

Voinovich, George V (R-OH)
$54,100

Bond, Christopher S 'Kit' (R-MO)
$44,450

Crapo, Mike (R-ID)
$40,577

McCain, John (R-AZ)
$38,000

Chambliss, Saxby (R-GA)
$31,750

Campbell, Ben Nighthorse (R-CO)
$22,951

Coleman, Norm (R-MN)
$10,000

Kerry, John (D)
$10,000

Conrad, Kent (D-ND)
$6,250

Clinton, Hillary Rodham (D-NY)
$6,000

Feinstein, Dianne (D-CA)
$6,000

Talent, James M (R-MO)
$6,000

Kyl, Jon (R-AZ)
$5,000

Stabenow, Debbie (D-MI)
$5,000

Santorum, Rick (R-PA)
$4,000

Durbin, Dick (D-IL)
$3,500

Lautenberg, Frank R (D-NJ)
$2,728

Dole, Elizabeth (R-NC)
$2,300

Graham, Bob (D)
$2,000

Leahy, Patrick (D-VT)
$2,000

Stevens, Ted (R-AK)
$2,000

Biden, Joseph R Jr (D-DE)
$1,500

Johnson, Tim (D-SD)
$1,500

Carper, Tom (D-DE)
$1,250

Cornyn, John (R-TX)
$1,000

Domenici, Pete V (R-NM)
$1,000

Kennedy, Edward M (D-MA)
$1,000

Edwards, John (D)
$500

http://www.opensecrets.org/industries/summary.asp?Ind=Q05&cycle=2004&recipdetail=S&Mem=Y

Look at the 2006 list and you see the likes of Clinton and Kyl skyrocket since they are running this year.

Pro-Israel:
Money to Congress

Election cycle: All Cycles 2006 2004 2002 2000 1998 1996 1994 1992 1990

List: Summary Top 20 Members All Senators All Members of the House All Senate Candidates All House Candidates Sort by Amount Sort by Name Sort by State

Candidate
Amount

Clinton, Hillary Rodham (D-NY)
$83,818

Kyl, Jon (R-AZ)
$79,750

Stabenow, Debbie (D-MI)
$77,406

Nelson, Ben (D-NE)
$65,500

Conrad, Kent (D-ND)
$63,600

Lieberman, Joe (D-CT)
$63,000

Talent, James M (R-MO)
$61,010

Nelson, Bill (D-FL)
$60,111

Santorum, Rick (R-PA)
$57,000

Menendez, Robert (D-NJ)
$43,611

Lugar, Richard G (R-IN)
$39,710

Feinstein, Dianne (D-CA)
$33,500

DeWine, Mike (R-OH)
$33,000

Carper, Tom (D-DE)
$29,650

Burns, Conrad (R-MT)
$28,500

Akaka, Daniel K (D-HI)
$26,500

Ensign, John (R-NV)
$22,000

Allen, George (R-VA)
$20,500

Kennedy, Edward M (D-MA)
$13,000

Lott, Trent (R-MS)
$13,000

Snowe, Olympia J (R-ME)
$13,000

Thomas, Craig (R-WY)
$11,000

Martinez, Mel (R-FL)
$10,000

Bingaman, Jeff (D-NM)
$6,500

McConnell, Mitch (R-KY)
$6,010

Johnson, Tim (D-SD)
$6,000

Stevens, Ted (R-AK)
$5,000

Cantwell, Maria (D-WA)
$4,844

Vitter, David (R-LA)
$4,500

Baucus, Max (D-MT)
$4,000

Coleman, Norm (R-MN)
$4,000

Biden, Joseph R Jr (D-DE)
$2,100

Durbin, Dick (D-IL)
$2,000

Inhofe, James M (R-OK)
$2,000

Sessions, Jeff (R-AL)
$2,000

Chafee, Lincoln D (R-RI)
$1,500

Collins, Susan M (R-ME)
$1,000

Hatch, Orrin G (R-UT)
$1,000

McCain, John (R-AZ)
$1,000

Reed, Jack (D-RI)
$1,000

Specter, Arlen (R-PA)
$1,000

http://www.opensecrets.org/industries/summary.asp?Ind=Q05&recipdetail=S&sortorder=A&Cycle=2006

Politically, there is no incentive in not supporting AIPAC's positions.

The law doesn't apply to them.

sorry just woke up

Clearly, these radical elements of the Likud want the US to attack Iran (and the neocon dogs in the US are howling along with them):

like we always do.

out of 15 on the UN Security Council to oppose it:
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=102x2392488

US Ambassador to the UN (and when will this monstrous recess Bush appointee be removed from office?) John Bolton says that there is "no moral equivalence" between the deaths of Lebanese civilians under Israel's devastating attack on that country's people and infrastructure is and the deaths of civilians due to the actions of terrorists:
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=102x2395781

The Vatican disagreed with Bolton's moralistic pronouncements. Said the Vatican Secretary of State: "The right of defence on the part of a state does not exempt it from its responsibility to respect international law, particularly regarding the safeguarding of civilian populations."
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=102x2389737

is someone going to do something about this? Can we get a lawsuit against the government for violating laws of how our tax dollars are used? This isn't the only instance of Bush using our money for purposes that it wasn't intended that are against the law. He invaded a sovereign country without Congress giving him War Powers.

How much more of this will we take?

I could tell you about another industrial North American democracy that supplies advanced intelligence-gathering technology and equipment to the Israeli defense forces, eh? But then I'd have to shoot you.

:hide:

Considering there's a bit of a tussle over whether Israel is defending itself or not - I do believe Commondreams may be pushing that "illegal" label a little bit.

It always comes down to a personal opinion about what constitutes legitimate self-defense.

And there are some pretty clear guidlines in the Geneva Conventions and other rules of law that will support actions (or not).

In this case, both sides feel they're justified in their actions, but they haven't even tried to make the case to the international community - much beyond saying that they're right and the other guy is wrong. It's immature, pathetic and disrespectful that both sides don't answer critical questions with anything but a raised middle finger.

But really, why should they, when they get *unconditional* support from their backers?

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=102x2399146
thread title (July 19, 2006): LAT: Dazed Refugees Flood Beirut: Lebanon faces vast humanitarian crisis

"Isolated by its crippled airport, blockaded seaports and bombed roads, Lebanon has seen its food and medical supplies dwindle to dangerously low levels. Officials are struggling to accommodate the massive waves of the displaced and reach people left in warfare-racked areas. They are also keenly aware that even towns that have escaped the bombings will soon run out of basic commodities...."

The number of displaced Lebanese is estimated in the LAT article at 500,000. So far. That will increase markedly as food and basic necessities run out. Israeli bombings have hit roads, ports, bridges.

and infrastructure will not even promote Israel's security. Hezbollah's success sprang originally to Israel's earlier actions in Lebanon - so what new rounds of anti-Israel terrorism will this spawn? You can bet they will come.

My own opinion is that the governments of Israel and the US KNOW this and are deliberately inciting an attack by Syria and/or Iran. Elements in these governments have wanted war with Iran for a long time. It's the only thing that makes sense to me - becasue these attacks do NOT defend Israel from terrorism, they will stimulate more of it. Maybe this incitement is what is all about after all. That's what I believe.

So?

Can't we?