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Reposted by Annie Shiel

Aaron Rupar @atrupar.com · 16h

Rand Paul: "I think blowing up speedboats in the Caribbean isn't necessarily the answer."

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Sen. Adam Schiff @schiff.senate.gov · 17h

Today, Senator Kaine and I will force the Senate to vote on the administration’s decision to blow up ships in the Caribbean.

If a president can unilaterally put people or groups on a list and kill them, there is no meaningful limit to his use of force.

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WOLA @wola-org.bsky.social · 5d

1/ Trump officials reportedly told Congress the U.S. is in a “non-international armed conflict” with “designated terrorist organizations.” Here’s why that’s wrong: the U.S. is not at war. 🧵

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Annie Shiel @annieshiel.bsky.social · 6d

Gaza enters its third year of a war against civilians.

66,000+ killed. 19,000+ children. Famine declared. Recognition of genocide.

CIVIC reiterates its call for a permanent ceasefire, arms embargo, accountability, and humanitarian access.

Our statement: bit.ly/46wUT31

Gaza: Third Year of a War Against Civilians Amid Global Inaction

As the war in Gaza enters its third year, Palestinian civilians continue to endure unlawful attacks and catastrophic suffering at the hands of Israel’s ongoing military campaign and blockade.

bit.ly

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Seth Binder @sethbinder.bsky.social · 21d

[email protected] introduced an amendment during the ongoing State Dept Reauthorization markup in the House Foreign Affairs Committee that would condition $1 billion of the $3.3 billion in US military aid to Israel on human rights benchmarks. A 🧵

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Annie Shiel @annieshiel.bsky.social · 21d

At stake in the president's decision to summarily execute alleged cartel members in the Caribbean is whether he can murder people outside of war with impunity.

From me & colleagues in @justsecurity.org: www.justsecurity.org/120794/legal...

Murder by Drone: The Legal and Moral Stakes of the Caribbean Strikes

If allowed to go unchecked, the Caribbean strikes could encourage additional unlawful executions by the United States and other leaders.

www.justsecurity.org

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Just Security @justsecurity.org · 21d

Analyzing the legal and moral stakes of the Caribbean strikes – and how Congress could respond.

From Annie Shiel, @jwrchappell.bsky.social, Priyanka Motaparthy, Wells Dixon and Daphne Eviatar:

www.justsecurity.org/120794/legal...

Murder by Drone: The Legal and Moral Stakes of the Caribbean Strikes

If allowed to go unchecked, the Caribbean strikes could encourage additional unlawful executions by the United States and other leaders.

www.justsecurity.org

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Nick Turse @nickturse.bsky.social · 28d

“All people, no matter where they live or what crime they have been accused of, have fundamental human rights, including the rights to life and due process,” said @annieshiel.bsky.social.
theintercept.com/2025/09/10/t...

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Annie Shiel @annieshiel.bsky.social · Sep 8

NEW: CIVIC is alarmed by the US strike on a vessel in the Caribbean that killed 11 people. An attack like this, outside of armed conflict, is an extrajudicial execution, not an act of war.

Congress must demand transparency & accountability: civiliansinconflict.org/press-releas...

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Rebecca Ingber @becingber.bsky.social · Sep 5

This is not a thorny issue. This is not fraught. It is extrajudicial killing. It is the killing of civilians under any standard of law. He killed them on the basis of his-say so that they are drug smugglers, mere criminals. It was premeditated. And he's saying he's going to do it again and again.

Rebecca Ingber @becingber.bsky.social · Sep 5

I know people are overwhelmed by too much news from every angle, and maybe people are distracted by the "terrorist" language, or just plain exhausted.

But this is the President of the United States saying he is going to go around killing people because he thinks they're criminals. And already did.

Aaron Rupar @atrupar.com · Sep 5

Trump: "When I see boats coming in like loaded up the other day with all sorts of drugs -- probably fentanyl mostly -- we're gonna take them out. And if people wants to have fun on the high seas of the low seas they're gonna be in trouble."

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Brian Finucane @bcfinucane.bsky.social · Sep 5

No pretense that US is somehow engaged in an armed conflict that might justify lethal targeting in this manner.

As I told @npr.org this morning, we have a word for premeditated killing outside of armed conflict: murder.

(Also the administration has not substantiated any of its factual claims.)

Aaron Rupar @atrupar.com · Sep 5

Trump: "When I see boats coming in like loaded up the other day with all sorts of drugs -- probably fentanyl mostly -- we're gonna take them out. And if people wants to have fun on the high seas of the low seas they're gonna be in trouble."

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Tess Bridgeman @tessbridgeman.bsky.social · Sep 5

I've read and coded every War Powers Report ever sent to Congress (check them all out, with interactive graphics and a searchable database 👇), and this one on #Trump's attack on an alleged drug smuggling vessel in the Caribbean stands out. I'll explain below:

warpowers.lawandsecurity.org

War Powers Resolution Reporting Project

A living resource on presidential reporting practice and the use of U.S. armed forces abroad.

warpowers.lawandsecurity.org

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Annie Shiel @annieshiel.bsky.social · Sep 3

Your reminder that lethal strikes outside of armed conflict are just extrajudicial executions.

Aaron Rupar @atrupar.com · Sep 3

Pete Hegseth on a video of American forces blowing up a boat in the southern Caribbean: "I can tell you that was definitely not artificial intelligence. I watched it live ... those 11 drug traffickers are no longer with us."

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Julian Sanchez @normative.bsky.social · Sep 3

All kidding about this nonsense answer aside: The regime is asserting the power to murder without trial a boat full of people suspected of drug trafficking, who easily could have been intercepted and arrested instead. That is unconscionable and horrifying even assuming everyone aboard was guilty.

Aaron Rupar @atrupar.com · Sep 3

Q: On the Venezuela vessel strike, what legal authority were you guys working under?

JD VANCE: The legal authority is there are people who are bringing -- literal terrorists -- who are bringing deadly drugs into our country

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Ryan Goodman @rgoodlaw.bsky.social · Sep 3

1/ I worked at DoD. I literally cannot imagine lawyers coming up with a legal basis for lethal strike of suspected Venezuelan drug boat.

Hard to see how this would not be "murder" or war crime under international law that DoD considers applicable.

Read expert analysis by @bcfinucane.bsky.social⤵️

Legal Issues Raised by a Lethal U.S. Military Attack in the Caribbean

The Trump administration’s extraordinary lethal attack on this purported smuggling vessel raises significant potential legal issues.

www.justsecurity.org

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Brian Finucane @bcfinucane.bsky.social · Sep 3

"those 11 drug trafficker are no longer with us"

Drug traffickers as such are not lawful military objectives.

Aaron Rupar @atrupar.com · Sep 3

Pete Hegseth on a video of American forces blowing up a boat in the southern Caribbean: "I can tell you that was definitely not artificial intelligence. I watched it live ... those 11 drug traffickers are no longer with us."

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Annie Shiel @annieshiel.bsky.social · Sep 3

It's why CIVIC and partners have long called for an end to the program of US lethal strikes outside recognized battlefields: www.aclu.org/documents/co...

Coalition Letter Calls for End to U.S. Lethal Strikes Abroad | American Civil Liberties Union

On June 30, 2021, 113 organizations from the United States and around the world sent a letter to President Biden calling for an end to the U.S. program of lethal strikes outside recognized battlefield...

www.aclu.org

Annie Shiel @annieshiel.bsky.social · Sep 3

Your reminder that lethal strikes outside of armed conflict are just extrajudicial executions.

Aaron Rupar @atrupar.com · Sep 3

Pete Hegseth on a video of American forces blowing up a boat in the southern Caribbean: "I can tell you that was definitely not artificial intelligence. I watched it live ... those 11 drug traffickers are no longer with us."

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Annie Shiel @annieshiel.bsky.social · Aug 26

The scenes from Israel's double tap strikes on Nasser Hospital are horrifying beyond words - yet another on the daily growing list of atrocities against Palestinians in Gaza.

Stop sending arms. Ceasefire now.

CIVIC's statement: civiliansinconflict.org/press-releas...

Hospitals, Journalists, and Aid Workers Under Attack in Gaza: CIVIC Urges Immediate Protection | Center for Civilians in Conflict

Geneva, August 26, 2025 – Center for Civilians in Conflict (CIVIC) is highly alarmed by the deadly assault on Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis on Monday, which killed civilians, including journalists an...

civiliansinconflict.org

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Janina Dill @janinadill.bsky.social · Aug 23

The threshold for a #famine according to the IPC is very high. To get there the human suffering must be immense.

Only months of lies about humanitarian access to #Gaza & extreme cowardice in Western capitals made this possible.

Tom Fletcher @tomfletcherun.bsky.social · Aug 23

My full statement on the Gaza Famine :

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Tom Fletcher @tomfletcherun.bsky.social · Aug 22

The Gaza Famine is the world’s famine. A preventable, predictable famine.

Enough. Ceasefire. Open all crossings, north and south. Let us get food in, unimpeded and at massive scale.

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Annie Shiel @annieshiel.bsky.social · Aug 21

Congress is back from recess soon. What are your representatives doing to end US support for carnage and starvation in Gaza?

From @jwrchappell.bsky.social & me on why cosponsoring the Block the Bombs Act should be a benchmark in the House: responsiblestatecraft.org/house-vote-i...

Does the House have the grit to 'Block the Bombs' to Israel?

Lawmakers returning from recess have a chance to do what their constituents are telling them to — stop US complicity in Gaza carnage

responsiblestatecraft.org

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Annie Shiel @annieshiel.bsky.social · Aug 21

Congress is back from recess soon. What are your representatives doing to end US support for carnage and starvation in Gaza?

From @jwrchappell.bsky.social & me on why cosponsoring the Block the Bombs Act should be a benchmark in the House: responsiblestatecraft.org/house-vote-i...

Does the House have the grit to 'Block the Bombs' to Israel?

Lawmakers returning from recess have a chance to do what their constituents are telling them to — stop US complicity in Gaza carnage

responsiblestatecraft.org

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Reposted by Annie Shiel

John Ramming Chappell @jwrchappell.bsky.social · Aug 21

In our latest article for Responsible Statecraft (above), @annieshiel.bsky.social and I make the case for the Block the Bombs Bill, and you can also find out more about it here. 3/ www.blockthebombs.org

Block The Bombs To Israel

www.blockthebombs.org

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John Ramming Chappell @jwrchappell.bsky.social · Aug 21

Congress finishes August recess soon, and for weeks they've been facing constituents in their home districts asking: what are you doing to stop atrocities in Gaza?

The benchmark for House members is cosponsoring the Block the Bombs bill. 1/

responsiblestatecraft.org/house-vote-i...

Does the House have the grit to 'Block the Bombs' to Israel?

Lawmakers returning from recess have a chance to do what their constituents are telling them to — stop US complicity in Gaza carnage

responsiblestatecraft.org

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