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Reposted by John Ramming Chappell

Kelsey Atherton @atherton.bsky.social · 21d

Senators, representatives, and Presidential aspirants can all work to change this back to a first principle of restraint, and they should do so, argues John Ramming Chappell for @cipolicy.bsky.social. internationalpolicy.org/publications...

Congress should reintroduce the National Security Powers Act and National Security Reforms and Accountability Act, or other legislation to reassert congressional authority over arms sales, and work toward a mark-up.
Advocates and researchers should connect crises to the structures that made them possible.
Presidential aspirants should commit to working with Congress to overhaul the arms sales framework.
Ultimately, arms sales should be guided by a “first, do no harm” ethos.

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Reposted by John Ramming Chappell

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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Forum on the Arms Trade @forumarmstrade.bsky.social · 21d

@jwrchappell.bsky.social via @cipolicy.bsky.social concludes "Congress should be working towards a reclamation of their constitutional authority and an end to the system that allows the president to sell weapons to war criminals and human rights abusers..." internationalpolicy.org/publications...

Think Big to Rein in the Arms Trade - CIP

American weapons sales cause outsized harm. Congress can change that.

internationalpolicy.org

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Seth Binder @sethbinder.bsky.social · 27d

Israel bombed multiple countries across the Middle East in recent days. US military aid makes this possible. In our new factsheet we breakdown the $21.7B provided to Israel since Oct 7 & privileges it receives that allows it to carry on its war machine. mideastdc.org/publication/...

Extraordinary Sums and Privileges: U.S. Security Assistance to Israel Since October 7, 2023 - MEDC

mideastdc.org

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Brian Finucane @bcfinucane.bsky.social · Sep 9

Spoke with @politico.com about the lethal U.S. strike in the Caribbean.

“This is not about counterterrorism, war on terror, counter-narcotics. The really key issue here is the scope of the power being claimed by the president.”

The power to kill outside the law.

www.politico.com/news/2025/09...

‘The GOP’s Elizabeth Warren’: Vance happy to feud with Rand Paul

The often outspoken senator blasted Vance's celebration of last week's missile strike on an alleged drug boat as 'despicable.'

www.politico.com

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Reposted by John Ramming Chappell

Seth Binder @sethbinder.bsky.social · 29d

In a new piece by me and @stimsoncenter.bsky.social's Elias Yousif, we discuss the risks of the admin's legally dubious decision not to release detailed accounting for how the government intends to spend future foreign assistance. A 🧵 mideastdc.org/publication/...

President Trump is Undermining Foreign Aid Transparency and Accountability - MEDC

mideastdc.org

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Reposted by John Ramming Chappell

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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Ryan Goodman @rgoodlaw.bsky.social · Sep 5

1/3 Just so we are all clear on this.

Based on what this former official "who has years of direct experience in fighting drug cartels" told the Times.

The order to blow up the Venezuelan boat may have instead killed migrants who were being smuggled.

www.nytimes.com/2025/09/03/u...

The former official also said it was unusual to have 11 people manning a vessel that could easily be crewed by two or three, especially since traffickers are always trying to maximize the amount of cargo space devoted to carrying drugs, not human beings.

In the former official’s opinion, it was more likely that the vessel was carrying migrants on a human smuggling run. It would be impossible to know for sure, however, given that any evidence of drug smuggling was destroyed in the attack.

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Reposted by John Ramming Chappell

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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Reposted by John Ramming Chappell

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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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

The bill would ban sales to Israel of the weapons most implicated in atrocities in Gaza -- bombs and explosive shells. It has 33 cosponsors from across the Democratic Party. But if public polling and a Senate vote are any indication, it has lots of room to grow. 2/ www.congress.gov/bill/119th-c...

www.congress.gov

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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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John Ramming Chappell @jwrchappell.bsky.social · Aug 13

But Nigeria needs a unified policy approach to civilian protection across its security forces, or else current patterns seems likely to continue. 7/

John Ramming Chappell @jwrchappell.bsky.social · Aug 13

Nigerians face harrowing security challenges, and the government has made efforts to improve civilian protection practices. CIVIC welcomed the announcement of an air force action plan to improve civilian harm mitigation efforts, for example. 6/ civiliansinconflict.org/press-releas...

CIVIC Welcomes Nigerian Air Force’s New Action Plan to Prevent Civilian Harm

CIVIC welcomes the Nigerian Air Force’s recent announcement of a Civilian Harm Mitigation and Response Action Plan, which marks an important commitment to take tangible steps to minimize harm to civil...

civiliansinconflict.org

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John Ramming Chappell @jwrchappell.bsky.social · Aug 13

Congress has historically played an important role in integrating protection measures into major Nigeria arms sales, but the Trump administration has recently undercut some of their key leverage to influence and improve upon sales with protection measures. 5/ www.stimson.org/2025/eroding...

Eroding What’s Left of Congressional Arms Transfer Oversight • Stimson Center

How President Trump’s decision to defy the norms of Congressional consultation undermines one of the last meaningful mechanisms of arms transfer oversight.

www.stimson.org

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John Ramming Chappell @jwrchappell.bsky.social · Aug 13

Another area of concern is that the last two major arms sales to Nigeria included measures to improve human rights practices and air to ground integration. I don't see anything similar in this latest sale, but these weapons are munitions of the types we'd expect to be used in airstrikes. 4/

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John Ramming Chappell @jwrchappell.bsky.social · Aug 13

These airstrikes go back many years. Here's a recent example of a misidentification that resulted in the deaths of 16 civilians in Zamfara. 3/ www.bbc.com/news/article...

Nigeria military kills 16 civilians in Zamfara air strike 'mistake'

The villagers were reportedly returning from a mission to chase away armed groups when they were bombed.

www.bbc.com

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John Ramming Chappell @jwrchappell.bsky.social · Aug 13

Last year, we wrote a report on key challenges in the relationship. Among the biggest is that the two last major sales from the US to Nigeria have comprised of military aircraft of the type used in a concerning pattern of mass civilian casualty airstrikes. 2/ civiliansinconflict.org/publications...

US Security Assistance to Nigeria: Civilian Protection Gaps and Opportunities

This brief seeks to identify patterns and causes of civilian harm from Nigerian security force operations, assess US policy efforts to address civilian harm risks in its arms sales and security assist...

civiliansinconflict.org

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John Ramming Chappell @jwrchappell.bsky.social · Aug 13

We at Center for Civilians in Conflict have been closely tracking civilian protection in the US-Nigeria security relationship, and I recently visited our teams in Abuja and Maiduguri digging into civilian protection issues. 1/

Forum on the Arms Trade @forumarmstrade.bsky.social · Aug 13

short 🧵State Dept announces major possible Foreign Military Sale (FMS) to #Nigeria today for $346 million to include (partial list)
* 1,002 MK-82 general purpose 500 lb bombs;
* 515 MXU-1006 AFGs for 250 lb Paveway II GBU-58
and more
www.dsca.mil/Press-Media/...

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Senator Bernie Sanders @sanders.senate.gov · Jul 29

The time is long overdue for Congress to stop funding Israel’s illegal and horrific war against the Palestinian people.

The U.S. must not support a government which is starving children.

Tomorrow, I will force votes in the Senate to block the sale of weapons to Netanyahu.

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Dylan Williams @dylanwilliams.bsky.social · Jul 30

These votes present Senators with a choice between backing up their condemnations of starvation and killing in Gaza with concrete action, or continuing to unconditionally send Israel the arms it is using to enforce its siege, fire on Palestinian civilians, and forcibly displace them from their land.

Senator Bernie Sanders @sanders.senate.gov · Jul 29

The time is long overdue for Congress to stop funding Israel’s illegal and horrific war against the Palestinian people.

The U.S. must not support a government which is starving children.

Tomorrow, I will force votes in the Senate to block the sale of weapons to Netanyahu.

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Reposted by John Ramming Chappell

Forum on the Arms Trade @forumarmstrade.bsky.social · Jul 30

Votes are expected Wednesday on US arms to #Israel, namely SJ Res 34 & 41. See more details here on US law and these proposed sales and concerns armssalesaccountabilityproject.com/wp-content/u...
and for a timeline of this administration's arms to Israel, see www.forumarmstrade.org/us-israel-tr...

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