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US Congress drafting bill against International Criminal Court if warrants issued to Israeli officials US lawmakers are drafting legislation designed to retaliate against the International Criminal Court should it issue arrest warrants to senior Israeli officials…
House Speaker Johnson says Blinken affirms White House to call on International Criminal Court about Israeli officials
House Speaker Mike Johnson said that Secretary Blinken confirmed the White House's intention, during a conversation, to publicly urge the ICC against issuing arrest warrants for Israeli officials.
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House Speaker Mike Johnson said that Secretary Blinken confirmed the White House's intention, during a conversation, to publicly urge the ICC against issuing arrest warrants for Israeli officials.
"I spoke, within the last hour, to Secretary Blinken about this issue, and he confirmed that the position of the White House is our position as well. I'm glad that they are affirming that, and I suspect they will do that publicly later today, they are calling for the ICC to stand down," Johnson said during a press briefing.
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US lawmakers’ attempts to shield Netanyahu tied to ‘very powerful’ Israeli lobby in Washington
Threats by Congress to create legislation to “retaliate” to the International Criminal Court if it proceeds with plans to issue arrest warrants against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and members of his government are tied to the incredible sway the Israeli lobby has in the US political establishment, Tel Aviv-based international affairs expert Dr. Simon Tsipis says.
Republican House of Representatives Speaker Mike Johnson on Monday called the potential ICC arrest warrants targeting Israeli officials illegitimate and “disgraceful,” saying “such a lawless action by the ICC would directly undermine US national security interests,” and lead to the possibility of the Brussels-based court targeting US officials, diplomats and military personnel in the future.
Separately on Monday, Axios reported that lawmakers from both parties were working on legislation that would allow Washington to “retaliate” to the ICC with sanctions should it proceed with the warrants.
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Threats by Congress to create legislation to “retaliate” to the International Criminal Court if it proceeds with plans to issue arrest warrants against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and members of his government are tied to the incredible sway the Israeli lobby has in the US political establishment, Tel Aviv-based international affairs expert Dr. Simon Tsipis says.
“Actually, most politicians in the current administration are tied, very tightly tied, to the Jewish lobby, and the Jewish lobby has a number of leavers to pressure US politicians. Therefore, I would say that for the United States, for President Biden, concern for Americans and for America and concern for Israel are roughly equal. Israel has such powerful ability to pressure and influence the United States that, in fact, American leaders worry about Israel as they would about Americans,” Tsipis told Sputnik.
Republican House of Representatives Speaker Mike Johnson on Monday called the potential ICC arrest warrants targeting Israeli officials illegitimate and “disgraceful,” saying “such a lawless action by the ICC would directly undermine US national security interests,” and lead to the possibility of the Brussels-based court targeting US officials, diplomats and military personnel in the future.
Separately on Monday, Axios reported that lawmakers from both parties were working on legislation that would allow Washington to “retaliate” to the ICC with sanctions should it proceed with the warrants.
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Special forces in the Georgian capital Tbilisi push protesters against the law on foreign agents out of the city's central avenue
The Georgian riot police earlier used pepper spray several times against people who are protesting against a controversial bill on foreign agents in front of the parliament building in Tbilisi, a Sputnik correspondent reported.
The situation is tense in the streets around the parliament building with heavy riot police presence. Law enforcement officers have used pepper spray after the protesters put garbage cans in front of the police cordon.
No mass arrests have been reported so far, but some people have been detained. Water cannons have arrived at the protest site.
Protests erupted in Tbilisi in mid-April as the parliament prepared to vote on the bill that sought to limit foreign agent influence on the Caucasus nation.
The bill was initially submitted to parliament in February 2023, but was withdrawn the following month amid a wave of protests and pressure from Western countries. After revision, the draft law replaced the term "foreign influence agent" with an "organization promoting the interests of a foreign power," while the rest of the content remained the same.
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The Georgian riot police earlier used pepper spray several times against people who are protesting against a controversial bill on foreign agents in front of the parliament building in Tbilisi, a Sputnik correspondent reported.
The situation is tense in the streets around the parliament building with heavy riot police presence. Law enforcement officers have used pepper spray after the protesters put garbage cans in front of the police cordon.
No mass arrests have been reported so far, but some people have been detained. Water cannons have arrived at the protest site.
Protests erupted in Tbilisi in mid-April as the parliament prepared to vote on the bill that sought to limit foreign agent influence on the Caucasus nation.
The bill was initially submitted to parliament in February 2023, but was withdrawn the following month amid a wave of protests and pressure from Western countries. After revision, the draft law replaced the term "foreign influence agent" with an "organization promoting the interests of a foreign power," while the rest of the content remained the same.
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Sputnik International
Special forces in the Georgian capital Tbilisi push protesters against the law on foreign agents out of the city's central avenue The Georgian riot police earlier used pepper spray several times against people who are protesting against a controversial bill…
Special forces in Tbilisi have used water cannons against protesters on Rustaveli Avenue and are using pepper spray again, Sputnik's correspondent reports.
Meanwhile, local media reported that special forces detained opposition MP Aleko Elisashvili.
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Meanwhile, local media reported that special forces detained opposition MP Aleko Elisashvili.
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US Air Force Secretary says they face pilot shortage
US Air Force Secretary Frank Kendall said that they face a pilot shortage and are working to address the situation.
Kendall noted that the greatest obstacle to higher pilot production is the pipeline, particularly the availability of training aircraft, which is very thin at present.
Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. David Allvin added that they are trying to increase bonuses in order to help with pilot retention in the Air Force.
Allvin also said another effective option for pilot retention is allowing airmen to serve as commercial pilots while also serving in the Air Force Reserve.
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US Air Force Secretary Frank Kendall said that they face a pilot shortage and are working to address the situation.
"We do have a shortage of pilots and we've been working to reduce that," Kendall said during a congressional hearing.
Kendall noted that the greatest obstacle to higher pilot production is the pipeline, particularly the availability of training aircraft, which is very thin at present.
Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. David Allvin added that they are trying to increase bonuses in order to help with pilot retention in the Air Force.
Allvin also said another effective option for pilot retention is allowing airmen to serve as commercial pilots while also serving in the Air Force Reserve.
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More than 15 people have been detained by Georgia's law enforcement at a demonstration against a bill on foreign agents in Tbilisi, Georgian broadcaster Mtavari Arxi reported.
The Georgian Health Ministry said in a statement that three law enforcement officers have been injured and taken to hospitals during the demonstration.
Protesters are building barricades out of garbage bins and sun umbrellas about 500 meters (1640 feet) from the Georgian Parliament building.
The correspondent reported that sounds of smoke grenades were heard, forcing protesters who were on Rustaveli Avenue to scatter.
Levan Khabeishvili, the leader of former Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili's opposition party United National Movement, has been detained at a demonstration against a bill on foreign agents in central Tbilisi, Georgian broadcaster Formula News reported.
The politician has been reportedly taken to a hospital.
Georgian broadcaster Mtavari Arxi reported that Georgia's law enforcement has also detained Aleko Elisashvili, the chairman of the Citizens political party, immediately after his appearance at the demonstration, but he was later released and forced out of the epicenter of the demonstration.
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The Georgian Health Ministry said in a statement that three law enforcement officers have been injured and taken to hospitals during the demonstration.
"With the aim of informing the public, we clarify that a sufficient number of ambulances have been mobilized on the spot, medical personnel are providing citizens with all necessary medical services. Until now, three law enforcers have been taken to hospitals," the statement read.
Protesters are building barricades out of garbage bins and sun umbrellas about 500 meters (1640 feet) from the Georgian Parliament building.
The correspondent reported that sounds of smoke grenades were heard, forcing protesters who were on Rustaveli Avenue to scatter.
Levan Khabeishvili, the leader of former Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili's opposition party United National Movement, has been detained at a demonstration against a bill on foreign agents in central Tbilisi, Georgian broadcaster Formula News reported.
The politician has been reportedly taken to a hospital.
Georgian broadcaster Mtavari Arxi reported that Georgia's law enforcement has also detained Aleko Elisashvili, the chairman of the Citizens political party, immediately after his appearance at the demonstration, but he was later released and forced out of the epicenter of the demonstration.
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The US Senate has approved House-passed legislation to ban US imports of Russian uranium.
The Senate passed the bill in an unanimous vote on Tuesday night, sending it to President Joe Biden's desk to be signed into law.
The Senate passed the bill in an unanimous vote on Tuesday night, sending it to President Joe Biden's desk to be signed into law.
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Ex-US diplomat says State Dept. staff fearful to express their views on Gaza
Many State Department staffers are fearful to openly express views on Gaza which are contrary to the official position of the Biden administration, The Washington Post reported, citing former diplomat Hala Rharrit.
Earlier in April, Rharrit resigned from the position of Arabic Language Spokesperson for the State Department and the Dubai Regional Media Hub’s Deputy Director in protest of the US policy in Gaza and support for limitless supply of arms to Israel, according to the State Department. She joined the States Department in 2006 as a political officer.
In Hala’s view, inside today’s State Department, diplomats are afraid to express their viewpoints contrary to official policy despite Secretary of State Antony Blinken stating that welcomes conflicting views and reads the cables that come through the department’s official dissent channel, the report said.
According to Rharrit, she had to refuse several interviews with Arab media outlets about Gaza because she found official talking points to be inflammatory.
Rharrit is not the first US diplomat who resigned in protest of the Biden administration’s policy in Gaza. In October 2023, Josh Paul, an official who oversaw arms transfers to foreign nations, resigned in protest to continued US military assistance to Israel.
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Many State Department staffers are fearful to openly express views on Gaza which are contrary to the official position of the Biden administration, The Washington Post reported, citing former diplomat Hala Rharrit.
Earlier in April, Rharrit resigned from the position of Arabic Language Spokesperson for the State Department and the Dubai Regional Media Hub’s Deputy Director in protest of the US policy in Gaza and support for limitless supply of arms to Israel, according to the State Department. She joined the States Department in 2006 as a political officer.
In Hala’s view, inside today’s State Department, diplomats are afraid to express their viewpoints contrary to official policy despite Secretary of State Antony Blinken stating that welcomes conflicting views and reads the cables that come through the department’s official dissent channel, the report said.
“People are scared to talk to each other. People don’t know how other people feel. So, they try to assess, you know, how are you feeling? People are scared to mention Gaza at work. They just want to pretend it’s not happening,” the report quoted Rharrit as saying.
According to Rharrit, she had to refuse several interviews with Arab media outlets about Gaza because she found official talking points to be inflammatory.
Rharrit is not the first US diplomat who resigned in protest of the Biden administration’s policy in Gaza. In October 2023, Josh Paul, an official who oversaw arms transfers to foreign nations, resigned in protest to continued US military assistance to Israel.
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Georgia's officers who withdrew into alley behind Parl't building in Tbilisi are leaving it, moving toward interior ministry building.
Meanwhile, some protesters are still building barricades outside the parliament building and some have left the area.
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Meanwhile, some protesters are still building barricades outside the parliament building and some have left the area.
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Joe Biden showed the world the US & NATO are paper tigers
US President Joe Biden revealed to the world that the US military is no longer the giant that woke up on December 7, 1941, but a paper tiger unable to exert the power it once held.
The attack from Iran on Israel showed the world “that US defense capabilities,” are “not there,” retired senior security policy analyst Michael Maloof told Sputnik’s The Critical Hour.
Meanwhile, the failure of NATO equipment in Ukraine has done the same.
“We saw, as with pretty much every type of tank we’ve seen in this combat that relatively cheap, $500, $1,000 a pop, Kamikaze drones can seriously damage a tank fairly easily,” Security and International relations expert Mark Sleboda told Sputnik’s Fault Lines.
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*Image is AI generated
US President Joe Biden revealed to the world that the US military is no longer the giant that woke up on December 7, 1941, but a paper tiger unable to exert the power it once held.
The attack from Iran on Israel showed the world “that US defense capabilities,” are “not there,” retired senior security policy analyst Michael Maloof told Sputnik’s The Critical Hour.
“The ability to have a strong missile defense is not there, and the Russians [also] have these hypersonic capabilities,” Maloof explained. “[Iran] did hit their targets, and they did it with hypersonics and there was no defense.”
Meanwhile, the failure of NATO equipment in Ukraine has done the same.
“We saw, as with pretty much every type of tank we’ve seen in this combat that relatively cheap, $500, $1,000 a pop, Kamikaze drones can seriously damage a tank fairly easily,” Security and International relations expert Mark Sleboda told Sputnik’s Fault Lines.
“The days of US dominance [are] over, and we're seeing this now as some 40 countries want to join BRICS and get out from under the dollar,” Maloof explained. “So, all of this is interrelated. It's all playing [out] in real-time, before our very eyes, and it's happening very rapidly.”
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*Image is AI generated
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The NYPD has set up cordons two blocks away from Columbia University, where students opposing Israel's operation in the Gaza Strip have barricaded themselves, Sputnik reports.
An iron fence has been installed. Police units in helmets with batons and plastic straps to secure hands in case of detentions have been deployed. So far, the situation has not turned to clashes.
According to some media reports, the police have already entered the university campus.
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An iron fence has been installed. Police units in helmets with batons and plastic straps to secure hands in case of detentions have been deployed. So far, the situation has not turned to clashes.
According to some media reports, the police have already entered the university campus.
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Democrats are criticizing Netanyahu to avoid ‘paying the price’ for Israel support during November’s election
In March, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) called for new elections to be held in Israel. A few weeks later, US President Joe Biden offered his sharpest public criticism of Netanyahu, saying “I think what he’s doing is a mistake. I don’t agree with his approach.”
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“The Democrats, they know that they will pay the price during the election. So, they are trying to stay away from Netanyahu,” journalist Mohamed Gomaa told Sputnik’s Fault Lines. “On the other hand, they continue to support Israel, not Netanyahu, not the government. They speak on Israel [only].”
In March, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) called for new elections to be held in Israel. A few weeks later, US President Joe Biden offered his sharpest public criticism of Netanyahu, saying “I think what he’s doing is a mistake. I don’t agree with his approach.”
“Anywhere there are protests against their government to stop supporting… Netanyahu, they [also] ask to stop [the] support of Israel, which,” will be difficult for those governments, Gomaa explained. “That’s why they changed their tone to criticize Netanyahu or criticize the government, [but] not Israel.”
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Sputnik International
The NYPD has set up cordons two blocks away from Columbia University, where students opposing Israel's operation in the Gaza Strip have barricaded themselves, Sputnik reports. An iron fence has been installed. Police units in helmets with batons and plastic…
Columbia University of New York President Minouche Shafik has asked police to remain on campus until May 17 to enforce order amid pro-Palestinian protests.
Meanwhile, NBC News quoted a city police spokesman as saying that about 100 people have already been detained during pro-Palestinian protests in New York.
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Meanwhile, NBC News quoted a city police spokesman as saying that about 100 people have already been detained during pro-Palestinian protests in New York.
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Armenian Parliament refuses to discuss opposition's draft statement on border delimitation
The ruling majority of the Armenian parliament has refused to discuss a draft statement on delimitation and demarcation of the border with Azerbaijan submitted by the opposition "Armenia" faction.
Artur Khachatryan, a member of the "Armenia" faction, said that according to Armenia's laws, PM is given the right to form only consultative bodies, but a special commission headed by Deputy PM Mher Grigoryan cannot decide where the border runs. Any change of the border should be approved by referendum, he added.
The authors of the draft statement believe that the demarcation of the border should be based on international documents, in particular, the United Nations Charter, the Vienna Convention and the Helsinki Final Act. The demarcation should be based on the border as of September 24, 1993 - the day of Azerbaijan's accession to the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS), Khachatryan said.
The ruling "Civil Contract" faction, which voted against submitting the draft statement for discussion at the plenary session, said it did not contribute to "the peace process declared by the Armenian government and contradicted the state interests of Armenia."
On April 19, Armenia and Azerbaijan held the eighth meeting of the commissions on border delimitation. The countries agreed on the demarcation of part of the border, which will result in the handover of four villages that had been under Armenian control since the early 1990s. Last Tuesday, the first boundary marker was placed on the border. The developments, however, sparked protests in Armenia.
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The ruling majority of the Armenian parliament has refused to discuss a draft statement on delimitation and demarcation of the border with Azerbaijan submitted by the opposition "Armenia" faction.
"27 members of parliament voted in favor of the decision to include the draft statement 'On Demarcation and Delimitation Between the Republic of Armenia and the Republic of Azerbaijan', authored by the 'Armenia' faction, 51 voted against. No decision was made," Armenian Parliament Veep Ruben Rubinyan said.
Artur Khachatryan, a member of the "Armenia" faction, said that according to Armenia's laws, PM is given the right to form only consultative bodies, but a special commission headed by Deputy PM Mher Grigoryan cannot decide where the border runs. Any change of the border should be approved by referendum, he added.
The authors of the draft statement believe that the demarcation of the border should be based on international documents, in particular, the United Nations Charter, the Vienna Convention and the Helsinki Final Act. The demarcation should be based on the border as of September 24, 1993 - the day of Azerbaijan's accession to the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS), Khachatryan said.
The ruling "Civil Contract" faction, which voted against submitting the draft statement for discussion at the plenary session, said it did not contribute to "the peace process declared by the Armenian government and contradicted the state interests of Armenia."
On April 19, Armenia and Azerbaijan held the eighth meeting of the commissions on border delimitation. The countries agreed on the demarcation of part of the border, which will result in the handover of four villages that had been under Armenian control since the early 1990s. Last Tuesday, the first boundary marker was placed on the border. The developments, however, sparked protests in Armenia.
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US students pro-Palestine protests: political fallout and Biden admin's dilemma
Across the US students are taking to the streets to voice their opposition to Israel's recent actions in the Gaza Strip, thus sparking political debates and posing political challenges for all.
The progressive wing of the Democratic Party is increasingly at odds with Israel's policies, viewing them as inconsistent with principles of equality and human rights, according to constitutional historian and political commentator Dan Lazare.
Lazare notes that while Democratic leaders like Joe Biden and Nancy Pelosi are attempting to downplay the significance of the protests, they are facing pressure from both within their party and from Republican opponents.
Meanwhile, political commentator Michael Shannon offers a contrasting perspective, suggesting that Republicans should refrain from intervening in what he describes as "Blue State intramural conflicts among leftists".
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Across the US students are taking to the streets to voice their opposition to Israel's recent actions in the Gaza Strip, thus sparking political debates and posing political challenges for all.
The progressive wing of the Democratic Party is increasingly at odds with Israel's policies, viewing them as inconsistent with principles of equality and human rights, according to constitutional historian and political commentator Dan Lazare.
"This is particularly the case for American Jews who know all too well that their community can only prosper and survive in a society based on equal treatment for all. This puts them at odds with the Netanyahu government in Israel and is causing them to part ways as well," stated Lazare.
Lazare notes that while Democratic leaders like Joe Biden and Nancy Pelosi are attempting to downplay the significance of the protests, they are facing pressure from both within their party and from Republican opponents.
Meanwhile, political commentator Michael Shannon offers a contrasting perspective, suggesting that Republicans should refrain from intervening in what he describes as "Blue State intramural conflicts among leftists".
Shannon predicts that the duration and impact of the protests will largely depend on Israel's actions in Gaza and "if they [IDF] finish Hamas quickly, then the media backdrop disappears".
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Ukrainian media have reported a bright flash without an explosion that was observed at night over several regions at once.
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