Washington DC

US to do "whatever is necessary" to ensure Russian food exports if grain deal revived; Blinken

03 August 2023; MEMO: The United States would continue to do "whatever is necessary" to ensure Russia can freely export food if there was a revival of a deal allowing the safe Black Sea export of Ukrainian grain, US Secretary of State, Antony Blinken, said on Thursday, Reuters reports.

US should end aid to Israel, say former ambassadors

24 July 2023; MEMO: Two former US ambassadors to Israel have called for an end to Washington's aid to the occupation state. Speaking to New York Times columnist Nick Kristof, one of the more influential in liberal circles, former ambassadors Dan Kurtzer and Martin Indyk said that it is time to end the $3.8 billion given every year to Israel because it longer serves US interests.

US deploying F-16 jets to Strait of Hormuz to deter Iran navy

16 July 2023; MEMO: The United States is sending F-16 fighter jets to the Gulf this weekend to reinforce its presence in the region amid an increase in Iranian harassment of oil tankers.

According to the Associated Press, an anonymous official told Pentagon reporters yesterday that Washington will deploy an unspecified number of F-16 jets to the Gulf region in an effort to give support to the A-10 attack aircraft that have patrolled the area over the past week and a half.

US Republicans weaponise anti-Semitism against Biden's Israel boycott policy

13 July 2023; MEMO: A group of pro-Israel Republican US senators have accused President Joe Biden of engaging in "an anti-Semitic boycott of Israel" and threatened to block any nomination put forward by the White House if it does not reverse its policy over the occupation state.

Palestinian Authority has 'lost its credibility,' Biden tells CNN

12 July 2023; MEMO: US President Joe Biden has told CNN that the Palestinian Authority has "lost its credibility." Biden made the claim earlier this week.

"I think that the fact [is] that the Palestinian Authority has lost its credibility," he said, making clear that this assessment had nothing to do with Israel, but is related to the nature of the PA itself. "It has created a vacuum for extremism… among the Palestinians," he added.

Countries repatriating gold in wake of sanctions against Russia

10 July 2023; MEMO: An increasing number of countries are repatriating gold reserves as protection against the sort of sanctions imposed by the West on Russia, according to an Invesco survey of Central Bank and sovereign wealth funds published on Monday, Reuters reports.

The financial market rout last year caused widespread losses for sovereign money managers who are "fundamentally" rethinking their strategies on the belief that higher inflation and geopolitical tensions are here to stay.

US considers providing cluster munitions to Ukraine: General Milley

01 July 2023; AA: The US is contemplating the possibility of supplying cluster munitions to Ukraine, said Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Mark Milley said on Friday.

"The Ukrainians have asked for it, other European countries have provided some of that, the Russians are using it," said Milley in his remarks at National Press Club. "There’s a decision-making process ongoing".

He said no final decision has been made.

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