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Biden Sends IDF Vet to Strongarm Lebanon - The Tuesday AM Quickie 10/22/24

By Jacob Silverman —

Lithium reserves discovered in Arkansas. CIA coup to follow? -Jacob

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10/22: It's News Day Tuesday! Sam and Emma break down the biggest headlines of the day. But first, they speak with Anna Heetman, striking tenant and leader with the Independence Towers Tenant Union in Kansas City.

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Today you'll read about the Biden administration's diplomatic envoy to Lebanon; Kamala Harris vibing with Liz Cheney; Donald Trump's plan to destroy social security; and how Elon Musk is paying Elon Musk to advertise Elon Musk's preferred political candidate.

THE BIG NEWS

Biden Sends IDF Vet Hochstein to Strongarm Lebanon

In a remarkable example of how the US establishment favors Israel over its Arab adversaries, the White House sent diplomat and Biden adviser Amos Hochstein, an IDF veteran, this week to communicate Israel's "demands for ending the war in Lebanon." Hochstein, who officially bears the title "Special Presidential Coordinator for Global Infrastructure and Energy Security," has become an influential, hawkish voice within an administration that has provided broad cover for Israel's overwhelming assault on Gaza. Along with deep state fixture Brett McGurk, who's somehow survived four administrations and innumerable Middle East foreign policy disasters, Hochstein reportedly gave the Israeli government the greenlight for its invasion of southern Lebanon.

According to Axios' Barak Ravid, Israeli officials told Hochstein that the IDF wants to be allowed to continue to conduct "active enforcement" in southern Lebanon to prevent Hezbollah from rearming. Israel also wants to be able to operate freely in Lebanese air space.

Hochstein apparently has his own demands designed around fully implementing UN resolution 1701, which established a peacekeeping force, known as UNIFIL, in southern Lebanon after the 2006 war between Israel and Hezbollah. According to an anonymous official speaking to Axios, Israel supports this policy, yet the IDF has spent the last couple weeks endangering the lives of UNIFIL troops and knocking over their watchtowers.

None of these demands – from Israel, the Biden administration, or Hochstein – are likely to be palatable to the Lebanese government, which ultimately includes Hezbollah as a major political force. Yesterday, Hochstein visited Nabih Berri, the speaker of Lebanon's parliament and a member of a political party allied with Hezbollah. Berri declined to shake Hochstein's hand.

There are some indications of dissent within the administration and across the broader Democratic coalition. According to Zeteo, Department of Justice attorneys sent a letter to Attorney General Merrick Garland urging him to "investigate‬‭ potential‬‭ violations‬‭ of‬‭ U.S.‬‭ law‬‭ by‬‭ Israel’s‭ government,‬‭ military,‬‭ and‬‭ citizenry,‬‭ and‬‭ hold‬‭ the‬‭ perpetrators‬‭ to‬‭ account." The anonymous letter cited Israel's killing of U.S. citizens, illegal settlement building in the West Bank, and evidence of IDF war crimes.

Rep. Jim McGovern, a Democrat from Massachusetts, called on Biden to "push for independent access for U.S. and international journalists" in Gaza. For the last year, Israel has prevented foreign journalists from entering Gaza except in limited, stage-managed tours led by IDF forces. The true scale of the calamity in Gaza and of Israel's war crimes remains unknown, especially as Israeli forces have killed more than 100 Palestinian journalists.

"At a time when reliable information is more critical than ever, restrictions on foreign reporting undermine the very foundation democratic accountability," wrote McGovern, whose letter was signed by 64 other House Democrats.

Kamala Harris Campaigns With Neocon Royalty Liz Cheney

Struggling to secure voters in the crucial swing states of Pennsylvania and Michigan, Vice President Kamala Harris has turned to former Rep. Liz Cheney, a Republican from Wyoming, as her sidekick for several public events. Besides being the daughter of arch-war criminal Dick Cheney, Liz Cheney is known for her opposition to Donald Trump's attempts to overturn the results of the 2020 election – a basic stand of principle that makes her a rarity among Republicans.

“It’s not about party, it’s about right and wrong,” Cheney told an audience in suburban Michigan. It's the same state where Harris, when recently asked if she could lose the election because of Gaza, responded, "The first and most tragic story is October 7th and what happened that day."

Echoing some of Harris' recent language, Cheney asked voters to think of Trump's "cruelty" and said that he's a danger to the country's national security. "You can vote your conscience and not ever have to say a word to anybody," said Cheney, before claiming that "millions of Republicans" will do on that election day. Wouldn't it be nice.

Israel Is Attacking Hospitals Again

As they have for the last year, Israeli forces attacked hospitals and shelters in recent days, especially in northern Gaza, which has seen fierce Israeli bombardment as thousands of Palestinians were rounded up and marched out of the Jabalia refugee camp. A fire set by Israeli soldiers at a school disabled generators for the nearby Indonesian Hospital. Doctors and patients are trapped inside the Indonesian Hospital, where supplies are almost exhausted. Israeli forces have shelled two other hospitals and ordered evacuations. In southern Beirut, Israel accused Hezbollah of hiding millions of dollars in a bunker beneath a hospital, which was then evacuated. Bombs began falling nearby an hour later, with one hitting outside the Rafik Hariri hospital, killing four people.

QUICKEST QUICKIES

  • Donald Trump's Plan Would Devastate Social Security According to a new think tank analysis, Trump's Social Security plan would cause benefits to be cut by a third and would push the Social Security trust fund toward insolvency within six years. From tariffs to taxes to deporting undocumented migrants, Trump's policies could have a deep and deleterious effect on the programs that help keep seniors out of poverty. via CBS News and WaPo.
  • Meta Is Censoring Pro-Palestinian Instagram Posts Jordana Cutler, who works as the Israel & the Jewish Diaspora policy chief at Meta, flagged for removal Instagram posts belonging to the anti-war group Students for Justice in Palestine. SJP is a well-established activist group that has organized numerous protests against Israel's crimes in Gaza. Cutler flagged SJP under Meta's "dangerous organizations and individuals policy." via The Intercept.
  • Biden Is "Deeply Concerned" About Leaked Intel on Israel The Biden administration claims that the president is troubled by the leak of top secret intelligence about possible Israeli preparations to attack Iran. The admin has vowed to investigate the leak. Once again, they have said almost nothing about what seems to be the real matter of concern: whether Israel will attack Iran and drag the US deeper into a horrific regional war. via ABC News, Al Jazeera, and The Guardian.
  • Postal Workers Looking at a Raise and Other Benefits The union representing letter carriers reached a deal with the United States Postal Service that would introduce annual 1.3 percent pay raises. The deal also includes cost-of-living adjustments, limits layoffs, and mandates air conditioning for new vehicles. via Federal News Network and USA Today.

SOME NUMBER

$166,000

That's how much money the Elon Musk-sponsored America PAC spent on ads that appeared on the Elon Musk-owned X in support of Elon Musk's preferred candidate, Donald Trump, between July 8 and Oct. 1. The ads, which accused Kamala Harris of flooding the country with "illegal immigrants," targeted voters in battleground states.

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PARTING WORDS

"It’s as big a water, you know, that’s as big a water storm, they say, as we’ve ever seen."

-- Donald Trump offering his insight about the aftermath of Hurricane Helene while visiting North Carolina yesterday.

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