pretty remarkable resignation letter from Joshua R. Paul, director of the State Department's Bureau of Political-Military Affairs, posted to his LinkedIn page two hours ago. archive.ph/k9PpM - ThreadSky

thielman.bsky.social • 497 days ago

pretty remarkable resignation letter from Joshua R. Paul, director of the State Department's Bureau of Political-Military Affairs, posted to his LinkedIn page two hours ago. https://archive.ph/k9PpM

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Comments

swordsjew.bsky.social•497 days ago

courageous and beautiful

dcprogress.bsky.social•497 days ago

Still seeking two answers:
- Isn’t the DoD the main government department that provides weaponry? (Obviously DoS is involved but he seems to overstate his dept’s role)
- Is it a reasonable expectation that a comm’s director would be setting policy? (Generally happens a bit up the food chain, yeah?)

thimoney.bsky.social•497 days ago

Yeah original post is a little misleading, the bureau is lead by an assistant secretary and then individual offices have missions like security assistance, demining, negotiations and agreements, and public affairs those are lead by directors.

thimoney.bsky.social•497 days ago

State is the lead agency except in battle spaces where DoD is still working through State for civilian oversight but bigger budget and political capital prevails. Weapons, infrastructure improvements, and training can be provided from a mix of military, government civilian, and private contractors

aguycalledpete.bsky.social•494 days ago

'Fasci'nating

parasocialista.bsky.social•497 days ago

The State Dept's own Lord of War who armed Saudia Arabia and proto-IS*S for a decade looked at the Biden administration's support for Israel and said "this isn't it"

lykron.bsky.social•497 days ago

Did you not read his letter? He comments positively on Biden's response, and makes clear that his issue isn't connected to the current administration.

parasocialista.bsky.social•497 days ago

I did. He didn't.

lykron.bsky.social•497 days ago

It says on the 2nd page.

Nothing you highlighted is a result of Biden, his policy, or anything connected to the current administration. He’s saying that the current response would happen under any Administration because of decades of policy

parasocialista.bsky.social•497 days ago

What are we doing here

lykron.bsky.social•497 days ago

Continuing a failed policy that has not worked and will not work.

Thats not something that’s the result of the Biden administration. Biden done the thing that Trump would have done. Obama. Bush. Clinton… and that’s kinda the authors point.

elliotsperber.bsky.social•497 days ago

It’s good to be reminded of Uri Avnery.

duanemoody.qwiffer.com•496 days ago

My traditional liberal side applauds his need to live his values

My lawful evil side is disappointed he didn't take down as many people as possible on his way out as a warning

nabalkattu.bsky.social•497 days ago

This is what we would call emes and a mitzvah, I only pray that everyone involved in the transfer of massive armaments that will mainly kill civilians also has the guts to quit.

thielman.bsky.social•497 days ago

@alt-text.bsky.social

thielman.bsky.social•497 days ago

"This Administration's response - and much of Congress' as well - is an impulsive reaction built on confirmation bias, political convenience, intellectual bankruptcy, and bureaucratic inertia. That is to say, it is immensely disappointing, and entirely unsurprising."

thielman.bsky.social•497 days ago

HuffPo got an interview with him: https://www.huffpost.com/entry/state-department-resignation-gaza_n_65306079e4b00565b622b1fb

dragnflite.bsky.social•497 days ago

This doesn't seem good.

blupotluv.bsky.social•497 days ago

And HuffPo was the outlet he chose??

rowyourbot.bsky.social•496 days ago

They reported it. Do you think other papers want to air his reasons? They might but it's unlikely.

apyli.bsky.social•497 days ago

Or outlet that let him...

jthayer.bsky.social•497 days ago

No pay wall so it's available to the widest # of readers.

blupotluv.bsky.social•496 days ago

Good point…. Huffington Post it’s usually the fluffington post (best hair brushes and make up remover).

thielman.bsky.social•497 days ago

NB: Joshua *M* Paul, not R.

krysiaw.bsky.social•497 days ago

Exactly the quote I was going to copy here. He’s so right about it all, imho. And tragically, of course, Washington will ignore his words ~ for the very reason he describes.

jthayer.bsky.social•497 days ago

As one of my mentors reminds me: "If you live long enough, you see things that you never thought you'd see."

alt-text.bsky.social•497 days ago

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alt-text.bsky.social•497 days ago

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alt-text.bsky.social•497 days ago

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alt-text.bsky.social•497 days ago

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ethics.bsky.social•497 days ago

Good riddance.

bevball.bsky.social•497 days ago

maybe we should advocate for peace
a ground war would turn surrounding countries
into active enemies
Hamas would like that

azorr.bsky.social•496 days ago

Remarkable that he thinks withholding JDAM kits and Iron Dome missiles will bring peace to Gaza...

Wasn't the time to resign before 10/7, not after?

wccubbison.bsky.social•497 days ago

He didn't mind when the US did much worse than what is happening in Gaza apparently

snavar.bsky.social•497 days ago

It is very strange that he uses the continued lethal support of Israel as trigger of his desicion and not, for example, the arms deliveries to Yemen.

peachesandthem.bsky.social•497 days ago

Wow

molliestratton.bsky.social•497 days ago

Wow.

fancyfairyangela.bsky.social•496 days ago

Happy to see this

kja.bsky.social•497 days ago

And you can't overstate how much the US's positions on Israel are complicating everything it's doing in Ukraine right now, and PM is smack in the middle of both.

lov3.bsky.social•497 days ago

Seems … suspect. Tulsi vibes.

pawmipower.bsky.social•497 days ago

So basically, he thinks both sides are bad, but what Israel has done is far worse? Because I skimmed, but that's the conclusion I've come to watching the events play out with my own two eyes.

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