White House rescinds order on reporting rights abuses with US weapons, sources say
PHOTO CAPTION: An Israeli military Apache helicopter fires missiles towards Gaza, as seen from southern Israel, May 14, 2024. REUTERS/Amir Cohen
By Simon Lewis and Humeyra Pamuk
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The Trump administration has rescinded a Biden-era order that required it to report potential violations of international law involving U.S.-supplied weapons by allies including Israel, two U.S. officials and a source familiar with the decision said on Monday.
The Washington Post first reported the decision, citing current and former officials, to scrap National Security Memorandum-20, which was signed by former President Joe Biden in February 2024 amid criticism over Israel's use of American bombs in its war in Gaza.
The memorandum required the U.S. government to produce reports for Congress on the use of U.S. arms by other countries. In May 2024, in a report required by the memorandum, Biden's administration said Israel may have breached international humanitarian law but that U.S. officials were unable to identify specific instances of breaches that harmed civilians due to the chaos of war.
The Trump administration would have been required in the coming months to report to Congress its own assessment of Israel's conduct.
The Washington Post cited an order issued by White House national security adviser Michael Waltz on February 21 repealing NSM-20. Reuters was not able to independently confirm the existence of the order, but two U.S. officials and a source familiar with the move said they had been told the directive was revoked.
The State Department referred questions to the White House, which did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
U.S. Senator Chris Van Hollen of Maryland, a key proponent of congressional oversight of U.S. arms sales, said the decision to revoke the memo was "shameful."
"It’s a disservice to our national security, to global human rights, and to our standing around the world," Van Hollen said in a statement.
"This move also undermines American taxpayers’ right to ensure the use of their dollars aligns with our laws and our national interest. It’s another clear example of Trump’s blatant indifference to American values. This is not America first – it’s America in retreat.”
NSM-20 applied to all countries involved in armed conflict that receive U.S. weapons, but sparked dissent among U.S. officials over whether Israel's assurances that it was using U.S.- supplied weapons in accordance with international humanitarian law were credible or reliable.
After returning to office on January 20, President Donald Trump signed an executive order that called for a review of all national security memoranda issued under Biden.
(Reporting by Humeyra Pamuk and Simon Lewis; additional reporting by Patricia Zengerle; Editing by Nia Williams)
