The administration of President Donald Trump has canceled a directive issued by his predecessor, Joe Biden, which aimed to ensure that America's allies do not use U.S.-made weapons in ways that violate international humanitarian law. This decision comes as the Trump administration seeks to establish a foreign policy centered on the principle of "America First."
According to the Washington Post, the directive issued by Biden in February 2024 was revoked while his administration was trying to balance support for Israel in its war against Gaza with concerns about civilian casualties resulting from the conflict. Biden's memo was based on laws regarding arms transfers, which require countries receiving U.S. weapons to provide written guarantees that they will not be used in violation of international humanitarian law, as well as facilitate humanitarian aid delivery under the threat of suspending arms supplies.
Some observers criticized the Biden administration, stating that it failed to effectively utilize its rules to improve conditions for civilians in Gaza. Christopher Le Mon, a former senior official at the State Department for human rights during the Biden administration, noted that the decision to revoke Biden's directive could lead to an increase in civilian casualties resulting from the use of U.S. weapons, ultimately harming America's standing on the international stage. He pointed out that this decision sends a signal to partners that the administration does not care about how these governments use their weapons.
The newspaper also noted that the United States is considered the largest provider of military aid to Israel. Following more than a year of conflict, Israel and Hamas reached a fragile ceasefire agreement last month. The cancellation of Biden's directive is not the first step taken by the Trump administration to roll back policies aimed at protecting human rights.
During Trump's first term, a conventional arms transfer policy was introduced that focused on economic considerations rather than concerns for civilians. In the early days after his return, the Pentagon began taking steps to dismantle an office established during Biden's tenure to enhance civilian safety during military operations.
In the absence of Biden's directive, there are still other standards linking U.S. arms provision to human rights and humanitarian concerns, including the Foreign Assistance Act and the Arms Export Control Act. Sarah Yager, director of Human Rights Watch in Washington, commented that the memo was unnecessary if the Biden administration followed U.S. laws regarding arms transfers, questioning whether Trump's team would show the American people their commitment to these laws when sending arms to allies.