CovertAction Bulletin: Pentagon, AI Giants Aim for Increased Lethality – The USA Potato

The Cost of War 

We know that wars are costly. Having extricated ourselves from protracted Middle East conflicts just three years ago, we have clear reference points which are not reassuring. The Costs of War Project at Brown University's Watson Institute estimates that from late 2001 through FY2022, the U.S. spent or obligated $8 trillion on post-9/11 wars: $5.8 trillion in direct costs and at least $2.2 trillion in future veterans' care through 2050. Every dollar in that accounting was a dollar that did not go toward schools, bridges, or health care. 

OpenAI wins $200m contract with US military for ‘warfighting’

Program with the defense department is first under the startup’s initiative to put AI to work in governments

Cut Ties with Genocide Protest Camp

CUT TIES WITH GENOCIDE! MASS PROTEST CAMP FEBRUARY 2025! 💥 ✊ This is an invitation to join forces in end February to protest against the international weapons trade, the genocide in Palestine, and colonialist mega-corporations. A coalition of activists in Copenhagen is hosting a mass protest camp to Cut Ties With Genocide. We have all been on the streets a lot, protesting and marching for justice and an end to genocide. It is time to gather our forces and demand that we stop being complicit and instead cut ties with genocide. Copenhagen is the host-city of some of Europe's largest war criminals: companies producing the weapons, banks financing it, and shipping and logistics companies that facilitate the weapons trade. Maersk is one of the world's largest shipping and logistics companies and without Maersk, Israel would not have the weapons to commit its genocide of Palestinians in Gaza, and the killings and bombardments in Lebanon, Yemen and Syria. Internationally people are mobilizing against Maersk these months, to protest against their complicity and direct facilitation of the genocide in Palestine. Maersk is a Danish company and is one of the most profitable companies on earth, and nearly impossible to protest against alone - so this is the time to stand together! A coalition of grassroots and activist groups are calling for a mass protest camp against war criminals in their headquarter city: Copenhagen. Join us! CUT TIES WITH GENOCIDE PROTEST CAMP DATE: 21-26TH OF FEBRUARY 2025. 🏙️There will be multiple days of program where we can learn, share, train, discuss strategy, become acquainted and protest. The camp will take place indoor, and there will be vegan food and accommodation provided. We want to gather to build community and networks that can build and fight for a better world. We want to gather to show the war criminals that they are the ones that stand alone. We want to gather to do sustainable activism that can carry people through their lives, and give our networks strength and energy across borders. We want to gather to share and learn the skills and information that makes us better able to resist. We are not alone in this: Denmark is being sued for their participation in the weapon export to Israel. The court dates are in end February 2025, right after this protest camp. Get involved: We are hoping this will be a action camp with broad and international participation - and we need your help to do that! We are especially looking for: 🌟 Help mobilizing and spreading the word (sharing the event, holding an info talk, making an action training), 🌟 Economic support to arrange bus travels from other places Please answer back with if you can imagine getting involved in anything like that. Our email is [email protected] 📘 Read more about the Mask of Mærsk campaign: www.maskoffmaersk.com [https://www.maskoffmaersk.com/] 📘 Read more about the upcoming court case against the Danish state: www.amnesty.dk/ngoer-sagsoger-den-danske-stat-for-at-stoppe-vabeneksport-til-israel [https://amnesty.dk/ngoer-sagsoger-den-danske-stat-for-at-stoppe-vabeneksport-til-israel/] Cut Ties With Genocide Protest Camp are organized by a coalition of activists from different groups and movements. For updates on the event you can also follow @CRAC_collective [https://www.instagram.com/crac_collective/] on Instagram and/or sign up for our email list on [email protected] [[email protected]].

Nahost-Liveblog: ++ Berlin verurteilt Tempelberg-Besuch von Ben-Gvir ++

Die Bundesregierung hat den Besuch des israelischen Ministers Ben-Gvir auf dem Tempelberg in Jerusalem verurteilt. US-Präsident Biden hofft, dass eine Waffenruhe im Gazastreifen einen Angriff des Iran verhindern könnte. Der Liveblog vom Mittwoch zum Nachlesen.