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John Haltiwanger

@jchaltiwanger.bsky.social
2.2K followers 2.3K following 196 posts

Staff Writer at ForeignPolicy.com Send tips/ideas to john.haltiwanger@foreignpolicy.com

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John Haltiwanger @jchaltiwanger.bsky.social · 17/09/2026
“It’s irrefutable that the U.S. failed in its main strategic goals,” one expert said. foreignpolicy.com/2026/09/17/t...
foreignpolicy.com
By Nearly Every Metric, the U.S. Is Losing the Iran War
“It’s irrefutable that the U.S. failed in its main strategic goals,” one expert said.
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Reposted by John Haltiwanger
Foreign Policy @foreignpolicy.com · 11/09/2026
FP’s @jchaltiwanger.bsky.social and @iyengarish.bsky.social assess the counterterrorism landscape 25 years after 9/11. foreignpolicy.com/2026/09/10/u...
foreignpolicy.com
What Makes a Good Counterterrorism Strategy?
Three top experts on the terror threat 25 years after 9/11.
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Rishi Iyengar @iyengarish.bsky.social · 21/08/2026
The Trump administration's new national security tech strategy deems "deeper cooperation with allies and partners" as "essential" to maintaining U.S. leadership. That's difficult when you're alienating most of them. New SitRep w @jchaltiwanger.bsky.social foreignpolicy.com/2026/08/20/t...
foreignpolicy.com
Trump’s Tech Tensions
The administration’s latest strategy document tries to balance technological competition with cooperation.
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John Haltiwanger @jchaltiwanger.bsky.social · 25/08/2026
Huckabee, a longtime supporter of settlements, recently invoked the Bible against Israeli settlers. foreignpolicy.com/2026/08/25/m...
foreignpolicy.com
Mike Huckabee Reckons With the Disturbing Reality of Settler Violence
Huckabee, a longtime supporter of settlements, recently invoked the Bible against Israeli settlers.
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Rishi Iyengar @iyengarish.bsky.social · 09/07/2026
NATO managed to give Trump a happy summit sendoff for the second straight year—though protecting his ego wasn't as high priority this year and Europe is ready for self-reliance. Now what? Final @foreignpolicy.com Ankara dispatch with @jchaltiwanger.bsky.social: foreignpolicy.com/2026/07/09/n...
foreignpolicy.com
NATO’s Waiting Game
Less Trump. More Europe. What’s next?
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Tammy Duckworth @duckworth.senate.gov · 06/07/2026
America's friendship with Taiwan is bigger than any one President. Congress needs a steady vision to support Taiwan long-term, for both their security and our own. I'm in Taiwan working to ensure our friendship stays strong, no matter who's in the White House.
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John Haltiwanger @jchaltiwanger.bsky.social · 08/07/2026
A breakdown of what happened at this year's NATO summit in Ankara from me and @iyengarish.bsky.social The alliance wanted to look united. In walked Trump. foreignpolicy.com/2026/07/08/t...
foreignpolicy.com
Trump Hands NATO a Mixed Bag
The alliance wanted to look united. In walked Trump.
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Rishi Iyengar @iyengarish.bsky.social · 03/07/2026
Angsty in Ankara My @foreignpolicy.com preview of next week's NATO Summit, where @jchaltiwanger.bsky.social and I will be on the ground reporting! Let us know if you'd like to grab a coffee or a kebab. foreignpolicy.com/2026/07/02/n...
foreignpolicy.com
Angsty in Ankara
Can NATO move past a need to keep Trump happy?
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John Haltiwanger @jchaltiwanger.bsky.social · 06/07/2026
SCOOP: @duckworth.senate.gov is arriving in Taiwan on Monday to reaffirm the United States’ long-term commitment to the island’s security. Duckworth will be the first U.S. senator to visit Taiwan since President Trump’s May meeting with Xi Jinping in Beijing. foreignpolicy.com/2026/07/06/s...
foreignpolicy.com
The U.S. Can’t ‘Yield Even an Inch’ to Xi, Top Democrat Says
Sen. Tammy Duckworth tells FP why she is traveling to Taiwan.
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Rishi Iyengar @iyengarish.bsky.social · 02/07/2026
Ferran Torres is the Alvaro Morata of Gonzalo Higuains.
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Rishi Iyengar @iyengarish.bsky.social · 30/06/2026
My second @munsecconf.bsky.social doing pop-up editions of our Situation Report newsletter with @jchaltiwanger.bsky.social, featuring a speech by U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio that provided reassurance and reality check in equal measure: foreignpolicy.com/2026/02/14/r...
foreignpolicy.com
Rubio’s ‘Reassuring’ Relationship Repair
The chief U.S. diplomat put a friendlier spin on the Trump administration’s stern message to Europe.
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John Haltiwanger @jchaltiwanger.bsky.social · 30/06/2026
“We don’t have a solution,” an Israeli military official said. foreignpolicy.com/2026/06/30/i...
foreignpolicy.com
Israel Has a Hezbollah Drone Problem
“We don’t have a solution,” an Israeli military official said.
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John Haltiwanger @jchaltiwanger.bsky.social · 16/06/2026
Key issues, like Iran’s nuclear program, remain unresolved. foreignpolicy.com/2026/06/15/u...
foreignpolicy.com
What We Do and Don’t Know About the U.S.-Iran Peace Deal
Key issues, like Iran’s nuclear program, remain unresolved.
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John Haltiwanger @jchaltiwanger.bsky.social · 11/06/2026
I wrote about how FIFA's 2026 World Cup betrays soccer fans worldwide and the egalitarian roots of the game. I'm attending two matches. Getting tickets was not easy/cheap. As excited as I am, I'm also disheartened by how this tournament was orchestrated. foreignpolicy.com/2026/06/11/f...
foreignpolicy.com
FIFA’s Versailles Moment
Soccer is egalitarian. The 2026 FIFA World Cup is anything but.
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John Haltiwanger @jchaltiwanger.bsky.social · 08/06/2026
He wants to end the Iran war. But Iran, Israel, and Hezbollah have other ideas. foreignpolicy.com/2026/06/08/t...
foreignpolicy.com
Trump Started a War He Can’t Control
He wants to end the Iran war. But Iran, Israel, and Hezbollah have other ideas.
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Foreign Policy @foreignpolicy.com · 14/05/2026
FP’s @jchaltiwanger.bsky.social spoke to a mediation expert about how a cease-fire is defined, who decides when a violation is committed, and what constitutes a complete breakdown.
foreignpolicy.com
Is It Really a ‘Cease-Fire’ if Both Sides Are Still Shooting?
A mediation expert explains why the U.S.-Iran cease-fire is so vulnerable.
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John Haltiwanger @jchaltiwanger.bsky.social · 03/06/2026
Sens. Kaine and Paul say that the military’s targeting criteria don’t include the presence of drugs or arms. foreignpolicy.com/2026/06/02/k...
foreignpolicy.com
Two Senators Just Blew Up Trump’s Boat-Strike Justifications
Sens. Kaine and Paul say that the military’s targeting criteria don’t include the presence of drugs or arms.
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John Haltiwanger @jchaltiwanger.bsky.social · 13/05/2026
There have been repeated exchanges of fire during the Iran ceasefire. The situation raises questions as to how a ceasefire is defined, who decides when a violation is committed, and what constitutes a complete breakdown. I spoke to an expert on mediation about this. foreignpolicy.com/2026/05/13/c...
foreignpolicy.com
Is It Really a ‘Cease-Fire’ if Both Sides Are Still Shooting?
A mediation expert explains why the U.S.-Iran cease-fire is so vulnerable.
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John Haltiwanger @jchaltiwanger.bsky.social · 05/05/2026
NEW: Months into the fragile cease-fire, Trump’s Gaza peace plan has stalled amid an impasse over disarmament. Gaza now appears in danger of remaining in an indefinite limbo in which Hamas controls a portion of the territory while Israel occupies the rest. foreignpolicy.com/2026/05/05/t...
foreignpolicy.com
Trump’s Gaza Impasse
Experts say Hamas has few incentives to disarm.
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Rishi Iyengar @iyengarish.bsky.social · 01/05/2026
This week's SitRep with @jchaltiwanger.bsky.social: Belgian Defense Minister Theo Francken said his meeting with Pete Hegseth in Washington this week was "very positive" and "there was no hostility." Belgium's defense spending went up by 59% last year. foreignpolicy.com/2026/04/30/h...
foreignpolicy.com
The View From Europe
Belgian Defense Minister Theo Francken on Hegseth, Hormuz, and NATO.
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Foreign Policy @foreignpolicy.com · 23/04/2026
With the cease-fire hanging by a thread, FP’s @jchaltiwanger.bsky.social examines five of the most pressing questions if the truce ultimately collapses.
foreignpolicy.com
What Happens if the U.S.-Iran Cease-Fire Collapses?
The truce is hanging by a thread despite Trump’s extension.
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John Haltiwanger @jchaltiwanger.bsky.social · 23/04/2026
With the U.S.-Iran cease-fire hanging by a thread, I wrote about five of the most pressing questions if the truce ultimately collapses. foreignpolicy.com/2026/04/22/w...
foreignpolicy.com
What Happens if the U.S.-Iran Cease-Fire Collapses?
The truce is hanging by a thread despite Trump’s extension.
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Rishi Iyengar @iyengarish.bsky.social · 17/04/2026
Trump's Friday Truth Social posting has been highly erratic even by his usual chaotic standards—capping off a terrible week for the U.S. president in which he fought with the pope and lost some of his closest European allies. foreignpolicy.com/2026/04/16/t... with @jchaltiwanger.bsky.social
foreignpolicy.com
Trump’s Awful Week
The U.S. president is picking fights in every direction, alienating key supporters and allies.
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John Haltiwanger @jchaltiwanger.bsky.social · 17/04/2026
The U.S. president is picking fights in every direction, alienating key supporters and allies. foreignpolicy.com/2026/04/16/t...
foreignpolicy.com
Trump’s Awful Week
The U.S. president is picking fights in every direction, alienating key supporters and allies.
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John Haltiwanger @jchaltiwanger.bsky.social · 10/04/2026
This week's SitRep from me and @iyengarish.bsky.social explores how Israel’s offensive in Lebanon is threatening the tenuous Iran war ceasefire. foreignpolicy.com/2026/04/09/i...
foreignpolicy.com
Will Netanyahu Derail the Iran War Cease-Fire?
Israel’s offensive in Lebanon is threatening the tenuous truce.
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John Haltiwanger @jchaltiwanger.bsky.social · 09/04/2026
The fragile truce faces significant obstacles. foreignpolicy.com/2026/04/08/u...
foreignpolicy.com
5 Unanswered Questions on the U.S.-Iran Cease-Fire
The fragile truce faces significant obstacles.
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Rishi Iyengar @iyengarish.bsky.social · 08/04/2026
More on the ceasefire itself from my colleague @jchaltiwanger.bsky.social foreignpolicy.com/2026/04/07/i...
foreignpolicy.com
U.S. and Iran Agree to 2-Week Cease-Fire
The announcement came less than two hours before Trump’s deadline was set to expire.
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Rishi Iyengar @iyengarish.bsky.social · 06/04/2026
@jchaltiwanger.bsky.social and I also wrote about the (few) clues offered by Trump in his Wednesday night prime time speech about how and when the war with Iran might end, in this week's Situation Report newsletter: foreignpolicy.com/2026/04/02/t...
foreignpolicy.com
What’s Next for the Iran War?
A prime-time Trump speech offered few clues.
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Rishi Iyengar @iyengarish.bsky.social · 06/04/2026
We still don't know what the tens of thousands of U.S. troops in Iran might be used for, but @jchaltiwanger.bsky.social explored the most dangerous possibility—a mission to seize Iran's highly enriched uranium stockpiles: foreignpolicy.com/2026/04/01/u...
foreignpolicy.com
What a U.S. Operation to Get Iran’s Uranium Would Look Like
It’s even more complicated than capturing a Venezuelan president.
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John Haltiwanger @jchaltiwanger.bsky.social · 01/04/2026
Trump has vacillated over whether the U.S. needs to secure Iran's highly enriched uranium. That could be because an operation to do so would be extremely risky. I spoke with former U.S. officials who expressed grave concerns over the potential dangers. foreignpolicy.com/2026/04/01/u...
foreignpolicy.com
What a U.S. Operation to Get Iran’s Uranium Would Look Like
It’s even more complicated than capturing a Venezuelan president.
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John Haltiwanger @jchaltiwanger.bsky.social · 26/03/2026
Read the latest SitRep from me and @iyengarish.bsky.social for a breakdown on the thousands of additional U.S. troops that Trump is sending to the Middle East and the operations they could potentially be involved in. foreignpolicy.com/2026/03/26/t...
foreignpolicy.com
Will Trump Put Boots on the Ground in Iran?
Thousands more U.S. troops are heading to the Middle East.
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John Haltiwanger @jchaltiwanger.bsky.social · 25/03/2026
A report earlier this month on potential Iranian drone attacks in California raised a lot of alarm. It turned out to be based on unverified info. But I spoke with multiple drone/security experts who warned that the U.S. still needs to be prepared for such threats: foreignpolicy.com/2026/03/25/i...
foreignpolicy.com
Could Iran Actually Attack the U.S. Homeland With Drones?
No country is immune to the threat of drone warfare, experts warn.
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Foreign Policy @foreignpolicy.com · 20/03/2026
FP’s @jchaltiwanger.bsky.social and @iyengarish.bsky.social take a look at what the intelligence community’s annual threat assessment says about the primary U.S. adversaries, conflicts, and threats in 2026. foreignpolicy.com/2026/03/19/i...
foreignpolicy.com
Assessing (and Not Assessing) the Threats to the United States
The U.S. intelligence community’s latest global threat assessment focuses heavily on Iran.
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John Haltiwanger @jchaltiwanger.bsky.social · 19/03/2026
Yesterday, Israel’s top diplomat in NYC told me strikes like the one on Iran’s South Pars gas field were “part of the plan” and suggested the U.S. knew that Israel would attack Iran’s energy infrastructure. Hours later, Trump was singing a different tune. foreignpolicy.com/2026/03/19/i...
foreignpolicy.com
Israel Attacking Iran’s Energy ‘Wasn’t a Surprise’ to the Trump Administration
Israel’s top diplomat in New York City says strikes like the one on Iran’s South Pars gas field were “part of the plan.”
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Foreign Policy @foreignpolicy.com · 14/03/2026
FP’s @iyengarish.bsky.social and @jchaltiwanger.bsky.social explain the tools that Iran still has to maintain pressure on Trump.
foreignpolicy.com
Iran’s Strait of Hormuz Toolkit: Drones, Missiles, and Mines
A breakdown of the tools Iran has to maintain pressure on Trump.
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Rishi Iyengar @iyengarish.bsky.social · 12/03/2026
The U.S. war against Iran has converged on the Strait of Hormuz, a key shipping lane where the fight appears to be largely on Iran's terms at the moment. @jchaltiwanger.bsky.social and I look at how the Iranian regime is applying pressure to the critical waterway. foreignpolicy.com/2026/03/12/i...
foreignpolicy.com
Iran’s Strait of Hormuz Toolkit: Drones, Missiles, and Mines
A breakdown of the tools Iran has to maintain pressure on Trump.
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John Haltiwanger @jchaltiwanger.bsky.social · 14/03/2026
However, Trump said that “for reasons of decency,” he chose “NOT to wipe out the Oil Infrastructure on the Island.” foreignpolicy.com/2026/03/13/k...
foreignpolicy.com
Trump Orders Strikes on Kharg Island, a Vital Hub for Iran’s Oil
However, Trump said that “for reasons of decency,” he chose “NOT to wipe out the Oil Infrastructure on the Island.”
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John Haltiwanger @jchaltiwanger.bsky.social · 09/03/2026
Yet another example of the confusing messaging from this administration on the Iran war. And it's not just re: the timeline. They've also failed to offer consistent justifications and objectives.
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AFP News Agency @en.afp.com · 09/03/2026
President Gustavo Petro's left-wing coalition was on track to be the largest bloc in Colombia's next Congress after a better-than-expected showing in legislative elections. The vote comes ahead of a May 31 presidential vote to elect Petro’s successor. u.afp.com/Su9X
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John Haltiwanger @jchaltiwanger.bsky.social · 09/03/2026
A country-by-country breakdown on how the war has spread. foreignpolicy.com/2026/03/09/i...
foreignpolicy.com
The Iran War Has Rapidly Expanded Beyond the Middle East
A country-by-country breakdown on how the war has spread.
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Sam Fellman @samfellman.bsky.social · 06/03/2026
"We were sure the US had some secret weapon" against Shahed drones, a Ukrainian commander said. The war in Iran proved that wrong. Via BI's @byjepstein.bsky.social , Sinéad Bake and Matthew Loh: www.businessinsider.com/ukrainian-tr...
businessinsider.com
Ukrainian troops say their hard-won lessons on Iranian Shaheds apply far beyond their war at home
Ukraine developed low-cost ways to defeat Iranian drone designs, and some troops say the lessons from its war now have wider relevance.
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John Haltiwanger @jchaltiwanger.bsky.social · 05/03/2026
Trump’s goals in Iran are expansive, shifting, and potentially impossible. More on that in the latest SitRep from me and @iyengarish.bsky.social: foreignpolicy.com/2026/03/05/t...
foreignpolicy.com
Operation Epic Confusion
Trump’s goals in Iran are expansive, shifting, and potentially impossible.
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John Haltiwanger @jchaltiwanger.bsky.social · 04/03/2026
“The Iranian navy rests at the bottom of the Persian Gulf," Hegseth said. "Decimated, destroyed, defeated.” Later, Caine said that the U.S. has "effectively neutralized" Iran's navy, but also said that "CENTCOM will continue to strike infrastructure and naval capability."
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John Haltiwanger @jchaltiwanger.bsky.social · 04/03/2026
A bit of a theme is emerging in Pentagon briefings re: Iran. Hegseth makes sweeping statements. Then Caine offers more measured assessments. Hegseth today said Iran's navy is "no more." Then Caine made it clear that the effort to destroy the navy is ongoing. A notable disconnect.
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John Haltiwanger @jchaltiwanger.bsky.social · 03/03/2026
The U.S. president and his officials can’t get their story straight. foreignpolicy.com/2026/03/03/t...
foreignpolicy.com
The Trump Administration’s Iran War Justifications Keep Changing
The U.S. president and his officials can’t get their story straight.
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John Haltiwanger @jchaltiwanger.bsky.social · 02/03/2026
“This is not a so-called regime change war,” Hegseth said. foreignpolicy.com/2026/03/02/p...
foreignpolicy.com
Pentagon Says Iran War Is ‘Not Iraq,’ but Won’t Rule Out Boots on the Ground
“This is not a so-called regime change war,” Hegseth said.
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John Haltiwanger @jchaltiwanger.bsky.social · 01/03/2026
The U.S. president said Tehran’s leaders want to talk even as they vowed revenge. foreignpolicy.com/2026/03/01/u...
foreignpolicy.com
Trump Addresses First U.S. Deaths in Iran War, Possibility of Talks
The U.S. president said Tehran’s leaders want to talk even as they vowed revenge.
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John Haltiwanger @jchaltiwanger.bsky.social · 01/03/2026
The announcement comes as the war continues into its second day. foreignpolicy.com/2026/03/01/u...
foreignpolicy.com
First U.S. Casualties Confirmed in Iran War
The announcement comes as the war continues into its second day.
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John Haltiwanger @jchaltiwanger.bsky.social · 28/02/2026
From me and @iyengarish.bsky.social: Trump Says Iranian Supreme Leader Is Dead foreignpolicy.com/2026/02/28/t...
foreignpolicy.com
Trump Says Iranian Supreme Leader Is Dead
Iran has not confirmed Ayatollah Ali Khamenei’s death.
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Rishi Iyengar @iyengarish.bsky.social · 27/02/2026
I wrote about the broader fight that led to that statement in today's @foreignpolicy.com Situation Report foreignpolicy.com/2026/02/26/p... via @jchaltiwanger.bsky.social
foreignpolicy.com
The Pentagon and Anthropic’s High-Stakes Game of Chicken
The U.S. military wants unrestricted use of the AI company’s language models.
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