President Biden’s foreign policy has shown some encouraging early signs for those who have invested in breaking the disastrous, decades-old geopolitical trajectory of America. As The Daily Beast reported for the first time, Biden pulls the US out of the Saudi-led war in Yemen and puts terrorist strikes under scrutiny. America is back in the climate agreement in Paris and the United Nations Human Rights Council. Biden has expanded its nuclear weapons control framework with Russia. And on Friday, the White House said Politico that it includes pressure from Congress to recall certain forces to 9/11.
But interviews with half a dozen progressive and socialist activists, Hill staff members, foreign policy experts and former Obama administration officials in contact with Bidenworld indicate deep dissatisfaction with what they see as a disturbing driving force behind the traditional, Washington’s offensive consensus on foreign policy – which former Barack Obama assistant Ben Rhodes called ‘the Blob’.
“It’s been a terrible week for Biden’s foreign policy,” said historian Stephen Wertheim of the Left / Right Antiwar Quincy Institute, author of More, The World: The Birth of US Global Supremacy. ‘I testify to the Biden government that they are picking some fruit that is hanging low early. But I refuse to accept a situation where the US can do incredibly destructive and stupid things like help the war in Yemen, and then everyone should rejoice as a government to stop doing such things, despite the continuation of armed domination all over the world. And because we do not yet know exactly what the government’s Yemen policy is, we must remain cautious even on that front. ”
One week ago, the U.S. military bombed a military-backed Iranian position in Syria in retaliation for attacks on U.S. bases in Iraq, a presence that seeks to end progressive people. The Biden government portrayed the strikes as limited, proportionate and an indication of Biden’s self-control. But Alex McCoy, a former Marine and political director of the antivarian veterans group Common Defense, said the strikes were a return to the failed, strategy-free, immature belligerent Forever War business as usual of the corrupt foreign policy elite . ‘
Then, the next day, Biden demoralized much on the left by sanctioning the victims of Mohammed bin Salman for the brutal assassination of Jamal Khashoggi rather than the Saudi crown prince himself, even after releasing the US intelligence evaluation and blaming on bin Salman.
“The U.S. government has said that underlings should look out, but leaders can get away with murder, and I think that’s a huge blow to the Biden government’s effort to prioritize human rights in its involvement with the rest of the world.” said Andrea Prasow of Human Rights. Look. “Why would any other abusive leader feel that they should fear the wrath of the US if they also believe they have something in the US strategic interest, such as cooperation with oil or terrorism?”
More has followed over the past week. Foreign Minister Antony Blinken called Venezuelan opposition leader Juan Guaido, which raised the prospect of further US intervention to oust strongman Nicolas Maduro. The next day, Wendy Sherman, the nominated candidate for deputy secretary of state, testified that she wanted a “stronger and longer” Iran deal, something that coalition advocates would make it harder for the US to re-enter, given the fact that it was the US that violated the agreement for the first time. “I’m worried we might be preparing for failure,” said Progressive Senator Chris Murphy (D-CT).
Then, on the basis of jurisdiction, the government launched an investigation into an International Criminal Court investigating alleged war crimes committed by Israel and Palestinian militants. Prasow said she was not surprised by the government’s ICC criticism, but noted that a government has loudly stated that it represents the return of US diplomacy, not yet the Trump era’s sanctions against the ICC itself, including the Chief Prosecutor, not revoked.
In addition, there is uncertainty about key foreign policy decisions that are still under control – especially over the future of the 20-year war on terror.
“The government’s review of the war in Afghanistan has revealed a vocal contingent in favor of an expanded US presence, something that could usher in a more intense war in Afghanistan that Joe Biden now owns, ” Wertheim said. Outside Afghanistan, spokeswoman Jen Psaki on Friday expressed Biden’s willingness to remove certain forces after 9/11 – but not directly.
Biden wants them to be “replaced with a narrow and specific framework” for combating terrorism. How this will turn out to be remains to be seen. In an “interim guideline for national security” released last week, Biden undertook to maintain the capability of U.S. special operations forces on missions, including “prioritizing against terrorism.” And a recent New York Times A report suggests that Biden’s review of counter-terrorism is considering limiting restrictions on deadly strikes between the frameworks instituted by the Trump and Obama administration, something far more permissible than war activists want. All the questions question how robustly the government defines the Forever Wars that he wants to end.
Few consider themselves surprised by Biden’s actions. Several view the past week’s decision – making as in line with Biden’s experience of five decades in foreign policy. The Biden team, mindful of the president’s record, has long said they do not want to restore American power to the status quo ante of the Obama era. But “it really is, and it was clear in the campaign,” said a former Obama administration official who requested anonymity. “It was a restorative approach: four years ago, as a Democratic government, we had the right policies. I think it’s lazy and not true. There was much more that could and should have been done. ”
Another aspect of recovery worried this official. After four years of Trump’s efforts to subdue the Department of Justice, FBI and intelligence agencies, “the government’s response will not be supportive. They will then seize more authority and more power. This warning comes when FBI and Justice Department officials opened their eyes to new domestic terrorist forces that are upsetting civilian libertarians.
The White House declined to comment further on Psaki. But David Rothkopf, a foreign policy expert and author of Managing the world, an award-winning book on the National Security Council, defended the administration in its early days very successfully – and directionally.
For Rothkopf, Biden’s emphasis on green energy works to structurally adjust the relationship between the US and Saudi structures, which in the meantime is reinforced by Biden’s decision to lead the relationship through King Salman rather than the Crown Prince. He was also struck by a speech given by Blinken on Wednesday, which promised to build a more stable, inclusive world economy and address the domestic democratic fragility in order to restore faith in the democratic order abroad. Perhaps most notably, Blinken rejected the “attempt to overthrow authoritarian regimes by force.”
“They were methodical, coherent, consistent and moved in a direction that not only improved on what Trump did, but also what Obama did, Bush did and Clinton did,” said Rothkopf, a columnist for Daily Beast, said. “This is the first real foreign policy in the 21st century that reflects the reality of America’s changing leadership role.”
Even those who disagree with Rothkopf on the government’s early record hope so. Several sound prepared for the pressure to move the administration to the left. One early test could take shape next week. Activists are urging Biden to tighten an executive order, which is expected in January and has not yet been released, and to tighten the rules on the Pentagon’s 1033 program that provides police with military equipment. Rep. Hank Johnson (D-GA) plans to ban the practice in the upcoming legislation.
‘While the progressive community is calling for the abolition of this program, a house letter to be sent to President Biden will begin circulating next week urging him to issue a much stronger EO on this program than Obama’s. and to incorporate Johnson’s legislative language. , “Said Yasmine Taeb, a human rights lawyer and progressive strategist.
McCoy of Common Defense also expressed optimism about the White House’s willingness to publicly support the abolition of at least some 9/11-era warfare.
‘The president’s support for the withdrawal of the AUMFs in 2001 and 2002 has been announced [Friday] is a very positive step to end the Forever War. “While the window closes, there is still time for Joe Biden to do the right thing and withdraw from Afghanistan by the May 1 deadline to give diplomacy a chance,” he said. “It is clear that the White House recognizes the growing power of the progressive foreign policy movement, and the role we have played in helping it win the White House, and it remains to be seen whether it will result in significant change.”
The Biden team feels a little warm, and that’s good. We have to keep it up, ”said a senior congressman who requested anonymity. “They must understand: honeymoon is over.”