Foreign Policy Update – USA Gov Policy

AFGHANISTAN

Although President Biden admitted this week that the US has been in talks with the Taliban, Secretary of State Antony Blinken in a Sunday interview on Face the Nation contradicted his boss and denied that the US Government is negotiating with the Taliban. When further asked if it was true that Washington had to ask the terrorist organization if Americans could leave, Blinken responded: “They are in control of Kabul. That is the reality. That’s the reality that we have to deal with.” Many analysts in Washington already are calling the withdrawal one of nation’s worst foreign policy disasters in our entire history.

President Biden has been widely criticized for giving a list naming Americans residing in Afghanistan, a so-called hit list by some, to the Taliban terrorist leadership with a “request” that they leave Americans alone while they are preparing to leave Afghanistan. Many of America’s allies are questioning US global leadership, mocking the president, and re-evaluating the value of maintaining or depending on a close relationship with the US.

Government officials in Washington made public statements this week saying that the President determined the US needed to leave Afghanistan to concentrate on great power competition with China. Former National Security Advisor Condoleeza Rice responded, saying “China, Russia and Iran have taken our measure. The pictures of the past few days will emblazon an image of America in retreat. Now is the time to reinforce our commitment to Ukraine, Iraq and particularly Taiwan.”

There are over 170 dead and more than 200 injured from the recent bombings at Karzai Airport in Kabul. These numbers may continue to climb in the coming days as many of the injuried are in critical condition and additional attacks are anticipated in Kabul.

GERMANY AND US ALLIES

Armin Laschet, the likely successor to German Chancellor Merkel contradicted Secretary of State Blinken’s assertion that America’s allies are content with the United States keeping its commitments, saying “This is the biggest debacle that NATO has seen since its foundation.” Other nations, including the chairman of the British Parliament’s Foreign Affairs committee openly disagreed with Biden about the Afghan military running away, saying: “To see their commander-in-chief [Biden]call into question the courage of men I fought with, to claim that they ran – it’s shameful. Those who have never fought for the colors they fly should be careful about criticizing those who have.” Throughout the Western world there is shock and disbelief among America’s allies and partners that the Biden Administration failed so badly in Afghanistan.

Use cialis from india online pdxcommercial.com of some medications also may sometimes cause erection problems. Symptoms of Urinary Tract Infection: Before being familiar with the symptoms viagra cialis of erectile dysfunction can be successfully used to buy Tadalafil we offer you. This guarantee leads for the secured measures of treatment to the people & cialis prices in india this license helps to procure them & get treated in an effective way. Also, they viagra price canada should strictly avoid the gadgets after lying on the right.

When Blinken was asked by a reporter on Sunday if the President knows what is going on with our allies, the Secretary attempted to place the blame on those questioning the Biden Administration, saying: “This is an incredibly emotional time for many of us, and including allies and partners who have been shoulder-to-shoulder with us in Afghanistan for 20 years at high cost to themselves as well as to us.”

SYRIA

Saturday, August 21, marked the eighth anniversary of the chemical attack in Syria in which  the Assad regime released the nerve agent sarin on its own people in the Ghouta district of Damascus, killing more than 1,400 Syrians, many of them children.  In a written statement released by the State Department this week, the US said it will “continue to call upon the Assad regime to fully declare and destroy its chemical weapons program in accordance with its international obligations.” Syrian leaders have not responded to the suggestion from Washington.

ISRAEL

Blinken met with Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett on Wednesday in Washington, D.C. He emphasized the importance of the US-Israel partnership and discussed regional security issues, including Iran. The Secretary and the Prime Minister underscored the strength of the bilateral relationship during this turbulent period and Blinken reiterated the US commitment to Israel’s security.

DARIA NOVAK served in the United States State Department during the Reagan Administration, and currently is on the Board of the American Analysis of News and Media Inc., which publishes usagovpolicy.com and the New York Analysis of Policy and Government. Each Saturday, she presents key updates on U.S. foreign policy from the State Department.

Illustration: Pixabay

Quick Analysis

Russia Expanding Aggression

President Putin is using more than one pathway to enter Europe and undermine the West. While most of the world watches the conflict he initiated in Ukraine, the Russian government is actively pursuing a second front in a little noticed campaign in Cyprus. Although the corrupt Cypriot government ended its issuance of “golden passports” in 2020, Russian intelligence is functioning quietly there to transform this EU country into a Russian beachhead of illicit economic activity aimed at penetrating the capitalist West, according to Paul Goble of the Jamestown Foundation. Cyprus is not a member of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) nor does it receive as much attention as those countries who are member states. That adds to its allure as a prime location for Russia to attempt to gain a European foothold. Last week a NATO report, cited in the European Daily Monitor, noted that Russian intelligence agents have been plotting to destroy European infrastructure across the continent to disrupt states supporting Ukraine. It further suggests that Putin’s immediate goal is to lay the framework for a future move against the security organization’s members. Hungary, in particular, is another country garnering Moscow’s attention as it opposes the Western response to Russian aggression. Russia is focusing its intelligence efforts on other European, non-NATO member countries in addition to Cyprus, including Austria, Malta, and Ireland. The NATO report suggests that Moscow has had success in disseminating the Russian political narrative in these states to advance its campaign against the West. The island of Cyprus is proving to be a good target for Moscow as it is an ethnically divided island that is part of the EU since 2004. Northern Cyprus, officially called the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC), is a de facto state that is only recognized by Turkey. The division precludes it from joining NATO. As Goble suggests, “it offers Russia troubled waters in which to fish.” Over the last 20 years, he points out, Cyprus’ challenges have opened it to a massive influx of Russian citizens, who now comprise approximately 10 percent of the island state’s population. Over 2,900 residents are Russians who entered until the “golden passport” program that allowed wealthy or well-connected Russians to move to Cyprus. It also provided them with documentation to travel freely throughout Europe! Although less visible on the world’s radar than the war in Ukraine, Moscow is also being helped by Cyprus’ banks opposition to seizing Russian assets and its support in evading Western sanctions. Russia has placed tens of billions of US Dollars there for money laundering. It has been more than two years since a single Russian “diplomat” has been deported and, in fact, the Embassy has grown to over 300 staffers on this tiny island state of only 1.2 million people. The Russian embassy in Nicosia has advanced communications antennae on its roof and opened a consulate on the northern end of the island. Moscow’s Ambassador, Mura Zyazikov, is a lieutenant general in the FSB with no diplomatic experience. The FSB, SVR (Russia’s Foreign Intelligence Service), and GRU are actively using the island as a base of operations against NATO Member states, Israel, and other Western allies. Moscow backs pro-Russian political parties who in turn influence Cypriot decisions on education, language, and other issues. “Dmitry Khmelnitsky of the Dossier Center says that its findings should be of concern not only to Cyprus but to the West as a whole. Those who ignore what Moscow is doing because Cyprus does not follow the EU sanctions regime are missing something critical,” says Goble. “Cyprus does not seek to get rid of Russian agents and does not interfere with their work,” Khmelnitsky concludes, “despite the fact that what the Kremlin is doing is so clearly visible.” This has an impact not only on the small island but on the EU, NATO, and the West in general. Earlier this year the Moscow Times reported that when the FBI became more interested in Russian business and oligarchs in Cyprus, at least 10 of the major Russian businesses operating there left. Despite the government of Cyprus’ vow to implement plans for new sanctions against Russia, it continues to ignore Putin’s atrocities in Ukraine and to shield the wealth of the 50,000 wealthy Russian citizens and oligarchs residing there. Daria Novak served in the U.S. State Dept. Illustration: Pixabay