Foreign Policy Update – USA Gov Policy

CUBA

One of the punitive measures the US Government uses to influence governments to change their undesirable behavior is to sanction offending officials from that nation. The Cuban government has shown itself to be such an offending country in a number of cases. Most recently the State Department announced that Cuba is engaging in “exploitative and coercive labor practices while it earns money on the backs of its citizens through its overseas medical missions program.”

To address this labor abuse, the Trump Administration has imposed visa restrictions on certain Cuban officials and other individuals responsible for these coercive labor practices under the Immigration and Nationality Act Section 212(a)(3)(C).

The US State Department has documented numerous cases where Cuban citizens are forced to work long hours and are housed in unsafe areas. In addition, reports indicate the Cuban government is “compelling Cuban medical professionals to advance the regime’s political agenda.”

NORTH KOREA

When questioned about recent missiles by North Korea the State Department spokesperson said that the US is aware of the launches, and that what would be most productive is for “Chairman Kim and his staff and for President Trump and all of his staff to continue upon the path that was laid out for us both in Vietnam and at the DMZ, and that is a diplomatic resolution and the end of North Korea’s nuclear weapons.”

Sanctions are to remain in place, according to the State Department, until the Trump Administration has determined that the goal of ending North Korea’s nuclear weapons program is achieved. The goal in US negotiations with the North Korean regime is to fully denuclearize the North and to bring it into the international community as a normal state. At that time, the spokesperson said, sanctions could be removed and there could be economic cooperation.

TURKEY

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Turkish forces are massing on the northeastern Syrian border, the Russians have delivered the S-400 missile to Turkey, and Special Envoy James Jeffrey, in an ongoing effort to bring peace to the region, met with Turkish officials who rejected the US position on Syria. According to the State Department, Turkish Defense Minister Hulusi Akar met with Turkish generals, and said he expected the United States to review Turkey’s proposals and respond. He added “We [Turkey]… cannot tolerate a delay, and we will take the initiative necessary.”

The Trump Administration’s goals in Syria remain to prevent a security vacuum that destabilizes the area. The plan to accomplish this goal is to address Turkey’s legitimate security concerns while also protecting American partners in the fight against ISIS.

STRAIT OF HORMUZ

In addressing international shipping concerns in the Strait of Hormuz Secretary of State Michael Pompeo spoke with Bret Baier of Fox News, saying “We are at the beginning stages of developing our maritime security initiative. We’ll be a part of that, but so will nations from all across the world.” The United States is working with its partners and Allies to protect civilian shipping and ensure international commerce through the Strait of Hormuz. The Maritime Security Initiative, known as “Operation Sentinel” has a goal of safeguarding freedom of navigation and maritime security in the Middle East by promoting the safe passage of vessels and increasing surveillance capabilities. To that end on July 25, US Central Command hosted senior representatives from allies and US partner nations to discuss this new maritime security initiative at MacDill Air Force Base, Florida. This is an ongoing diplomatic initiative in response to recent Iranian actions in the Strait in which it seized two foreign oil tankers.

Washington is conducting its “maximum pressure” campaign to tr to force Iran to change its belligerent behavior. According to Pompeo, Washington has a two-pronged approach which is designed to put economic pressure on the regime in Tehran and also to convince the Iranian leadership that the cost of engaging in their behavior is too high to continue it. Washington hopes the approach will cause Iran to sit down and negotiate in a joint effort to stop terrorism in the region.

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