Foreign Policy Update – USA Gov Policy

AFGHANISTAN

The question of how to end the war in Afghanistan has troubled American policymakers for more than a decade. Extensive talks in the past yielded few lasting results. Yet, the United States persevered and it appears an end may be in sight. The goal of recent talks has centered on facilitating a political settlement to end the war in Afghanistan, reduce United States and Allied Forces presence, and ensure that no terrorist group ever uses Afghan soil to threaten the United States or our allies.

According to a statement released by US Secretary of State Michael R. Pompeo, “In recent weeks, in consultation with the Government of National Unity, U.S. negotiators in Doha have come to an understanding with the Taliban on a significant and nationwide reduction in violence across Afghanistan. Upon a successful implementation of this understanding, signing of the U.S.-Taliban agreement is expected to move forward.”

The US is prepared for the signing to take place on February 29. The Secretary reports that the intra-Afghan negotiations will start soon thereafter, and “will build on this fundamental step to deliver a comprehensive and permanent ceasefire and the future political roadmap for Afghanistan.” Throughout the negotiations the US position has been that the only way to achieve a sustainable peace in Afghanistan is for Afghans to come together and agree on the way forward. Although the State Department acknowledges that challenges remain, Pompeo believes this represents a real opportunity for peace.

IRAN

There are many stages of dispute a country can go through before a war breaks out. One of those, diplomatic negotiations, is often called “war by other means.” Another instrument to avoid war is “sanctioning.” In the case of Iran it appears the US Government is determined to avoid war and accept a slower process to peace to avoid open conflict and the associated devastation that is inevitable by sanctioning responsible parties in the Iran conflict.

On Friday, February 21, 2020, the United States sanctioned five members of Iran’s Guardian Council and its Elections Supervision Committee who have played a role in denying Iranians their right to free and fair elections. This includes Ahmad Jannati, the Secretary of the Guardian Council, who has in the past praised the killing of political dissidents and previously called on Iranian authorities to execute even more of them.

In advance of Iran’s upcoming parliamentary elections on February 21, the Guardian Council blocked more than 7,000 candidates from even running, according to the US State Department. “Many were Iranians who questioned the Supreme Leader’s policies. This process is a sham. It is not free or fair,” noted the statement.

In case a man is afflicted with this disorder, exposure to cold can cause spasm related to the smaller arteries which are responsible for blood circulation viagra tablets for women to fingers, toes and other parts of the body. Really can’t wait to watch Fullmetal Alchemist Cosplay at the thrilling day, huh? The brand new Birmingham Comic Con will run alongside the you can check here free viagra sample long-established Memorabilia show at the NEC. Hundreds of thousands of men around the world rate davidfraymusic.com online pharmacy sildenafil and that a vast majority are insistent on levitra. generic viagra 100mg It can reduce erectile dysfunction like nothing.

Brian Hook, Special Representative for Iran and Senior Advisor to the Secretary, pointed out “…now that Iran has violated the nuclear deal, I think five times now, that caused the Europeans to invoke the dispute resolution mechanism, there isn’t much left of the deal to preserve. It’s going to start expiring in October, and the regime has violated it many times. We’re enjoying some very good success with our foreign policy, denying the regime the money that it needs to fund its proxies at the levels that they’re accustomed to and to fund its own operations.”

RUSSIA

The US this week called out Russia for conducting cyber warfare against the country of Georgia. Cyberwarfare remains a major tool in the Russian arsenal. The leadership in Moscow uses it at will to do damage to its enemies and to those simply opposing the Russian Federation’s policies. The GRU, whose mandate is to protect Russia from attack by those outside the country, conducted the October 28, 2019, cyber attack against Georgia. The Russian General Staff Main Intelligence Directorate (GRU) Main Center for Special Technologies (GTsST, also known as Unit 74455 and Sandworm) was responsible, according to the State Department.

The attack disrupted operations of several thousand Georgian government and privately-run websites and interrupted the broadcast of at least two major television stations. Washington charged that this type of warfare “contradicts Russia’s attempts to claim it is a responsible actor in cyberspace and demonstrates a continuing pattern of reckless Russian GRU cyber operations against a number of countries.” According to the State Department, these operations aim to sow division, create insecurity, and undermine democratic institutions.

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