Foreign Policy Update – USA Gov Policy

SYRIA

Once again Syria is in the news for refusing a UN request to deliver a convoy of urgently needed humanitarian aid to the Rubkan encampment. The US State Department called the action appalling and said that Washington remains “deeply concerned” about the deteriorating situation. The Holy Month of Ramadan is to begin with the majority of the Rubkan encampment composed of suffering women and children. Reports indicate many have not eaten for days due to the lack of UN access and basic food supplies.

UN Security Resolution 2449 calls for the organization to have unfettered and consistent access not only to the encampment but to all vulnerable populations throughout the country. The United States does not impede any person from leaving the encampment. To date, the US is the largest single donor, providing more that $9.5 billion in humanitarian assistance to those affected inside Syria since the start of the crisis.

IRAN

Referring to US attempts over the past year to get countries to reduce their importation of Iranian oil to zero, Brian Hook, the Special Representative for Iran and Senior Policy Advisor to the Secretary of State said that balancing our national security and economic interests puts “…us in the position to not issue any new exceptions, to [further] our campaign of maximum economic pressure on the Iranian regime.”

The current set of Significant Reduction Exceptions (SREs) are due to expire May 2, 2019. By continuing the SRE’s Washington is attempting to force Iran to change its destructive behavior, respect its citizens rights, and return to the negotiating table.

Historically, oil composes about 40% of the Iranian regime’s annual revenue stream and is the number one source of cash, according to Hook. Prior to the imposition of sanctions oil sales accounted for $50 billion in revenue. This the start of sanctions last May that number has been reduced by more than $10 billion. The United States has sanctions nearly 70 Iranian banks and over 100 corporations. Recent reports indicate that some Hezbollah fighter are receiving only 50% of the regular pay from Iran as sanctions start impacting the regime’s ability to fund terrorism.

LEBANESE HEZBOLLAH

For the first time the State Department, under its Rewards for Justice Program, is offering a reward of up to $10 million for information leading to the disruption of the financial mechanisms of the global terrorist organization Lebanese Hezballah.

The organization receives funding from Iran and generates about $1 billion annually from a combination of direct financial support from Iran, international businesses and investments, donor networks and money laundering activities.

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JAPAN

During meetings in Washington last week the US and Japan reaffirmed their bilateral security and defense relationship through their continuing efforts to build and strengthen a free and open Indo-Pacific. The talks also emphasized the importance of deepening cooperation on space capabilities and reaffirmed joint defense priorities. The bilateral discussions included calls for “full respect for freedoms of navigation and overflight and other lawful uses of the seas, and reiterated the important of activities that support those principles.

RUSSIA

The State Department Spokesman, Morgan Ortagus, in prepared remarks condemned the decision by President Putin to provide expedited Russian citizenship to Ukrainians living in Russia-controlled eastern Ukraine. He stated that “Russia, through this highly provocative action, is intensifying its assault on Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.”

He added that President Putin’s decision creates a “serious obstacle to the implementation of the Minsk agreements” and the reintegration of the Donbas region.

The Minsk agreements were signed by Russia and called for the full restoration of Ukrainian government control over eastern Ukraine.

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

2024 Vote Faces Integrity Issues

There is mounting evidence that the 2024 vote face serious integrity issues, centered around illegal aliens voting. Examine these media think tank, Attorneys general and other reports: A late September Daily Mail report notes that “Democrats admit thousands of registered Arizona voters haven’t provided proof of citizenship after shock computer ‘glitch.’ Arizona’s Democratic leaders, on a secret call, worried about a shocking discovery that, if made public, would see them accused of rigging the upcoming election and question the results of the last two.” A Heritage Foundation election oversight report found that the Biden-Harris Administration’s voter registration drive has been conducted in a partisan manner. The Research organization Just Facts notes that “Based on the latest available data and an enhanced version of a stress-tested methodology from a scholarly journal, a new study by Just Facts has found that about 10% to 27% of non-citizen adults in the U.S. are now illegally registered to vote. The U.S. Census recorded more than 19 million adult non-citizens living in the U.S. during 2022. Given their voter registration rates, this means that about two million to five million of them are illegally registered to vote. These figures are potentially high enough to overturn the will of the American people in major elections, including congressional seats and the presidency.” A Federalist study stressed that “More than a dozen jurisdictions run by Democrats — including Washington, D.C., and several adjacent Maryland municipalities — allow noncitizens to vote in some local elections. San Francisco not only permits noncitizens to vote but appointed one to serve on its elections commission. Such developments, against a backdrop of millions of illegal migrants streaming into the United States under the Biden-Harris administration, bring new urgency to debates over election integrity. Many Republicans fear that a widespread effort is afoot to give noncitizens the full benefits of citizenship, including the right to vote in all elections, on top of benefits already available to illegal aliens in some places, notably driver’s licenses, food stamps, government health care, and work visas.” In August, as reported earlier in this column, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, in a coalition of twenty-three other attorneys general filed+ an amicus brief in support of an Arizona law requiring proof of citizenship in order to vote, asking the Supreme Court of the United States for an emergency stay of a federal district court’s injunction against the law. “The Biden-Harris Administration has intentionally flooded our country with illegal aliens. Without proper safeguards, foreign nationals can and will illegally influence elections at the local, state, and national level,” said Attorney General Paxton. “The States have a constitutional right and responsibility to ensure that only legal votes from American citizens are counted. I hope the Supreme Court recognizes the urgency of this situation and moves to protect our national elections. Lawmakers in Texas must also make every effort to secure our elections and prevent noncitizens from voting. I urge them in the next legislative session to prioritize election integrity in Texas after millions of illegal aliens entered the state under the Biden-Harris Administration. As we also reported earlier, Democratic party leaders haven’t been shy about their advocacy to rapidly allow illegal aliens to vote. Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, appearing on Bill Maher’s program, advocated quickly turning these unlawful arrivals into citizens. California’s Democratic Party is so intent on allowing illegals to vote that its super-majority in the state legislature voted for a bill that would prohibit local governments from seeking to apply common-sense voter ID. emocratic judges have even ignored voter demands for ballot security measures that would inhibit questionable voting practices. As noted by the New York Post “So much for no means no. That’s the message from the state Court of Appeals, which ruled last week that New Yorkers don’t need an excuse to cast an absentee ballot by mail when they’re otherwise able to vote in person — even though the voters themselves have directly rejected such a measure.” Illustration: Pixabay