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Foreign Policy Update

NORTH KOREA

Intelligence sources believe North Korea has once again fired a submarine-launched ballistic missile (SLBM) just days ahead of upcoming talks with the United States on denuclearization of the country.  The last known submarine launch by the North occurred in August 2016 when a ballistic missile flew about 310 miles. The maximum SLBM range is believed to be about 800 miles. It was the 11th in a series of launches this year. This most recent test was at a high angle and did not travel the missile’s maximum possible flight range.

ITALY

In response to the Pope’s call for “building bridges, not walls” Secretary of State Michael Pompeo said: “It’s a dangerous journey across Mexico into the United States.  A much better solution is to try and create the conditions on the ground in those countries where those people can thrive. We feel the same way about migration all across the world.  The best solution to these migration challenges is to create safety, security, and prosperity in the home countries of these people.  It’s where they, frankly, want to be themselves.” The US and the Holy See both agree that developing institutions and economies is a critical step in helping places thrive and grow. 

CHINA

While traveling in Italy Secretary Pompeo was asked about the danger of China’s 5G technology to the security of the Atlantic alliance. He responded that the Atlantic alliance is not at risk and that this danger is “overblown.” Pompeo explained that every piece of information traveling across a network is at risk and that if it is controlled by China it presents additional and unique challenges.

“We’ve seen military-civil cooperation inside of China.  We’ve seen the connectivity between Chinese state-owned enterprises and their government.  And what we’re asking each country to do, Italy included, is to make their own sovereign decision about the right approach, but do so with eyes wide open about the potential risks of an ordinary Italian citizen’s data being transmitted across the network that was accessible by the Chinese Communist Party.”

LIBYA

The situation in Libya is complicated and in need of a political solution according to Secretary Pompeo. He said the first step is to ensure those outside Libya providing arms, weapons systems, and munitions cease delivery to reduce the violence. Pompeo said it will require nearby countries to change their mindset from searching for a military victory to seeking a political solution. He added that “We need to get there as quickly as possible.”

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RUSSIA

On September 30 the State Department issued a statement notifying the public that the Administration is continuing to take action in response to “Russian attempts to influence U.S. democratic processes.” It imposed sanctions on four entities and seven individuals saying that it serves as a warning to “any actors who continue to engage with these individuals, companies, aircraft, or vessel may also be subject to future sanctions. The U.S. government will continue to work to ensure that Prigozhin and others like him find no refuge or comfort as long as they carry out destabilizing activities that threaten the interests of the United States and its allies and partners.”

The State Department is pushing back against Russian attempts to interfere in US election politics in an attempt to subvert the democratic process. A State Department official said that it will not hesitate to impose additional costs on Russia if it continues its malevolent activities. 

IRAN 

President Trump announced a Presidential Proclamation restricting entry into the United States for senior Iranian government officials and members of their families. Under this proclamation, designated senior regime officials and their families will no longer be allowed entry into the United States.  The document stated that “No longer will elites reap the benefits of a free society while the Iranian people suffer under the regime’s corruption and mismanagement.”

Iran’s belligerent behavior toward the United States and its neighboring countries has been cause for alarm as the regime continues to threaten peace and stability in the region. The President, in his recent talk at the United Nations, called for Iran’s leaders to stop stealing money from its citizens and then using it to fund protracted violence inside Iran and abroad. The impact of American sanctions is having an effect on Iran’s economy. The question that remains unanswered is will it be enough to change the regime’s behavior and in time to avoid a serious regional war.

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.

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