Tag: Foreign Policy Update

US HUMANITARIAN ASSISTANCE

The US government often is criticized by unfriendly nations. This week there is little to criticize as the State Department and USAID stepped up, amid America’s own national health crisis, to deliver nearly $100 million in emergency health assistance from USAID’s Global Health Emergency Reserve Fund and $110 million in humanitarian assistance from USAID’s International Disaster Assistance account. With Secretary Pompeo’s announcement Thursday, it increases the US total to $274 million in funding.

This money is going to 64 of the most at-risk countries facing the threat of this global pandemic. Through the State Department’s Bureau of Population, Refugees, and Migration, the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) also will receive $64 million in humanitarian assistance to help address the threats posed by COVID-19 in existing humanitarian crisis situations for some of the world’s most vulnerable people. The United States is leading the world effort to combat the Covid-19 virus.

AFGHANISTAN

When asked if the deal with the Taliban is holding, Secretary of State Michael Pompeo said that “…”like every effort at peace after now a couple decades of fighting, with Americans – 40 years all in all in Afghanistan – we knew it would be a rocky path.  We’ve made some progress.  It looks like there’s going to be the first prisoner release.  That was a key part of getting the parties back to the negotiating table.”

Pompeo added that it is the US mission set to get the Afghans to resolve the conflict. “We need to reduce the risk, to protect American interests, make sure there’s not a attack on America from Afghanistan – that’s the mission the President has set out for us – and at the same time, to reduce the risk to our men and women there,” he pointed out. 

IRAN

According to Pompeo, it is absolutely clear that the approach that the United States took to the Islamic Republic of Iran in “the previous administration set up America for risk, set up the world for a pathway to a nuclear weapon there.” He noted the way the regimes treats the Iranian people during the Covid-19 crisis. According to Pompeo, the leadership is continuing to spend money on weapons. He noted that Katusha rockets were fired inside of Iraq by militias trained, assisted, support provided, by the “rogue” Iranian regime.

VENEZUELA

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In countries like Venezuela the United States is doing its best to ensure that humanitarian assistance for the Covid-19 pandemic can make its way in.  Pompeo pointed out that in some of these countries, when humanitarian assistance is offered they often reject it. “I think it’s indicative of these leaders who care so little about their people they execute plans that are corrupt.  They take care of the leadership but don’t take care of their own people,” said Pompeo.

CHINA

There are many products that the United States sole sources from China. In some case the medicines are critical pharmaceuticals. In others, China forms a part of the supply chain that the US requires to complete technologically-driven products. In a recent interview the Secretary of State said that “President Trump, from the beginning of our administration, made clear that the trade relationship with China was fundamentally unfair, it wasn’t reciprocal.  I think you can see that some of the supply chain challenges that we’ve had are a result of the fact that companies were operating their supply chains out of China but not here in the United States.” Pompeo said that after the Covid-19 crisis is over the United States is going to have to make some very important decisions about exactly how the US-China trade relationship is to be structured in the future.

He added that Washington wants the Chinese people to be successful. “But,” he said, “it’s fundamentally the case that we have to make sure that we do right by the American people, that we get this relationship not only with China but with every country right, so that we can ensure that we do right to protect and keep safe the American people the way President Trump committed to do.”

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

VENEZUELA

With the Covid-19 pandemic capturing much of the world’s attention US Secretary of State Michael Pompeo did not forget the US citizens wrongly held in a Venezuelan prison.  This week he pointed out that the Maduro regime finally is acknowledging that COVID-19 cases are appearing in Venezuela. The Secretary then called for the Americans to be released saying “We are extremely concerned about the risk for the five U.S. citizens and one U.S. resident from Citgo who are currently languishing in the notorious Helicoide prison in Caracas. These wrongfully detained men all have weakened immune systems due to cumulative health problems and face a grave health risk if they become infected. Seventeen hearings have been cancelled. They have already spent more than two years in jail without an ounce of evidence being brought against them; it is time to release them on humanitarian grounds.” The brutal Maduro regime continues to hold a number of political prisoners and many other in the country remain unaccounted for since he took over power in April 2013.

IRAN

The State Department this week added five Iranian nuclear scientists to its growing sanctions list for their involvement in Iran’s pre-2004 nuclear weapons program, known as the Amad program. Secretary of state Pompeo said that the group of five “continue to be employed by the regime to this day.” “After work on the Amad plan was stopped, Iran continued to preserve its Amad-era records and its cadre of nuclear weapons scientists, including these individuals, he added. 

The Amad Plan started in 1989 with the goal of developing nuclear weapons for the country. Iran in 2015 denied its existence saying it has no program aimed at the development of a nuclear explosive device. In 2018 Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu referred to the Amad Plan saying there were over 100,000 documents smuggled out of Iran by the Mossad that confirmed its existence. The goal, according to the documents, was to produce and test five nuclear warheads, each with a ten kiloton TNT yield for integration on a missile. The five new names continue to bring attention to the need for a full accounting by Iran of its nuclear weapons program. 

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VIETNAM

Morgan Ortagus, the State Department Spokesperson, said the US is dismayed by the conviction of blogger and Radio Free Asia (RFA) contributor Truong Duy Nhat, and his sentencing to 10 years imprisonment. “The conviction is under vague charges related to fraud allegations dating back nearly 20 years.  We remain troubled by Nhat’s sudden disappearance from Bangkok, Thailand on January 25, 2019, the day after he initiated a request to register as a refugee with the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), and his reappearance in a Vietnamese prison three months later.,” Ortagus added.The State Department called on Vietnam to “immediately release Nhat and all prisoners of conscience and to allow all individuals in Vietnam to express their views freely and assemble peacefully without threat of retribution.” Last year Vietnam ranked 176^th out of 180 countries in the Press Freedom Index—just below Sudan and slightly above China’s ranking. Vietnam is “not free,” according to Freedom House, a US government-funded rights group. At least 30 bloggers and journalists are being held in Vietnamese jails. The communist government employs intimidation tactics to control the free flow of information. Even privately owned news outlets are tightly controlled by the regime. It is believed that the overall number of prisoners in Vietnam has increased by one-third since last year. Many are activists charged under Article 117 of a new 2018 penal code that prohibits “making, storing, disseminating or propagandizing materials and produce that aim to oppose the State…” Journalists who don’t comply are warned, fined, and jailed under horrible conditions.

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

CHINA

While the corona virus (Covid-19) continues making headlines around the world there is yet another less talked about, but significant, threat looming on the horizon and emanating again from China.  A senior State Department official on Thursday reported on background that China’s new “military-civil fusion,” or MCF, poses serious ramifications for US national security. 

MCF embodies the Chinese concept of targeting emerging and advanced technologies to develop the most technologically advanced military in the world using dual-use technology diverted to its armed forces. Its methods include outright technology theft, according to the official. By hiding its true intentions in collaborative research and development, and diverting technology acquired through civil trade to military programs, Beijing has been able to skip the time and cost normally associated with such programs. MCF works by eliminating the barriers between China’s defense industrial complex and the civilian economy, the official told reporters. In reality, what it means is that any research or academic institution, or private company anywhere, is at risk of unwittingly contributing to the development of China’s advanced military capabilities.

Chinese law requires join ventures to share all information with the military, including AI-enabled technologies with offensive end-use. The State Department official said: “The United States and our partners around the world have made commitments to transparency and provided assurances through international agreements and norms that dual-use technologies will not be diverted to military end-use.  But with MCF, the PRC flouts these norms and is in fact explicitly working to divert dual-use technology to military end-uses, and often without the knowledge of all the parties involved.”

SYRIA

A senior State Department official in background reported that the Russians have been supporting a win-the-war offensive by the Assad regime in Idlib against the remaining opposition forces, violating the 2018 Sochi ceasefire agreement between Turkey and Russia, which was then subsequently endorsed by Merkel and Macron when they gathered in Istanbul at the end of October with Erdogan and Putin. He noted that is significant as there have been heavy casualties, including 33 Turkish soldiers killed. The Turkish government has now turned to the United Nations and NATO for assistance.

The risk, according to the official, is that 3.5 million refugees are being pushed into Turkey and further due to Russian and Syrian military actions. Complicating matters is the deliberate targeting of UN-identified safe zones in Idlib. He said: “You have 14 European Union foreign ministers that published an editorial in Le Monde on Wednesday attacking both Assad and the Russians….” Moscow also blocked two of the four humanitarian crossings into essentially non-regime areas and made it clear that they wanted this to end six months from now, the official added. 

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LIBYA

According to a State Department official, Washington is involved in efforts to bring about an immediate end to Libya’s ongoing conflict and to minimize toxic foreign interference, with the goal of fostering a stable, unified, and democratic Libyan state that can partner with the U.S. to defeat terrorism and stabilize energy production. The official noted that the US is meeting regularly with “…Prime Minister Fayez al-Sarraj, General Khalifa Haftar, and other Libyan leaders as part of our effort to de-escalate the fighting and demonstrate that the underlying drivers of the conflict can be addressed through political negotiations.” He pointed out that the situation risks becoming a proxy war. 

The Libyan civil conflict, reignited in April 2019 when Khalifa Haftar’s Libyan National Army launched a military offensive to seize Tripoli from the Government of National Accord. The State Department official pointed out that “Ten months of inconclusive fighting with frontlines roughly 10 miles outside central Tripoli that have remained largely unchanged since April 5th last year have amply demonstrated that there is no military solution to the conflict, short of a bloodbath or a long-term insurgency. Both the LNA and the GNA have sought military and financial support from outside backers, transforming the Tripoli conflict into a regional proxy war over political and economic clout in the broader Middle East.  

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

Information from the U.S. State Department

IRAN AND NUCLEAR WEAPONS

On March 3 in Vienna, IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi issued two new reports that heighten already serious concerns that the Islamic Republic of Iran is hiding its nuclear material and nuclear activities.

Iran is a signatory to the Non-Proliferation Treaty.  Iran’s safeguards agreements, under that Treaty, require it to declare nuclear material to the IAEA and provide IAEA inspectors with access for verification.  Iran’s intentional failure to declare such nuclear material would be a clear violation of its safeguards agreement required by the Non-Proliferation Treaty.  The regime must immediately cooperate with the IAEA and fully comply with its IAEA safeguards obligations.  Otherwise, the NPT isn’t worth the paper it is written on.

The IAEA’s latest reports are all the more troubling because we know that Iran continues to lie about its past nuclear weapons program and concealed a vast archive of records from those efforts when it concluded the nuclear deal – not to mention its lies about downing a civilian airliner, and its suppression of the extent of its coronavirus outbreak.  Given Iran’s prior covert nuclear weapons program and ignominious record of duplicity, any undeclared nuclear material or activities in Iran today would be an extremely serious matter.

The United States remains committed to denying Iran any pathway to a nuclear weapon.  In light of Iran’s past nuclear weapons program, it is imperative that Iran verifiably demonstrate that it has permanently abandoned all such work.  Any new deal addressing nuclear concerns in Iran must be built on robust and effective verification.

The international community must speak clearly and with one voice:  full and transparent cooperation with the IAEA and compliance with the NPT is the only path forward for Iran.

BIASED INVESTIGATION REGARDING AFGHANISTAN

Today, the International Criminal Court (ICC) Appeals Chamber authorized an investigation into the alleged activities of the Taliban and U.S. and Afghan personnel related to Afghanistan.  This is a truly breathtaking action by an unaccountable political institution, masquerading as a legal body.

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It is all the more reckless for this ruling to come just days after the United States signed a historic peace deal on Afghanistan – the best chance for peace in a generation.  Indeed, the Afghan government, itself, pleaded with the ICC to not take this course.  But the ICC politicians had other goals.

The United States is not a party to the ICC, and we will take all necessary measures to protect our citizens from this renegade, so-called court.

This is yet another reminder of what happens when multilateral bodies lack oversight and responsible leadership, and become instead a vehicle for political vendettas.  The ICC has today stumbled into a sorry affirmation of every denunciation made by its harshest critics over the past three decades.

 NUCLEAR NONPROLIFERATION

he Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons, commonly known as the Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) is the cornerstone of the nuclear nonproliferation regime. The three main aspects of the NPT are nonproliferation, disarmament, and peaceful uses of nuclear technology. The nonproliferation aspect is the foundation of the NPT: it has enabled past progress on nuclear disarmament and facilitated the spread of peaceful nuclear technology for development across the globe. Adherence to the NPT’s nonproliferation provisions- and the improved international security environment this enables- remains the key to future progress on nuclear disarmament and the further spread of peaceful nuclear technology. 

The NPT entered into force in 1970, was extended indefinitely in 1995, and has become nearly universal.  This Treaty has made the world safer and more prosperous for all States Party, and it remains one of the most successful treaties ever negotiated.  All NPT Parties are more security because the NPT has helped prevent additional states from acquiring nuclear weapons. An effective nuclear nonproliferation regime provides confidence that facilitates cooperation to share the benefits of peaceful uses of nuclear energy and fosters a security environment that has enabled dramatic reductions in nuclear stockpiles and is essential for future progress on nuclear disarmament. 

The United States remains dedicated to preserving and strengthening the nuclear nonproliferation regime, on which the Treaty is based, for future generations.

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

On Feb. 26, Assistant Secretary for Near Eastern Affairs David Schenker and Counterterrorism Coordinator Ambassador Nathan Sales discussed a terrorist designation relating to Iranian proxies in Iraq:

Assistant Secretary Schenker: Today, Secretary Pompeo has taken decisive action against Iran-backed militias in Iraq by designating Ahmad al-Hamidawi as a Specially Designated Global Terrorist or SDGT.

Hamidawi is the secretary-general of Kata’ib Hizballah, or KH, a group that is responsible for numerous terrorist attacks against U.S. and coalition forces in Iraq.  That includes the December 2019 attack by rockets on an air base near Kirkuk that killed American Nawres Hamid.

The State Department designated KH as a Foreign Terrorist Organization and as an SDGT in 2009 for attacking American troops and our allies.  Today, we are intensifying our pressure on this terrorist group.  KH remains actively engaged in plotting terrorism against U.S. forces, our partners, and innocent Iraqi civilians.  By committing violence at the behest of its patrons in Tehran, KH has revealed its true agenda: undermining Iraq’s sovereignty and independence.

Here are just a few recent examples.  After the United States acted to defend itself against continuous rocket attacks on our military bases and diplomatic facilities, KH and other Iran-backed terrorists stormed our embassy in Baghdad before being repelled by American forces.

That wasn’t the first time KH stormed a diplomatic post.  They also attacked Bahrain’s embassy in Iraq in June of last year.  KH even targets the people it purports to represent, Iraqis.  It actively uses violence and terror against innocent civilians to advance the Iranian regime’s goal of turning Iraq into a vassal state.  In October of 2019, KH was involved in sniper attacks against peaceful protesters in Baghdad which killed more than 100 people and injured another 6,000.  And when Iraqi President Barham Salih met with President Trump in Davos last month, KH took to the airwaves to demand Salih’s resignation with a veiled threat against his life.

Ahmad al-Hamidawai is the leader of this group, and today the United States is holding him accountable for these crimes.  Today’s action will target sources of support for Hamidawi and KH and deny them the resources they need to plan and carry out future attacks.

I also want to emphasize that today’s designation was enabled by President Trump’s expansion of Executive Order 13224 last September, the most significant update to our terrorism sanctions authority since the aftermath of 9/11.  Thanks to these changes, we are now able to directly designate the leaders of terrorist groups without having to tie them to specific acts.

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ASSISTANT SECRETARY SCHENKER:  Good afternoon.  As Nathan just said, today the Secretary of State is designating Ahmad al-Hamidawi, the secretary-general of Kata’ib Hizballah.  His organization also shares in the responsibility for the brutal crackdown on peaceful protesters in Iraq.  They are foot soldiers in the Iranian regime’s export of terrorism, corruption, and bribery to Iraq.

The action today continues the U.S. efforts to hold accountable those who present a clear and present danger to both our people and the Iraqi people.  In January, the Secretary designated Asa’ib Ahl al-Haq as a Foreign Terrorist Organization and Specially Designated Global Terrorist and Qais and Laith Khazali as SDGTs.  Additionally, in December, Treasury designated the Khazali brothers and Husayn Falih al-Lami for their involvement in serious human rights abuses in Iraq.  Additionally, OFAC designated Iraqi politician Khamis al-Khanjar for bribing government officials and engaging in widespread corruption at the expense of the Iraqi people.

What I want to emphasize today is how this terrorist, his organization, along with the Khazalis and other terrorists, drain the life and vitality out of Iraq.  They kill and maim Iraqis and seek to brutally silence or impede any efforts Iraqis make to reform their government.  According to the UN, over 600 Iraqis have been killed while protesting for better governance and a brighter future.

The Secretary has communicated to Iraq’s political leaders, some of whom I met with personally last week, that the U.S. stands with the Iraqis who are fed up with economic stagnation, endemic corruption, and mismanagement.  They want better from their leaders, and they want accountability.

They’re demanding their country back.

The U.S. Government continues to support Iraq’s security, stability, and sovereignty.  As the Secretary has said on many occasions, we are a force for good.  In Iraq, we’re the largest donor of humanitarian, stabilization, demining, and security assistance, and we want to maintain and expand that role to include helping with economic reform to create jobs for Iraqis and Americans alike.  In contrast to Hamidawi and those offering brutality and repression, we offer an unparalleled partnership for the Iraqi people.

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

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.

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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

SYRIA

On Friday, February 14, 2020, a senior State Department official provided the media with background information on the Administration’s Middle East efforts in Syria. He said that it is a two-fold process. First, the US is trying to shore up the international community to stand against the latest aggression and recent military actions which have created a humanitarian crisis in the area with 3 million people crossing into Turkey to escape the fighting. The official pointed out that Turkey already has absorbed 3.5 million. Second, is the problem the world has with Syrian President Assad. People flee Assad and Syria and go to ISIS rather than suffer under his regime, according to the official. “…we’re working with the Turks to see how the rest of the international community can support a ceasefire under 2254, the relevant UN resolution, in all of Syria, which is what the resolution calls for, but beginning with Idlib. Idlib is at a critical point right now, he added.

“It’s a set of salami tactics on the part of the Syrians…and the Russians,” according to the official. He said that they did under the Astana Process. Russia, Iran, and Turkey force the fights around Damascus, in Aleppo, and Idlib, although Assad’s infantry is not good and doesn’t like fighting. The result is ceasefire after ceasefire, and settlements that are filled with displaced people who don’t want to live under an Assad regime. The official pointed out that this has been going on for three years and the only place left for them to escape now it to Idlib. “So,” he added, “it is jam-packed with tens of thousands of fighters, many tens of thousands of fighters, and some 3.5 million people.” The US is working on targeting the Assad regime with military, political and economic pressure and sanctions, which it hopes will quiet the situation and lead to a more stable environment in the region. The official pointed out that it is getting to the point where Europe will no longer be able to avoid dealing with the Syrian issue as the refugee crisis is growing daily.

ISRAEL

Secretary of State Michael Pompeo is shocked and “outraged” upon learning that the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet published a database of companies operating in Israeli-controlled territories.  He said that the United States has long opposed the creation or release of this database, which was mandated by the discredited UN Human Rights Council in 2016. 

“Its publication,” he added, “only confirms the unrelenting anti-Israel bias so prevalent at the United Nations. The United States has not provided, and will never provide, any information to the Office of the High Commissioner to support compilation of these lists and expresses support for U.S. companies referenced.” The US is calling upon all UN member states to join Washington in rejecting the effort as Pompeo says it “facilitates the discriminatory boycott, divestment, and sanction (BDS) campaign and delegitimizes Israel.” Attempts to isolate Israel run counter to American efforts to build conditions conducive to Israeli-Palestinian negotiations that can lead to a comprehensive and enduring peace, he said. 

CHINA

The Trump Administration remains extremely concerned about Chinese technology theft and its implications for American national security. This week the US Government charged the Chinese company, Huawei, with numerous counts of racketeering and charges of conspiracy to steal US trade secrets as part of a broader effort that President Trump has directed the United States to undertake. “Whether it’s the risk of Chinese technology in our systems, which would give a key way for the Chinese Communist Party to have access to the most intimate information of American citizens – we’ve gone around the world telling other countries they need to be careful about that too, or to your point about how the Chinese are using financial power to leverage into political control and influence in countries around the world, we can see this now,” he said. It is now a bipartisan effort which did not occur much in the last 10 or 15 years, he pointed out.

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President Trump, said Pompeo, “…has made clear we want fairness, we want transparency, we want a relationship with China that is balanced and equal, and on a commercial basis, we want those transactions to be things that make sense for the American people. Our first and foremost duty is just keep the American people safe and create economic prosperity at home. You can’t have that when the Chinese Communist Party is stealing hundreds of billions of dollars of our most important technology and intellectual property.”

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

PALESTINE

“The Palestinian people have an enormous opportunity for a better life for the Palestinian people.” In a press conference in London, Secretary of State Michael Pompeo pointed out that the Palestinian leadership called for a “day of rage,” while the US called for “diplomacy to sit down at the table and have a negotiated resolution to a longstanding conflict.” The plan, if implemented, provides for real security and it reflects the reality on the ground for the Israelis. It also presents the Palestinians with an enormous opportunity worth $50 billion to the regional economy and, potentially, as many as one million jobs.

The Secretary said that he is confident the new peace plan is good for everyone – “every Israeli and every Palestinian.” He pointed out that they now have an offer on the table and are free to come up with a counter offer, if that’s what they think is appropriate. Pompeo said: “We’d look forward to that.  We’re prepared to listen,….” and he knows “the Israelis will be prepared to sit down and negotiate on the basis of the vision that the President laid out.”

This is the most detailed plan presented by an American administration and it is the first time the Israelis have ever conceded to a map that outlines what the region will look like with a Palestinian state. Pompeo called it a “real vision” and said that he hopes all the parties will consider it thoughtfully and move forward.

CHINA

As the 2020 novel coronavirus rampages across China and spreads across the globe, Chinese leaders are accepting blame for failing to be open and transparent at the start of the crisis. The mayor of Wuhan has offered to resign. In a city of 14 million, 5 million were able to leave prior to the travel ban. This essentially allowed the virus to spread quickly and to distant areas. The rate of infection is doubling ever 6.2 days with cases found now throughout the world. It is spreading faster than SARS but at this time the mortality rate remains lower. 

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Economically, it is impacting China by further slowing the domestic economy which already is feeling the effects of American trade sanctions. The virus is not expected to peak until the June-July period leaving some economists questioning whether, and how long, it will take China to recover. Despite the short-term disruptions from the virus, although impactful, Pompeo called China “The greatest threat of our times.” It is moving forward with Huawei’s expansion of the 5G network and pushing it out to countries in the west, including Great Britain.

GREAT BRITAIN

In addition to Brexit, Secretary of State Pompeo was in London to talk about that country’s acceptance of Hwawei and 5G. He pointed out that the Administration has spoken to the United Kingdom at great length at the political level and a lot at the national security level over the past months. He added that the US view of Huawei has been that putting it in the British system “creates real risk.” G5 is an extension of the Chinese Communist Party with a legal requirement to hand over information to the Chinese Communist Party, according to Pompeo. Washington is concerned about the impact on American security and what interactions it will permit with Great Britain if installed. The Trump Administration is pushing  for Western systems with Western rules and arguing that American information only should pass through trusted networks.

POLAND

In an effort to reinforce US NATO ally Poland’s ability to defend its territory the United States Pompeo says it welcomes the Polish government’s decision to purchase 32 F-35A Lightning II Joint Strike Fighter aircraft. The $4.6 billion sale made under the Foreign Military Sales program is overseen by the U.S. Department of State. Pompeo added that he commends “President Duda, Prime Minister Morawiecki, and the Polish government’s commitment to continue modernizing Poland’s military through the acquisition of the world’s most advanced fighter aircraft, which will improve Poland’s ability to provide collective and self-defense.”  

Illustration: Pixabay

IRAN 

Nuclear weapons in Iran’s control were guaranteed, according to Secretary of State Michael Pompeo, if the United States had not pulled out of the Iran nuclear deal. He said the regime had been working on developing its nuclear program for years and that all the deal did was to delay its completion by a month to a few years. Pompeo in a comment during an interview said: “We accept the facts on the ground as they are. This is a regime that lied to get into that nuclear deal – you can see that now in what’s going on at the IAEA and Turquzabad, where we now know that they lied about the scope of their program.”

Iran stored documents and kept the technology in place but dispersed, according to Pompeo. Without a central research agency they still continued to develop weapons. The trump Administration, he added is determined to stop Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons now and in the future. 

CHINA

In an on-the-record briefing, Ambassador Wells responded to questions about concerns the Administration has over China’s One Belt One Road initiative. Wells stated that the project “often doesn’t adhere to international standards – sustainability, labor environment.” Recently, the Ambassador participated in meetings in Pakistan where China’s concessional financing of projects in that country came up. She warned Pakistan that it “…should beware of the terms, to make sure that they’re getting the most for their money, that brings the greatest economic prosperity.” In recent years China has made large, direct investment in the infrastructure of developing countries in return for concessions that include the sale of raw materials and rare earths at prices favorable to the regime in Beijing, military basing rights, and economic and trade benefits. The Trump Administration is pulling off the band aid accord to Pompeo in a change from the small step approach employed by the previous administration. 

COLOMBIA

A couple of dozen countries met at the ministerial levels for talks recently in Colombia on terrorism policy. A senior official at the State Department who attended with Secretary Pompeo said there has been substantial movement in the last six months as several countries have designated Hezbollah as a terrorist organization, including Argentina, Paraguay, and more recently Colombia, Guatemala and Honduras. 

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The official added that “President Duque announced that the Colombian Government was essentially doing a cut-and-paste job for E.U. terrorism sanctions and U.S. terrorism sanctions. They will be adopting those sanctions lists in their entirety, and President Duque called on all the other countries of the region to follow suit. We think it’s highly significant that Colombia sees the value in the E.U. and U.S. lists and wants to establish those as a global benchmark for countering terrorist finance.” The United States and Columbia last week signed an information-sharing agreement to facilitate the sharing of terrorist watchlist information. It marks one more step in American efforts to share information with its partners to better detect and deter terrorist travel and reduce the terrorist organization’s ability to launder money.

BIRTH TOURISM

In a significant change in American policy the State Department announced that effective January 24th, it is amending its B non-immigrant visa regulations to address what is commonly referred to as birth tourism. The B visitor visa category is for a temporary visit for business or pleasure. The updated regulation, according to the Department, “…will establish that pleasure excludes travel for the primary purpose of obtaining United States citizenship for a child by giving birth to the child in the United States. Under this amended regulation, consular officers overseas would deny any B visa application from an applicant whom the consular officer has reason to believe is traveling for that primary purpose of giving birth in the United States to obtain U.S. citizenship for the child.”

This change is intended to address the national security and law enforcement concerns associated with birth tourism. The final rule also codifies a requirement that B visa applicants who seek medical treatment in the United States must demonstrate to the satisfaction of the consular officer their arrangements for such treatment and establish their ability to pay all costs associated with such treatment.

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

IRAN

Special Representative for Iran Brian Hook spoke with reporters this week when announcing additional sanctions on Iran in support of the Administration’s Maximum Pressure campaign. He noted that Secretary Pompeo recently promised to hold Iran accountable for its human rights violations and for its treatment of the Iranian people. In doing so, he said that the US Government is listing IRGC Brigadier General Hassan Shahvarpour under Section 7031(c) visa sanctions.  General Shahvarpour committed gross violations of human rights against protesters in Mahshahr and oversaw the massacre of 148 helpless Iranians in the Mahshahr region last November.

According to Hook, one of the over 88,000 tips sent through the State Department’s hotline since last November made the action possible.  He added: “We use this information to expose the criminality of the regime and to hold violators accountable.  Since the violent crackdown on protests last November, the United States has sanctioned two judges and eight other regime officials for their roles in brutalizing the Iranian people.  We are continuing to review all information we receive from the Iranian people, and we will continue to hold more regime officials responsible for human rights violations.”

Iran is in an economic crisis that also has contributed to the unrest in the country. The Iranian people are opposing state corruption. The pressure put on by the sanctions, according to Hook, had led to more than 25% unemployment rate among young Iranians and an inflation rate of 40%. It is this group that is calling strongly for reform, among others. “We have succeeded in raising the costs for Iran,” he noted, “and the regime is badly managing an economic crisis of its own making.”

Iranian oil exports have decreased by more than 2 million barrels per day, according to the State Department, thus reducing its oil revenue by more than 80%, or about $50 billion annually. The result is that Iran is less able to fund terrorist activity throughout the region.

RUSSIA

When asked to comment about the changes in the Russian government, Secretary of State Pompeo that it does appear that President Putin is attempting to make himself president for life and retain control after the 2024 elections. It was announced recently that top leaders, such as Dmitri Medvedev among others, have resigned from the Russian government. This all but ensures that Putin will gain even more control over the Russian government.

CHINA

China and the United State inked phase one of a trade agreement the President is calling “historic.” Commenting on the agreement Pompeo said that he thinks it is “…consistent with our National Security Strategy where we identified the fact that this is a long-term challenge and there’s real opportunity there as well, but we have to make sure and get this right….”

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He acknowledged that there are many constraints remaining in the US-China relationship, including issues surrounding China’s activity in the South China Sea, human rights conditions inside the country, and the use of Chinese funds to buy influence internationally.

Another stumbling block to better relations is the resolution of intellectual property rights disputes between the two countries. Pompeo noted that when he was in northern California, he met with American business people who discussed that challenges they face when dealing with China, especially in the area of China’s unfair direct investment policy toward US companies. When asked about American firms selling surveillance equipment to China to spy on its own people, the Secretary pointed out that the US has a strict set of laws covering the topic. He added that China conducts illegal business activity despite the rules. He added that China still buys Iranian oil despite US attempts to halt the sales that are in violation of the US sanctions regime. The Secretary promised that Washington is going to do everything it can to enforce sanctions against every violator of the US trade restrictions.

NORTH KOREA

The US and North Korea are continuing to talk behind-the-scenes according to Pompeo. He noted that the United States is interested in convincing President Kim that it is in his best interest to deliver on the promised he made 18 months ago. The talks to date have been a back and forth process in which the North Korean has made, and then failed to fulfill, promises to the United States and the world. Pompeo said that he is positive that the North potentially will make the correct decision in the future as the weapons systems they have pose a real threat to the North Korean people and the world.

Pompeo added that “…if we can get the right arrangement, if we can get the sequence right, and we can have serious conversations about it, I still hold out hope that we can convince Chairman Kim to move away from the nuclear weapons as their great wall of protection and convince them that there is a brighter, even more secure posture that they can have without those nuclear weapons.” 

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