Naveed Aman Khan
JOE Biden has generally been regarded as belonging to the mainstream of the Democratic Party. He has been described as centre-left. His policies emphasize the needs of middle-class and working-class Americans and have drawn political support from those groups. The United States always defends itself and its allies. Force has always been used to protect vital interests of the United States, when the objective is clear and achievable, with the consent of the Americans, and with required approval of the Congress. He emphasizes return of the United States to its traditional role as the leader of the world order based on promotion of democracy, multilateralism, alliance-building and diplomatic engagement. He would reinvigorate the U.S.’s traditional alliances, including with countries alienated by Trump, and would convene a summit. Biden opposes military action aimed at regime change. It is appropriate to provide non-military support for opposition movements seeking universal human rights and more representative and accountable governance. With respect to humanitarian intervention, Biden believes the U.S. has a moral duty, and security interest, to respond to genocide or chemical weapons use but that such cases require action by the community of nations, not just the United States. He has planed to restore U.S. membership in key United Nations bodies.
Biden opposed US government funding of abstinence-only sex education programs in Africa. Biden favours greater US engagement with Africa to counter growing Chinese influence on the continent. In 2011, during the Obama Administration’s internal debate on the Libyan civil war, Biden opposed the US intervention. Biden was strongly against going to Libya due to the instability it would cause after Muammar Gaddafi was deposed. But later on Biden publicly defended the Obama Administration’s ultimate decision to participate in the Libya intervention. Biden has been a prominent voice calling for hard-headed diplomacy with Iran. He also has called for the implementation of coordinated international sanctions on Iran. He will complement pressure by presenting a detailed, positive vision for US-Iran relations. During his rule he will normalize US Iran bilateral relationship and avoid any military venture. In 2007, Biden voted against a measure to declare the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps a terrorist organization. In December 2007 he declared war with Iran not just a bad option but disaster. Biden threatened to initiate impeachment proceedings against President Bush if he had started a war with Iran without Congressional approval.
As Vice President, Biden vigorously defended the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, the nuclear agreement negotiated by the Obama Administration between Iran and the U.S. and other global powers. Biden has criticized Trump’s withdrawal from the agreement and the Trump Administration’s Iran strategy as a self-inflicted disaster, saying in 2019 that Iran had only gotten more aggressive since Trump unilaterally withdrew from the hard-won nuclear agreement that the Obama+Biden Administration negotiated. Biden has no illusions about Iran. Biden would reenter and strengthen the nuclear agreement once Iran is in compliance. In 1990, after Iraq under Saddam Hussein invaded Kuwait, Biden voted against the first Gulf War, asking: “What vital interests of the United States justify sending Americans to their deaths in the sands of Saudi Arabia?” In 1998, Biden expressed support for the use of force against Iraq and urged a sustained effort to dethrone Saddam Hussein over the long haul. In 2002, he stated that Saddam was a long-term threat and a short term threat to US national security and that US has no choice but to eliminate the threat. This is a guy who is an extreme danger to the world. He must be dislodged from his weapons or dislodged from power.
During the Iraq war, Biden consistently criticized the George W. Bush Administration for its failure to exhaust diplomatic solutions, its failure to enlist a more robust group of allies for the war effort, and the lack of a plan for reconstruction of Iraq. He criticized Bush in 2003 for failing to make robust diplomatic efforts to avert war, but said at the time that it was the right decision to separate Saddam Hussein from his weapons and separate him from power. In 2005, Biden said of his 2002 vote to authorize the use of force: “It was a mistake. It was a mistake to assume the President would use the authority we gave him properly. We gave the President the authority to unite the world to isolate Saddam. The fact of the matter is, US went too soon, without sufficient force and without a plan. In 2007, Biden strongly opposed Bush’s troop surge in Iraq, calling it a tragic mistake. In May 2006, Biden proposed a plan for a decentralized, federal Iraq, with a relatively weak central government with strong Sunni, Shiite, and Kurdish regional administrations that would govern largely autonomously within their own regions. Under the plan, there would not have been a partition of the country, but the central government would have its responsibilities limited to areas of common concern, such as border defence, foreign policy, oil production and revenue sharing. The goal of the plan was to halt the high level of sectarian violence in Iraq between Sunnis, Shiites, and Kurds.
Onwards to 2020 Joe Biden seems steering American cruise to safe shore. He has the capability to regain descending American might as superpower. He will continue strengthening India to contain Pakistan and China. Afghanistan will remain important in the region. America Taliban peace talks may slow down a bit. Knowing the pace and momentum of enhanced economic development of China like Trump he also will not go for any military conflict with any country. He will review American foreign policy, economic matters and global impact. For both US and China next three decades up to 2050 are very critical. Enhanced economic strength of China is a serious threat to America. At the defining moment of the history visionary Presidents of America and China are committed to steer their respective countries and the nations to safe harbours. US President-elect Joe Biden and Chinese President Xi Jin Ping have worked for their respective countries as Vice Presidents. Both veteran politicians now are leading their great nations and have capabilities to gain and maintain glory. Following Chinese economic and military policies America can maintain its splendour by avoiding new wars ahead.
—The writer is book ambassador, columnist, political analyst and author of several books based in Islamabad.
