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Politics

L’Amérique est (potentiellement) de retour

Feb 17, 2021 Shlomo Ben-Ami

TEL AVIV – Dans son premier discours de politique étrangère, le président américain Joe Biden a transmis un message simple à la communauté internationale : « L’Amérique est de retour ». Cependant, rétablir la crédibilité de la diplomatie américaine et mener une politique étrangère efficace sera une tâche ardue.

Tout à son honneur, Biden a rapidement pris des mesures pour inverser les décisions politiques les plus préjudiciables de son prédécesseur Donald Trump. Comme il l’a relevé dans son discours, il a déjà signé plusieurs décrets exécutifs, dont celui consacrant le retour des États-Unis dans l’Accord de Paris sur le climat et le maintien de son pays au sein de l’Organisation mondiale de la santé.

Biden a également annoncé le gel du retrait prévu par Trump des troupes américaines stationnées en Allemagne – une décision qui a clairement pour objectif de rassurer les alliés européens délaissés par la précédente administration. Il a aussi clairement dit au président russe Vladimir Poutine que le temps où les États-Unis se soumettaient face aux actes agressifs de la Russie était révolu. Il s’est de plus engagé à mettre fin au soutien américain à la coalition menée par l’Arabie saoudite au Yémen, et à renforcer les efforts diplomatiques pour faire cesser cette guerre « qui a créé une catastrophe humanitaire et stratégique ».

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j. von Hettlingen Feb 19, 2021

Shlomo Ben-Ami says Biden may be bringing America back into the international fold, “but whether the power of its example will convince skeptical partners,” as hoped, “remains to be seen.” At home, the Biden administration has its hands full, seeking to tackle the Covid-19 pandemic and to pass the $1.9 trillion relief bill. However, “restoring the credibility of US diplomacy and implementing an effective foreign policy will be an uphill battle.”
According to the author, “a country’s international credibility – and, thus, the effectiveness of its foreign policy – must be built on strong domestic foundations. But, from its botched pandemic response to the storming of the US Capitol on January 6, America’s political dysfunction has lately been on stark display.” During his presidency Trump had destroyed America’s global status and endangered national security with his reckless foreign policy. The “City on a Hill” has lost its “shine.”
The many obstacles the Biden administration faces in “pursuing a robust foreign policy,” are mounting. While re-joining the Paris climate agreement and re-engaging with the World Health Organization are the easier part, returning to the 2015 nuclear deal Iran signed with world powers that Trump scrapped in May 2018 will be very difficult - there are handliners in both Iran and the US, who oppose any rapprochement. Trump’s reimposition of sanctions did not bring Iran back to the negotiating table to hash out a deal he and his hawks wanted.
“Maximum pressure” on Iran had inflicted deep pain on its economy. Yet the country had resumed building up its stockpile of enriched uranium - moving closer to creating a nuclear weapon than it was when Trump took office. Sanctions had not curtailed Iran’s influence and meddling in its neighbourhood. The regime still maintains its significant footholds in Yemen, Iraq, Lebanon and Syria through proxies and allies. The new reality makes it difficult for the administration to engage with Iran, which has China and Russia on its side.
America’s two staunch allies - Israel and Saudi Arabia, together with the Gulf States - had built a united front against Tehran. It’s “bigger challenge will be overcoming resistance from America’s regional allies, especially Israel, whose military is already preparing for possible offensive action against Iran. The strategic viability of such an offensive is far from clear.” Binyamin Netanyahu “has a proven record as a spoiler,” and the administration “must be careful not to allow him to reprise that role.”
The author says, “the key to balancing....risks is to focus on managing strategic competition, not asserting dominance.” As the US is no longer the hegemon of a unipolar world, it needs to find the right strategy to deal with Beijing. Biden had pledged to “confront” China’s economic abuses, “counter its aggressive, coercive action,” and “push back” against its “attack” on human rights, intellectual property, and global governance. But he also promised to work with China “when it’s in America’s interest to do so.”
Biden has inherited a "dysfunctional political system." The country can not get its act together to upgrade its "own obsolete infrastructure," let alone to counter China’s development strategy. "The only way to rein in an increasingly assertive China is through cooperation with empowered allies. Fortunately, Biden is aware of US deficiencies and has pledged to build a global alliance of democracies for precisely the purpose of competing with China. But goal-setting is just the first step. If the US is to work effectively with allies, let alone competitors, it needs credibility. And that is in short supply nowadays."
Another pressing issue is to rethink America’s military presence and operations in various parts of the world. While suspending Trump’s planned troop withdrawals from Germany sends a positive message to European allies and a stark warning to Putin that the US will keep an eye on Russia’s revisionist ambition, ending US support for the Saudi-led offensive in Yemen allows Washington to “step up diplomacy to end the catastrophic war” and the worst humanitarian crisis in recent years.
When it comes to Iraq and Afghanistan, the security situation there poses a dilemma to the Biden administration. Whatever decision it takes, there are no good options. Remaining in the two war-torn countries means prolonging America's engagement there. Critics say a full withdrawal from Iraq or Afghanistan would be a relief for the war-weary population, but a humiliation for the US on the world stage and a likely prelude to the collapse of two elected governments for which America has invested significant blood and treasure to uphold.
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眼光 Canadian / China Feb 17, 2021

https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s?__biz=MzUzODU1OTI2Nw==&mid=2247507180&idx=1&sn=ba2e5a63d8486b636875fd587c5ed8f4&chksm=fad74aa0cda0c3b6b641714d91f15ecfaf6d7a4030b7ef2d4ee11e75ab8e157243ee1cda2f0c&xtrack=1&scene=0&subscene=91&sessionid=1613603896&clicktime=1613604043&enterid=1613604043&ascene=7&devicetype=android-28&version=28000159&nettype=WIFI&abtest_cookie=AAACAA%3D%3D&lang=en&exportkey=AuO5XyDL%2FyRjFzsoQeWYFlE%3D&pass_ticket=OXFb9liTe1s6a4mbYRGJKmFFX7u2owoMjaxddmSpgdtHUEjCx%2B5filAz7nvZ7rDt&wx_header=1
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眼光 Canadian / China Feb 17, 2021

Very racist country . Divided white supremacy people and the other multicultural USA people .
Money is power in USA ask Trump . Buy your freedom .
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