Mohammad Amjad Hossain:
Since the last four years of US administration under the leadership of President Donald Trump foreign policy of the United States of America was in mess without any direction while both the Foreign Secretary under the administration of President Donald Trump did not have any experience in the state department. Now under the administration of President Joseph R.Biden foreign policy will be vibrant around the world.
Addressing diplomats on 4 February at Foreign Office at Foggy Bottom President Joseph R, Biden categorically said “America is back while diplomacy is back” at the center of US foreign policy that reflects US secretary of state Antony J. Blinken has had wide experience in foreign policy of America who has served department of state as Deputy Secretary and specialized in overseeing policy planning. Mr. Antony Blinken Graduated of Harvard College Magna cum Laude Colombia.
The foreign policy of President Biden has been shifted that has been reflected by the decision to resume contribution to the UN agency that provide aid to Palestine refugees which past President Donald Trump stopped while resume discussion with Palestinian leader regarding two-state solution that had been stopped by immediate past President. President Biden also declared America would end all support for offensive operations in Yemen and appoint an envoy to focus on the long-standing conflict. As a result of the war Yemen turned out to be the world’s worst humanitarian crisis. The present administration of Biden-Kamala would stop military offensives in Yemen.
By now over 100,000 people might have been killed in Yemen, apart from more than 85000 lost their lives as a result of on-going famine due to farcical war between Houthi led backed by Iran and Saudi Arab coalition.
The possibility of reviving the nuclear deal with Iran which is known as a joint comprehensive plan of action (JCPOA) by the United States since the US withdrew from the deal by immediate past President Donald Triumph. US Iran envoy is reported to have discussed with Great Britain, France and Germany on this issue. It is likely that the United States will rejoin the deal. President Trump imposed sanction on Iran after pulling out of the nuclear deal and instituted maximum pressure on the campaign to target oil export. President Joseph Biden also declared to re- join World Health Organization which reflects a distinctive departure from immediate past administration, apart from the Paris Climate agreement which President Donald Trump withdrew.
While addressing officers of the department of the state at Foggy Bottom, President Joseph Biden criticized military takeover in Burma and directed the release of Aung san Suu Ki whose father was the founder of Burma, now known as Myanmar. It is an irony that Aun San Suu Ki defended action of army junta known as Tatmadaw on the issue of genocide against Rohingya minority community in Rakhine state of Myanmar at the UN International Court of Justice on 11 December 2019. Now Aung San Suu Ki herself is the victim of the army who is now house arrest. Incidentally, I have had the opportunity to meet Aung San Suu Ki at Dacca airport sometime in 1982 at the request of Bangladesh Ambassador Syed Najmuddin Hashim while she was passing through Dacca to London to see her ailing husband. In fact, she did not accept the hospitality that I offered to her. In the election in November last year National League for Democracy won the election securing 80 percent votes, but the army rejected the result of the election instead said there was fraud in the election like that of former President Donald Trump.
While President Biden extended the new strategic arms reduction treaty with Russian federation but asked Russian authority to release Alexei Navalny who was recently arrested by police and to stop police violence against peaceful protest. It is an irony that Alexi Navalny is reported to have died in hospital at age 55 due to a spike in his blood pressure but President Vladimir Putin denied his involvement.
A huge number of protesters are in jail who have begun to protest against President Vladimir Putin for his corruption, declining living standard. Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny is comparable with that of Nelson Mandela of South Africa. President Vladimir Putin has been accused of placing thousands of people in jail since they began protesting against the arrest of Alexei Navalny recently.
President Joseph Biden has expressed his desire to rebuild leverage by pursuing domestic renewal while investing in alliances reestablishing leadership on the world stage. Mr. Biden in fact proposes to advance democracy, human Rights and other global interests while the President holds the opinion that the Ministry of Defense and Department of State would work together to rebuild foreign policy. The combination of foreign policy with defense strategy would make foreign policy strong ever and will work as naked diplomacy as defined by Ambassador Tom Fletcher from the British Foreign Service.
(Mr. Hossain is a retired diplomat from Bangladesh and former President of Nova Toastmaster International Club of America, writes from Falls Church, Virginia).
