WASHINGTON (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 03rd August, 2020) Joe Biden's campaign made key moves in recent days to solidify a team of foreign policy advisers keen on reversing US President Donald Trump's isolationist policies should the former vice president prevail in November.
On Saturday, former deputy secretary of state Tony Blinken, who had been running Biden's foreign policy operations, joined the campaign full time, the New York Times reported. This came a day after reports that the Biden campaign already has thousands of analysts cranking out research on major foreign policy issues on a daily basis.
DIFFERENCE IN STYLE AND SUBSTANCE
Biden plans to depart dramatically from Trump in the development and execution of foreign policy in addition to strategy and objectives.� Trump has often been criticized for neglecting advisers while relying on his "gut" instincts to make major decisions. The former vice president, on the other hand, apparently will take a much different approach.
The Democratic Party's presumptive presidential nominee already has more than 2,000 foreign policy advisers in 20 working groups developing policies on issues such as arms control, intelligence, and homeland security, Foreign Policy reported on Friday citing campaign officials and an internal list of the co-chairs of each respective group.
Overall, the group aims to set a different tone that contrasts sharply with Trump's xenophobic rhetoric, including the demonization of refugees. Biden has vowed, for example, to lift Trump's Muslim ban.
Most of the key players identified support many of the same policies Biden has stressed on the campaign trail, especially when it comes to honoring international commitments. They also want to repair the damage Trump has done through his disdain for international organizations such as the UN.
In addition, the Biden foreign policy team favors improving relations with NATO partners. Biden was highly critical of Trump's decision this week to withdraw 12,000 troops from Germany, although nearly half are being redeployed closer to Russia's borders.
Biden has vowed to uphold international treaties that Trump exited or violated including the Iran nuclear deal and the Paris climate agreement and will ensure the US rejoins the World Health Organization (WHO). Biden has also committed to renewing the New START treaty.
The former vice president also wants to return to the Obama administrations' policy of normalizing relations with Cuba. In fact, Congresswoman Karen Bass, who is on Biden's VP short-list, has come under Republican attack for her previous support for Fidel Castro.
Biden, however, seems to share some general inclinations with Trump including a tough stance against China, support for Israel and limiting the US role in Afghanistan.
Although Biden opposed the intervention in Libya and strategy to arm extremists in Syria, many of those who are likely to join his foreign policy circle supported both these decisions in addition to an aggressive policy towards Russia.
The team assembled so far is stacked with regional experts on US policy in Asia, the middle East, and Europe and former officials with direct experience working with countries like Iran, Iraq, Syria, Russia, Ukraine, China and the Koreas, among others.
Most notable is the team's deep experience on NATO policy and national security issues such as arms control treaties.
Blinken has held senior security and foreign policy positions dating back to the Clinton administration, and as Secretary of State John Kerry's deputy was involved in the Iran nuclear talks as well as US policy towards Iraq and Syria.
In addition to Blinken, the core of Biden's brain trust will include Jake Sullivan, Brian McKeon and Julie Smith, the Foreign Policy report added.
Sullivan was deputy chief of staff for US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, and would have likely been a White House national security adviser if Clinton had won in 2016. Sullivan was also a lead negotiator on the Iran nuclear deal.
Smith is a former White House deputy national security adviser who also worked on NATO policy as a high-level official at the Pentagon. McKeon played a key role in managing the Pentagon's daily operations as acting under secretary for policy in the Obama-era.
Another key player is Susan Rice, national security adviser and UN ambassador during the Obama administration, who is among the finalists to be Biden's running mate.
Michele Flournoy, according to several media reports, could likely become the first female US Defense Secretary if Biden wins. Flournoy served as under secretary for defense policy from 2009 to 2012 and at the time was the highest-ranking woman in Pentagon history.
Other former Biden advisers that will also be crucial to his platform include Asia expert Ely Ratner and Middle East specialist Daniel Benaim in addition to anti-Russia hawk Nicholas Burns, who held high-level foreign policy positions under presidents George W. Bush and Bill Clinton.
Also likely to play key roles in a future Biden administration include former defense official with responsibility for Russia, Ukraine, Eurasia, the Balkans, Michael Carpenter, undersecretary of defense for acquisition Frank Kendall III, and Rosa Brooks, a former Flournoy staffer.
