Dear Friends: This is the text of my November column, including links to the sources I used.
Whoever wins the presidential election in 2020 will confront serious challenges in foreign policy. This column will ask candidates for the Democratic party nomination to answer questions about a few of them. Although questions may be phrased as if directed to just one candidate my intent is to have each candidate answer each question.
China:
- Persecution of Muslims. Foreign Policy magazine reported that: “In recent years, Beijing has detained between 800,000 and 2 million Uighurs, ethnic Kazakhs, and other Muslim ethnic minorities in internment camps, Chinese authorities have also destroyed dozens of mosques …”
In a written response to Council of Foreign Relations questions, Joe Biden said this: “The forced detention of over a million Uighur Muslims in western China is unconscionable. America should speak out against the internment camps in Xinjiang and hold to account the people and companies complicit in this appalling oppression, including through sanctions … https://www.cfr.org/article/joe-biden
Do you think “speaking out” and applying sanctions limited to specific “people and companies” is sufficient to end or at least mitigate China’s persecution of Muslims? More broadly, what role would human rights play in your Administration if they conflict with US strategic or economic interests? (https://foreignpolicy.com/2019/08/14/why-a-new-trump-appointee-could-be-the-latest-sticking-point-between-the-u-s-and-china-uighur-american-director-nsc/)
- Hong Kong. What will your Adminstration do if China imposes direct rule on Hong Kong or other restrictions on Hong Kong’s autonomous status?
Elizabeth Warren has proposed two specific actions: “First, it (China) must stop exports of police gear to Hong Kong.
Second, it (United States) should provide temporary protected status or deferred enforced departure to Hong Kong residents.”
Senator Warren added: “… And China needs to know that the United States has options if it resorts to force in Hong Kong.” Specifically what “options” did you have in mind? Do you have a plan for that?
You are also a co-sponsor of the Hong Kong Human Rights and Democracy Act of 2019 which would place economic sanctions on individuals deemed to have violated the terms of Hong Kong’s autonomy from mainland China.
Do you believe that those steps you are advocating are adequate to prevent China from doing whatever it wants in Hong Kong?
National Defense
- Should the Pentagon budget be cut?
- Candidates, be more specific as to what you want to cut and how much money you think the federal budget will save?
- What is your definition of an “Endless War”? S it the cost of American lives? It is worth noting that during the Trump Administration, US combat fatalities in Afghanistan and Iraq combined in have been fairly low (about 70) . (https://www.nytimes.com/2019/08/30/us/politics/us-soldier-killed-afghanistan.html, https://www.statista.com/statistics/263798/american-soldiers-killed-in-iraq/)
Is it a function of time? The US has had “trip wire”troops in Korea for 66 years after the end of active warfare there. Is it a matter of location, for example the Middle East? Does the American military presence in Afghanistan, Iraq or Syria provide any national security benefits to the US? If so, would it make sense to keep some US troops there?
- In the 74 years since the end of World War II state with specificity which US military actions, if any, have met with your approval?
- Under what circumstances, other than an explicit treaty commitment, would you put US military forces in harm’s way?
Iran: The JCPOA (The Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action ) nuclear weapons agreement with Iran contains a sunset clause that provides Iran a legal, internationally recognized pathway to nuclear weapons capability after a specified period of time elapses. President Trump has withdrawn from the JCPOA and reimposed economic sanctions. Trump cited the sunset clause and the fact that there were no restrictions on Iran’s development of missiles capable of delivery of a nuclear warhead among other reasons .
https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefings-statements/president-donald-j-trump-ending-united-states-participation-unacceptable-iran-deal/ https://www.reuters.com/article/us-makovsky-iran-commentary/commentary-its-time-for-trump-to-pull-out-of-the-iran-deal-
- Should the US reenter the JCPOA?
Joe Biden, you have said: “I would re-enter the JCPOA as a starting point to work alongside our allies in Europe and other world powers to extend the deal’s nuclear constraints. ”
Mayor Buttigieg, you have said: “…I would rejoin. But I would take the agreement as a floor, not a ceiling. I would want to pursue follow-on agreements that extend the timeframe of certain nuclear restrictions, cover Iran’s missile program…”
Have you noticed that the added restrictions you want in the JCPOA mirror the same objections President Trump cited when he withdrew from it? Would you reenter the Agreement and remove sanctions even before Iran agrees to these new restrictions you want? If Iran considers the JCPOA a done deal and refuses to reopen negotiations, what would you do?
Foreign policy is an area where the president has a considerable amount of authority to act unilaterally. The lives of our military personnel, public finances and moral principles are often at stake. Options frequently range from bad to very bad and it may be difficult to know in advance what the consequences of any given foreign policy will be. As responsible citizens, we need to press potential future presidents on vital decisions they will have to make starting January 20, 2021.
A future column will ask foreign policy questions to Donald Trump.