Page 27 - bon-dia-aruba-15 Sept 2020

A27
u.s. news Diamars 15 september 2020

Trump highlights foreign policy wins as he woos voters

(AP) — In the past two
weeks, President Donald
Trump has notched a string
of diplomatic wins he’s high-
lighting with voters in the
run-up to the election, but
his report card on the most
serious threats to U.S. na-
tional security shows an “in-
complete.”

The Trump administration
will host the leaders of the
United Arab Emirates and
Bahrain on Tuesday at the
White House, where the two
nations will formally recog-
nize Israel. Trump officials
also brokered an economic
cooperation agreement be-
tween Serbia and Kosovo,
bitter foes in the Balkan wars.
And Trump has moved to
withdraw U.S. troops from
Iraq and Afghanistan and
held U.S. talks with the Tal-
iban, which paved the way
for fragile all-Afghan peace
negotiations that began last
weekend.
While acknowledging that
these are all positive develop-
ments, William Wechsler, di-
rector of the Atlantic Coun-
cil’s Middle East programs, ers last week. “He’s running smart for them," Trump said Atomic Energy Agency show calm with North Korea, but
said they must be weighed on his track record as the last week. “All their friends that both Iran and North Ko- Pyongyang has a tendency
against a much more “nega- president who built the great- are coming into this, and they rea have continued to devel- to dial up pressure during
tive” set of actions by the est economy in our country want to come into it — they op their nuclear programs, a U.S. presidential election
president. Among those he and somebody who’s going want to come into it very sign that the threats have not seasons. About a month af-
cites: deference to Russian to keep Americans safe and badly.” abated and potentially have ter President Barack Obama
President Vladimir Putin; continue to get things done That's far from certain. Wasel gotten worse. Since Trump was elected, North Korea
the president's love-hate re- for them.” Kushner helped Abu Yousef, a senior Palestin- pulled out of the 2015 Iran conducted a long-range mis-
lationship with China; re- broker the UAE and Bah- ian official, called the Bahrain nuclear deal, he’s stepped up sile test and then a nuclear
fraining from heavily pun- rain agreements, which the and UAE moves to normalize economic pressure against test. “If North Korea behaves
ishing Saudi Arabia for the White House has labeled the relations with Israel a “stab in Iran and killed top Iranian true to form, then we should
gruesome killing of journalist most significant steps toward the back” to the Palestinian Gen. Qassem Soleimani in a expect to see some sort of
Jamal Khashoggi; and push- peace in the Middle East in people and their rights. Dem- drone strike in Iraq. Tehran, provocations -- maybe not
ing U.S. relations with Eu- more than a quarter-century. ocratic presidential nominee however, has continued to before but after the election,”
rope to a low ebb. On some Trump critics and experts in Joe Biden said he was “grati- expand its stockpile of en- Cha said. Also on the nuclear
of the most troublesome the region say that's an over- fied” by the UAE announce- riched uranium, while insist- front, the Trump administra-
national security challenges statement because relations ment. He said it builds on ing it does not want to devel- tion has not finalized any deal
facing America — nuclear between some Arab nations multiple administrations' ef- op a nuclear weapon. to replace or extend the last
threats from Iran and North and Israel already had been forts seeking broader engage- Biden said he’d re-engage remaining U.S.-Russia arms
Korea — Trump has failed thawing over their common ment between Israel and the with Iran on the nuclear deal control agreement. Trump
to make deals. And the pro- opposition to Iran and Teh- Arab world. Biden supports that Trump jettisoned and had been waiting to see if he
Israel agreements with the ran's aggression in the Mid- a two-state solution to the look to craft a new multilat- could persuade China to do
UAE and Bahrain leave the east. long-running Israel-Palestin- eral agreement that would a three-way agreement, but
far more contentious Israeli- ian conflict and has accused extend the original limita- Beijing expressed no interest.
Palestinian conflict as intrac- Trump disagrees, saying the both Israeli Prime Minister tions on Iran’s nuclear am- If the treaty expires in early
table as ever. deals change the dynamics in Benjamin Netanyahu and bitions, provided Tehran is February, there would be no
the region. He predicts that Palestinian leaders of intran- willing to cooperate on in- restraints on U.S. or Russian
The White House, for its other Arab nations will nor- sigence. As for problems with spections. Trump also has nuclear weapons — the two
part, casts Trump's recent malize relations with Israel Iran and North Korea that not made progress in get- largest arsenals in the world.
flurry of foreign policy ac- and that the Palestinians will have bedeviled presidents for ting North Korea to give up
tivity as evidence that long- change their hardline stance decades, Trump ‘s message its nuclear weapons program
sought initiatives are coming against Israel. With an eye is: Just reelect him and he'll despite three high-profile
to fruition. It dismisses the to recently being nominated solve them. meetings with Kim Jong Un.
idea he's trying to distract for the Nobel Peace Prize, “If and when we win, we will The IAEA says North Korea
voters from matters such as Trump says the deals are the make deals with Iran very appears to still be enriching
the president's handling of beginning of a movement quickly. We’ll make deals with uranium, which could po-
the coronavirus pandemic, that will lead to peace in the North Korea very quickly,” tentially be used in a nuclear
racial unrest and the strug- Middle East. Trump said last month. “Ev- weapon.
gling economy. “He’s not “I think that so many great ery one of them will make a
running on his foreign pol- things are going to happen. deal with us very quickly." Victor Cha, a Korea expert
icy,” Trump’s senior adviser ... I think the Palestinians are at the Center for Strate-
and son-in-law Jared Kush- going to end up doing some- New reports this month from gic and International Stud-
ner told White House report- thing that’s going to be very the U.N.’s International ies, said things currently are