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While both right wings of the US war party differ on some issues, they’re likeminded on most geopolitical ones.
It’s notably the case with regard to policies toward nations free from US control, especially China, Russia and Iran.
They’re considered adversaries for being unwilling to subordinate their sovereign rights to US interests.
At his first press conference following Senate confirmation as Biden/Harris secretary of state, Antony Blinken was especially hostile toward Russia.
He was also unreassuring about US relations with China and Iran, suggesting continued dirty business as usual ahead instead of constructive change.
Meddling in the internal affairs of other nations is longstanding US policy.
It was evident in Blinken’s Wednesday remarks.
Expressing concern about pro-Western Kremlin critic/convicted felon Alexey Navalny’s detention in Moscow for breaching terms of his suspended embezzlement conviction, Blinken said the following:
The Biden/Harris regime is “reviewing (Russian) actions that are of deep concern to us, whether it is the treatment of Mr. Navalny, and particularly the apparent use of a chemical weapon in an attempt to assassinate him (sic),” adding:
“We’re looking very urgently as well at SolarWinds and its various implications.”
“We’re looking at the reports of bounties placed by Russia on American forces in Afghanistan.”
“And of course, we’re looking at these questions of election interference.”
All of the above and more are baseless accusations.
Despite no evidence supporting them, Blinken said Biden/Harris are “not ruling out anything” in retaliation.
More unlawful sanctions and other dirty tricks are likely.
On Tuesday, Vladimir Putin and Biden spoke by phone.
Despite no prospect for improved bilateral relations, Putin said “normalization of relations between Russia and the US would meet the interests of both countries and, considering their special responsibility for maintaining global security and stability, of the entire international community,” according to what his website posted.
Both leaders agreeing to extend New START for another five years is a positive step if there’s US follow-through with no hitches ahead.
Arms Control Association director Daryl Kimball said extending the agreement “will enhance US and global security, curtail dangerous nuclear arms racing, and create the potential for more ambitious steps to reduce the nuclear danger and move us closer to a world without nuclear weapons,” adding:
It’s “just the beginning.” Much more is needed to “reduc(e) and eventually eliminat(e) deadly nuclear stockpiles…”
Putin noted that both leaders discussed other bilateral and international issues.
His hope for improved relations with the US is highly likely to be dispelled in the days, weeks and months ahead — like virtually always before.
While Blinken said Washington’s relationship with China “is arguably the most important relationship that we have in the world,” things ahead are likely to remain much more confrontational that accommodative.
Admitting that Sino/US relations have “adversarial aspects,” they’ll likely overshadow cooperative ties on issues of mutual concern.
Straightaway after Wednesday’s Senate confirmation, Blinken spoke to his Japanese, South Korean, UK, French, German and Mexican counterparts.
He didn’t call Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi.
Other Biden/Harris officials signaled no change in US adversarial relations toward China ahead.
Climate envoy John Kerry said the new US regime will challenge China on various issues, including human rights and intellectual property protection in exchange for cooperation on other issues.
Ignoring horrendous US human rights abuses at home and abroad, Dem and GOP officials falsely accused Beijing of interning and abusing Uyhgur and other Muslims in “concentration camps.”
Pompeo falsely accused China of “genocide.” Addressing his phony accusation Wednesday, China’s Foreign Ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian said the following:
“We have said many times that the so-called ‘genocide’ in Xinjiang is a completely false accusation, a lie concocted by some anti-China forces and a staged farce to smear and defile China,” adding:
“We believe the vast majority of countries in the world are sharp-eyed as they have an objective and fair assessment of Xinjiang’s development and the Chinese government’s policy on making Xinjiang a stable and prosperous place.”
Separately, White House press secretary Jennifer Psaki called China’s telecom giant Huawei a national security threat to “the US and our allies,” adding:
“We’ll ensure that the American telecommunications networks do not use equipment from untrusted vendors, and we’ll work with allies to secure their telecommunications networks.”
Her hostile remark signaled likely continuation of Trump’s war on China by other means politically, economically and technologically.
Biden’s UN envoy designee Linda Thomas-Greenfield vowed to counter China’s “authoritarian agenda” and global influence, adding:
“We know China is working across the UN system to drive an authoritarian agenda that stands in opposition to the founding values of the institution – American values (sic).”
“Their success depends on our continued withdrawal. That will not happen on my watch.”
She’ll work with other governments to “push back on China’s self-interested and parasitic development goals (sic).”
The above differs sharply from her earlier view on Sino/US relations, calling them “win-win-win cooperation.”
All of the above suggests continuation of hardline US policies under Biden/Harris against all nations free from its control.
It’s likely true with Iran ahead, Blinken saying:
“(I)f Iran comes back into full compliance with its obligations under the JCPOA, the United States would do the same thing and then we would use that as a platform to build, with our allies and partners, what we called a longer and stronger agreement and to deal with a number of other issues that are deeply problematic in the relationship with Iran (sic)” adding:
“But we are a long ways from that point.”
“Iran is out of compliance on a number of fronts (sic).”
“And it would take some time, should it make the decision to do so, for it to come back into compliance in time for us then to assess whether it was meeting its obligations.”
“So we’re not – we’re not there yet to say the least.”
Blinken failed to explain that the Trump regime breached its JCPOA obligations by abandoning the landmark agreement in 2018 — not Iran.
E3 countries Britain, France and Germany followed suit.
In response to their breach of Security Council Res. 2231, unanimously affirming the landmark agreement, Iran responded as permitted under JCPOA articles 26 and 36.
Foreign Minister Zarif and other Iranian officials said that if the US and E3 countries come back into compliance with their mandated obligations and lift unlawfully imposed sanctions, Tehran will observe JCPOA provisions as originally agreed on in 2015.
On Wednesday, Iran’s UN envoy Majid Takht-Ravanchi said the following:
“The United States must immediately adhere to its commitments in the nuclear agreement, which was enshrined in international law in United Nations Security Council Resolution 2231.”
“By doing so, (Biden/Harris) will put the country back into compliance.”
“The new (US regime) should also swiftly remove the new sanctions” imposed by Trump.
“This will indicate the new government’s commitment to rebuilding the United States’ shattered global credibility.”
The above apparently is unacceptable for Biden, Harris and Blinken.
If they remain firm in their stance, US relations with Iran will continue to be confrontational.
Whenever transition of power occurs in Washington, dirty business as usual continuity remains at least largely unchanged.
After a few days in power, Biden’s geopolitical agenda appears much like his predecessors, a disturbing sign going forward.
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Stephen Lendman is a Research Associate of the Centre for Research on Globalization (CRG).
VISIT MY WEBSITE: stephenlendman.org (Home – Stephen Lendman). Contact at [email protected].
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“Banker Occupation: Waging Financial War on Humanity”
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