International
‘I mean’, ‘listen you guys’, VP Harris flubs history of Russia-Ukraine tensions
Vice President Kamala Harris does not speak much about national security, nor any other pressing matters, and her comments on the escalating tensions between Russia and Ukraine may be an indication as to why that’s the case.
Vice President Kamala Harris was clearly ill prepared to discuss the Ukraine crisis with reporters at the Munich Security Conference in Germany. The Vice President took a laid back, deflect approach with a lot of “I mean” and “listen” and “guys” in hopes of distracting everyone from noticing her lack of knowledge.
“I mean, listen, guys, we’re talking about the potential for war in Europe,” Harris said responding to a question about how the Biden administration saw the situation’s “endgame” playing out.
“I mean, let’s really take a moment to understand the significance of what we’re talking about,” Harris went on. “It’s been over 70 years. And through those 70 years … there has been peace and security. We are talking about the real possibility of war in Europe.”
Uh, yeah, that’s what everyone is gathering to discuss, madam vice president. One Twitter user jumped on Harris writing, “Did I just watch Kamala Harris claim there has been peace in Europe for 70 years?”
One perfect description for whatever it is that Harris was trying to say is “word salad” tweeted by former GOP House and Senate candidate from Pennsylvania, Sean Parnell. “This word salad … may God help us all,” wrote Parnell.
The New York Post quoted Washington Examiner reporter Jerry Dunleavy who tweeted, “We are being led by total buffoons.” Dunleavy pointed out those 70 years of “peace and security” included the Yugoslavian civil wars of the 1990s, “as well as Russia’s attacks on Georgia & Ukraine.”
“Also, Berlin Wall only came down three decades ago so I’d quibble with 70 years,” he added before emphasizing in a second tweet that “it is not true there have been no wars in Europe for 70 years, nor do I consider the Soviet occupation of Eastern Europe ‘peace & security.’”
International
Trump’s Middle East Policy Taking Shape
Follow Steve Postal: @HebraicMosaic
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What would a new Trump administration mean for the Middle East? Expect the following:
Increased Pressure on Iran and its Proxies
Brian Hook, Trump’s former special envoy to Iran who is believed to be leading Trump’s transition team for the State Department, stated that the new Trump administration would seek to “…isolate Iran diplomatically and weaken them economically, so that they can’t fund all of the violence…” coming from Iran’s proxies, “…all of whom destabilize Israel and our Gulf partners.” This approach contrasts with the Biden-Harris administration, who engaged the Islamic Republic diplomatically and economically, and even removed the Houthis from the Specially Designated Global Terrorist (SDGT) entity list from February 2021 through January 2024. That being said, Hook also stated that the new Trump administration would have “no interest in regime change” in Iran, and that decisions about the future of Iran lies with its people.
The Trump administration may green light an Israeli attack on Iran’s nuclear sites. GOP spokeswoman Elizabeth Pipko refused to say whether President-elect Trump would approve of Israel attacking Iran’s nuclear sites, stating that Trump should speak for himself on this issue and will do so when he assumes office. However, Trump had stated in October that Israel should strike Iran’s nuclear sites. In contrast, the Biden-Harris administration vocally opposed Israel attacking Iran’s nuclear sites or oil fields, and Israel’s attack plans were leaked to Iran through someone in the Biden-Harris administration’s Defense department.
Striving to End Wars in Lebanon and Gaza
According to Pipko, President-elect Trump wants Israel to end the wars in Gaza and Lebanon quickly, decisively, and with victory. Pipko contrasted this approach with the Biden-Harris administration’s “back and forth” policy, and that the Biden-Harris administration was pressuring how Israel conducts war based on election considerations. The Biden-Harris administration was guilty of “armchair quarterbacking” Israel’s wars in an unproductive way, including by leaking Israel’s plans to strike Lebanon, opposing the Rafah invasion, and opposing the killing of several arch-terrorists.
Trump will also likely prioritize the release of the hostages; Trump recently threatened Hamas, stating that if they did not free its hostages before inauguration day, it will pay “a very big price.” In contrast, the Biden-Harris administration has been spinning its wheels in endless failed diplomacy with Qatar, having not produced a hostage deal with Hamas since November 2023.
Pursuing a Conditional Peace with Palestinians
President-elect Donald Trump will likely re-visit his 2020 peace plan between Israel and the Palestinians, according to Brian Hook. Regarding the 2020 plan, Hook stated that “much of that work is still relevant today.”
On the issue of a Palestinian state, expect that the Trump administration won’t pursue a Palestinian state unconditionally for its own sake, as the Biden-Harris administration has. Hook conceded that Trump’s 2020 plan, which was endorsed by Israel and U.S.’ allies in the Gulf, “had a path to a two-state solution.” But Hook also recognized that Israelis are not focused on a Palestinian state now, and are instead focused on protecting themselves from terrorism in the wake of the October 7, 2023 attack on Israel.
Additionally, Palestinian Authority (PA) President Mahmoud Abbas outright rejected the 2020 plan, and the plan also required the PA to provide security guarantees for Israel, recognize Israel, and allow Israeli citizens to remain in Judea and Samaria, all of which the PA did not agree to. If the new Trump administration seeks to revive this plan, it will likely revive these conditions for a Palestinian state as well. The PA will then in turn likely reject it a second time, proving again that the PA is not a partner for peace.
Expanding the Abraham Accords
President-elect Trump is also poised to expand the Abraham Accords. Trump brokered normalization deals between Israel and the UAE, Bahrain, Morocco, and Sudan. Reportedly, the previous Trump administration was on the verge of expanding the Abraham Accords to Indonesia and Mauritania, but were prevented from doing so once the administration’s term expired. During the past Trump administration, Saudi Arabia had been trying to get Pakistan to join the Abraham Accords as well.
In contrast, the Biden-Harris administration failed to add any countries to the Abraham Accords. Most notably is the administration’s failure to clinch an Israel-Saudi Arabia deal after chilling US relations with Saudi Arabiaand insisting on a Palestinian state as an integral part of any deal. The Biden-Harris administration seems content with now pursuing a bilateral US-Saudi deal that ices out Israel, which would completely undermine the spirit of the Abraham Accords.
Jared Kushner has had multiple discussions with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman on the issue of US-Israel-Saudi relations since President-elect Trump left office. So given past efforts, the new Trump administration could clinch Abraham Accords deals with Indonesia, Mauritania, Oman, and/or the big prize, Saudi Arabia.
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Pam Burgo
February 23, 2022 at 8:56 am
This woman is qualified for nothing but to prosecute. You all knew this. You cannot make someone what you want based on skin color. It doesn’t work Have you learned this lesson now?
Profx
February 23, 2022 at 10:13 am
Kama is the unqualified VP in history yet Joseph picked her as his successor if he could no longer serve.
Joe picks only the Best? What we have gotten is the worst Presidency of at least modern times… perhaps much longer. Kama could take the top spot if given the opportunity. Seriously, what has happened to the Old Dem Party? They have been hijacked by radicals and fools.
TellTheTruth-2
February 23, 2022 at 10:19 am
Ukraine became a SELF CREATED problem when Victoria, F__k the EU, Nuland and George, Color Revolution, Soros OVERTHREW the pro Putin Ukraine Government and forced the Russian people in Crimea to join Russia, along with their warm water base at Sevastopol. Based on that, if President Putin (a Christian) takes Ukraine back to prevent NATO nuclear weapons from being deployed in Ukraine, it should be seen by Americans who KNOW HISTORY as a rejection of the neoCON war mongers.
Dry gulched
February 23, 2022 at 4:33 pm
“We are being led by total buffoons.” Sadly, so true.
BTeboe
February 24, 2022 at 10:17 am
Do you really expect an anchor baby who was reared in Canada to know much of anything about US history or the cold war or the conflicts in Europe. The woman is walking train wreck who proves she’s an even bigger train wreck than you can imagine every single time she opens her mouth. She’s an oxygen thief who is not even eligible to the president. I cannot believe this is what has become of our nation.
rlo
February 24, 2022 at 3:28 pm
She probably made an “A” in history and didn’t even study or read the books.
MicMac69
February 25, 2022 at 12:07 am
A buffoon nation deserves/elects/can only afford buffoon leaders! Ironically, in the last 100 years, the only “true” buffoon leaders – Reagan and Trump, both related to public entertainment – were also the best leaders and least buffoons when it came to serious matters. Kamala Harris is a useless entity for who needs a Fou du Roi when the Roi est Fou? If there was a drop of international credit left, it has vanished now that the US have become the laughingstock of the world!