WASHINGTON: Hours after the last US soldiers and diplomats pulled out of Afghanistan, President Joe Biden said in a White House address that Washington would continue to support the Afghans left behind and protect their basic rights, especially women and of girls.
“I am clear that human rights will be central to our foreign policy,” he said, reiterating a campaign promise he often made in his speeches since taking office on January 20.
The remarks fueled growing suspicion among critics, who argued that the United States had abandoned those men to the Taliban – a brutal group with a record of crushing women’s rights in the name of a radical interpretation of Islam.
A review of the Biden administration’s record so far shows that concerns over human rights have been set aside at times to favor national security priorities and ensure continued engagement with foreign powers.
Advocates say Biden has thrown punches at crucial moments.
Advocates say that in the Middle East, support for authoritarians such as Egyptian general-turned-president Abdel Fattah el-Sisi continues despite rhetoric on democracy and human rights.
In Saudi Arabia, the administration released internal intelligence linking Crown Price and de facto ruler Mohammed bin Salman to the murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi, but absolved itself of any action against the crown prince.
On Myanmar, the administration condemned the military coup and issued sanctions against its generals, but left alone a major source of revenue for junta-offshore natural gas projects involving international companies including US-based oil company Chevron. .
And in at least one high-level meeting with Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan, concerns over human rights and freedom of the press were sidelined for other issues, sources familiar with the meeting told Reuters.
While advocates say Biden’s administration has placed a greater emphasis on promoting human rights than his predecessor Donald Trump—who praised authoritarian leaders including Russian President Vladimir Putin and North Korea’s Kim Jong Un—they say that It cannot be seen as an achievement.
“It’s not the right scale,” said Amy Hawthorne, deputy director for research at the Project on Middle East Democracy, an advocacy group.
Hawthorne said the real test was how willing Biden himself was to get involved on rights issues. “That’s what it means to focus this issue in our foreign policy. I don’t see any evidence of that.”
private diplomacy
A senior State Department official defended the administration’s record, saying that diplomats have often raised human rights concerns with foreign leaders, including through difficult talks with opponents including China and Russia.
In some cases, the official told Reuters, raising human rights concerns privately may be a more effective approach and does not constitute “pulling the punches” to the United States.
The official, who requested anonymity to speak about US policy, said, “In some contexts, it is helpful not to publicly bash governments out there for wrongdoing, but to raise things privately. ”
Sometimes the issue becomes so complicated that it cannot be taken up even on its own. Sources said that at a high-level meeting with Erdogan in June, Biden did not discuss concerns over Turkey’s human rights record and instead focused on issues, including the future of Kabul airport, as a priority with the US-led The troops withdrew from Afghanistan.
The two NATO allies are already at odds over issues including Ankara’s purchase of Russian air defense weapons, and US officials said any debate over Turkey’s treatment of dissidents and the press would have heightened tensions.
Turkish officials took this as a sign that Washington would not push for human rights, sources said, despite repeated public criticism of the Biden administration for Ankara’s treatment of opposition groups and its official recognition that the Ottoman Empire in 1915 The killing by Armenians was genocide. .
Rights advocates and some US officials were disappointed to miss the opportunity to take a stand.
“With undemocratic rulers, there is nothing more powerful than hearing it from the president himself,” said Annie Boyajian, director of advocacy at Freedom House.
‘Not serious’
The first test of Biden’s commitment to democracy overseas came within days of his taking office, when Myanmar’s military seized power and shut down elected politicians.
Biden responded to sanctions against junta members, but missed targeting offshore gas projects, which account for nearly half of Myanmar’s foreign exchange revenue.
The senior US official said the administration was still considering whether to ban gas projects, but added that much of Myanmar’s population, as well as neighboring Thailand, depend on gas.
An upcoming test is whether Secretary of State Antony Blinken continues his predecessor’s policy of overriding congressional checks on military aid to Egypt, an exception to free up $300 million for Sisi’s government over the argument. Provide that it would be in US national security. Interest. A decision is expected by the end of September.
More than a dozen rights groups told Blinken in a letter in April that if it refused to release the funds “the United States would send a clear message that it was serious about its commitment to supporting human rights overseas.” “.
Sisi, who ousted the Muslim Brotherhood in 2013, has overseen strong crackdowns against dissent in recent years. He denies there are political prisoners in Egypt and says stability and security are paramount.
US officials say Washington is reviewing its relationship with Middle Eastern governments, including C.C.
“We have publicly as well as privately indicated our concerns about the many human rights abuses in Egypt and we will continue to do so,” the official said.
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