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Biden has come through his first foreign policy crisis | TICKER VIEWS

Published

5 years ago

May 24, 2021

Bruce Wolpe

By Bruce Wolpe. Senior Fellow at the United States Studies Centre and Ticker News US political contributor

Biden has officially handled his first foreign policy crisis – but what does this tell us?

President Biden successfully brought the war in Gaza to an end – at least for now. How did he do it? What does it mean for his foreign policy going forward?

First and foremost, the past two weeks showed us how much Bide’s deep expertise – decades of it in the Senate as chair of the Foreign Relations Committee, and eight years as vice president under Barack Obama – and he brought it fully to bear on Gaza. He has seen war in Gaza before. He knew what to do. He knows the players. He knew how he wanted to get there.

Biden operates more inside than outside. He worked the phones – and not the UN. His language with Israel’s Prime Minister Netanyahu was very measured – in public. It was much harder in private. And he ratcheted it up each day — from “Israel has a right to defend itself” to “De-escalate” to “Ceasefire” – to the point where, when the moment was ripe late last week, he said: “Ceasefire. Now”.

He will do more for Palestine but in the context of a press for a two-state solution to the conflict.

Biden stands with allies. In the Gaza crisis, He supported Israel. He worked with Egypt’s al-Sisi, and the Palestinian’ Authority’s Mahmoud Abbas. And those alliances paid off.

In his broader foreign policy agenda, Biden is going forward with a “New Realism”: the projection of American values — democracy, human rights — together with the US engaging with anyone in good faith to get done what can be achieved by reaching the best working relationship without compromising US values. So this will guide what happens with Russia and China and North Korea and Iran.

With Biden, Asia is at parity with US attention to Europe and the Middle East. The first two White House visitors were the leaders of Japan and South Korea.

Incidents of hate against Asian Americans have seen a shocking spike over the last year. It’s wrong — and it’s un-American.

To all those who are hurting: we see you and we are committed to stopping the hatred and bias.
— President Biden (@POTUS) May 20, 2021

The top priorities are clear: Rebuild US alliances.

China: re-engage and demand clear rules for conduct in Asia. In fact, push back as needed – US allies alongside pushing with Biden.

Climate: make decisive progress possible.

Iran: a deal if it can be done.

Russia: Ukraine; cyber security; the fate of dissident Navalney.

North Korea: a deep effort to get Kim to roll back his nuclear arsenal.

What Biden accomplished last week showed us how he wants to advance US interests through his presidency.

News

Epstein hearing explodes over redactions and hidden names

Lawmakers accuse AG Pam Bondi of hiding Epstein-linked names amid congressional hearing, questioning redactions related to billionaire Wexner.

Published

10 hours ago

February 12, 2026

Harvey Vargas

Lawmakers accuse AG Pam Bondi of hiding Epstein-linked names amid congressional hearing, questioning redactions related to billionaire Wexner.

US lawmakers have accused Attorney General Pam Bondi of withholding key names linked to Jeffrey Epstein during a fiery congressional hearing. The confrontation centred on redactions within investigative files that critics argue should have been fully disclosed under federal law.

Representative Thomas Massie pressed the Justice Department over blacked-out sections, specifically questioning references to billionaire Leslie Wexner. Bondi maintained that Wexner’s name was released promptly once flagged, defending the department’s handling of the documents.

Frustration boiled over as lawmakers challenged the extent of the redactions, leading to an extraordinary moment in the hearing as Bondi pushed back and praised President Donald Trump while standing by the department’s review process.

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#EpsteinFiles #PamBondi #USPolitics #Congress #JeffreyEpstein #BreakingNews #PoliticalDrama #TickerNews

News

Angus Taylor moves to challenge Sussan Ley for party leadership

Angus Taylor resigns from Coalition frontbench to challenge Sussan Ley amid Liberal Party divisions and declining poll support.

Published

10 hours ago

February 12, 2026

Harvey Vargas

Angus Taylor resigns from Coalition frontbench to challenge Sussan Ley amid Liberal Party divisions and declining poll support.

Angus Taylor has resigned from the Coalition frontbench to launch a leadership challenge against Sussan Ley, declaring he lacks confidence in her ability to rebuild support for the Liberal Party. His move sets up a high-stakes internal contest that could reshape the party’s direction.

Supporters of Mr Taylor are expected to push for a meeting by Friday to trigger a potential leadership spill, intensifying pressure on Ms Ley. Moderate MPs are calling on her to demand clear proof of numbers before any ballot takes place.

With the Liberals trailing in the polls and facing mounting questions over strategy, both camps are outlining starkly different visions for the party’s future as tensions rise in Canberra.

#AustralianPolitics #LiberalParty #AngusTaylor #SussanLey #LeadershipSpill #Canberra #AusPol #PoliticalNews

News

Iran buries nuclear site entrances amid rising tensions with the U.S.

Published

1 day ago

February 11, 2026

Harvey Vargas

Satellite images reveal that Iran has buried all three tunnel entrances at its Isfahan nuclear complex. Analysts say the move mirrors defensive preparations taken before U.S. airstrikes devastated the facility last year, with no vehicle or personnel activity visible around the entrances.

The burial appears aimed at limiting damage from potential airstrikes and complicating any ground raid targeting enriched uranium stored in the underground facility. Experts suggest equipment or materials may have been moved into the tunnels for protection, though this remains unconfirmed.

The fortification comes amid ongoing U.S.-Iran tensions. President Trump has demanded Iran curb its nuclear program, warning of military action, while Tehran insists halting uranium enrichment is unacceptable. Recent indirect talks in Oman showed little progress toward a new deal.