Latest news with #interventionism
Washington Post
20-05-2025
- Business
- Washington Post
Argentina is learning from history. The U.S. risks repeating it.
Ross Levine is the Booth Derbas Family/Edward Lazear Senior Fellow at the Hoover Institution. Call it the Great Reversal. The United States is drifting toward the interventionist policy mix behind Argentina's economic decline just as Argentina is embracing the free-market playbook that powered America's success. While Argentina's choice is laudable and promising, the trajectory the U.S. has chosen could lead to serious decline and should be reversed as quickly as possible.
Japan Times
17-05-2025
- Politics
- Japan Times
Trump reshapes U.S. Mideast policy. Can deals work instead?
President Donald Trump proclaimed a decisive break with decades of U.S. interventionism during his Middle East tour, promising a new American foreign policy based instead on his beloved art of the deal. Trump vowed during his swing through Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates that there would be no more "lectures on how to live," saying the region had achieved a "modern miracle the Arabian way." In an extraordinary rupture with his predecessors, Trump then lambasted what he called the "neo-cons" that oversaw bloody U.S. military interventions in the region and beyond. "In the end, the so-called nation builders wrecked far more nations than they built," Trump told an investment forum in Riyadh, the first stop on his tour of the Gulf. "Far too many American presidents have been afflicted with the notion that it's our job to look into the souls of foreign leaders and use U.S. policy to dispense justice for their sins." Trump did not name them but the targets were clear. His Democratic predecessor Joe Biden tried to tie U.S. support to the promotion of human rights and the maintenance of the international order. And Republican George W. Bush in the early 2000s launched wars in Afghanistan and Iraq. "Trump's Riyadh speech marked a clear and consequential shift in U.S. policy toward the Middle East," said Sina Toossi, from the Center for International Policy. "By rejecting the legacy of military intervention and nation-building, he signaled a move toward realism and restraint. This shift resonates deeply in a region exhausted by war and foreign meddling." U.S. President Donald Trump receives the Order of Zayed, the United Arab Emirates' highest civil decoration named after the first president of the UAE, Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, from his UAE counterpart, Sheik Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, at Qasr Al-Watan in Abu Dhabi on Thursday. | AFP-JIJI But for Trump, that also means ignoring democracy and human rights issues and embracing the leaders of oil-rich monarchies with often autocratic tendencies. His Saudi host, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, was for example found by U.S. intelligence to have ordered the gruesome murder in 2018 of dissident writer Jamal Khashoggi. But there was no mention of that in Riyadh. Instead, Trump preached the same brand of gold-plated, transactional politics that he does at home. Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates showed him the money, signing a host of huge business and investment deals with the United States during his trip. In return they got the glitz of Trump's first major foreign trip and praise as being examples of what the region could become. Conversely, Trump's visit also shook one of the longest-standing pillars of U.S. policy in the Middle East — its support for Israel. The U.S. president not only bypassed Israel on the trip but appeared to sideline Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on key issues including Iran's nuclear program, Israel's war in Gaza, and Yemen's Huthi rebels. This showed mounting tensions behind the scenes, particularly on Iran, with Israel far keener than Trump on a military option. But Trump's deal-making approach to foreign policy could soon have its limits tested. He has shown willingness to seek a deal with Iran over its nuclear program — saying that Tehran's case "I have never believed in having permanent enemies." But at the same time Trump has threatened military action against Iran if it does not reach an accord. Trump also left the Middle East with no progress towards a deal to end the war in Gaza despite his pledges to end the conflict — although he made a rare reference to the fact that people were now "starving" in the besieged enclave. Further afield, Trump tried to coax Russia's Vladimir Putin to talks in Istanbul during his trip to discuss an end to Moscow's invasion of Ukraine, but his efforts came to nothing. Trump's "peace through strength" doctrine also has its contradictions. On a visit to a huge U.S. air base in Qatar he said that "my priority is to end conflicts, not start them." But then he immediately added: "I will never hesitate to wield American power if it's necessary to defend the United States of America or our partners."
Malay Mail
17-05-2025
- Politics
- Malay Mail
Trump signals break with US interventionism in Middle East, vows to focus on deals over democracy
WASHINGTON, May 17 — President Donald Trump proclaimed a decisive break with decades of US interventionism during his Middle East tour, promising a new American foreign policy based instead on his beloved art of the deal. Trump vowed during his swing through Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates that there would be no more 'lectures on how to live', saying the region had achieved a 'modern miracle the Arabian way.' In an extraordinary rupture with his predecessors, Trump then lambasted what he called the 'neo-cons' that oversaw bloody US military interventions in the region and beyond. 'In the end, the so-called nation builders wrecked far more nations than they built,' Trump told an investment forum in Riyadh, the first stop on his tour of the Gulf. 'Far too many American presidents have been afflicted with the notion that it's our job to look into the souls of foreign leaders and use US policy to dispense justice for their sins.' Trump did not name them but the targets were clear. His Democratic predecessor Joe Biden tried to tie US support to the promotion of human rights and the maintenance of the international order. And Republican George W. Bush in the early 2000s launched wars in Afghanistan and Iraq. Consequential shift 'Trump's Riyadh speech marked a clear and consequential shift in US policy toward the Middle East,' said Sina Toossi, from the Center for International Policy. 'By rejecting the legacy of military intervention and nation-building, he signaled a move toward realism and restraint. This shift resonates deeply in a region exhausted by war and foreign meddling.' But for Trump, that also means ignoring democracy and human rights issues and embracing the leaders of oil-rich monarchies with often autocratic tendencies. His Saudi host, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, was for example found by US intelligence to have ordered the gruesome murder in 2018 of dissident writer Jamal Khashoggi. But there was no mention of that in Riyadh. Instead, Trump preached the same brand of gold-plated, transactional politics that he does at home. Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates showed him the money, signing a host of huge business and investment deals with the United States during his trip. In return they got the glitz of Trump's first major foreign trip and praise as being examples of what the region could become. Conversely, Trump's visit also shook one of the longest-standing pillars of US policy in the Middle East—its support for Israel. The US president not only bypassed Israel on the trip but appeared to sideline Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on key issues including Iran's nuclear program, Israel's war in Gaza, and Yemen's Huthi rebels. This showed mounting tensions behind the scenes, particularly on Iran, with Israel far keener than Trump on a military option. American power But Trump's deal-making approach to foreign policy could soon have its limits tested. He has shown willingness to seek a deal with Iran over its nuclear program—saying that Tehran's case 'I have never believed in having permanent enemies.' But at the same time Trump has threatened military action against Iran if it does not reach an accord. Trump also left the Middle East with no progress towards a deal to end the war in Gaza despite his pledges to end the conflict—although he made a rare reference to the fact that people were now 'starving' in the besieged enclave. Further afield, Trump tried to coax Russia's Vladimir Putin to talks in Istanbul during his trip to discuss an end to Moscow's invasion of Ukraine, but his efforts came to nothing. Trump's 'peace through strength' doctrine also has its contradictions. On a visit to a huge US air base in Qatar he said that 'my priority is to end conflicts, not start them.' But then he immediately added: 'I will never hesitate to wield American power if it's necessary to defend the United States of America or our partners.' — AFP
Japan Times
17-05-2025
- Politics
- Japan Times
Trump reshapes US Mideast policy. Can deals work instead?
President Donald Trump proclaimed a decisive break with decades of US interventionism during his Middle East tour, promising a new American foreign policy based instead on his beloved art of the deal. Trump vowed during his swing through Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates that there would be no more "lectures on how to live", saying the region had achieved a "modern miracle the Arabian way." In an extraordinary rupture with his predecessors, Trump then lambasted what he called the "neo-cons" that oversaw bloody US military interventions in the region and beyond. "In the end, the so-called nation builders wrecked far more nations than they built," Trump told an investment forum in Riyadh, the first stop on his tour of the Gulf. "Far too many American presidents have been afflicted with the notion that it's our job to look into the souls of foreign leaders and use US policy to dispense justice for their sins." Trump did not name them but the targets were clear. His Democratic predecessor Joe Biden tried to tie US support to the promotion of human rights and the maintenance of the international order. And Republican George W. Bush in the early 2000s launched wars in Afghanistan and Iraq. "Trump's Riyadh speech marked a clear and consequential shift in US policy toward the Middle East," said Sina Toossi, from the Center for International Policy. "By rejecting the legacy of military intervention and nation-building, he signaled a move toward realism and restraint. This shift resonates deeply in a region exhausted by war and foreign meddling." But for Trump, that also means ignoring democracy and human rights issues and embracing the leaders of oil-rich monarchies with often autocratic tendencies. His Saudi host, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, was for example found by US intelligence to have ordered the gruesome murder in 2018 of dissident writer Jamal Khashoggi. But there was no mention of that in Riyadh. Instead, Trump preached the same brand of gold-plated, transactional politics that he does at home. Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates showed him the money, signing a host of huge business and investment deals with the United States during his trip. In return they got the glitz of Trump's first major foreign trip and praise as being examples of what the region could become. Conversely, Trump's visit also shook one of the longest-standing pillars of US policy in the Middle East -- its support for Israel. The US president not only bypassed Israel on the trip but appeared to sideline Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on key issues including Iran's nuclear program, Israel's war in Gaza, and Yemen's Huthi rebels. This showed mounting tensions behind the scenes, particularly on Iran, with Israel far keener than Trump on a military option. But Trump's deal-making approach to foreign policy could soon have its limits tested. He has shown willingness to seek a deal with Iran over its nuclear program -- saying that Tehran's case "I have never believed in having permanent enemies." But at the same time Trump has threatened military action against Iran if it does not reach an accord. Trump also left the Middle East with no progress towards a deal to end the war in Gaza despite his pledges to end the conflict -- although he made a rare reference to the fact that people were now "starving" in the besieged enclave. Further afield, Trump tried to coax Russia's Vladimir Putin to talks in Istanbul during his trip to discuss an end to Moscow's invasion of Ukraine, but his efforts came to nothing. Trump's "peace through strength" doctrine also has its contradictions. On a visit to a huge US air base in Qatar he said that "my priority is to end conflicts, not start them." But then he immediately added: "I will never hesitate to wield American power if it's necessary to defend the United States of America or our partners."
Washington Post
15-05-2025
- Politics
- Washington Post
Live updates: Trump visits main U.S. military base in Middle East and heads from Qatar to Abu Dhabi
President Donald Trump on Thursday visits a U.S. base installation at the center of American involvement in the Middle East as he uses his four-day visit to Gulf states to reject the 'interventionism' of America's past in the region. In other parts of the Middle East violence flared in the West Bank and Gaza, with a pregnant Israeli woman killed even as the international rights group ,Human Rights Watch ,said that Israel's plan to seize Gaza, remain in the territory and displace hundreds of thousands of people 'inches closer to extermination.'
