Trump aims to box in Biden abroad, but it may not work

On its way out door, Trump ministration is enacting new rules, regulations and orders that it hopes will box in President-elect Joe Biden's ministration on numerous foreign policy matters and cement President Donald Trump’s “America First” legacy in international affairs.

Yet, push may t work, as many of se decisions can be withdrawn or significantly amended by incoming president when he takes office on Jan. 20. In recent weeks, White House, State Department and or ncies have been working overtime to produce new policy prouncements on Iran, Israel, China and elsewhere that aim to lock in Trump's vision for world. Some have attracted significant attention while ors have flown largely under rar.

And, while Biden could reverse many of m with a stroke of pen, some will demand time and attention of his ministration when it comes into power with a host of or priorities that perhaps need more urgent attention. most recent of se moves took place this past week as Secretary of State Mike Pompeo me what may be his last visit to Israel as secretary of state and delivered two anuncements in support of Israel's claims to territory claimed by Palestinians.

Biden's team has remained silent about se anuncements, but Biden has me clear he supports few if any, of m and will reverse many as he intends to return to a more tritional policy toward Israel and Palestinians. Trump ministration’s determined efforts to thwart potential Biden policy reversals actually began months earlier, half a world away from Jewish state, with China, even before former vice president was formally declared Democratic Party’s presidential minee.

As opinion polls started to show Biden as a clear favorite to beat Trump in vember, ministration began to move even as president maintained a public face of defiance and absolute confidence in his reelection. Some officials point to a July 13 declaration from Pompeo that United States would w reject virtually all of China's territorial claims in South China Sea, a 180-degree shift from previous ministrations' positions that all such claims should be handled by arbitration.

While many of Trump’s foreign policy decisions from early on have been designed to blow up previous ministration's foreign policy achievements, withdrawing from Iran nuclear deal, Paris Climate Accord and Trans-Pacific Partnership on tre — South China Sea decision was first to be linked by ministration officials to possibility that Biden might be next president.

One ministration official said at time that decisions me after that would all be taken with an eye toward Biden becoming president. Thus, fear that Trump might be a one-term president began to take hold in July and has been followed by an acceleration of prouncements aimed mainly at thwarting any reversal by Biden.

A look at some of those moves:

ISRAEL

On Thursday, before making an unprecedented trip to an Israeli settlement in West Bank, Pompeo anunced that U.S, would henceforth consider “antisemitic” groups that vocate for Palestinian rights by supporting Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions movement against Israel.

He also anunced a change in import labeling rules that will require products me in settlements to be identified as “Me in Israel.” product labeling will take some time to take effect and, as yet, groups have been hit with antisemitic designation. But, even if y are implemented, Biden could reverse m on Day One.

Those moves followed numerous or Israel-friendly steps ministration has taken since it came to office. y include recognizing Jerusalem as capital, moving U.S. Embassy re from Tel Aviv, and cutting off aid to Palestinian Authority and U.N. refugee ncy that works with Palestinians. While Biden is unlikely to move embassy back to Tel Aviv, or measures can be reversed quickly.

IRAN

Pompeo and or officials have spoken of a new push for sanctions against Iran, but fact is that ministration has been ramping up such penalties since Trump withdrew from 2015 nuclear deal two years ago. New sanctions could potentially target supporters of Iranian-backed militia in Iraq and Afghanistan along with Shiite Houthi movement in Yemen, which has been involved in a disastrous war with country's internationally recognized government.

Biden has spoken of wanting to rejoin nuclear accord, and Iranian officials have said y would be willing to come back into compliance with accord if he does. Biden could eliminate many of Trump ministration's reimposed sanctions by executive order, but it remains unclear how high a priority it will be for him.

BROER MIDDLE EAST

While withdrawal of significant numbers of U.S. forces from Afghanistan and Iraq — bringing troop levels down to 2,500 in each country — is a clear indication of Trump's intentions, Biden's approach remains less certain. withdrawals could be delayed or slow-rolled by Pentagon, and it remains unclear how State Department will handle staffing at its embassies in Baghd and Kabul, both of which are dependent on U.S. military support.

Pompeo has threatened to close U.S. Embassy in Baghd unless rocket attacks by Iranian-backed militias against area in which it's located are halted. However, despite troop withdrawal determination last week, re has been anuncement about embassy's status.

CHINA

Although ministration's most strident actions against China began more than a year ago, y have gained momentum since March, when Trump determined that he would at once blame China for spre of vel coronavirus and accuse Biden of being soft on Beijing.

Since n, ministration has steily ramped up sanctions against China over Taiwan, Tibet, tre, Hong Kong and South China Sea. It has also moved against Chinese telecoms giant Huawei and sought restrictions on Chinese social media applications like TikTok and WeChat.

Last week, State Department's policy planning office released a 70-p China policy strategy document. While it contains little in way of immediate policy recommendations, it vocates for increased support and cooperation with Taiwan. Indeed, as document was released, U.S. officials were meeting with Taiwanese counterparts in Washington to discuss ecomic cooperation.

RUSSIA

Sunday marked formal withdrawal of U.S. from “Open Skies Treaty” with Russia, which allowed each country overflight rights to inspect military facilities. withdrawal, six months after U.S. tified Russians of its intent, leaves only one arms-control pact still in force between former Cold War foes — New START treaty, which limits number of nuclear warhes each may have. That treaty will expire in February.

Trump ministration h said it wasn't interested in extending New START treaty unless China also joined, something Beijing has rejected. In recent weeks, however, ministration has eased its stance and said it's willing to consider an extension. As transition to Biden ministration approaches, those negotiations remain a work in progress. 

(Im Credits: AP)