WASHINGTON – President Joe Biden is expected to order an end to American support for offensive operations in Yemen on his first visit to the State Department on Thursday, part of the new leader’s effort to reverse his predecessor’s foreign policy stance.
Former President Donald Trump, who often praised an “America First” approach to interacting with the world, vetoed a 2019 bipartisan resolution calling on the U.S. to end its involvement in Yemen. Trump’s decision was widely seen as an effort to side with Saudi Arabia, which the former president courted to buy weapons from the U.S.
Trump was a frequent critic of the State Department and his first secretary, Rex Tillerson, was seen as dismantling the agency and emptying the ranks of career employees.
“In the past two weeks, I spoke with the leaders of many of our closest friends – Canada, Mexico, the United Kingdom, Germany, France, NATO, Japan, South Korea and Australia – to begin to reform the habits of cooperation and reconstruction of muscles of democratic alliances that have atrophied in four years of neglect and abuse, “said Biden, according to excerpts from his previously released speech.
National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan told reporters that “it was no accident that he chose the State Department as the location for these first statements,” adding that Biden “wants to send a clear message that our national security strategy will lead to diplomacy. “
Biden is also due to announce that Tim Lenderking has been chosen to be the US envoy to Yemen, a source familiar with the decision told NBC News, placing a longtime career diplomat in an important position as the United States announces the end of American support. to offensive operations there.
Secretary of State Blinken described Yemen as “the worst humanitarian situation in the world” and said he would prioritize the Trump administration’s review of the last-minute foreign terrorist designation for Iran-backed Houthi rebels, which international organizations say only exacerbate the humanitarian crisis on the ground, blocking the delivery of essential food and aid.
In addition to the order in Yemen, Biden is expected to announce a series of political actions aimed at undoing Trump’s agenda.
He will order a freeze on the withdrawal of American troops from Germany initiated by Trump and issue a memorandum protecting the rights of LGBTQ individuals worldwide.
Sullivan said Biden’s comments will not be “the whole of his foreign policy”, but “will focus on his first decisions and actions”.
Thursday’s actions stem from a series of foreign policy measures that Biden took in his first two weeks in office. He re-adhered to the Paris Climate Agreements and the World Health Organization, ended the ban on US entry to Muslim-majority countries and extended a crucial nuclear weapons control treaty with Russia until 2026.
Biden’s speech comes as he faces new international crises in just his first two weeks in office: the arrest of Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny and a military coup in Myanmar.
Biden should also refer to the January 6 uprising on the United States Capitol that targeted American democracy, saying that the nation’s values have been “pushed to the limit in recent weeks” but that “the American people will come out of this fortress , more determined and better equipped to unite the world in the fight for the defense of democracy – because we ourselves fight for it. “
Biden is expected to visit career civil and foreign service officials before his speech. Trump frequently criticized career employees as part of the “deep state” and threatened to cut the department’s budget. The State Department’s civilian workforce has shrunk under the Trump administration.
“I want the people who work in this building and in our embassies and consulates around the world to know that I value their experience and their respect,” says Biden.
“I will protect you. This government will empower you to do your job, not to target or politicize you.”
White House press secretary Jen Psaki said there are currently no overseas trips underway at the moment and many global meetings with world leaders are expected to be virtual this year due to the coronavirus pandemic.
