Robert E. Hunter comments
<https://info.washingtoninstitute.org/acton/ct/19961/s-1a59-2305/Bct/l-0069/l-0069:a2ba/ct0_0/1/lu?sid=TV2%3ADskjXxW1y>
(This URL may have
to be pasted in a browser. Then click on the Washington Institute Home
Page to bring up the link to the transcript of the speech.)
The key question is
whether Jake believes all that he was saying. (Articulate, of course,
and lots of the nitty-gritty in the region laid out well: but it is
mostly nitty-gritty, other than for Yemen and Israel’s
developing relations with many Arab states.)
Some points below no
official will say in public. But the overall fabric of the speech –
beyond the global perspective (which has some “wing and a prayer”
quality) – is strategically naïve if Sullivan (with
Biden) believes it.
- It is a recipe for a war with Iran – including by giving Israel a green light.
- It thus ignores that the US would inevitably be drawn in and Israel would also suffer. No “amber light,” here.
- It misrepresents diplomacy with Iran (and the broader context).
- It ignores the Palestinians except in two words.
- On Gaza, he just notes an 11-day war that got stopped;
- It is silent on things like the Israeli attacks on Moslems on the Temple Mount at Ramadan.
- It ignores the pulling back by some of the Arabs on the Abraham accords in recent weeks – and why.
- It does not address (other than in passing) the roles of Russia and China and how US actions might/are facilitating that.
- And it asks nothing of Israel – as usual.
A lot of words to enable slipping by most of the critical issues.
That’s enough comments for now.
Robert