The US Justice Department is expected to release several batches of documents related to the 9/11 terror attacks in the next six months. The first batch is due to be declassified no later than 11 September 2021. Here we examine what has prompted the Biden administration's move.
She was supposed to be a major player in the Biden administration after being lauded as a historic, consequential figure in her role as America’s first female vice president.
Advocates of empire and interventionism are saying that even given the debacle in Afghanistan, America should not “retreat” from the world. Even though our nation has lost “credibility” in the world, they say, it is imperative that the United States continue to project power and influence around the world. To do otherwise, they say, would create a “vacuum” into which would flow Russia, China, Iran, the terrorists, or some other adversary, opponent, or enemy. Some of them are even bringing up the dreaded I word — isolationism!
President Joe Biden hopes people will soon forget the unfolding disaster he created in Afghanistan so he can turn back to issues such as COVID, the economy, and climate change. But he and his White House don't realize just how damaging Afghanistan has been to the president’s credibility, undermining his ability to govern on every other issue.
In today's polarised world, the situation in this hugely significant region of the Pacific is frequently portrayed as either Chinese expansionism or American imperialism. As ever, the truth of the matter is much more complicated.
In this election, it is imperative that leaders show they recognize the reality of China as a rising, antagonistic superpower with which we can no longer endeavour to be partners. Also crucial is that they articulate a well-designed plan to handle Beijing as it continues to make the international order more unpredictable.
