Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.) speaks during a rally to express solidarity with immigrants and refugees hosted by MoveOn, United We Dream, Families Belong Together, and Popular Democracy near Union Station on May 16, 2019 in Washington, D.C. (Photo: Zach Gibson/Getty Images)
Ilhan Omar to President-elect Biden: Seize 'Once-in-a-Generation' Chance to End Disastrous US Foreign Policy
In an op-ed at The Nation, the Minnesota Democrat explains how the Biden White House can forge a path "toward justice."
Rep. Ilhan Omar on Friday urged President-elect Joe Biden to seize the "tremendous opportunity" he'll have to shift the nation's foreign policy in the Middle East and depart from the approach taken by President Donald Trump, who's "made armed conflict more instead of less likely."
The Minnesota Democrat laid out her plea for a "renewed vision" in an op-ed published at The Nation.
Cataloguing what she framed as the current administration's numerous foreign policy mistakes with regard to Iran, Omar listed Trump's departure from the nuclear deal, the assassination of Gen. Qasem Soleimani, and escalating economic sanctions.
Omar also took issue with Trump's relationships with some of the world's "most notorious human rights abusers," including Saudi Arabia. She further pointed to the fact that the kingdom is using U.S. weapons to bomb Yemeni civilians.
Also coming in for criticism are the recently brokered purported peace deals with nations including Israel and the United Arab Emirates. Omar said such deals are truly aimed at beefing up the military threat targeting Iran, all while further normalizing Israel's occupation of Palestine.
Biden can embark on a new course that includes holding all human rights abusers to account and backing the call for two-state solution, wrote Omar.
In short, said Omar, "we have a once-in-a-generation opportunity to reorient our foreign policy away from shortsighted military alliances and toward justice."
Urgent. It's never been this bad.
Dear Common Dreams reader, It’s been nearly 30 years since I co-founded Common Dreams with my late wife, Lina Newhouser. We had the radical notion that journalism should serve the public good, not corporate profits. It was clear to us from the outset what it would take to build such a project. No paid advertisements. No corporate sponsors. No millionaire publisher telling us what to think or do. Many people said we wouldn't last a year, but we proved those doubters wrong. Together with a tremendous team of journalists and dedicated staff, we built an independent media outlet free from the constraints of profits and corporate control. Our mission from the outset was simple. To inform. To inspire. To ignite change for the common good. Building Common Dreams was not easy. Our survival was never guaranteed. When you take on the most powerful forces—Wall Street greed, fossil fuel industry destruction, Big Tech lobbyists, and uber-rich oligarchs who have spent billions upon billions rigging the economy and democracy in their favor—the only bulwark you have is supporters who believe in your work. But here’s the urgent message from me today. It’s never been this bad out there. And it’s never been this hard to keep us going. At the very moment Common Dreams is most needed and doing some of its best and most important work, the threats we face are intensifying. Right now, with just four days to go in our Spring Campaign, we are not even halfway to our goal. When everyone does the little they can afford, we are strong. But if that support retreats or dries up, so do we. Can you make a gift right now to make sure Common Dreams not only survives but thrives? There is no backup plan or rainy day fund. There is only you. —Craig Brown, Co-founder |
Rep. Ilhan Omar on Friday urged President-elect Joe Biden to seize the "tremendous opportunity" he'll have to shift the nation's foreign policy in the Middle East and depart from the approach taken by President Donald Trump, who's "made armed conflict more instead of less likely."
The Minnesota Democrat laid out her plea for a "renewed vision" in an op-ed published at The Nation.
Cataloguing what she framed as the current administration's numerous foreign policy mistakes with regard to Iran, Omar listed Trump's departure from the nuclear deal, the assassination of Gen. Qasem Soleimani, and escalating economic sanctions.
Omar also took issue with Trump's relationships with some of the world's "most notorious human rights abusers," including Saudi Arabia. She further pointed to the fact that the kingdom is using U.S. weapons to bomb Yemeni civilians.
Also coming in for criticism are the recently brokered purported peace deals with nations including Israel and the United Arab Emirates. Omar said such deals are truly aimed at beefing up the military threat targeting Iran, all while further normalizing Israel's occupation of Palestine.
Biden can embark on a new course that includes holding all human rights abusers to account and backing the call for two-state solution, wrote Omar.
In short, said Omar, "we have a once-in-a-generation opportunity to reorient our foreign policy away from shortsighted military alliances and toward justice."
Rep. Ilhan Omar on Friday urged President-elect Joe Biden to seize the "tremendous opportunity" he'll have to shift the nation's foreign policy in the Middle East and depart from the approach taken by President Donald Trump, who's "made armed conflict more instead of less likely."
The Minnesota Democrat laid out her plea for a "renewed vision" in an op-ed published at The Nation.
Cataloguing what she framed as the current administration's numerous foreign policy mistakes with regard to Iran, Omar listed Trump's departure from the nuclear deal, the assassination of Gen. Qasem Soleimani, and escalating economic sanctions.
Omar also took issue with Trump's relationships with some of the world's "most notorious human rights abusers," including Saudi Arabia. She further pointed to the fact that the kingdom is using U.S. weapons to bomb Yemeni civilians.
Also coming in for criticism are the recently brokered purported peace deals with nations including Israel and the United Arab Emirates. Omar said such deals are truly aimed at beefing up the military threat targeting Iran, all while further normalizing Israel's occupation of Palestine.
Biden can embark on a new course that includes holding all human rights abusers to account and backing the call for two-state solution, wrote Omar.
In short, said Omar, "we have a once-in-a-generation opportunity to reorient our foreign policy away from shortsighted military alliances and toward justice."