RSS Feed     Twitter     Facebook
Blog > Archive by tag 'Mr Biden'

Posts Tagged ‘Mr Biden’

Where did all the love go?

March 17th, 2010 | No Comments

Barack Obama has lost patience with Israel. But neither side dares risk a break-up

IT HAS been like a lovers’ tiff without the love—quickly tamped down but with none of the kissing and making up, and no soothing of the underlying rage. As Palestinian violence flared in Jerusalem, Barack Obama’s secretary of state, Hillary Clinton, said through gritted teeth on March 16th that Israel and America enjoyed “a close, unshakable bond”. On the same day Michael Oren, Israel’s ambassador to the United States, claimed he had been “flagrantly misquoted” in a widely reported leak that he had called the quarrel the worst crisis between the allies for 35 years.

It is nonetheless plain that relations between Israel and the Obama administration are indeed in crisis. The spark was last week’s approval by Israel’s interior ministry of 1,600 new homes in Ramat Shlomo, a Jewish suburb in East (Palestinian) Jerusalem. This coincided not only with a visit by Vice-President Joe Biden but also with the eve of the “proximity talks” America had at last persuaded Mahmoud Abbas to enter with Binyamin (“Bibi”) Netanyahu, Israel’s prime minister. Mr Biden is known for his affection towards Israel but took the announcement as a gratuitous insult. So did Mrs Clinton, who on March 12th berated Mr Netanyahu for three-quarters of an hour on the phone. She reportedly told Mr Biden to “condemn” the announcement rather than merely “express concern”. …

Read More »

More than just a charade?

March 10th, 2010 | No Comments

The Israeli-Palestinian peace process resumes, after a fashion

IT WAS a wretched beginning to what had been hailed as the hopeful resumption of peace talks, albeit indirect ones, between the Israelis and Palestinians under the aegis of an American mediator. Barely had America’s vice-president, Joe Biden, begun a visit to Israel to herald a new era of compromise and goodwill than it was announced, as if deliberately to poison the mood, that 1,600 new houses would be built for Jewish settlers in a big Jewish suburb in the Israeli-annexed eastern part of Jerusalem that Palestinians see as their fledgling state’s future capital. Palestinian politicians were united in fury. Arabs and other peacemaking outsiders viewed the action as the illest of omens. Mr Biden sharply “condemned” the action as “precisely the kind of step that undermines the trust we need right now.”

A sheepish-looking Binyamin Netanyahu, Israel’s prime minister, let his aides claim implausibly that he had been unaware of the building decision. The next day his minister of interior dismissed it as a “routine, technical” step, while conceding that the timing was unfortunate, and apologised. Unsurprisingly, the incident increased scepticism towards the promised new round of talks. …

Read More »

Andy Borowitz: Biden on Obama: “Finally, Mr. Perfect Makes a Gaffe”

July 27th, 2009 | No Comments

The Vice-President said he has been silently seething as the President has slapped him on the wrist for a variety of gaffes in his first six months in office, “but now that shoe’s on the other foot and I for one am laughing my ass off.”

Read More »

Tough love

July 24th, 2009 | No Comments

By Jonathan Beale
BBC News, Tbilisi

Joe Biden speaks after receiving an award from Georgia's President Mikhail Saakashvili during a reception in Tbilisi, Georgia, 22 July 2009

On foreign trips, US Vice-President Joe Biden looks like a man who is really enjoying himself.

His predecessor, Dick Cheney, could – at best – muster a rather sinister-looking grin.

But Mr Biden just never stops smiling.

He smiled as he shook the hands of a never-ending stream of Ukranian and Georgian politicians. And it looked genuine – not the usual diplomatic grab and grin.

Broad smiles

He even appeared to take a delight in the long list of ceremonial duties – like inspecting the guard of honour, or planting a tree at a memorial garden.

And – like any tourist – he enjoyed a bit of local colour. On an impromptu visit to a Kiev pub he waxed lyrical about Ukrainian women, calling called them "the most beautiful in the world".

Despite having spent most of his life in the US Senate, Mr Biden can still convey the impression of being a "regular guy".

But on his travels to Georgia and Ukraine there has also been another side to the vice-president. A steely side that shows he can be tough, even with his friends.

Teddy Roosevelt famously defined American diplomacy as "speak softly and carry a big stick". Mr Biden has his own doctrine: smile broadly and give them a prod.

"America is not about to abandon Georgia or Ukraine, but nor will it use them as bargaining chips to appease Moscow. "

In Ukraine and Georgia he was among friends not enemies. So there was no need to prod too hard.

Ukraine’s President, Viktor Yushchenko, helped bring about the Orange Revolution. Georgia’s President Mikhail Saakashvili was instrumental in his country’s "Rose Revolution".

Both men were at the vanguard of breaking from the bonds of communism and old-style Soviet corruption.

The US vice-president smiled as he reminisced about the strides his friends had made. He was full of admiration for the way they had inspired the world (they love their technicolour revolutions in America).

And after he had heaped on the praise, old Joe stuck one in the ribs. He made clear that both countries were in danger of losing their way.

Ukraine’s Viktor Yushchenko is now a deeply unpopular president. His enthusiasm to join Nato is not shared by his people. The country’s economy has taken a dive.

Mr Yushchenko may have once been poisoned by his enemies – his face still bears the scars – but now he is part of the poison that is damaging his own political system.

Shiny palace

In a speech in Kiev, Mr Biden accused his friends of posturing. He told them in no uncertain terms that they were behaving like children.

Show the same political maturity as the rest of the population, he chided. Mr Biden managed to smile as he did it, but this was the same as talking softly while carrying a big stick.

Tblisi, Georgia, would provide an even greater challenge.

Mikhail Saakashvili, or Mika to his friends, had not only rolled out the red carpet, he had brought on the dancing girls (the traditional variety), wheeled out the orchestra and bestowed on his "dear friend Joe" Georgia’s highest honour – a glitzy medal.

Mr Biden continued to smile, but he was not seduced.

Perhaps the Georgian president’s shiny new palace signalled that something might be amiss – one of Mr Saakashvili’s opponents has dubbed it "Caligula’s Palace".

His "good friend Joe" was here to tell some plainer home truths.

In a speech to the Georgian parliament, Mr Biden listed Georgia’s remarkable achievements – but then came the poke.

The government must be transparent, he urged, before stressing the importance of a free press and issuing a warning that no military option will re-unite Georgia with its separated territories of South Ossetia and Abkhazia.

But the toughest message of all was for America’s old adversary Russia.

The Obama administration has promised to "reset" relations with Moscow. But this trip showed that it will not be at any cost.

Washington is not about to abandon Georgia or Ukraine, but nor will it use them as bargaining chips to appease Moscow.

Vice President Biden rejected outright Russia’s claim to a "sphere of influence" over its neighbours.

Better ties with Moscow would not come at Georgia or Ukraine’s expense, the vice president repeated time and again.

And the US would support both countries’ bids for Nato membership, if that was what they wanted.

This trip was an attempt to prod some allies in the right direction. But more importantly it set out a few red lines for Russia.</p

This article is from the BBC News website. © British Broadcasting Corporation, The BBC is not responsible for the content of external internet sites.

Read More »

US backs Georgia’s Nato ambitions

July 23rd, 2009 | No Comments

US Vice President Joe Biden (left) waves while walking with Georgian speaker of parliament David Bakradze (right)

The US "fully" backs Georgia’s hopes of joining Nato, US Vice-President Joe Biden has told the country’s parliament on a visit to the capital, Tbilisi.

Mr Biden is addressing fears in Georgia that the US might sideline its ally in favour of improved ties with Russia.

In a speech to Georgian MPs, he insisted that was not the case and declared: "We will stand with you."

However, Mr Biden also said that the former Soviet republic had to do "much more" to deepen its democracy.

The Georgian President, Mikhail Saakashvili, set out a reform plan only days before Mr Biden’s arrival, but the US visitor said reforms had to be followed through.

Russian accusations

Mr Biden’s speech, which lasted a little longer than 30 minutes, received rapturous applause from gathered members of parliament.

The vice-president said the US continued to regard the breakaway regions of Abkhazia and South Ossetia as part of Georgia, despite their unilateral declarations of independence, which have been supported by Russia.

"We support the expansion of international monitors throughout Georgia to promote peace and stability"

US Vice-President Joe Biden

Hopes curtailed for US-Georgia visit

Biden pledges support for Georgia

"We will not recognise Abkhazia and South Ossetia as independent states and we urge the world not to recognise them as independent states," he said.

With the anniversary of last August’s conflict between Russian and Georgia over South Ossetia approaching, Moscow has accused the Georgian government of rearming and of planning "provocative" actions.

Georgia and other countries say Russia has not met the terms of the pact that ended the war, which required that it withdraw its troops to pre-conflict positions. Instead, Russia has built up its presence in the breakaway regions.

Mr Biden told parliament: "We call upon Russia to honour its international commitment, clearly specified in the 12 April ceasefire agreement, including the withdrawal of all forces to their pre-conflict positions and ultimately out of your territorial area."

‘No military option’

The BBC’s Tom Esslemont in Tbilisi says Mr Saakashvili is keen to capitalise on every bit of American support he can get, especially with vocal domestic opposition over his handling of the war and alleged democratic shortfalls.

Nato has promised eventual membership to Ukraine and Georgia, but has not given either a potential entry date.

The war last year convinced some Nato states that Georgia was too insecure to join the alliance yet, analysts say.

It had been reported that Georgia would ask the US to join patrols along its de facto borders with South Ossetia and Abkhazia, which are currently carried out just by EU monitors, after the UN and OSCE closed down their monitoring missions at Russia’s insistence.

Mr Biden said: "We support the expansion of international monitors throughout Georgia to promote peace and stability," though he did not explicitly say the US would contribute.

And he added a warning that there was no "military option" to restore Georgia’s territorial integrity.

The war last August began when Georgia attempted to seize back control of South Ossetia by force. Russia repelled Georgian forces within days.

Meanwhile, the European Union has agreed to extend the EU monitoring mission in Georgia for another year, an EU diplomat was quoted as saying by the AFP news agency.</p

This article is from the BBC News website. © British Broadcasting Corporation, The BBC is not responsible for the content of external internet sites.

Read More »

Afghan war is ‘worth the effort’

July 23rd, 2009 | No Comments

Joe Biden

US Vice-President Joe Biden has told the BBC that the war in Afghanistan is in the interests of the US and the UK.

"It is worth the effort we are making," he said in an interview with the BBC’s Jonathan Beale.

He also insisted the US would be able to close Guantanamo Bay prison by January, as planned, but that each case had to be considered individually.

Mr Biden was speaking during a European trip in which he has visited Ukraine and Georgia.

‘Courageous warriors’

The vice-president insisted that "in terms of national interest of Great Britain, the US and Europe, [the war in Afghanistan] is worth the effort we are making and the sacrifice that is being felt".

And he reiterated the Obama administration’s rationale for the conflict.

"This is the place from which the attacks of 9/11 and all those attacks in Europe from al-Qaeda have flowed – from Afghanistan and Pakistan."

"We expect before January – well before January – we will have a decision on each and every [Guantanamo] inmate"

Joe Biden

Mr Biden was full of praise for British troops, calling them "among the best trained and bravest warriors in the world".

But he was unable to comment on the standard of equipment that British troops had been given.

A political row has broken out in the UK over the adequacy of British troops’ equipment, after Foreign Office Minister Lord Malloch Brown told a reporter that "we definitely don’t have enough helicopters".

Lord Malloch Brown later withdrew his remarks.

Critics say British troops’ lack of helicopters has made them more vulnerable to roadside explosives.

Mr Biden said that he was "not in a position to make a judgement" but said he assumed they had all they needed.

Timetable

Asked about the recent announcement that a report on the closure of the Guantanamo Bay prison camp was being delayed, Mr Biden said the administration had been busy trying to determine what should happen to each of the detainees held there.

"We are going through every single detainee’s records … to make a judgement about whether or not they should be tried [or] … released and if so what country might take them if we can’t get them back to the country of origin because they’re going to be tortured or mistreated," he said.

But he expressed confidence that the camp would still be closed according to the timetable laid out by President Barack Obama in January, and hinted that some of the detainees would be retained at another prison.

"We expect before January – well before January – we will have a decision on each and every individual being held."</p

This article is from the BBC News website. © British Broadcasting Corporation, The BBC is not responsible for the content of external internet sites.

Read More »

Biden pledges support for Georgia

July 22nd, 2009 | No Comments

Joe Biden arrives in Georgia, 22 July, 2009

The US will support Georgia as the former Soviet republic seeks to broaden its democratic credentials, US Vice-President Joe Biden has said.

He told the BBC the US backed the territorial integrity of Georgia, following its 2008 war with Russia.

But that did not mean the US offered a physical security guarantee, he said.

Georgia says it plans to ask Mr Biden for US help to improve patrols on the borders of its two disputed regions, South Ossetia and Abkhazia.

Speaking to the BBC’s Washington correspondent Jonathan Beale, Mr Biden said the US could consider sending US monitors to the region if Georgia made a request.

"It is understandable that the Russians worry at a gut level about the expansion of Nato, but nobody can dictate an outcome for another country"

US Vice-President Joe Biden

"If and when asked, we will make that decision then," the vice-president said.

"We are with you – period – on the notion that your territorial integrity is recognised," he said to Georgians.

"We refuse to recognise that Abkhazia and South Ossetia are not part of Georgia."

Thousands of Russian troops are currently based in the disputed territories.

‘Spheres of influence’

The BBC’s Tom Esslemont, in the Georgian capital, Tbilisi, says Georgian President Mikhail Saakashvili is keen to capitalise on every bit of American support he can get, a year after Russia and Georgia went to war.

Mr Biden, who arrived in Georgia after visiting Ukraine, said that while the US was keen to maintain good relations with Russia, certain issues were not up for discussion.

One of these, he said, was "the 19th Century notion of the sphere of influence".

He described closer ties between Nato and countries in the former Soviet bloc as "a reality" that Russia would simply have to accept.

"Ukraine has not made up its mind whether it even wants to belong to Nato. The only point my trip is meant to make is that no-one else has the right to foreclose that decision."

He said: "It is understandable that the Russians worry at a gut level about the expansion of Nato, but nobody can dictate an outcome for another country."

Mr Biden said he believed that the "ultimate determination of Russian democracy" would, in part, be judged by how the democratic countries around Russia developed.

Nato has promised eventual membership to Ukraine and Georgia, but has not given either a potential entry date.</p

This article is from the BBC News website. © British Broadcasting Corporation, The BBC is not responsible for the content of external internet sites.

Read More »

Georgian president unveils reforms

July 21st, 2009 | No Comments

Mikhail Saakashvili addresses Georgia's parliament (20 July 2009)

The Georgian President, Mikhail Saakashvili, has promised a series of democratic reforms, ahead of a visit to Georgia by US Vice-President Joe Biden.

Addressing parliament, Mr Saakashvili proposed early local elections, the direct election of mayors and a reduction in presidential powers.

Critics say the proposals fail to deal with major issues such the breakaway regions of South Ossetia and Abkhazia.

On Monday, Mr Biden arrived in Ukraine for talks with the country’s leaders.

‘Public relations move’

Mr Biden will then fly to Tbilisi for talks on Wednesday with Mr Saakashvili, who has faced mass protests calling for his resignation since April.

"We should all understand that we should build our country not by shouting in the street, but by civilised means, through elections"

Georgian President Mikhail Saakashvili

The opposition accuse the Georgian president of bungling last August’s war with Russia over South Ossetia, and failing to strengthen the rule of law and to improve democratic freedoms.

Mr Saakashvili’s speech on Monday, in which he presented a package of electoral changes, was designed to hit back at those who accuse him of monopolising power, says the BBC’s Tom Esslemont in Tbilisi.

"We should end the rhetoric of civil war and public confrontation," Mr Saakashvili told parliament. "We should all understand that we should build our country not by shouting in the street, but by civilised means, through elections."

The president said there would be direct mayoral elections for the first time; changes to the central elections commission; a reduction in presidential powers; and the partial ceding of control of the state-run broadcaster to opposition members.

The proposals, though scant in detail, were warmly received by parliament, where Mr Saakashvili’s party commands a huge majority, our correspondent says.

Protester taken away by police outside Georgian parliament (20 July 2009)

But non-parliamentary opposition members, the president’s most outspoken critics in Georgia, said they failed to answer the wider questions, such as how and when he plans to regain control of South Ossetia and Abkhazia.

Both are now recognised and supported as independent states by Russia.

Eka Beselia, an opposition leader, dismissed the speech as "a public relations move" and said the proposals did not go far enough.

"Saakashvili is trying to create the illusion of pluralism, but nothing he says can be taken seriously," she told the Associated Press.

"The country is in deep crisis, we are demanding an early presidential election, but he is talking about municipal elections. This is not serious."

Support for Georgia’s territorial integrity will be high on Mr Biden’s agenda when he arrives in Tbilisi, our correspondent says.

Mr Saakashvili will now be hoping to win praise too for at least appearing to address Western concerns over democratisation, he adds.</p

This article is from the BBC News website. © British Broadcasting Corporation, The BBC is not responsible for the content of external internet sites.

Read More »
Page 1 of 11