Saturday, February 15, 2020

Quoting https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2020/us/politics/bernie-sanders-foreign-policy.html
Copyright New York Times.

Bernie Sanders
Senator from Vermont, 78

1. Use of Force

Presidents from both parties have taken an expansive view of their powers as commander in chief, deploying troops and ordering airstrikes without explicit congressional approval and, sometimes, without an imminent threat. The Democratic candidates frequently criticize such actions, but they have been less clear on the circumstances in which they would consider military force justifiable.

Apart from responding to an attack on the United States or a treaty ally, what are the conditions under which you would consider the use of American military force?

sanders's Answer

Bernie's first priority is to protect the American people. Military force is sometimes necessary, but always — always — as the last resort. And blustery threats of force can often signal weakness as much as strength, diminishing U.S. deterrence, credibility and security in the process.

Read full answer [sorry, the "full answer" link does not respond. --T.]

Would you consider military force for a humanitarian intervention?
sanders's Answer

Yes.
Would you consider military force to pre-empt an Iranian or North Korean nuclear or missile test?
sanders's Answer

Yes.
Would you consider military force to protect oil supplies?
sanders's Answer

No.

Is there any situation in which you could see yourself using American troops or covert action in a regime-change effort? If so, under what circumstances would you be willing to do that?

sanders's Answer

No.

Is it appropriate for the United States to provide nonmilitary support for regime-change efforts, as the Trump administration did in Venezuela?

sanders's Answer

No.

2. Iran

In 2015, the Obama administration signed a deal with Iran that lifted sanctions in exchange for significant limits on Iran’s nuclear program. Many Republicans fiercely objected to the deal, saying it was not tough enough, and in 2018, President Trump abandoned it and reinstated sanctions. But Iran kept up its end of the agreement until last month, when Mr. Trump ordered the killing of a top Iranian general, Qassim Suleimani. The killing of General Suleimani brought the United States to the brink of war with Iran, which retaliated by attacking two military bases that American forces were using in Iraq.

What would you do with the now-abandoned Iranian nuclear deal, as negotiated in 2015?

sanders's Answer

Bernie would re-enter the deal with no new preconditions, provided Iran is also meeting its commitments. He would then pursue wider talks to resolve issues of ballistic missiles, support for terrorist groups, and human rights.

Do you believe President Trump acted within his legal authority in giving the order to kill Qassim Suleimani? Was the killing justifiable? Was it wise?

sanders's Answer

No. The U.S. is not at war with Iran, and Congress has not authorized any military action against Iran. Clearly there is evidence that Suleimani was involved in acts of terror. He also supported attacks on U.S. troops in Iraq. But the right question isn't "was this a bad guy," but rather "does assassinating him make Americans safer?" The answer is clearly no.

Read full answer

Regarding possible future military action against Iran, is there any type of response that is off the table for you?

sanders's Answer

Bernie would work with our European allies to de-escalate tensions with Iran and engage in aggressive diplomacy that would safeguard the security of the U.S. and our partners while preventing a disastrous war with Iran.
What would your military strategy to deter Iran be? What would your diplomatic strategy be?

sanders's Answer

Bernie would work with our European allies to de-escalate tensions with Iran and engage in aggressive diplomacy that would safeguard the security of the U.S. and our partners while preventing a disastrous war with Iran.

3. North Korea

Dismantling North Korea’s nuclear program has long been an American priority, and President Trump has tried to do so through unusual means: direct diplomacy with the North’s leader, Kim Jong-un. It started in Singapore in 2018 but began to fall apart last February, when Mr. Trump and Mr. Kim emerged from a summit meeting in Vietnam empty-handed. In the interim, sanctions have remained, the North’s arsenal of weapons fuel and missiles has steadily expanded, and Mr. Kim recently threatened to resume missile tests.
Would you continue the personal diplomacy President Trump began with Kim Jong-un?

sanders's Answer

Yes.

Would you tighten sanctions until North Korea has given up all of its nuclear and missile programs?

sanders's Answer

No.

Would you gradually lift sanctions in return for a freeze on fissile material development, as President Clinton attempted?
sanders's Answer

Yes.

Would you insist on substantial disarmament before relieving any sanctions?
sanders's Answer

No.

Would you agree to begin withdrawing American troops from the Korean peninsula?
sanders's Answer

No, not immediately. We would work closely with our South Korean partners to move toward peace on the Korean peninsula, which is the only way we will ultimately deal with the North Korean nuclear issue.
Please describe your North Korea strategy further.

sanders's Answer

Every step we take to reduce North Korea's nuclear force, to open it up to inspections, to end the 70-year-old Korean War and to encourage peaceful relations between the Koreas and the United States increases the chances of complete denuclearization of the peninsula. Peace and nuclear disarmament must proceed in parallel, in close consultations with our South Korean ally. I will work to negotiate a step-by-step process to roll back North Korea's nuclear program, build a new peace and security regime on the peninsula, and work toward the eventual elimination of all North Korean nuclear weapons.

4. Afghanistan

The war in Afghanistan, begun after the Sept. 11 attacks, is the longest war in United States history, and documents released in December revealed that three successive presidential administrations misled the American people about the progress — or lack thereof — being made on the ground. That the United States should withdraw has become a rare point of agreement between President Trump and Democrats. But there are still significant disagreements over when, and under what conditions, that withdrawal should happen.
Would American troops be in Afghanistan at the end of your first term? If so, would you limit those troops' mission to counterterrorism and intelligence gathering?

sanders's Answer

No.

Would American presence in Afghanistan be dependent on other nations contributing troops on the ground?

sanders's Answer

No.

How long do you envision American troops being required, in any numbers, in Afghanistan?

sanders's Answer

As president, Bernie would withdraw U.S. military forces from Afghanistan as expeditiously as possible. Bernie intends to have U.S. forces out of Afghanistan by the end of his first term. Our military has now been in Afghanistan for nearly 18 years. We will soon have troops in Afghanistan who were not even born on Sept. 11, 2001. It's time to end our intervention there and bring our troops home, in a planned and coordinated way combined with a serious diplomatic and political strategy which helps deliver desperately needed humanitarian aid. Withdrawing troops does not mean withdrawing all involvement, and my administration would stay politically engaged in these countries and do whatever we can to help them develop their economy and strengthen a government that is responsible to its people.

5. Israel

In Israel, a two-state solution — long viewed as the only workable end to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict — appears more distant than ever after President Trump and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu embraced a plan that appeared to tilt the outcome in Israel’s favor. Mr. Trump’s decision in 2018 to move the United States Embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem was deeply polarizing. So is the B.D.S. (Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions) movement, which has grown increasingly prominent and which the House condemned in a bipartisan resolution last year.
Should the United States maintain its current level of military aid to Israel? If not, how should the level of aid change?

sanders's Answer

Yes, but that aid can be conditioned on Israel taking steps to end the occupation and move toward a peace agreement.
Bernie believes that U.S. aid should be conditioned on a range of human rights concerns. American taxpayers shouldn’t be supporting policies that undermine our values and interests, in Israel or anywhere.

Read full answer

Do you support the B.D.S. movement? If not, should the president and/or Congress act to hinder it?

sanders's Answer

No. While Bernie is not a supporter of the B.D.S. movement, he believes that Americans have a constitutional right to participate in nonviolent protest.
Should the United States Embassy in Israel be moved from Jerusalem back to Tel Aviv?

sanders's Answer

Not as a first step. But it would be on the table if Israel continues to take steps, such as settlement expansion, expulsions and home demolitions, that undermine the chances for a peace agreement.

Should all Palestinian refugees and their descendants have the right to return to Israel?

sanders's Answer

The right of refugees to return to their homes after the cessation of hostilities is an internationally recognized right, but this issue will be negotiated between Israelis and Palestinians as part of a peace agreement.
Do you support the establishment of a Palestinian state that includes West Bank land as demarcated by pre-1967 borders, except for longtime Israeli settlements?

sanders's Answer

Yes, if the settlement issue is negotiated between Israelis and Palestinians.
If you answered yes to the last question, what will you do to achieve that where past administrations have failed? If you answered no, what solution do you envision to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict?

sanders's Answer

When it comes to the Israeli-Palestinian peace process, credible United States leadership is desperately needed. Bernie is a strong supporter of the right of Israel to exist in independence, peace and security. But he also believes that the United States needs to engage in an even-handed approach toward that longstanding conflict, which results in ending the Israeli occupation and enabling the Palestinian people to have independence and self-determination in a sovereign, independent, economically viable state of their own. In his view, that end result would be in the best interests of Israel, the Palestinian people, the United States and the entire region.

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6. Russia

Russia has been a deeply destabilizing force on the world stage for several years, including through its annexation of Crimea from Ukraine in 2014 and its meddling in the United States’ 2016 presidential election. After it annexed Crimea, it was suspended from the Group of Eight bloc of industrialized nations (now, in Russia’s absence, the Group of Seven). But President Trump has pushed to readmit Russia to the G-7 and has held several meetings with President Vladimir Putin, the contents of which have not been disclosed.
If Russia continues on its current course in Ukraine and other former Soviet states, should the United States regard it as an adversary, or even an enemy?

sanders's Answer

Yes.

Should Russia be required to return Crimea to Ukraine before it is allowed back into the G-7?
sanders's Answer

Yes.

7. China

The Chinese government has been systematically persecuting Muslim minorities: separating families, subjecting Uighurs and Kazakhs to forced labor and operating internment camps. It is also embroiled in a political crisis over Hong Kong, a special administrative region of China. At the same time, President Trump has taken a hard line on trade with China, imposing economically damaging tariffs. Last month, the United States and China signed an initial trade deal.
Should respect for Hong Kong’s political independence, under the terms of the handover agreement with Britain, be a prerequisite for normal relations and trade with China?

sanders's Answer

Yes.

Should normal relations and trade be contingent on China’s closing its internment camps for Uighurs and other Muslim minority groups?

sanders's Answer

Yes.

8. NATO

The North Atlantic Treaty Organization, a military alliance among 29 North American and European countries, has been a linchpin of the United States’ foreign policy for decades. But President Trump has often criticized the alliance, arguing that the United States gives too much and gets too little from it. During his 2016 campaign, he refused to commit to NATO’s central pledge — defending other members if they are attacked — if the members in question had not met their spending commitments, and aides say that in 2018, he repeatedly suggested withdrawing. Last year, NATO agreed to reduce the United States’ contribution and increase Germany’s.
Should NATO nations pay more for defense than their current commitment of at least 2 percent of G.D.P.?
sanders's Answer

No.

Should nations that do not fulfill their NATO funding commitment still receive an assurance of United States aid if they are attacked?

sanders's Answer

Yes.

9. Cyber Policy

Cyber weaponry has emerged as the primary way nations compete with and undercut each other in short-of-war conflict. Yet there are few international rules that govern the daily battles — or prevent escalation. As a shadow war emerges in cyberspace, President Trump has given far more powers to the United States Cyber Command and the National Security Agency.
Should a presidential order be required to launch a cyber strike against another country, just as it is required to launch a nuclear strike?

sanders's Answer

Yes.

The United States Cyber Command’s new strategy is “persistent engagement,” meaning the U.S. goes deep inside foreign computer networks to constantly engage with adversaries and dissuade strikes on the United States. Would you continue this policy?

sanders's Answer

Bernie would undertake a comprehensive review of U.S. cyber strategy and work to bring countries together around international conventions to control the use of these dangerous weapons.
If you answered yes to the last question, would you nevertheless insist that other nations pursuing “persistent engagement” could not be inside American power grids and other critical infrastructure?

sanders's Answer

Not applicable.

10. National Security Strategy

In the post-Cold War era — and especially after the Sept. 11 attacks — the focal point of American foreign policy moved to counterterrorism, the Middle East and Afghanistan. President Trump has, at least on paper, argued for shifting American foreign policy back to confront the “revisionist powers” of Russia and China.
President Trump’s national security strategy calls for shifting the focus of American foreign policy away from the Middle East and Afghanistan, and back to what it refers to as the “revisionist” superpowers, Russia and China. Do you agree? Why or why not?

sanders's Answer

Despite its stated strategy, the Trump administration has never followed a coherent national security strategy. In fact, Trump has escalated tensions in the Middle East and put us on the brink of war with Iran, refused to hold Russia accountable for its interference in our elections and human rights abuses, has done nothing to address our unfair trade agreement with China that only benefits wealthy corporations, and has ignored China's mass internment of Uighurs and its brutal repression of protesters in Hong Kong. Clearly, Trump is not a president we should be taking notes from.

Read full answer

11. Top Diplomatic Priority

The next president will be confronted with an array of foreign policy challenges, from North Korea’s nuclear program to international efforts to combat climate change. It will not be possible to address all of them at once. This makes it essential to understand not only the candidates’ policies, but also their priorities.
What would be your top priority for your secretary of state?

sanders's Answer

Bernie has long believed that the U.S. must lead the world in improving international cooperation to address shared challenges. That's why, together with his secretary of state, Bernie's administration will implement a foreign policy which focuses on democracy, human rights, environmental justice and economic fairness. Leading an international effort against the urgent threat of climate change will be a top priority.

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How The Times Conducted This Project

In December (2019), we sent a questionnaire to the 14 Democratic presidential candidates who were then in the race. Eleven completed it, including two — Cory Booker and Marianne Williamson — who subsequently dropped out of the race.
John Delaney (who has also since dropped out) and Tulsi Gabbard did not respond, and Pete Buttigieg answered only some of the questions. The Times will update this graphic if any of them provide additional answers.