The direction of American policy is extremely dangerous and its face in this election is Hillary Clinton. The Democratic frontrunner has failed to mention foreign policy disasters in Libya and Syria, says Jim Jatras, former US diplomat and GOP policy advisor.
Presidential hopeful Hillary Clinton has delivered what was supposed to have been a speech setting out her vision for foreign policy and national security. However, the main focus turned out to be on her presumptive Republican opponent Donald Trump.
RT: Hillary Clinton didn’t talk much about her own foreign policy. What did we actually learn about she wants to do?
Jim Jatras: In terms of tone and style, it was one of her better speeches. She is a very awkward politician. I think it was a good speech in support of a bad argument. It was basically ‘Trump, Trump, Trump is bad, Putin, Putin, Putin is bad’ and then she gave a defense of American foreign policy for the past two decades - very little about her own record. She didn’t mention Libya at all, which is a complete disaster, which is her baby more than anybody else’s. She barely mentioned Syria and her leading role in creating a disaster in that country since 2011. In terms of substance, in terms of her claim of why her experience is a qualification for the presidency, there was almost nothing there. And I think it is going to get hit back and hit back hard by Donald Trump because that is his style.
RT: Couldn't this actually play into Trump's hands? Surely he wants this all to be about him…
JJ: …Clinton went after his [Trump’s] temperament, about how he is too hot-headed, he is too impulsive, he can’t be trusted with the nuclear codes which then begs the question: Do you want to trust the nuclear codes to somebody who is a cold-blooded serial killer. And that is, I would say, her record if you look at all these countries in which she played a leading role in creating disasters that have cost hundreds of thousands of lives.
RT: Clinton criticized Trump's goal of improving relations with Russia. Why is that such a concern for her?
JJ: I think because she is structuring her whole concept of foreign policy around an appeal to the bi-partisan establishment, which is essentially the never-ending global hegemony, world domination and that means confronting Russia, confronting China, confronting anybody who doesn’t think that the US is the only country that should have a voice in the world. And I think if you define American foreign policy that way, you are entering into very dangerous territory. And frankly, I hope Trump calls her on it because I think there is increasing concern. If you look, for example, sending B-52 strategic bombers, nuclear capable, to exercises over the Baltic States. The direction of American policy is extremely dangerous and its face in this election is Hillary Clinton.
RT: What do you think the response of the media will be to this speech? Will they pick up on what you’ve said or will it largely concentrate on the negatives of Donald Trump?
JJ: I think we will have some of both. I think that some of the talking heads who follow the standard foreign policy lines, especially some of the neoconservatives who are really supporting Hillary Clinton anyway will praise her for this. I think it is going to hit the same globalist versus American populist cord that for example on trade and immigration where Donald Trump is really appealing to the American people and to the America first agenda. And she is talking all this globalist aggressive nonsense that has created such a mess in the world.
The statements, views and opinions expressed in this column are solely those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of RT.