Latest news with #USforeignpolicy
Forbes
a day ago
- Business
- Forbes
Time To Reinvent U.S. Critical Minerals Strategy
While the Trump administration has prioritized critical minerals, several obstacles stand in the way ... More of engaging partners to build a supply chain independent from China. For the Trump administration, critical minerals are a global policy priority. President Donald J. Trump is trying to get China to relax bans on rare earth minerals desperately needed for American industries, including defense and tech. From Greenland to Ukraine, the U.S. is signaling interest and engagement, be it intent to acquire or a comprehensive energy and minerals agreement. In Africa, the U.S. brokered a peace agreement between the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Rwanda, amid conflict over critical minerals on the border of the two countries. This presents opportunities for American investment, driven by a global security strategy by from a president who has notably scaled back from U.S. engagement abroad. This is because critical minerals are key inputs into advanced technologies, healthcare, defense, energy, and other sectors, and have become a cornerstone of U.S. foreign policy (what oil used to be in the 20th century). President Trump has made the development of a critical mineral supply chain to decrease dependence on China for these materials a priority, taking significant steps toward this goal through a March executive order. While mineral agreements have become a key tool of American diplomacy in the modern era, unclear and inconsistently enforced legislation has limited their effectiveness. The Inflation Reduction Act's Limits to Mineral Investment These self-limiting policies predate the current administration and are a bipartisan policy failure. The Inflation Reduction Act, which aimed to build a clean energy supply chain through 'friendshoring' associated materials by offering tax credits for clean energy products manufactured with components sourced from countries with a free trade agreement with the U.S. This excludes several key producers of critical minerals, like the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Indonesia, Kazakhstan, South Africa, Vietnam, and the that do not have FTAs. Although several waivers have been signed to make exceptions to this provision, this is insufficient to create a reliable investment landscape in these countries. Unsurprisingly, investors are hesitant about investing in a place that requires yearly congressional action. IRA tax credits prioritize 'friendshoring' components for green technologies, only allowing these ... More credits to be viable if inputs like critical minerals are sourced from countries with which the U.S. has a free trade agreement. Another aspect of the IRA that limits opportunities for critical mineral investment is its overly broad definition of 'Foreign Entities of Concern', which includes organizations considered 'an entity owned by, controlled by, or subject to the jurisdiction or direction of a foreign government' or 'an entity that is engaged in conduct detrimental to U.S. national security or foreign policy.' While these definitions may seem reasonable at first glance, they can preclude companies with even a tiny stake of Chinese ownership, or doing business in Russia, from receiving American investment. Considering the history and location of Central Asia, clearly that may affect many U.S. partners there. This prevents companies looking to diversify and receive American investment from doing so, pushing them further into the orbit of competitors. It also enables China to weaponize our own laws against us by strategically investing in locales or companies Beijing has no interest in but wants to keep Western counterparts out. Opportunities for Critical Mineral Partnerships Despite these investment-stifling measures, there are several willing partners prepared to build a lucrative relationship in the minerals sphere. One partner that has displayed significant interest is Kazakhstan, which holds reserves of several critical minerals and is already pursuing several avenues of cooperation. In a recent meeting with U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Kazakh Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Murat Nurtleu emphasized critical minerals as a key avenue of cooperation between the two countries. American educational institutions are also growing their presence in the country, with the Colorado School of the Mines partnering with a local university to train a skilled workforce for Western mining companies. Secretary of State Marco Rubio met with Kazakh Foreign Minister Murat Nurtleu this June, discussing ... More opportunities for partnership in the critical minerals sector. This demonstrates a new dimension of cooperation with the U.S., fostering relations while producing tangible results and expanding the workforce eligible to work in the specialized mining industry. Such a model can also be applied outside of Kazakhstan, both in Central Asia and beyond. The Risks of Opaque Legislation While these steps are promising, they do not offset the skepticism towards American investment prompted by regulations that exclude too many countries from productive engagement in the mining and refining of the rare earth elements. For example, secondary sanctions against companies or economies dealing with Russia, while not imposed on Kazakh mineral producers, remain a looming threat, having been levied against other entities in Central Asia, a region that was a part of the USSR and now has close ties with its former colonial master. In addition, Astana has been subject to scrutiny by Washington before, having been investigated under Section 232 of the Trade Expansion Act regarding the national security implications of its uranium exports to the U.S. The first Trump Administration ruled that no quotas or other trade measures were to be placed on Kazakhstan as a result of the investigation, yet it sent signals to investors that they may incur political risk by investing in Kazakhstan. Now, a global Section 232 investigation is ongoing, despite the dire need for the U.S. to secure sources of uranium imports. Kazakhstan is the number one exporter of uranium in the world. The United States has made clear its appetite for partnerships in the critical minerals sector and is keen to compete with China and create a supply chain that Beijing does not control. Washington's actions stretching back through multiple administrations, however, create a difficult environment for mineral-rich countries that seek investment but are not amongst the partners of the U.S. with a free trade agreement. Even as the country pursues a secure mineral supply chain, establishing trust and clarity with potential partners must be a top priority. The current state of affairs, where the United States keeps a close circle of trade partners, keeps many potential partners out, and issues random exemptions for others, is untenable. The U.S. cannot afford legislative and policy uncertainties, delays, and confusion when America's national security is on the line.
Daily Mail
2 days ago
- Politics
- Daily Mail
Joy Reid defends Iran during CNN appearance
Published: Updated: Fired ex-MSNBC host Joy Reid mistakenly blasted the US for trying to stop Iran obtaining nuclear energy during her latest CNN appearance. Speaking on Newsnight earlier this week, Reid defended the country following the attacks on their nuclear sites by President Donald Trump over the weekend. The left-wing commentator said: 'Why on earth is the United States bombing a country that did not attack us, what on earth are we doing there at all. 'Why is it there is this arrogance in the west and in the United States to say that we get to decide who can have nuclear energy .' Trump's bunker buster bombing campaign was actually aimed at stopping Iran from developing nuclear weapons, not nuclear power. CNN host Abby Phillip interrupted, saying: 'Joy, this is not just about nukes. It's also about Iran being a state sponsor of terrorism and chaos and violence and death around the world.' The panel then decided into chaos over her remarks, with attorney Arthur Aidala slamming her for backing Iran. He said: 'Joy the fact that you are backing a country that slaughters homosexuals, that slaughters people for their religious beliefs. It's crazy, it's nuts.' In response, she said that LGBTQ people weren't allowed to serve in the US military under President Trump. Clearly angered, Aidala continued: 'But they can live, they can get married they can have children. We're not killing them!' U.S. stealth bombers dropped 12 deep penetrator bombs, called bunker busters, on the Fordo nuclear facility and two on the Natanz site over the weekend . Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu hailed the attack as a success, but a US intelligence report has since emerged that seems to discredit that. According to the preliminary report, it was found that Iran's nuclear program had been set back only a few months. At a Pentagon briefing on Thursday, defense officials laid out details that bolstered their argument that the attack had wiped out the key sites .
Daily Mail
2 days ago
- Politics
- Daily Mail
Joy Reid campaigns for Iran to get 'nuclear energy' in cringe-worthy panel appearance
Fired ex-MSNBC host Joy Reid mistakenly blasted the US for trying to stop Iran obtaining nuclear energy during her latest CNN appearance. Speaking on Newsnight earlier this week, Reid defended the country following the attacks on their nuclear sites by President Donald Trump over the weekend. The left-wing commentator said: 'Why on earth is the United States bombing a country that did not attack us, what on earth are we doing there at all. 'Why is it there is this arrogance in the west and in the United States to say that we get to decide who can have nuclear energy.' Trump's bunker buster bombing campaign was actually aimed at stopping Iran from developing nuclear weapons, not nuclear power. Reid then added: 'The bottom line here is the way we know that Iran did not have nuclear weapons, if they had nuclear weapons Israel would not have attacked them. 'The reason they're trying to get nukes is because an expansionist power in their region keeps threatening them and actually bomb[ing] them.' CNN host Abby Phillip interrupted, saying: 'Joy, this is not just about nukes. It's also about Iran being a state sponsor of terrorism and chaos and violence and death around the world.' The panel then decided into chaos over her remarks, with attorney Arthur Aidala slamming her for backing Iran. He said: 'Joy the fact that you are backing a country that slaughters homosexuals, that slaughters people for their religious beliefs. It's crazy, it's nuts.' In response, she said that LGBTQ people weren't allowed to serve in the US military under President Trump. Trump has banned transgender service personnel, but gays, lesbians and bisexuals are free to serve. Clearly angered, Aidala continued: 'But they can live, they can get married they can have children. We're not killing them!' U.S. stealth bombers dropped 12 deep penetrator bombs, called bunker busters, on the Fordo nuclear facility and two on the Natanz site over the weekend. Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu hailed the attack as a success, but a US intelligence report has since emerged that seems to discredit that. According to the preliminary report, it was found that Iran's nuclear program had been set back only a few months. At a Pentagon briefing on Thursday, defense officials laid out details that bolstered their argument that the attack had wiped out the key sites. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said: 'You want to call it destroyed, you want to call it defeated, you want to call it obliterated, This was an historically successful attack.' Reid's remarks this week come after she said she was disillusioned with the Democratic party to the point she was just 'hanging on'. She told The Breakfast Club podcast on Tuesday that she believes the current Democrat line-up is fueling Trump's agenda by failing to provide opposition. 'I've been a Democrat since I was old enough to vote, but I'm barely hanging on,' Reid told The Breakfast Club podcast on Tuesday. 'At this point, the party is not bigger than the future of my kids. I have three children, that have to live in this country as black people, and fascism doesn't work for me. 'I'm not willing to cede the country to Trumpism and MAGA simply because I'm clinging to this party.' Reid added that the party desperately needs a new leader, and a fresh ideology. She blasted Trump as having 'no actual talent' - but he still beat the Democrats. 'You have to blow up the whole Democratic Party,' she said.
New York Times
3 days ago
- Politics
- New York Times
The Evolution of Trump's Views on Foreign Aid
Foreign aid, a pillar of American foreign policy for generations, has been gutted since President Trump began his second term in office. The United States Agency for International Development and other government agencies that provide food, medical care and economic development assistance to the world's poorest nations, have been largely defunded or eliminated in recent months. In justifying the administration's destruction of the agency, Mr. Trump said U.S.A.I.D. had been run by 'radical lunatics,' and he has made numerous false claims about the agency's work in the developing world. It included preventing and treating H.I.V. and malaria; providing emergency food assistance; and advancing the country's national security interests by establishing new markets for American goods. Mr. Trump has never been a big fan of foreign aid. But in his first term, he often reveled in the role of dispenser-in-chief of American largess. Not so anymore. To understand Mr. Trump's evolution from foreign aid skeptic to enthusiastic supporter to, lately, its most determined and powerful foe, The New York Times reviewed nearly 1,000 speeches and interviews he has given over the past 15 years. 2011 As a presidential candidate in his first bid for office, Mr. Trump often described foreign assistance as wasteful and said the money would be better spent at home. 'Foreign affairs is we take care of ourselves,' he said during an appearance on NBC's 'Today' show. Want all of The Times? Subscribe.
South China Morning Post
4 days ago
- Politics
- South China Morning Post
Are Trump's Iran strikes a ‘wake-up call' for China on US unpredictability?
As US air strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities call into question the anti-war stance of US President Donald Trump, they may also reinforce Beijing's assumptions about the unpredictability of the US administration, according to diplomatic observers. The attacks could bolster belief in Beijing that Washington might intervene in regional conflicts, prompting stronger strategic preparations in the South China Sea and the Taiwan Strait, they added. During his election campaign, Trump repeatedly pitched himself as an anti-war president and a peace broker, promising to put 'America first' by ending US involvement in risky and expensive overseas conflicts. The conflict makes Iranian newspaper headlines in Tehran on Tuesday. Photo: Reuters
