AZJoe
01-02-2018, 10:22 PM
State Department Memo (https://www.politico.com/f/?id=00000160-6c37-da3c-a371-ec3f13380001) Outlines how to use "Human Rights" as a Pretext to Attack
Recently leaked State Department Memo (https://www.politico.com/f/?id=00000160-6c37-da3c-a371-ec3f13380001)outlines how to use "Human Rights" as a Pretext to attack nations that do not follow Washington dictates, and specifically instructs to ignore human rights violations by nations considered Washington's allies.
From the Memo (https://www.politico.com/f/?id=00000160-6c37-da3c-a371-ec3f13380001):
In the case of US allies such as Egypt, Saudi Arabia, and the Philippines, the Administration is fully justified in emphasizing good relations for a variety of important reasons, including counter-terrorism, and in honestly facing up to the difficult tradeoffs with regard to human rights. … One useful guideline for a realistic and successful foreign policy is that allies should be treated differently -- and better -- than adversaries. …
In relation to our competitors, there is far less of a dilemma. … we look to pressure, compete with, and outmaneuver them. For this reason, we should consider human rights as an important issue in regard to US relations with China, Russia, North Korea, and Iran. … because pressing those regimes on human rights is one way to impose costs, apply counter-pressure, and regain the initiative from them strategically.
From Politico (https://www.politico.com/story/2017/12/19/tillerson-state-human-rights-304118):
Three months into his tenure as secretary of state, Rex Tillerson … said, should be careful not to let values like human rights create "obstacles" to the pursuit of its interests.
The comment, at a gathering of State Department employees, provoked an outcry among former U.S. officials and human rights activists … Two weeks later, a top Tillerson adviser wrote up a short tutorial, in the form of a confidential memo … recapping “the debate over how far to emphasize human rights, democracy promotion, and liberal values in American foreign policy.”
The May 17 memo (https://www.politico.com/f/?id=00000160-6c37-da3c-a371-ec3f13380001) reads like a crash course … that the U.S. should use human rights as a club against its adversaries, like Iran, China and North Korea, while giving a pass to repressive allies like the Philippines, Egypt and Saudi Arabia.
“Allies should be treated differently—and better—than adversaries. Otherwise, we end up with more adversaries, and fewer allies,” argued the memo … …
During his May visit to Saudi Arabia, and while hosting the leaders of Egypt and Turkey at the White House, Trump did not publicly press the leaders of those countries on their authoritarian policies. But during an address to South Korea’s Parliament in November, Trump spoke at striking length about the brutality of North Korea’s regime. Trump and Tillerson have also repeatedly assailed Iran’s human rights record.
Hook’s memo “tells Tillerson that we should … use human rights as a weapon to beat up our adversaries while letting ourselves and our allies off the hook,” …
"we should consider human rights as an important issue in regard to U.S. relations with China, Russia, North Korea, and Iran. … It is also because pressing those regimes on human rights is one way to impose costs, apply counter-pressure, and regain the initiative from them strategically."
Recently leaked State Department Memo (https://www.politico.com/f/?id=00000160-6c37-da3c-a371-ec3f13380001)outlines how to use "Human Rights" as a Pretext to attack nations that do not follow Washington dictates, and specifically instructs to ignore human rights violations by nations considered Washington's allies.
From the Memo (https://www.politico.com/f/?id=00000160-6c37-da3c-a371-ec3f13380001):
In the case of US allies such as Egypt, Saudi Arabia, and the Philippines, the Administration is fully justified in emphasizing good relations for a variety of important reasons, including counter-terrorism, and in honestly facing up to the difficult tradeoffs with regard to human rights. … One useful guideline for a realistic and successful foreign policy is that allies should be treated differently -- and better -- than adversaries. …
In relation to our competitors, there is far less of a dilemma. … we look to pressure, compete with, and outmaneuver them. For this reason, we should consider human rights as an important issue in regard to US relations with China, Russia, North Korea, and Iran. … because pressing those regimes on human rights is one way to impose costs, apply counter-pressure, and regain the initiative from them strategically.
From Politico (https://www.politico.com/story/2017/12/19/tillerson-state-human-rights-304118):
Three months into his tenure as secretary of state, Rex Tillerson … said, should be careful not to let values like human rights create "obstacles" to the pursuit of its interests.
The comment, at a gathering of State Department employees, provoked an outcry among former U.S. officials and human rights activists … Two weeks later, a top Tillerson adviser wrote up a short tutorial, in the form of a confidential memo … recapping “the debate over how far to emphasize human rights, democracy promotion, and liberal values in American foreign policy.”
The May 17 memo (https://www.politico.com/f/?id=00000160-6c37-da3c-a371-ec3f13380001) reads like a crash course … that the U.S. should use human rights as a club against its adversaries, like Iran, China and North Korea, while giving a pass to repressive allies like the Philippines, Egypt and Saudi Arabia.
“Allies should be treated differently—and better—than adversaries. Otherwise, we end up with more adversaries, and fewer allies,” argued the memo … …
During his May visit to Saudi Arabia, and while hosting the leaders of Egypt and Turkey at the White House, Trump did not publicly press the leaders of those countries on their authoritarian policies. But during an address to South Korea’s Parliament in November, Trump spoke at striking length about the brutality of North Korea’s regime. Trump and Tillerson have also repeatedly assailed Iran’s human rights record.
Hook’s memo “tells Tillerson that we should … use human rights as a weapon to beat up our adversaries while letting ourselves and our allies off the hook,” …
"we should consider human rights as an important issue in regard to U.S. relations with China, Russia, North Korea, and Iran. … It is also because pressing those regimes on human rights is one way to impose costs, apply counter-pressure, and regain the initiative from them strategically."