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* Majid Rafizadeh: The Biden Administration's 'Diplomacy' with the Iranian Regime
* Pete Hoekstra: Predicting 2022 - The Year of the Tiger - Part II


** The Biden Administration's 'Diplomacy' with the Iranian Regime ([link removed])
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by Majid Rafizadeh • January 18, 2022 at 5:00 am
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email/offer?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.gatestoneinstitute.org%2F18125%2Fus-diplomacy-iran&pubid=ra-52f7af5809191749&ct=1&title=The+Biden+Administration%27s+%27Diplomacy%27+with+the+Iranian+Regime [link removed]
* As part of its "diplomacy", the White House first told the Iranian leaders not only that it is willing to lift nuclear-related sanctions, but also that it is considering lifting non-nuclear related sanctions.
* Not only has the Biden administration's diplomatic route lifted some of the sanctions on the Iranian regime and its Houthi proxy, the administration has also looked the other way regarding the Islamic Republic's malign actions in the region.
* As #BloodyFriday [the Iranian regime's lethal response to citizens protesting water shortages] trended on Twitter, not a word of condemnation could be heard from the White House. The organization Iranian-Americans for Liberty pleaded with the Biden administration to stand with the protesters....
* Sadly, throughout history, "diplomacy" without the credible threat of a military follow-up (emphasis on the credible) can easily be regarded as just a "toothless" bore.
* The Biden administration's policy of "diplomacy" towards the Iran's ruling mullahs seems in reality to be nothing more distressing to the ruling mullahs than a soggy pile of concessions and capitulations that, far from stopping their predations, will only empower and embolden them.

The Biden administration is perpetuating the idea that the White House is relying on "diplomacy" in dealing with the Iranian regime. However, the Biden administration's "diplomacy" with Iran seems nothing but capitulations to the ruling mullahs. Pictured: US Secretary of State Antony Blinken at the State Department on August 2, 2021, in Washington, DC, after he spoke of a "collective response" to Iran. (Photo by Brendan /Pool/AFP via Getty Images)

The Biden administration is perpetuating the idea that the White House is relying on "diplomacy" in dealing with the Iranian regime. However, the Biden administration's "diplomacy" with Iran seems nothing but capitulations to the ruling mullahs.

As part of its "diplomacy", the White House first told the Iranian leaders not only that it is willing to lift nuclear-related sanctions, but also that it is considering lifting non-nuclear related sanctions. This was followed by the first concession toward Iran's proxy militia group, the Houthis. Even as the evidence — including a report by the United Nations — showed that the Iranian regime was delivering sophisticated weapons to the Houthis in Yemen, the Biden administration suspended some of the anti-terrorism sanctions on the Houthis that the Trump administration had imposed. Soon after, the Biden administration revoked the designation of Yemen's Houthis as a terrorist group.

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** Predicting 2022 - The Year of the Tiger - Part II ([link removed])
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by Pete Hoekstra • January 18, 2022 at 4:00 am
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oneinstitute.org%2F18140%2Fchina-year-of-the-tiger-ii&pubid=ra-52f7af5809191749&ct=1&title=Predicting+2022+-+The+Year+of+the+Tiger+-+Part+II [link removed]
* The same inaction by Western leaders to hold China accountable for the global pandemic that infuriates Western citizens only emboldens the Communist Party leadership, which sees inaction as a license to do more.
* China will be constantly assessing the political strength of its adversaries. European political leaders have never demonstrated the stomach to confront military threats. During my tenure as U.S. Ambassador to the Netherlands, I observed Europeans always believed dialogue was more important than confrontation. Bad agreements were better than no agreements and being party to agreements that did not work was better than withdrawing.
* They also likely assess the EU will do almost anything to protect its significant economic ties with China. The EU likely would propose as the appropriate response to any CCP action against Taiwan talks and talks and talks.
* The CCP will closely monitor the responses of the EU and U.S. to Russia's aggressive posture against Ukraine. Does Russia gain major concessions from the West? Does it grab another piece of Ukraine with little or only a modest reaction from the West? If so, this would signal to China that the West is unreliable ally and ripe for the picking.

It is likely the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) will see 2022 as an opportunity to go big against the U.S. The target will be Taiwan. The CCP will assess that the Biden Administration, facing low polling numbers, continuing economic challenges, the pandemic and midterm elections, will be unlikely to respond forcefully. Pictured: DF-17 hypersonic missiles at a military parade in Beijing, China, on October 1, 2019. (Photo by Kevin Frayer/Getty Images)

The year of the Tiger, 2022, is shaping up to be a year of escalating tension between the world's two major superpowers. It will be go big or go home.

Not only will the U.S. go big against China, but it is likely the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) will see 2022 as an opportunity to go big against the U.S. The target will be Taiwan.

For the CCP, the most important domestic and international goal is reclaiming and integrating Taiwan into the political, economic and military sphere of China. In 2022, we will see the CCP taking the first major offensive steps to move this process forward. The existing long-term framework will be challenged in a way not seen before, including possible kinetic military action against Taiwan.

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