A group of 33 former ambassadors and Middle East affairs experts endorsed former Vice President Joe Biden for president on Friday, arguing that under President Trump the U.S. has “lost the trust and friendships of many countries.”
The prominent endorsement comes weeks after Mr. Biden received support from nearly 500 former generals and national security experts. Mr. Trump last month was endorsed by over 200 former military leaders.
In their endorsement, the policy experts cited Mr. Biden’s “long record of public service” and said the democratic nominee “will advance America’s national security interests, promote the rule of law and protect minorities and human rights at home and in the [Middle East and North Africa] region.”
“Joe Biden will urge regional partners to end harmful policies, including ending support for the Saudi-UAE coalition waging the tragic war in Yemen, the crackdown on dissent and the targeting of female activists, dissidents and journalists,” they said.
The endorsers, which include former ambassadors to Middle East and North African countries, State Department and White House officials, and policy experts, explained that although they may not agree with all of Mr. Biden’s policies, they are confident he will “elevate U.S. diplomacy in order to shape political settlements and give citizens a voice in developing political solutions to the many conflicts in the region.”
Without mentioning Mr. Trump by name, the endorsers hinted to the unconventional foreign policy approach that the current administration has often been scrutinized for and said that Mr. Biden “will lead us away from inflammatory rhetoric and actions, the unconditional embrace of abusive rulers, and policies that undermine American national security.”
“We believe that Joe Biden has the integrity, knowledge and understanding to initiate and support policies that protect America’s interests and security,” they said, “while enabling the people of the region to achieve their aspirations for stability, security, prosperity and justice.”
• Lauren Toms can be reached at lmeier@washingtontimes.com.
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