Joe Biden’s US Secretary of State nominee Antony Blinken told Congress on Tuesday that the upcoming administration will look into what is negotiated with the Taliban.
During his Senate confirmation meeting on Tuesday, he emphasized plans to redirect the trajectory of US foreign policy following four years of Trump’s leadership.
In relations to Troops withdrawal under Biden’s administration he added, “The President-elect wants to make sure that even as we pull back our forces that we retain the capacity to deal with any reemergence,” however, the democratic team requires thorough access to the agreement between Trump administration and the Taliban in Doha, Qatar.
According to Blinken, the Biden team will “look closely at what’s been negotiated there … to understand fully what commitments were made and not made by the Taliban,” he added, “I don’t believe any agreement is sustainable without protecting gains by women and girls over the last 20 years”.
“I would acknowledge to you that I don’t think that it’s going to be easy, but we will work on it,” Blinken added.
Over the US-Iran Nuclear tensions, he said “President-elect Biden is committed to the proposition that Iran will not acquire a nuclear weapon,” Blinken said.
“And we share, I know, that goal across this committee, an Iran with a nuclear weapon or on the threshold of having one with the capacity to build one on short order would be in Iran that is even more dangerous than it already is.”.
This comes as Joe Biden filled out his team – Reuters, and the his administration members are:
- DIRECTOR OF THE CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE AGENCY: WILLIAM BURNS
- ATTORNEY GENERAL: MERRICK GARLAND
- SECRETARY OF COMMERCE: GINA RAIMONDO
- SECRETARY OF LABOR: MARTY WALSH
- SECRETARY OF STATE: ANTONY BLINKEN
- SECRETARY OF THE TREASURY: JANET YELLEN
- SECRETARY OF DEFENSE: LLOYD AUSTIN
- SECRETARY OF TRANSPORTATION: PETE BUTTIGIEG
- SECRETARY OF AGRICULTURE: TOM VILSACK
- SECRETARY OF HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT: MARCIA FUDGE
- SECRETARY OF EDUCATION: MIGUEL CARDONA
- SECRETARY OF THE INTERIOR: DEB HAALAND
- SECRETARY OF ENERGY: JENNIFER GRANHOLM
- SECRETARY OF VETERANS AFFAIRS: DENIS McDONOUGH
- SECRETARY OF HOMELAND SECURITY: ALEJANDRO MAYORKAS
- SECRETARY OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES: XAVIER BECERRA
- SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION CHAIR: GARY GENSLER
- CONSUMER FINANCIAL PROTECTION BUREAU DIRECTOR: ROHIT CHOPRA
- CENTERS FOR DISEASE CONTROL AND PREVENTION DIRECTOR: ROCHELLE WALENSKY
- CORONAVIRUS COORDINATOR: JEFF ZIENTS
- SURGEON GENERAL: VIVEK MURTHY
- AMBASSADOR TO THE UNITED NATIONS: LINDA THOMAS-GREENFIELD
- UNITED STATES TRADE REPRESENTATIVE: KATHERINE TAI
- WHITE HOUSE DOMESTIC POLICY COUNCIL DIRECTOR: SUSAN RICE
- OFFICE OF MANAGEMENT AND BUDGET DIRECTOR: NEERA TANDEN
- COUNCIL OF ECONOMIC ADVISERS CHAIR: CECILIA ROUSE
- NATIONAL ECONOMIC COUNCIL DIRECTOR: BRIAN DEESE
- NATIONAL SECURITY ADVISER: JAKE SULLIVAN
- DIRECTOR OF NATIONAL INTELLIGENCE: AVRIL HAINES
- SPECIAL PRESIDENTIAL ENVOY FOR CLIMATE: JOHN KERRY
- ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY: MICHAEL REGAN
- DOMESTIC CLIMATE POLICY COORDINATOR: GINA McCARTHY
- WHITE HOUSE CHIEF OF STAFF: RON KLAIN
