Biden Lies to the World from the United Nations Podium

President Joe Biden took the stage at the world’s largest gathering in a single location: the annual meeting of the United Nations General Assembly. The U.S. president took the U.N. podium, speaking before the General Assembly about his administration’s foreign policy under a thick cloak of lies and misinformation in order to conceal the same aggressive policies pursued by successive U.S. administrations, regardless of who occupies the White House, whether Republican or Democrat.

Biden claimed that his administration is not seeking out war or a new cold war. He also claimed, as opposed to previous U.S. presidents, to be standing on the U.N. podium and leading a U.S. administration that was not fighting a war. He spoke about his administration’s role in spreading stability and peace in the world, and about his administration’s policy of resorting to force as a last resort, rather than leading with it. He stressed that diplomacy and dialogue are the best ways to solve the problems and crises that intermittently plague international relations.

In the context of his interpretation of this “peaceful” policy, he spoke about Iran and North Korea. He said that he, his administration and his allies would work to prevent Iran from acquiring a nuclear weapon. Regarding North Korea, he stated that he would make an effort to denuclearize, of course, hinting at applying diplomatic tactics, leaving the use of force as a last resort.

While Biden talked about moving away from a new cold war and political and military blocs, the world was abuzz over the U.S. being awarded a huge contract to supply Australia with nuclear submarines, after the deal was pickpocketed from French President Emmanuel Macron, a U.S. ally. Furthermore, this controversy coincided with the announcement of a U.S.-Australian-British military alliance to control the Indo-Pacific.

All of these maneuvers, of course, targeted China and its influence and growing power. Have you ever seen anyone lie more blatantly than when the U.S. president went on about moving away from political and military blocs, refusing to return to the Cold War and resorting to force only as a last resort to problems, disputes and crises? Have you ever heard more outright lies than Biden’s?

The U.S. president did not talk about the crimes committed by his country over the past 20 years in Afghanistan. He did not talk about the victims killed by U.S. bombs during the U.S. occupation of Afghanistan. He did not talk about the devastation inflicted on Afghanistan under the U.S. occupation. He did not talk about successive U.S. administrations that turned Afghanistan into a testing ground for newly developed weapons and bombs. Biden did not talk about experiments with weapons of mass destruction, the internationally prohibited weapons that were tested on the Afghan people. He did not talk about these crimes or how to atone for them. So, what obligations does the occupier have after evading the weight of responsibility in Afghanistan? The U.S. fled without any consequences for occupation, without any moral, political or legal duty.

This meek president, a dove, spoke of America’s withdrawal because Ameria wants peace. After 20 years of occupation in Afghanistan, it leaves the people devastated, bloodstained, starving, without health care, agricultural improvements industrial development. It is a country without basic necessities; its brave people scour for food, medicine and water.

From the U.N. podium, Biden stressed that his country would not resort to military force, but rather engage diplomacy. As he spoke, the world was witness to one the harshest forms of arrogance and criminal force against the Yemeni people — children, women and men — in every corner of Yemen. These attacks involved weapons that are banned internationally, including aircraft, missiles and ammunition, all deadly weapons indirectly supplied by the U.S. to those perpetrating the attacks on Yemen, occupying its lands and striking unarmed civilians in the north and south, especially children. Isn’t the U.S. truly responsible for the siege of the Yemeni people? For blockading food, medicine and fuel? For the closure of ports and airports, depriving Yemenis of everything that could help them face their difficult lives in the wake of the occupation and oppression from their overlords? Is there anyone in the world today who doesn't know that the U.S., along with Israel, Great Britain and other Western countries, are responsible, along with the decadent Arab regimes, for striking Yemen’s people, occupying their land and plundering their wealth?

At the same time, we see American bases becoming increasingly dangerous in Iraqi Kurdistan, especially in the areas bordering Iran. We see occupation in northeastern Syria, the plundering wealth from the Syrian people and illegal smuggling and trade of goods on the black market. All this is being perpetrated by the U.S. and the agents that call themselves leaders of the armed Kurdish movement.

This is occurring while Biden is engaged in diplomatic negotiations with the Iraqi government. We also see him making deals with the Iraqi Kurds, Syria and Iran, creating confusion and spreading terrorism. Is this what Biden calls peace and stability and the use of diplomacy instead of war?

In his U.N. remarks when Biden addressed the essence the Middle East conflict, i.e., the Palestinian issue and the Zionist entity that occupies Arab land, he failed to mention that Israel occupies the West Bank, occupies the Golan Heights and occupies the Shebaa Farms. (Although in our opinion, it occupies the entire territory of historic Palestine.) He made no mention of this in citing the reasons behind the clash, tension and conflict, nor did he mention that the right of return has been denied to Palestinians because Israel is against it. And it should be noted that this right of return is enshrined in the U.N. Charter, which the world is called upon to respect by this very same forum.

Speaking from the U.N. podium, Biden asserted that he believes the two-state solution is appropriate. Appropriate for for whom? Speaking clearly, Biden said, “a two-state solution is the best way to ensure Israel’s future” and to protect it as a “democratic state.” Of course, by this, he means that it is the only “democratic” state in the Middle East, even though Biden cannot see that it is a democracy based on racial discrimination. And he is declaring from a platform before the U.N. that the two-state solution offers protection for Israel, support for Israel and peace for Israel. There is nothing about how to protect the rights of the Palestinian people.

Yet another American president is lying. His position against alliances, against a cold war, against the arms race, against nuclear armament, against practices that exacerbate the climate crisis, and his position in favor of diplomatic solutions and negotiations, are all a cover for a policy that is the exact opposite of what he was saying. Biden is pursuing a policy of alliances and recreating them, creating blocs, even ones that compete with NATO, and and a policy that takes a stand against his allies, all with unparalleled opportunism. But then it is all explained away by saying that the U.S. will make decisions to protect its own interests.

Biden told the whole world: When matters affect U.S. interests, all this talk about diplomacy and breaking away from new alliances, blocs and the arms race is meaningless because U.S. interests hang in the balance. Therefore, it will use force, as he said, when necessary to defend those interests.

And so, what is Biden saying? And what do we say? What Biden says is very clear, but what about those regimes that have tethered themselves to Biden? And what about Palestine, whose position has been dependent on U.S. policy and Biden’s stance, in particular? And what about those struggling to defend Palestinian interests? Should we now place bets on what Biden will actually do?

The author is a Palestinian writer and politician.