Reactions in Washington
“Biden’s decision not to run in 2020 is an important indication that he is an honest broker trying to lead a bipartisan consensus to strengthen the middle class,” said Martin Bregman, who was deputy national security adviser to former Vice President Al Gore. “Even though he has a track record in energy issues, he is all in on this one.”
Senator Chris Murphy, a Democrat from Connecticut, said the move was “long overdue” and that Democrats had “finally done something smart in energy policy.”
David Julian, of the Western Energy Alliance, said the move was “a warning shot across the bow of our adversaries.”
Russia’s Ministry of Defence warned the United States not to interfere in its energy business.
“Russia advises the Americans not to interfere in our energy pipeline projects,” spokesman Igor Konashenkov said. “Any attempt to attack our energy pipelines and poison our energy market will have no effect.”
“This is an indicator that the negotiations are moving to the next stage,” said Thomas Pyle, president of the free-market advocacy group American Energy Alliance.
The response in Africa
Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and African heads of state are meeting in Dakar, Senegal, for the first of a series of African visits by President Donald Trump.
In Chad, Pompeo said the Trump administration’s “commitment to the security of Africa is as vital as ever.” He also praised Chad’s close ties with the United States.
However, others in Chad have been less impressed by the administration’s rhetoric.
On the eve of Pompeo’s visit, Khairat Nafie, a member of parliament in Chad’s neighboring nation of Central African Republic, said, “What has been said is correct. But the implementation is still lacking.”
Chad’s president, Idriss Deby, has faced criticism in past years, especially over the violence in his capital, N’Djamena, where troops from Chadian and African countries have battled rebels.
About 5,000 men from Central African Republic are currently deployed there.
The draft order is another sign that U.S. interest in Africa is beginning to wane.
Award for a Swiss Bitcoin wallet creator
Edward Manning is on sabbatical as part of Stanford University’s Journalist Program. He lives in Switzerland.