This is both sad and hilarious. Sad because this piece by Jake Sullivan explains the “Biden Doctrine” in foreign policy, and hilarious because its publication demonstrates just how badly run this administration is.

1/@JakeSullivan46's new article in Foreign Affairs is the de facto Biden Doctrine. He shows how Biden's foreign policy choices represent his approach to sustaining American power in its third post-war phase …https://t.co/AM3IaOop8j

— Greg Ip (@greg_ip) October 25, 2023

Sullivan is Biden’s National Security Advisor, and in that role, he has presided along with Biden over some of the worst foreign policy blunders in a generation.

That is a high bar, too. Think Obama and Ukraine, Hillary and Obama in Libya, the “Arab Spring” debacles. Only George W. Bush’s invasion of Iraq could be said to be worse than Biden’s management of foreign policy. It has been Obama on steroids.

Sullivan laid out the Biden Doctrine in Foreign Affairs, and as is almost always the case the piece was written long before publication. As such it was written and submitted before the Hamas attacks on Israel on 10/7. The original version made it into print, but the version online is completely diffeent.

The current version of the article has this to say:

With respect to the Middle East more generally, the president inherited a region that was highly pressurized. The original version of this article, written before the October 7 terrorist attacks by Hamas in Israel, emphasized the progress in the Middle East after two decades marked by a massive U.S. military intervention in Iraq, a NATO military campaign in Libya, raging civil wars, refugee crises, the rise of a self-declared terrorist caliphate, revolutions and counterrevolutions, and the breakdown in relations among key countries in the region. It described our efforts to return to a disciplined U.S. policy approach that prioritized deterring aggression, de-escalating conflicts, and integrating the region through joint infrastructure projects, including between Israel and its Arab neighbors. There was material progress. The war in Yemen had reached its 18th month of a truce. Other conflicts had cooled. Regional leaders openly worked together. In September, the president announced a new economic corridor that connects India to Europe through the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Jordan, and Israel.

The original version of this article emphasized that this progress was fragile and that perennial challenges remained, including tensions between Israel and Palestinians and the threat posed by Iran. The October 7 attacks have cast a shadow over the entire regional picture, the repercussions of which are still playing out, including the risk of significant regional escalation. But the disciplined approach in the Middle East that we have pursued remains core to our posture and planning as we deal with this crisis.

As President Biden demonstrated when he traveled to Israel in a rare wartime visit on October 18, the United States firmly supports Israel as it protects its citizens and defends itself against brutal terrorists. We are working closely with regional partners to facilitate the sustainable delivery of humanitarian assistance to civilians in the Gaza Strip. And the president has repeatedly made clear that the United States stands for the protection of civilian life during conflict and respect for the laws of war. Hamas, which has committed atrocities that recall the worst ravages of ISIS, does not represent the Palestinian people, and it does not stand for their right to dignity and self-determination. We are committed to a two-state solution that does. In fact, our discussions with Saudi Arabia and Israel toward normalization have always included significant proposals for the Palestinians. If agreed, this component would ensure that a path to two states remains viable, with significant and concrete steps taken in that direction by all relevant parties.

We are alert to the risk that the current crisis could spiral into a regional conflict. We have conducted extensive diplomatic outreach and enhanced our military force posture in the region. Since the beginning of this administration, we have acted militarily when necessary to protect U.S. personnel. We are committed to ensuring that Iran never obtains a nuclear weapon. And while military force must never be a tool of first resort, we stand ready and prepared to use it when necessary to protect U.S. personnel and interests in this important region.

It’s a bunch of gobbledygook and wishful thinking, making absurd claims that Hamas doesn’t represent the majority view of Palestinians, and suggesting that Israel hasn’t offered land for peace numerous times and been rebuffed.

Just look at the worldwide demonstrations celebrating Hamas’ brutality. This is fantasy land.

But what is more intriguing is just what Sullivan wrote prior to the attacks. Just prior–it shows how utterly out of touch the Biden Administration has been. As Hamas was planning the last stages of its vicious attacks on Israel–having prepared for up to a year to execute the most vile crimes in Israel–Sullivan was touting the success of Joe Biden’s peace strategy in the Middle East.

So let’s look at what was scrubbed  from Sullivan’s celebration of the Biden Doctrine. The print version is substantially different. :

“The Israeli-Palestinian situation is tense, particularly in the West Bank, but in the face of serious frictions, we have de-escalated crises in Gaza and restored direct diplomacy between the parties after years of its absence.” (2/6)

— Jeremy Stern (@JeremySternLA) October 25, 2023

Biden’s “disciplined approach frees up resources for other global priorities, reduces the risk of new Middle Eastern conflicts, and ensures that US interests are protected on a far more sustainable basis.” (4/6)

— Jeremy Stern (@JeremySternLA) October 25, 2023

“the region is quieter than it has been for decades. The progress is fragile, to be sure. But it is also not an accident… [Biden's] approach returns discipline to US policy. It emphasizes deterring aggression, de-escalating conflicts, and integrating the region…” (6/6)

— Jeremy Stern (@JeremySternLA) October 25, 2023

Biden brought a fragile peace to the Middle East, we are told, and the Administration de-escalated crises in Gaza and has deterred Iranian aggression. Now Biden can focus his attention elsewhere.

Huh. Smart analysis Jake. Biden has been a boon to world peace.

I seem to recall a time, say, 3-4 years ago when Arab countries were normalizing relations with Israel, a major split between Sunni Arab countries and the Palestinians was created, and the US moved its embassy to Jerusalem without any problem at all.

That was before the “adults in the room” got back in charge, dedicated to projecting American weakness and sending money to a hostile Iran, who used it to make war.

Sullivan is lucky that the online version of the article didn’t get published before 10/7–even the MSM couldn’t let such a juicy story of just how wrong about everything he turned out to be. He would be the laughingstock of the world. But few people will ever see the print version, so it will likely get memory-holed.

As it is, anybody in the know is aware of how awful Biden’s “doctrine” is, and how this administration has turned a strong country into a weak one. The MSM, though, will clean up the PR mess for Biden, though.

I still have hope that America can avoid becoming directly involved in yet another war, or two, or three. But if we manage to do that it will be no thanks to Biden. He is mumbling and stumbling into World War III.

UPDATED: removed a reference that was irrelevant.