Former US Secretary of State and lawyer Hillary Clinton
Doha, Qatar: Former US Secretary of State and lawyer Hillary Clinton, speaking about the shifting role of the United States in the world today, called the suffering in Gaza “horrific”, emphasising the urgent need for the US to get involved in protecting civilians and alleviating suffering around the world.
On the second day of the Doha Forum yesterday, in a lively one-on-one with Foreign Policy Editor-In-Chief Ravi Agrawal, Clinton supported the 20-point Gaza peace plan that brought about the ceasefire, giving credit to the Trump administration and its team for helping bring the terrible war to an end.
Clinton began the session by expressing her dislike for the National Security Strategy, a United States document outlining foreign policy and security priorities which stresses on its non-interventionist policies.
She voiced her opinion that “There is a very clear message from the strategy that was issued and the United States is taking a very big turn away from the kind of alliances that have been the hallmark of our foreign policy, and “I would argue are real strength in influencing events in the world.”
Clinton then went on to express her concern about the impact the second Trump administration could have on countries around the world, raising alarm about the way the US has “moved away from core American values”. She noted examples, including how it has rarely criticised Putin for the brutal war in Ukraine, and how attempts are being made to coerce the Ukrainians into accepting a negotiated ceasefire and peace deal that could leave them vulnerable to further Russian activity.
Discussing Russia’s war in Ukraine, Clinton compared it to Saddam Hussein’s invasion of Kuwait and how the world rightly responded by pushing back. “Putin is intent upon taking as much of Ukraine as he can, I think we could have played - both in the Biden administration and now in the Trump administration - a much more assertive role in trying to help Ukraine, a very heroic job that it is doing in defending itself,” she added.
Clinton expressed her anger at the conflicts in Gaza, Ukraine, Sudan, Eastern Congo, all of which are causing immense suffering, and called on the US government to step in and help ease those crises.
Returning to the National Security Strategy, Clinton explained that with China, the US has economic and strategic competition. “Diplomacy of any kind requires a lot of follow-ups,” said Clinton, adding that soft power development should be a prominent tool to build influence.
As the session concluded, Clinton was asked about the reversal of gains made in women’s rights in recent years, particularly concerning rising cases of domestic abuse and child marriage. She concluded by saying, “There have been pushbacks, and there are reversals, but I am optimistic because I think that it’s out of step with reality. And I still believe that women’s rights are human rights and that women’s equality is the unfinished business of the 21st century, and every nation will do better the more they give opportunities for women to make their own decisions.”
