Having ended the war in Afghanistan, President Joe Biden is now trying to explain to a skeptical world his plans for building a peace. Biden pledged not to retreat to the kind of America First isolationism of his predecessor, but instead to continue to speak out for the basic rights of the Afghan people, especially women and girls. "The military mission is over," Secretary of State Antony Blinken said in his speech this week. "A new diplomatic mission has begun." He said that effort will stay focused on counterterrorism, humanitarian aid, safe passage for refugees and international diplomacy. "America's work in Afghanistan continues," Blinken said. "We have a plan for what's next." If the Biden-Blinken new foreign policy can demonstrate that tough peacemaking works better than war, it may catch on around the world.
–Fletcher Farrar, editor
