The Outer

Antony Blinken: The New York Times Says America’s Top Diplomat Has Become a Minister of War

By Sama Marwan,

The New York Times has described U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, whose tenure will end with the Biden administration, as having transformed from America’s top diplomat to a “minister of war.” The newspaper highlighted that while Blinken rallied dozens of nations to defend Ukraine, he has become a “villain” in the eyes of many critics of U.S. support for Israel in its war on Gaza.

The report detailed two contrasting scenes involving Blinken in recent days. The first was in Paris, where he was honored with the Grand Cross of the Legion of Honor, France’s highest medal of freedom, which Blinken described as the honor of his life. The second was at an Atlantic Council event, where protesters interrupted him with chants such as “Bloody Blinken, Minister of Genocide” and “Blinken is a War Criminal.” Similar protests occurred during his most recent press conference at the State Department, this time from journalists.

The newspaper argued that these conflicting scenes underscore the duality of Blinken’s tenure as Secretary of State. Over four years and more than a million miles of travel, Blinken has been the face of deep American involvement in two wars—one in Ukraine and the other in Gaza. In Ukraine, the defense against Russia was a popular cause, marked by Ukrainian flags adorning American balconies and Blinken basking in praise when invoking international law and human rights. However, Israel’s war on Gaza became a political and moral nightmare for the Biden administration, as Israeli strikes using American weapons killed around 46,000 Palestinians, many of whom were women and children.

The New York Times noted that while Biden set the policy, it was Blinken, his longtime aide, who presented it to the public. Blinken was accused of undermining the very principles he championed in Ukraine, becoming a rare target of sharp criticism aimed at a U.S. Secretary of State.

The report concluded that Blinken’s work and reputation have become so intertwined with these conflicts that he could easily be called the “minister of war,” a title still seen on office signs in the old State Department building.

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