Clinton Security Policy: Willing to Use the Tools of Power

Posted: November 8th, 2016

By John Sipher

John Sipher worked for the CIA’s clandestine service for 28 years. He is now a nonresident senior fellow at the Atlantic Council and a co-founder of Spycraft Entertainment. John served multiple overseas tours as Chief of Station and Deputy Chief of Station in Europe, Asia, and in high-threat environments. He is the recipient of CIA’s Distinguished Career Intelligence Medal.

If Hillary Clinton wins tonight, it will likely be a relief to the Washington foreign policy establishment, our Allies, and probably even our adversaries. If anything is valued in international affairs, it is predictability and stability. Even those revolutionary states that are looking to overturn the status quo are probably taken aback by the sheer capriciousness of Donald Trump’s statements and positions. Allies will undoubtedly be heartened by her victory, and the small army of long-time foreign policy elites will be lining up for jobs.

Whereas Trump’s profound ignorance, history of stating radically conflicting positions, and general disinterest in the topic makes his foreign policy a complete mystery, it is much easier to predict Ms. Clinton’s actions as President. Ms. Clinton’s views are squarely in the camp of Washington’s foreign policy elite – the largely bi-partisan centrist internationalists who have held sway in Washington since the beginning of the Cold War.

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