Jake Sullivan, President Biden’s National Security Adviser, is facing criticism for comments he made in September 2023 claiming the Middle East was “quieter” than it had been in decades.
Since then, Hamas launched a deadly terrorist attack against Israel killing over 1,000 people, and Iran conducted its first-ever direct attack on Israel with hundreds of drones and missiles.
Sullivan’s remarks dismissing the stability of the region drew sharp condemnation on social media from Republicans and foreign policy experts who pointed to Sullivan’s involvement in past foreign policy failures like Benghazi and the Afghanistan withdrawal.
As National Security Adviser, Sullivan has been central to controversies around being unable to account for all Americans left behind in Afghanistan and was previously called to be removed from his position due to a track record of being at the “epicenter” of major crises over the last decade.
“What we said is [we] want to depressurize, de-escalate and ultimately integrate the Middle East region,” Sullivan said.
“The war in Yemen is in its 19th month of truce. For now, the Iranian attacks against U.S. forces have stopped. Our presence in Iraq is stable. I emphasize for now because all of that can change and the Middle East region is quieter today than it has been in two decades,” he added.
“This is who is running Biden’s foreign policy,” the Republican National Committee wrote on X.
“Hard to believe, but this was 6 months ago,” Middle East Institute Senior Fellow Charles Lister said.
His comments downplaying threats in the Middle East have renewed scrutiny of his assessments.
“Jake Sullivan has been attached to some of our biggest foreign disasters, including Benghazi,” journalist Sharyl Attkisson wrote on X. “Who knows why he continues to achieve high positions making more mistakes.”
“From Benghazi to the disastrous withdrawal from Afghanistan, Jake Sullivan has been at the epicenter of the worst foreign policy crises and decisions over the past decade,” Rep. James Comer said. “Given this administration’s tendency to create self-inflicted crises, it’s no surprise Jake Sullivan has been given a top post at the Biden White House.”
