Editing Joe Biden (section)

=== Senate Foreign Relations Committee ===
[[File:Bill Clinton and officials on Air Force One.jpg|thumb|Senator Biden accompanies President Clinton and other officials to [[Bosnia and Herzegovina]], December 1997.|alt=Photo of Clinton, his senior officials, and Biden on Air Force One]]

Biden was a longtime member of the [[United States Senate Committee on Foreign Relations|Senate Foreign Relations Committee]]. He became its ranking minority member in 1997 and chaired it from June 2001 to 2003 and 2007 to 2009.<ref name="aap08-365" /> His positions were generally [[Liberal internationalism|liberal internationalist]].<ref name="nyt-foreign">{{cite news | url=https://www.nytimes.com/2008/08/24/world/americas/24iht-policy.4.15591832.html | title=In Biden, Obama chooses a foreign policy adherent of diplomacy before force | last=Gordon | first=Michael R. | newspaper=[[The New York Times]] | date=August 24, 2008 | access-date=November 5, 2009 | author-link=Michael R. Gordon | archive-date=February 27, 2013 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130227192937/https://www.nytimes.com/2008/08/24/world/americas/24iht-policy.4.15591832.html | url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="lat-foreign" /> He collaborated effectively with Republicans and sometimes went against elements of his own party.<ref name="aap08-365" /><ref name="lat-foreign" /> During this time he met with at least 150 leaders from 60 countries and international organizations, becoming a well-known Democratic voice on foreign policy.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://voices.washingtonpost.com/44/2008/09/23/meetings_with_foreign_leaders.html |title=Meetings with Foreign Leaders? Biden's Been There, Done That |last=Kessler |first=Glenn |newspaper=[[The Washington Post]] |date=September 23, 2008 |access-date=November 5, 2009 |author-link=Glenn Kessler (journalist) |archive-date=January 12, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120112112314/https://voices.washingtonpost.com/44/2008/09/23/meetings_with_foreign_leaders.html |url-status=dead}}</ref>

Biden voted against authorization for the [[Gulf War]] in 1991.<ref name="lat-foreign">{{cite news |url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2008-aug-24-na-foreignpol24-story.html |title=Joe Biden respected—if not always popular—for foreign policy record |last1=Richter |first1=Paul |last2=Levey |first2=Noam N. |newspaper=[[Los Angeles Times]] |date=August 24, 2008 |access-date=November 5, 2009 |archive-date=May 2, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190502051910/https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2008-aug-24-na-foreignpol24-story.html |url-status=live}}</ref> He became interested in the [[Yugoslav Wars]] after hearing about Serbian abuses during the [[Croatian War of Independence]] in 1991.<ref name="nyt-foreign" /> Once the [[Bosnian War]] broke out, Biden was among the first to call for the "[[Lift and strike (Bosnian War)|lift and strike]]" policy.<ref name="nyt-foreign" /><ref name="aap08-365" /> The [[George H. W. Bush administration]] and [[Clinton administration]] were both reluctant to implement the policy, fearing Balkan entanglement.<ref name="nyt-foreign" /><ref name="lat-foreign" /> In April 1993, Biden had a tense three-hour meeting with Serbian leader [[Slobodan Milošević]].<ref name="wapo-bosnia">{{cite news |last=Kessler |first=Glenn |author-link=Glenn Kessler (journalist) |date=October 7, 2008 |title=Biden Played Less Than Key Role in Bosnia Legislation |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/10/06/AR2008100602681.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://archive.today/20130209080644/http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/10/06/AR2008100602681.html |archive-date=February 9, 2013 |access-date=November 5, 2009 |newspaper=[[The Washington Post]]}}</ref> Biden worked on several versions of legislative language urging the U.S. toward greater involvement.<ref name="wapo-bosnia" /> He has called his role in affecting Balkan policy in the mid-1990s his "proudest moment in public life" related to foreign policy.<ref name="lat-foreign" /> In 1999, during the [[Kosovo War]], Biden supported the [[NATO bombing of Yugoslavia]].<ref name="nyt-foreign" /> He and Senator [[John McCain]] co-sponsored the McCain-Biden Kosovo Resolution, which called on Clinton to use all necessary force, including ground troops, to confront Milošević over Yugoslav actions toward [[Kosovo Albanians]].<ref name="lat-foreign" /><ref name="wsj082508">{{cite news | url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/SB121954185485266719 | title=Biden, McCain Have a Friendship—and More—in Common | last=Holmes | first=Elizabeth | newspaper=[[The Wall Street Journal]] | date=August 25, 2008 | access-date=November 5, 2009 | archive-date=October 16, 2015 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151016194520/https://www.wsj.com/articles/SB121954185485266719 | url-status=live}}</ref>

==== Wars in Afghanistan and Iraq ====
{{Main|War on terror}}
[[File:Joe Biden addresses the press after having a brief meeting with Iraq's interim Prime Minister lyad Allawi.jpg|thumb|Biden addresses the press after meeting with Prime Minister [[Ayad Allawi]] in [[Baghdad]] in 2004.|alt=refer to caption]]

Biden was a strong supporter of the [[War in Afghanistan (2001–2021)|War in Afghanistan]], saying, "Whatever it takes, we should do it."<ref>{{cite magazine|last1=Crowley|first1=Michael|title=Hawk Down|url=https://newrepublic.com/article/politics/hawk-down|magazine=[[The New Republic]]|quote=Even before Obama announced his run for president, Biden was warning that Afghanistan, not Iraq, was the 'central front' in the war against Al Qaeda, requiring a major U.S. commitment. 'Whatever it takes, we should do it,' Biden said in February 2002.|date=September 24, 2009|access-date=January 24, 2021|archive-date=October 16, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151016194518/https://www.newrepublic.com/article/politics/hawk-down|url-status=live}}</ref> As head of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, he said in 2002 that Iraqi president [[Saddam Hussein]] was a threat to national security and there was no other option than to "eliminate" that threat.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.nbcnews.com/id/wbna18381961 |work=[[Meet the Press]] |title=MTP Transcript for April 29, 2007 |first=Tim |last=Russert |publisher=[[NBC News]] |date=April 29, 2007 |page=2 |author-link=Tim Russert |access-date=January 24, 2021 |archive-date=December 8, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201208191954/https://www.nbcnews.com/id/18381961 |url-status=live}}</ref> In October 2002, he voted in favor of the [[Authorization for Use of Military Force Against Iraq]], approving the [[U.S. invasion of Iraq]].<ref name="lat-foreign" /> As chair of the committee, he assembled witnesses to testify in favor of the authorization. They gave testimony grossly misrepresenting the intent, history, and status of Saddam and his government, and touted Iraq's fictional possession of [[weapons of mass destruction]].<ref>{{#invoke:cite|news|first=Mark|last=Weisbrot|author-link=Mark Weisbrot|date=February 18, 2020|access-date=August 28, 2021|url=https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2020/feb/17/joe-biden-role-iraq-war |title=Joe Biden championed the Iraq war. Will that come back to haunt him now?|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210109174540/https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2020/feb/17/joe-biden-role-iraq-war|archive-date=January 9, 2021|work=[[The Guardian]]}}</ref> Biden eventually became a critic of the war, calling his vote a "mistake" by 2005,<ref>{{Cite web |date=November 27, 2005 |title=Transcript for November 27 |url=https://www.nbcnews.com/id/wbna10154103#.XhtkxhdKh3k |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241124192452/https://www.nbcnews.com/id/wbna10154103#.XhtkxhdKh3k |archive-date=November 24, 2024 |access-date=March 25, 2025 |website=[[NBC News]] |series=[[Meet the Press]] |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last1=Glueck |first1=Katie |last2=Kaplan |first2=Thomas |date=January 12, 2020 |title=Joe Biden's Vote for War |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2020/01/12/us/politics/joe-biden-iraq-war.html |archive-url=https://archive.today/20240301180952/https://www.nytimes.com/2020/01/12/us/politics/joe-biden-iraq-war.html#selection-893.26-895.9 |archive-date=March 1, 2024 |access-date=March 25, 2025 |work=[[The New York Times]] |language=en-US |issn= |quote=}}</ref> but did not push for withdrawal.<ref name="lat-foreign" /><ref name="wapo-bosnia" /> He supported the appropriations for the occupation, but argued that the war should be internationalized, that more soldiers were needed, and that the Bush administration should "level with the American people" about its cost and length.<ref name="aap08-365">''Almanac of American Politics'' 2008, p. 365.</ref><ref name="wsj082508" />

By late 2006, Biden's stance had shifted considerably. He opposed the [[troop surge of 2007]],<ref name="lat-foreign" /><ref name="wapo-bosnia" /> saying General [[David Petraeus]] was "dead, flat wrong" in believing the surge could work.<ref name="nytm-traub" /> Biden instead advocated dividing Iraq into a loose federation of three ethnic states.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2007/08/19/weekinreview/19shanker.html |title=Divided They Stand, but on Graves |first=Thom |last=Shanker |newspaper=[[The New York Times]] |date=August 19, 2007 |access-date=January 24, 2021 |archive-date=January 3, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210103081421/https://www.nytimes.com/2007/08/19/weekinreview/19shanker.html |url-status=live}}</ref>{{sfn|Witcover|2010|pp=572–573}} In September 2007, a non-binding resolution endorsing the plan passed the Senate,<ref>{{cite news |last1=Parker |first1=Ned |last2=Salman |first2=Raheem |date=October 1, 2007 |title=U.S. vote unites Iraqis in anger |newspaper=[[Los Angeles Times]] |url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2007-oct-01-fg-iraq1-story.html |url-status=live |access-date=January 24, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210103081500/https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2007-oct-01-fg-iraq1-story.html |archive-date=January 3, 2021}}</ref> but the idea failed to gain traction.<ref name="nytm-traub" />