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The Biden Doctrine

There can be few decisions that weigh as heavily on the individual as that of the US President’s decision to use lethal force. Biden may be familiar with the workings of the White House but the decision he made in February to authorise an airstrike against Iran-backed militias in Syria would not have come likely. Monitoring groups suggest some twenty-two people were killed in a strike that sparked debate as to the legal basis of the strikes, what its geopolitical objectives were and perhaps most fundamentally of all what did it tell us about Biden’s approach to foreign affairs.
It should perhaps not surprise observers that unlike the young and inexperienced Barack Obama, President Biden, the oldest President in US history, knows exactly what he wants from the American foreign policy machine. If all new Presidents are juxtaposed to their predecessors that has come in President Biden’s instant restoration of priorities around strengthening America’s presence on the world stage through alliances and multilateral institutions.
In one of his first set piece speeches on foreign affairs Biden explained that “I’m sending a clear message to the world: America is back. The transatlantic alliance is back.” One obvious plank of Biden’s return to more conventional foreign policy was the prediction that he would look to rekindle the Iran Nuclear Deal which the Trump Administration had tried hard to exit.
Opening channels and diplomacy with Iran would seem at odds with the airstrike that Biden authorised against Tehran’s allies in Syria but that says a lot about how the new President will balance carrot and stick. Interestingly the strike was in Syria, which despite various deconfliction methods has become a chessboard from a vast array of armed actors, not Iraq where Biden’s respect for the Government in Baghdad is perhaps of a different tone to that of Trump’s.
Critics of Obama’s Iran policy argue that he was too forgiving of Iran’s ability to undermine US interests in the region in order to get the nuclear deal over the line. Biden appears to be course correcting from that policy showing Iran right from the off that he’s willing to deploy force if Tehran crosses a new set of lines. “You can't act with impunity,” Biden told reporters in Houston, when asked what message he was trying to send Tehran by ordering the airstrike, “Be careful,” he added. The Pentagon said in a statement that "the operation sends an unambiguous message: President Biden will act to protect American and coalition personnel."
If Obama’s foreign policy mantra was surmised by his quip that you should avoid “doing stupid sh**”, Biden is apparently willing to be more activist. However, he is surely sensitive to scrutiny from his own side around such steps. Indeed, Democratic Senator Tim Kaine responded to events by claiming that; "last week’s airstrikes in Syria show that the Executive Branch, regardless of party, will continue to stretch its war powers. Congress has a responsibility to not only vote to authorize new military action, but to repeal old authorizations that are no longer necessary."
Time will tell if Congress is able to clip the White House’s wings, but another interesting facet of events was reported by the Wall Street Journal. They claimed that the strike was originally broader in nature but was changed by the President at the last minute in order to avoid killing civilians who were present in the strike area. It is hard to imagine Trump pulling his punches in the same way yet the actual strike comprised seven 500lbs bombs which wasn’t by any means rapier like in its subtlety despite the Pentagon arguing that it was 'the more restrained option.'
Biden has come into the White House in an era where activity below the level of war has become the norm. From cyber warfare to drone warfare, we are far from the notion of set piece wars between opposing militaries. Putting pressure on Iran’s non-state proxies is a far less overt and provocative mode of communicating with violence than the killing of General Qasem Soleimani.
Obama’s ‘red lines’ over the conflict in Syria will be one of the most terrible legacies of his administration’s foreign policy. In essence he set out limits that his policies couldn’t match. Biden is being quick to set out and enforce his own lines, which are less assertive than Obama’s but are designed to perhaps give him a pragmatic mandate that show he is no hawk, no dove but rather a predictable straight shooter who will respond if America’s enemies are not more careful.
BY: James Denselow
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BENEFIT AGM approves 10%...
- March 27, 2025
BENEFIT, the Kingdom’s innovator and leading company in Fintech and electronic financial transactions service, held its Annual General Meeting (AGM) at the company’s headquarters in the Seef District.
During the meeting, shareholders approved all items listed on the agenda, including the ratification of the minutes of the previous AGM held on 26 March 2024. The session reviewed and approved the Board’s Annual Report on the company’s activities and financial performance for the fiscal year ended 31 December 2024, and the shareholders expressed their satisfaction with the company’s operational and financial results during the reporting period.
The meeting also reviewed the Independent External Auditor’s Report on the company’s consolidated financial statements for the year ended 31 December 2024. Subsequently, the shareholders approved the audited financial statements for the fiscal year. Based on the Board’s recommendation, the shareholders approved the distribution of a cash dividend equivalent to 10% of the paid-up share capital.
Furthermore, the shareholders endorsed the allocation of a total amount of BD 172,500 as remuneration to the members of the Board for the year ended 31 December 2024, subject to prior clearance by related authorities.
The extension of the current composition of the Board was approved, which includes ten members and one CBB observer, for a further six-month term, expiring in September 2025, pending no objection from the CBB.
The meeting reviewed and approved the Corporate Governance Report for 2024, which affirmed the company’s full compliance with the corporate governance directives issued by the CBB and other applicable regulatory frameworks. The AGM absolved the Board Members of liability for any of their actions during the year ending on 31st December 2024, in accordance with the Commercial Companies Law.
In alignment with regulatory requirements, the session approved the reappointment of Ernst & Young (EY) as the company’s External Auditors for the fiscal year 2025, covering both the parent company and its subsidiaries—Sinnad and Bahrain FinTech Bay. The Board was authorised to determine the external auditors’ professional fees, subject to approval from the CBB, and the meeting concluded with a discussion of any additional issues as per Article (207) of the Commercial Companies Law.
Speaking on the company’s performance, Mr. Mohamed Al Bastaki, Chairman BENEFIT , stated: “In terms of the financial results for 2024, I am pleased to say that the year gone by has also been proved to be a success in delivering tangible results. Growth rate for 2024 was 19 per cent. Revenue for the year was BD 17 M (US$ 45.3 Million) and net profit was 2 Million ($ 5.3 Million).
Mr. Al Bastaki also announced that the Board had formally adopted a new three-year strategic roadmap to commence in 2025. The strategy encompasses a phased international expansion, optimisation of internal operations, enhanced revenue diversification, long-term sustainability initiatives, and the advancement of innovation and digital transformation initiatives across all service lines.
“I extend my sincere appreciation to the CBB for its continued support of BENEFIT and its pivotal role in fostering a stable and progressive regulatory environment for the Kingdom’s banking and financial sector—an environment that has significantly reinforced Bahrain’s standing as a leading financial hub in the region,” said Mr. Al Bastaki. “I would also like to thank our partner banks and valued customers for their trust, and our shareholders for their ongoing encouragement. The achievements of 2024 set a strong precedent, and I am confident they will serve as a foundation for yet another successful and impactful year ahead.”
Chief Executive of BENEFIT; Mr. Abdulwahed AlJanahi commented, “The year 2024 represented another pivotal chapter in BENEFIT ’s evolution. We achieved substantial progress in advancing our digital strategy across multiple sectors, while reinforcing our long-term commitment to the development of Bahrain’s financial services and payments landscape. Throughout the year, we remained firmly aligned with our objective of delivering measurable value to our shareholders, strategic partners, and customers. At the same time, we continued to play an active role in enabling Bahrain’s digital economy by introducing innovative solutions and service enhancements that directly address market needs and future opportunities.”
Mr. AlJanahi affirmed that BENEFIT has successfully developed a robust and well-integrated payment network that connects individuals and businesses across Bahrain, accelerating the adoption of emerging technologies in the banking and financial services sector and reinforcing Bahrain’s position as a growing fintech hub, and added, “Our achievements of the past year reflect a long-term vision to establish a resilient electronic payment infrastructure that supports the Kingdom’s digital economy. Key developments in 2024 included the implementation of central authentication for open banking via BENEFIT Pay”
Mr. AlJanahi concluded by thanking the Board for its strategic direction, the company’s staff for their continued dedication, and the Central Bank of Bahrain, member banks, and shareholders for their valuable partnership and confidence in the company’s long-term vision.
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