- 1973-1980An Era of Restraint
Vietnam War1970sJoe Biden didn’t offer any moral objections to the Vietnam War and thought protesters were “assholes,” but he said the war was a “tragic mistake” based on “lousy policy.”
War Powers Act1973From the early stages of his Senate career, Joe Biden insisted that presidents cannot wage wars without congressional authorization.
Restrictions on CIA Covert Action1974-1980Joe Biden fought to rein in the CIA following the abuses of the Nixon era, but he also wanted the U.S. to have sweeping surveillance powers.
Biden and Jimmy Carter’s CIA Nominee1976-1977Joe Biden claimed to support President Jimmy Carter’s “outsider” nominee for CIA director — before he helped tank his candidacy with a spurious claim of espionage.
- 1981-1984Placing Conditions on Empire
Biden and Reagan’s CIA Director, William Casey1981In public, Joe Biden railed against William Casey, President Ronald Reagan’s CIA director. Behind the scenes, the relationship was more complicated.
Israeli Bombing of Suspected Iraqi Nuclear Facility1981When Israel carried out a covert bombing of a suspected nuclear site in Iraq, Joe Biden supported the attack but complained that Israel didn’t inform him beforehand.
Saudi Arms Sales1981Joe Biden tried to stop the U.S. from selling attack planes to Saudi Arabia because he thought it was bad for the U.S. and Israel.
Response to the Soviet Invasion of Afghanistan1979-1989Joe Biden supported funding the mujahideen to fight the Soviets in Afghanistan.
Israeli Invasion of Lebanon1982In public, Joe Biden tried to claim neutrality on the Israeli military campaign. In private, he was more enthusiastic about it than the Israeli prime minister.
Invasion of Grenada1983Joe Biden supported the deadly U.S. invasion of the tiny Caribbean island based on dubious intelligence and helped the CIA win backing from other senators.
U.S. Withdrawal From Lebanon1983-84Shortly after the U.S. military was sent into Lebanon’s civil war, hundreds of Americans were killed in a suicide bombing. After taking conflicting positions, Joe Biden wanted the U.S. to get out.
U.S. Support for Military Dictatorship in El Salvador1980sJoe Biden was an opponent of unqualified U.S. support for El Salvador’s military junta, but he sought compromises to ensure that funding was approved with restrictions.
U.S. Support for Contra Death Squads in Nicaragua1980sJoe Biden was against the Contra death squads and opposed CIA involvement in Nicaragua, but he flirted with supporting Reagan’s war.
CIA War Against Whistleblowers1984Joe Biden did not want journalists to go to jail for printing classified information, but he supported the CIA’s efforts to crush whistleblowers and leakers.
- 1985-1989The Wavering Interventionist
U.S. Support for UNITA Rebels in Angola1985Joe Biden opposed U.S. support for Angola’s right-wing UNITA rebels, whose chief lobbyist in Washington, D.C., was Paul Manafort.
Libya Bombing1986Joe Biden supported Reagan’s attempt to assassinate Muammar Gaddafi, but he questioned if U.S. policy in Libya would succeed.
Apartheid South Africa1986Joe Biden was a prominent opponent of apartheid South Africa and fought against U.S. aid to the regime. But he also lied about being arrested while trying to visit Nelson Mandela.
Iran-Contra Investigations1987-88Joe Biden denounced the covert arms-for-hostages programs involved with Iran-Contra, but in the end, he defended Reagan’s role.
Update on the Kennedy Doctrine1987Joe Biden believed that the U.S. should only “pay the right price and bear the right burden” as it defended its dominant role in the world.
Panama Invasion1989Joe Biden promoted the lie that the U.S. was acting defensively when it invaded Panama to overthrow the CIA puppet narcoregime of Manuel Noriega.
- 1991-1995The Making of a Hawk
Iraq Gulf War1991Joe Biden initially opposed the Gulf War, saying it was done without proper congressional authorization.
Biden Begins Walking Back His Opposition to Gulf War1991As George H.W. Bush basked in the self-declared glory of the Gulf War, Joe Biden began pivoting to a hawkish stance on Iraq, saying, “I think I was proven to be wrong.”
Israel and AIPAC1990sJoe Biden made clear that when it comes to U.S. policy in the Middle East, supporting Israel and AIPAC is what matters most
No-Fly Zone Bombings and Economic Sanctions in Iraq1990sJoe Biden supported the longest sustained U.S. bombing campaign since Vietnam and the most sweeping regime of economic sanctions in modern history.
Bosnia1993-1995During the war in the former Yugoslavia, Joe Biden led the push for U.S. military intervention.
U.S. Invasion of Haiti1994Joe Biden faced questions about why he didn’t believe the U.S. had an obligation to stop mass killings of Haitians and reverse a right-wing coup.
Effort to Replace War Powers Act With Use of Force Act1995Joe Biden tried to clarify the role of Congress in U.S. military actions and to challenge executive overreach, but his legislation did not gain momentum.
- 1996-1999The Bombing Senator
Antiterrorism and Effective Death Penalty Act1996Joe Biden was a key player in writing the precursor to the Patriot Act over the objections of civil liberties advocates.
Helms-Burton Act Against Cuba1996As a senator, Joe Biden supported draconian sanctions against Cuba, but he changed his tune two decades later when he became vice president.
Expanded U.S. Bombings in Iraq1996Joe Biden wanted the U.S. to wield its “big stick” in bombing Iraq to secure oil supplies.
Iraq Liberation Act1998Five years before the U.S. invasion of Iraq, Joe Biden joined with neoconservatives in making a policy of regime change the law of the land.
Operation Desert Fox1998Joe Biden set aside his historical concerns about war powers to support Bill Clinton’s bombing of Iraq to “cripple” the country.
Bombings of Sudan and Afghanistan1998Joe Biden applauded Bill Clinton’s bombing of a pharmaceutical factory in Sudan that was justified by relying on dubious intelligence as well as a strike in Afghanistan.
NATO Bombing of Serbia and Montenegro1999Joe Biden was an enthusiastic proponent of the 78-day bombing of Serbia and Montenegro and wanted to send in ground troops.
Plan Colombia1999-2000Joe Biden was a key player in militarizing the war on drugs in the U.S. and in Latin America.
- 2000-2008Warrior on Terror
Calls to Remove Saddam Hussein Unilaterally2000Joe Biden, the top Democrat on the influential Senate Foreign Relations Committee, was willing to use unilateral U.S. force to attack Iraq.
Support for Israeli Military Targeted Killing Policy2001Joe Biden defended Israel against criticisms of its assassination operations against Palestinians, suggesting that disagreements with Israel should be kept private.
September 11 and the Patriot Act2001Joe Biden did not just proudly vote for the Patriot Act, he took credit for many of its provisions.
U.S. Invasion of Afghanistan2001Joe Biden was ecstatic about the invasion of Afghanistan and wanted the U.S. to deploy “badasses” who “shoot and kill people.”
Holding Prisoners at Guantánamo and Denying Them POW Status2002After 9/11, Joe Biden supported sending people to Guantánamo Bay prison and denying some prisoner-of-war status.
Coup Against Venezuela’s Hugo Chávez2002Joe Biden carefully avoided taking a public stance on the coup in Venezuela but later wanted to “ratchet” up efforts to get Hugo Chávez out of power.
Invasion of Iraq2003Joe Biden voted in favor of the Iraq War, promoted lies about WMDs, and expressed support for regime change.
Abu Ghraib Torture2004After photos emerged showing the torture of prisoners at Abu Ghraib, Joe Biden denounced the actions and demanded to know what Donald Rumsfeld knew about it.
Elections in Gaza2006After Hamas won democratic elections in Gaza, Joe Biden called for the U.S. to cut off aid to the the Palestinian Authority.
Israeli Attacks on Lebanon and Gaza2006Despite Israel’s indiscriminate killings of civilians in both Lebanon and Palestine, Joe Biden defended Israel.
Biden Plan to Partition Iraq2006As he began his 2008 Democratic presidential run, Joe Biden put forward a plan that he hoped would distinguish him: partitioning Iraq.
Position on War for Oil in the Middle East2006Joe Biden didn’t say “we attacked Iraq for oil,” but he admitted that it was “in part about oil.”
Military Commissions Act and Guantánamo2006-2007Joe Biden was an early supporter of sending prisoners to Guantánamo, but by 2006, he denounced the practice, saying it was providing “fodder” to Al Qaeda.
Extraordinary Renditions and Secret Prisons2007Six years after 9/11, Joe Biden denounced the CIA’s extraordinary renditions as “extralegal kidnapping” and demanded that black sites and secret prisons be shut down.
- 2009-2016The Occasional Dissenter
Afghanistan Surge2009-2010Joe Biden was against a large troop surge in Afghanistan. Instead, he wanted an expansion of drone strikes and anti-terrorism missions conducted by the CIA and special operations forces.
Gaza Flotilla Raid2010Joe Biden defended Israel’s deadly attack on a maritime humanitarian aid convoy to Gaza.
Egyptian Revolution2011As massive protests against Egyptian dictator Hosni Mubarak rocked Cairo, Joe Biden stood by him.
Libya Intervention2011Joe Biden had reservations about the U.S. intervention in Libya but later claimed that it was the right move to oust Gaddafi.
Global Targeted Killing Programs1998-2011Throughout his career, Joe Biden questioned the legality of U.S. assassinations. As vice president, he became a player in the drone wars.
U.S. Policy Toward NATO Expansion1998-2016Joe Biden has been an unwavering advocate of NATO expansion, saying the alliance is a necessary bulwark against war in Europe and a vehicle for U.S. values and interests.
Snowden, Assange, Mass Surveillance, and Whistleblowing2006-2013Joe Biden frequently rails against whistleblowers and leakers, labeling Julian Assange a “high-tech terrorist” and trying to block Edward Snowden from getting asylum in Ecuador.