[The
Telegraph, U.K.]
Financial Times Deutschland, Germany
Obama: Diplomatic Virtuosity
Incarnate
"Obama committed himself to the security of Israel and
simultaneously engendered confidence in the Arab and Islamic world. That kind
of nuance and choice of words has never been found in American policy. … We
were punished for eight years with the worst President in U.S. history. Obama’s
first steps give cause for hope that in four or eight years, an opposite judgment
on Obama will be made."
By
Thomas Klau
Translated
By Jonathan Lobsien
January
29, 2009
Germany
- Financial Times Deutschland - Original Article (German)
The
first steps of the new US President are a sign of a true turning point in Near East
policy [Middle East]. He shows a sensitivity to foreign affairs that his
predecessors entirely lacked - what a pleasant surprise.
Since
the election of Barack Obama as U.S. President, there have been concerns that the
battle against the collapse of the U.S. economy would leave sparse room for
other issues. Obama rebutted such skepticism in his first week in office. No
other president in U.S. history, including Franklin D. Roosevelt, has gotten
down to government business as quickly and comprehensively as he has.
On
the broader front, Obama is dismantling the disastrous legacy that his
predecessor George W. Bush left behind. Within 48 hours, the desired signal was
sent in regard to a globally-welcomed ban on torture and the closure of the Guantánamo prison
camp. The promise of a bold policy on climate protection was renewed in clearer
form.
Of
course, these steps had been expected, although the speed with which Obama
addressed Middle East policy came as a surprise - especially given his silence during
the Gaza conflict. Immediately, on the day after the inauguration, the
President announced that the great mediator of the Northern Ireland conflict, George
Mitchell, would be his special envoy to the Middle East. Four days later, he
gave an interview to TV broadcaster al-Arabiya [see below], that bore many of
the characteristics of a keynote address. It was by all appearances a
significant break with previous American policy in the Middle East and prepares
the way for history to be made.
Posted by WORLDMEETS.US
PRESIDENT OBAMA SPEAKS TO THE
MUSLIM WORLD
A DIPLOMATICALLY VIRTUOSIC INTERVIEW
That
a U.S. President would grant the first formal interview of his term to an Arab
broadcaster was in and of itself an event. Though it wasn't just its timing
that made the succinct, twenty-minute discussion remarkable. Obama committed
himself to the security of Israel and simultaneously engendered confidence in
the Arab and Islamic world. That kind of nuance and choice of words has never
been found in American policy. Beyond the political content, which already
stands out because of Obama's reverence for the 2002 Saudi Peace Plan, the diplomatic
virtuosity of this carefully worded interview was a very personal commitment by
the American Obama toward reconciliation with the Islamic world.
"I
respect you, I appreciate you, I will listen to you unlike many of my
predecessors and I accept that we have at times made mistakes, and that you
will not always agree with us," - that is the core of the U.S. president’s
message. And he made it clear that he knows what he’s talking about, because he
has Muslim members of his own family and has lived in an Islamic country
[Indonesia].
It
is apparent that Obama’s Middle East policy marks a genuine new beginning, and when
one gleans what his new envoy to the Middle East Mitchell thinks about the
issue of conflict resolution, that Obama's words are more than pleasant-sounding
phrases. "Every situation is unique, however, successful diplomatic
interventions have a lot in common," Mitchell wrote two years ago. During
negotiations, preconditions should be reduced to a minimum, and one shouldn't
state the goals of the talks at the beginning of the process. Talks take time
and perseverance, and so it is often wise to include those groups that pursue
their goals through the use of violence.
Posted by WORLDMEETS.US
Finally,
it would be a mistake to demand that the parties abandon their political
dreams. Rather, according to Mitchell, it is crucial that they refrain from
implementing these dreams by means other than those of a peaceful Democracy.
These
words reflect the common sense and wisdom of an experienced and talented
mediator - and therefore exactly what American Middle East policy lacked over
the past eight years under George W. Bush, but also too often in the years
before. U.S. policy has been rightfully criticized as having asked perhaps too
much from the Palestinians and too little in terms of concessions from the
Israelis. That has significantly weakened its credibility in the Arab world. Former
U.S. Senator Mitchell, the son of an Arab mother who grew up in Lebanon and a
father of Irish ancestry, has throughout his political career in the United
States identified himself as an American of Arab descent. This biography, his
contacts, his political experience and his talent at negotiating skills make
him the ideal candidate. Moreover, there is Obama’s wisely chosen governing
team composed of Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and other political heavyweights,
who can serve as guarantors of American loyalty to Israel.
Posted by WORLDMEETS.US
NO ALTERNATIVE TO THE TWO-STATE-SOLUTION
Of
course, skepticism is always appropriate when dealing with the Middle East
conflict. Israel has consistently conducted forceful seizures of land in West Bank.
Palestine and Israel are politically fragmented, and a considerable minority on
both sides has been radicalized. Hopes for a two-state-solution have become
increasingly remote and time is not the friend of a possible settlement. But in
light of the demographic trends of Jewish population in Israel, to abandon such
a solution would mean three catastrophic alternatives: Either they would have
to expel the Palestinians, become a minority in their own state, or permanently
deny fundamental civil liberties to the Palestinians. It would be nearly
incomprehensible if sooner or later, an understanding of this danger didn't lead
to movement toward conflict resolution.
[Hoje
Macau, Macau]
With
his first decisions and statements in regard to the central conflict of
international politics, Obama has demonstrated a foreign policy of engagement,
a diplomatic tactfulness, and a political intuition that even talented
predecessors like Bill Clinton lacked at this stage of his terms in office. This
has nothing to do with irrational enthusiasm or naiveté, out of which
significant confidence has emerged. We were punished for eight years with the
worst President in U.S. history. Obama’s first steps give cause for hope that
in four or eight years, an opposite judgment on Obama will be made.
*Thomas
Klau is an FTD columnist
and heads the Paris
Office of the European Council on Foreign Relations.
CLICK
HERE FOR GERMAN VERSION
[Posted by WORLDMEETS.US January 29, 7:55pm]
