A series of high-level meetings this week points up the interconnections in the Obama administration’s comprehensive strategy for the Middle East. The most high-profile of these meetings will take place between President Obama and Israeli President Shimon Peres, while Secretary Gates is in the Middle East meeting with Egyptian and Saudi leaders. The new approach rejects the neoconservative trope that the road to Jerusalem goes through Baghdad or Tehran or Damascus. There is no quick route to peace in the Middle East; the road goes through all of these places, but it ultimately begins and ends in Jerusalem.
Fifty days into the new administration, a close examination of foreign
policy shows dramatic changes on three broad fronts, with early table setting
steps giving way to action abroad and at home. Not
everything can or should change overnight, but skeptics' assertions that Obama' foreign policy is a continuation
of Bush's is not supported by the facts.
Fewer than 50 days into his Presidency, Barack Obama has begun to set a different framework for how America deals with the Middle East. There is no question that today America’s choices and flexibility in the region are far greater than they were only 50 days ago.
One month into his tenure, President Obama has demonstrated that he will transform several hallmarks of his campaign into a coherent approach to the world. A clear message has been sent, and received enthusiastically, from tv viewers in the Arab world to citizens on the streets of Ottawa. Ultimately, they will be judged less on these early diplomatic actions than on their ability to produce results
The mixed results of yesterday’s Israeli elections are likely to throw the country into political chaos for the next few weeks. Whether the final result is a national unity government led by Livni or a right wing government led by Netanyahu, the new political situation will likely make any peace efforts more difficult.
To maintain that support and ensure a more a productive path for our
Iran policy, we must continue to forcefully articulate a principled and
pragmatic approach for dealing with Iran.
Rather than keeping America secure, the Administration’s policies have contributed significantly to chaos in the region and sparked terrorist activities where none previously exist.
