OBAMA’S FOREIGN POLICY PREDICAMENT

By, Adhvith Dhuddu

     Doris Kearns Goodwin’s book, Team of Rivals, about Abraham Lincoln’s Presidency appears to have profoundly influenced President-elect Obama’s cabinet picks as he surrounds himself with friends and foes. Although this speaks volumes about President-elect Obama’s personality and his magnanimous nature, it also depicts his underlying brilliance as a politician and an astute power broker. It will be interesting to watch how he juggles strong opinions from various channels to make sure it doesn’t cloud his unifying message of hope and change. The 44^th president faces escalating crises in the Middle East and south Asia, which just became that much more complex after the terrorists attacks in Mumbai, India. 

    Throughout the campaign, President-elect Obama stressed the importance of rebalancing troop levels in the Middle East by reducing troops in Iraq and deploying them to Afghanistan. He also highlighted the importance of diplomacy and co-operation with the new Pakistani government, which promised to eliminate extremists and radicals in the lawless Northwest Frontier Province (NWFP) region along the Afghan-Pakistan border. The Pakistani government to some extent has followed up on their words with actions and stepped up military and combat operations in the NWFP and Waziristan areas after realizing the threat of terrorism to their own country.

    But the military and diplomacy equation changed drastically after 26/11 in Mumbai, as war mongering has gained ground, and the peace process between India and Pakistan is suspended indefinitely. Although war is unlikely, this forces a financially and militarily strained Pakistan to redistribute its troops to combat any increases in troop levels on the Indian side. Not only does this impinge on the ongoing efforts along the Afghan-Pakistan border, it also puts two nuclear nations on the brink of conflict for the second time in a decade.  

    The Clinton’s have come to be known as good friends of India, and Senator Clinton’s appointment as the next Secretary of State is both reassuring and encouraging. But the naming of Senator Clinton as Secretary of State was an ironic and bold step on President-elect Obama’s behalf. Millions of voters chose Obama over Clinton primarily due to their stark differences in foreign policy issues pertaining to diplomacy, use of force, and handling of wars. The Secretary of State, being a powerful voice for exactly these issues, passionate opinions on both sides could result in healthy debates or bruised feelings. The future holds immense challenges for President-elect Obama, and he needs the best brains to solve, challenge, reason and act on his behalf, and Hillary Clinton is undoubtedly one of the best.