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Mideast hopes for a shift
November 4 is a day that no living American (and many in generations to come) will forget - when Barack Obama was elected as the 44th president of the United States.
- By George S. Hishmeh, Special to Gulf News
- Published: 23:32 November 5, 2008
November 4 is a day that no living American (and many in generations to come) will forget - when Barack Obama was elected as the 44th president of the United States.
The unprecedented excitement over this historic event, buttressed by the largest turnout in any American election, will likewise be remembered overseas where many are hoping that it will usher significant change in US policy.
It was also noteworthy for the absence of the lame-duck president, George W. Bush, from the campaign of his fellow Republican candidate, Senator John McCain. After all, it was Bush's failed policies that contributed largely to Obama's triumph.
If nothing else, the significance of this day was the election of the first Black American to the country's highest position, rekindling the "dream" of Rev Martin Luther King, Jr, where he hoped that "one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed" that all people are created equal. And to Obama's credit, he reached these heights with eloquence, farsightedness and commitment.
This is not to forget that he was castigated because of his brief acquaintance with a onetime American "terrorist," now a university professor, and an Arab-American educator for his ties with the Palestinian Liberation Organisation (PLO), which the US government has recognised, or a suspected "Muslim" because his middle name was Hussain.
When the election campaign opened some 20 months ago, the focus was on foreign policy, primarily in the Middle East, where many American lives (and many more Iraqis) were lost in the ill-conceived US-led invasion of Iraq and the long-festering Arab-Israeli conflict, which continued to tarnish the US image in the region because of its pro-Israel stance.
The focus of the campaign shifted in the last two months as a result of the US economic meltdown which has also spread overseas. The expectations, especially in the Middle East, that Obama may still have a magic wand for resolving the region's major problems are unrealistic. The serious economic crisis that the US is facing at present will demand the immediate attention of the president.
Across party lines
Additionally, the role of the American Jewish community, three dozen of whom were identified as key players in punctuating the campaigns of both the Democratic and Republican parties cannot be overlooked. One example is David Axelrod, Obama's chief strategist who served in the same role during Obama's 2004 campaign for the Senate in Illinois, and another is Dennis Ross, the former US Middle East envoy.
Obama pledged during the campaign to reach across party lines in recruiting his staff. A member of the Bush administration who also attracted Obama's attention then was US Defence Secretary Robert M. Gates, whose views seemed close to Obama's thinking.
The US should construct a combination of incentives and pressure to engage Iran, Gates had said in an interview. Other level-headed Republicans being considered obviously include General Colin Powell, whose endorsement of Obama gave him a great push; Senator Chuck Hagel of Nebraska, who accompanied Obama on his trip last summer to the Middle East, and Indiana Senator Richard G. Lugar, former chairman of the Senator Foreign Relations Committee, who broke ranks with his party and endorsed Obama.
In a memorable speech at the National Defence University, Lugar weighed the benefits of talking to foreign leaders, including US enemies, against other actions, such as military force - a position also in line with Obama's view. Hagel and Lugar are reportedly being considered for Secretary of State, particularly Hagel.
The Nebraska senator has criticised the Bush administration for having "squandered seven years and let things get worse" in the Middle East, which he saw as being "more dangerous, more combustible today than it's maybe ever been." How Obama will implement his promised "age of transformation" remains to be seen, but one thing he must realise is that all in the Middle East are anxiously awaiting a new and immediate American initiative. He can't afford any wrong steps.
George Hishmeh is a Washington-based columnist. He can be contacted at ghishmeh@gulfnews.com
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