Obama in the desert

Posted in Global Security Monitor

President Obama's visit to Cairo on Thursday to come is one of the most critical opportunities for Foreign Affairs of the century.

People across the Middle East and around the world Muslims have been eagerly awaiting the visit of the President, ringing Kahawa and private clubs, and with reason. Although, in general, the American people are generally very popular in the Middle East and North Africa, U.S. policy is uniformly hated. The President's speech at the world's most populous Arab state is expected to make face this reality and have a new U.S. policy towards the Muslim world. Many worry and joy to anticipate a complete reversal of all policies of the era Bush. This expectation, however, can not be answered and is not particularly relevant.

It is true that in public debate, passion and poetry of speakers in the audience as much effect as the essence of their arguments. Obama's tone and presentation, as well as the faith that has already been invested in its success, is likely to honey to the ears of the audience and certainly will shape the perception of your message. But finally, Barack Obama is not likely to present a major policy shift the previous government. sets U.S. foreign policy machine is slow, because much more geopolitical necessity that the whims of their leaders and even the feelings of its people. The execution and filing these policies, the policies themselves, which most often lead to success or failure.

Take, For example, the Bush administration focus on the two-state conflict between Israel and Palestine, which was considered a risky leap in the moment. In a democracy with a great culture Sephardic Jews in the Middle East, the Jewish population, the Palestinians and the indigenous groups of non-Jewish minorities, Israel is a Jewish functionally Republic Arab. The rhetorical challenge is to recognize the multicultural aspects of the rare democratic success in the region while protecting its role as the homeland Jewish. He should reflect the pride and the history of one, maintaining the security and future of the other. If the president is successful, the symbolic value of conflict can reduce our enemies abroad.

While this symbolism occupies an important place in the region, is not alone in their impact. There are several other issues that can be addressed, including the use humiliating U.S. military domain easily, the humiliation of unmanned aerial vehicles and collateral damage, humiliating images of Abu Ghraib and Guantanamo, humiliation searches at ports of entry to the United States, messages and images bombard humiliating secular region. A trend is evident in this litany and the president must take account of emotion, not only the substance, to take advantage of this opportunity.

Obama has a unique opportunity because of who he is, to significantly improve the effectiveness of U.S. policy in the region. Hopefully the bureaucracy not to give another recipe complex policy ensures that underwhelmed. Rather, we expect managers to establish a table that will allow the President to meet the tastes of its public.

Center for Advanced Defense Studies, International Affairs

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Obama: “My Muslim Faith”