TOPIC A: The Next 100 Days
Op-Ed, Washington Post
April 26, 2009
Author: Meghan O'Sullivan, Jeane Kirkpatrick Professor of International Affairs, Harvard Kennedy School
The Post asked former officials, strategists and others for their thoughts on the next phase of the Obama administration.
On foreign policy, the big takeaway from the first 100 days is that diplomacy will be the meat and potatoes of the Obama administration. While some are quick to point out the hazards of showing a friendly face to nasty regimes, many Americans, and much of the world, have welcomed President Obama's overtures to the unsavories of the international system.
Now, however, the onus shifts from changing the tone to advancing U.S. interests -- a more difficult goal. As we are already starting to learn, a new desire on our part to engage others does not ensure that others are so keen to engage us. Even tougher will be figuring out just what the United States is willing to put on the table in any negotiation. For example, to what extent is America willing to institutionalize the regional role Iran covets -- and how will Israel and the Arab world view any such concession? And all these engagements are interwoven. It is no coincidence that North Korea has backed away from six-party talks that give it no rights to even civilian nuclear power just as the United States is signaling its willingness to discuss a range of potentially more lenient options with Iran.
Robust diplomacy will be necessary to solving the panoply of problems facing the United States. But we might consider launching such engagements not through handshakes and apologies but by making bold statements that actually strengthen our capacities. For instance, President Obama might declare that America intends to open embassies in every country with which the United States has interests. Such a move would underscore our intention to rely on diplomacy -- but it would also give us the ability to learn more about the countries with which we can expect to be involved in high-stakes negotiations.
For more information about this publication please contact the Belfer Center Communications Office at 617-495-9858.
Full text of this publication is available at:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/04/24/AR2009042403647.
html
For Academic Citation:
| MOST VIEWED PUBLICATIONS | MOST VIEWED - OPEDS | POLICY BRIEF: AUTO EMISSIONS |
|---|---|---|
Policy Options for Reducing Oil Consumption and Greenhouse-Gas Emissions from the U.S. Transportation Sector The goal of this paper is to contribute to the current policy debate about how to effectively limit or reduce oil consumption and greenhouse gas emissions from the U.S. transportation sector. |
