Foreign Policy Reversal?

United States President Barack Obama made his first official interview with the Dubai based Al-Arabiya network.  In it he set a very conciliatory tone towards the Middle East.  Something not seen in several years.  The occasion was the departure of Obama’s special envoy to the Middle East — George Mitchell.  Obama summarized in the interview that first and foremost he must start by listening – a vital part to any healthy dialogue.  Hopefully what he wants out of Mitchell is reflective of Obama’s actual policy approach to the Middle East.  Here is what he said in the interview:

What I told him [Mitchell] is start by listening, because all too often the United States starts by dictating — in the past on some of these issues — and we don’t always know all the factors that are involved.  What we want to do is to listen, set aside some of the preconceptions that have existed and have built up over the last several years. And I think if we do that, then there’s a possibility at least of achieving some breakthroughs.

This is quite different from Bush’s “you’re either with us or against us strategy.”  Although the circumstances are certainly different (the post-9/11 frenzy has settled a bit), one has to acknowledge the relative ineffectiveness of Bush’s hawkish foreign policy approach towards the Middle East.  Bush’s more unilateralist approach in dealing with foreign nations isolated the United States and many nations in the Middle East, particularly Iran.  In the interview, Obama made an effort to come across as cooperative and tranquil, not coercive and demanding.  He emphasized the need for a Palestinian state and even remained conciliatory when asked about the possibility of a nuclear Iran.

Obama used his international popularity and his own Muslim background to send a message to the Middle East that the “U.S. is not your enemy.”  Regardless of whether this is true or not, it is refreshing to see a change in approach to diplomatic relations with the Middle East. Although the gap between rhetoric and actual policy can be wide, one can hope that Obama’s new approach will translate itself into something constructive.  Hopefully this dove-like gesture is a harbinger of things to come.

Unfortunately (though probably tactical), Obama acknowledged America’s special relationship with Israel, calling Israel’s security a “paramount” concern of America’s.  I suppose he wants more than a dismal amount of domestic political capital.