State of the Nation: Little Reassurance for Foreign Audience
This post was originally published on the Global Obama: New Year, New President, New Perspectives blog. See the original post here.
Perhaps it is because I work in a newsroom, but it seemed to me — even from Hong Kong — all ears were on U.S. president Barack Obama’s speech today. After much build-up for Obama’s State of the Nation address before a joint session of Congress, the speech may have been a let down to foreign listeners.
While Obama was quite reassuring to his American audience, focusing on domestic policy and overcoming the current financial crisis, it was noticeably absent of foreign policy details.
“Turning to a global stage, Obama declared a new era of US diplomatic engagement had begun,” the Agence France-Presse reported. “He promised ’swift and certain justice’ for captured terrorists, but was otherwise light on foreign policy specifics.”
Since the inauguration world leaders have been coming out of the woodwork saying they would like to open dialogue with Obama.
Earlier this month Iran’s President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said he welcomes talks with the U.S. “in a fair atmosphere with mutual respect.” This, after relations were ruptured 30 years ago, mind you. And while Obama has maintained he is open to talks with Iran, the world audience waits anxiously to see if and when this day will come.
“After much talk of engaging America’s adversaries, chief among them Iran, the Obama administration has made no move so far,” CNN’s Christiane Amanpour said in a Feb. 24 post, “World has questions for Obama.”
“If Iran is slowly unclenching its fist, will Obama offer an outstretched hand?” she asked.
While Secretary of State Hillary Clinton’s Asia tour last week had potentially large implications for the financial crisis, climate change and North Korea, it seemed like a pre-game to the big show: her Middle East trip rumored to take place early next month. Her trip is said to include both Israel and the West Bank, which may finally give clues as to Obama’s policy agenda for Israel and Palestine.
Sure, it’s only been, what, 37 days. But leaders from Pakistan, Afghanistan, Russia, Israel, Palestine, Iraq and Iran don’t seem like people I would want to keep waiting too long.
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