Europe: Not Easy For Obama
Ahmed Hany
November 26, 2008
During the electoral campaign President-elect Barak Obama set some priorities for his foreign policy. He put Afghanistan his top priority to fight terrorism or to keep control over Central Asia energy resources. Until now, nobody knows if he defines terrorism as Islamists´ terrorism only or he would broaden the definition to include other types of terrorism. After all, the trial on his life came from Neo Nazis.
His choice of the Afghani front to be his most important mission may not sound good for the Europeans. From the beginning, the Europeans see the idea of sending their sons to defend the American Leadership not too bright. They sent their troops to Afghanistan after 11 September thinking that the war would last few weeks. Sarkozy said that NATO would not fight in Afghanistan for many years to come. The European foreign policy makers formulated another strategy based on encouraging the Afghani government to talk with Taliban and ending the war there.
In a trial to make the war in Afghanistan more popular and to convince the European that victory is possible, the American Defence Secretary Gates said that Bin Laden is isolated now and he is occupied by his own safety. In fact, Bin Laden is isolated since day one in War on Afghanistan and he lives in caves and always changes his residency in caves. Any one who fights and leads troops is occupied for his safety and the safety of his fellow commanders. This is called security of the leadership. In fact using missiles will not lead to capturing Bin Laden. Ground troops should climb the mountain to capture him. During Kuwait-Liberation War, the American media told that the Americans knew the trademark of Saddam´s underwear. One may ask what Bin Laden´s underwear trademark is. Do the American Rangers exist in Hollywood films only? Could they do the job and capture Bin Laden? In fact, the presence of Bin Laden serves the American strategy of being in Central Asia. If it is about terrorism, the Americans should formulate a strategy that dries up resources for Al-Qaeda and prevent it from recruiting new terrorists. This needs international conference that first should define terrorism. Terrorist groups have wide interconnection nets. Therefore, all types of terrorism are alike whether it came from Islamists, from Neo Nazis or from other terrorist groups in Israel, Europe and the US.
The Europeans see that the first priority for the Western Alliance should be the European security. If McCain won the election, a rift between the US and the Western Europe would be a must. This rift would split Europe and the US would ally itself to the East European countries. The Europeans see dialogue with Russia about European security and energy supply should be continuous until a partnership is reached. Signals from Western capitals are clear.
Paris sent several messages that the new Afghani strategy should focus on politicizing the war more than militarizing the situation anymore. London sees that within one year the war should end there. Two thirds of Britons want their troops back from Central Asia. Germany is always reluctant about sending more troops. However, Obama wants to withdraw troops from Iraq to send them to Afghanistan.
Obama´s strategic views about the two fronts will make a crisis with his military commanders as they want slow withdrawal from Iraq after security agreement that gives them bases not to look like defeated. General David Petreus, the Commander of the Central Commandship supports talking with Taliban. The European allies start to withdraw their troops from Iraq to their homeland and sending them to Afghanistan is another story.
Not only is Afghanistan but also Russia makes the gap wider between the two shores of the Atlantic. France support the Russian views regarding a new European Security treaty. British media revisits the Georgian War and the Independent Newspaper said that facts were biased during the war and it blames Georgia for the crisis. British Foreign Minister sees that dialogue with Russia is important and should have a priority for Europe. Even the American Radar Stations and the Anti-missile shield lost popularity after Russia threatened that it would spread its Alexander Missiles near the Polish border and it would withdraw from the Traditional Arms Limitation Treaty if Ukraine and Georgia joined NATO. Both Medevedv and Sarkozy agreed about a conference in mid 2009 to discuss the European Security and the new geopolitical facts. They call for each part not to take unilateral decision until this conference.
Russia and the EU went united to the Monetary Summit and Medevedv called for another summit. The American President George W Bush defended the market forces but he agreed that both monetary and management systems should be revised. In fact, this is the first time the going American President talks about corrective steps in the management system. This means that the European views that the cause of the crisis is the corrupted American managers had repercussions in Washington circles. Most probably, this is the last time Europe would pay for American faults whether they are economic, military or political. Both the EU and Russia want changes in the monetary system and the use of other currencies beside the dollar. More important they want multipolar leadership for the world.
If the EU big countries decided to withdraw from Afghanistan, the US would be forced to coordinate with Russia not to lose the region. While Obama gave the Middle East problems priority three after the economic crisis and Afghanistan, the EU and Russia see the Palestinian-Israeli peace talks comes second to the European security problems. Sarkozy wants Obama to open this file soon not to let situations deteriorate more. In fact, the Mediterranean Union that France sees it too important to have an economic block that adds to the EU and may solve the immigration problems faces serious problems due to the Palestinian problem. Russia has interests and it returned to the region. Yet, Tzipi Levini, the Israeli Foreign Minister declared that it is not necessary for the Americans to be more engaged in negotiations.
Between Obama´s change and Russian return, Europe stands for new era that will reflect its interests in global leadership in a multipolar system. However, Obama´s change will never reach Middle East until Arabs ask for it. Iran sent messages for the new American President. It is supposed that Arabs are his allies in the region. This time they should not be satisfied with promises. The world changes. The superpowers´ leaderships change. Arabs should revise their strategies too if they want to see light at the end of their endless tunnel. Obama is not AL-SHATER HASSAN – the clever Hassan – of One Thousand and One Nights who will come on his horse to save them.
His choice of the Afghani front to be his most important mission may not sound good for the Europeans. From the beginning, the Europeans see the idea of sending their sons to defend the American Leadership not too bright. They sent their troops to Afghanistan after 11 September thinking that the war would last few weeks. Sarkozy said that NATO would not fight in Afghanistan for many years to come. The European foreign policy makers formulated another strategy based on encouraging the Afghani government to talk with Taliban and ending the war there.
In a trial to make the war in Afghanistan more popular and to convince the European that victory is possible, the American Defence Secretary Gates said that Bin Laden is isolated now and he is occupied by his own safety. In fact, Bin Laden is isolated since day one in War on Afghanistan and he lives in caves and always changes his residency in caves. Any one who fights and leads troops is occupied for his safety and the safety of his fellow commanders. This is called security of the leadership. In fact using missiles will not lead to capturing Bin Laden. Ground troops should climb the mountain to capture him. During Kuwait-Liberation War, the American media told that the Americans knew the trademark of Saddam´s underwear. One may ask what Bin Laden´s underwear trademark is. Do the American Rangers exist in Hollywood films only? Could they do the job and capture Bin Laden? In fact, the presence of Bin Laden serves the American strategy of being in Central Asia. If it is about terrorism, the Americans should formulate a strategy that dries up resources for Al-Qaeda and prevent it from recruiting new terrorists. This needs international conference that first should define terrorism. Terrorist groups have wide interconnection nets. Therefore, all types of terrorism are alike whether it came from Islamists, from Neo Nazis or from other terrorist groups in Israel, Europe and the US.
The Europeans see that the first priority for the Western Alliance should be the European security. If McCain won the election, a rift between the US and the Western Europe would be a must. This rift would split Europe and the US would ally itself to the East European countries. The Europeans see dialogue with Russia about European security and energy supply should be continuous until a partnership is reached. Signals from Western capitals are clear.
Paris sent several messages that the new Afghani strategy should focus on politicizing the war more than militarizing the situation anymore. London sees that within one year the war should end there. Two thirds of Britons want their troops back from Central Asia. Germany is always reluctant about sending more troops. However, Obama wants to withdraw troops from Iraq to send them to Afghanistan.
Obama´s strategic views about the two fronts will make a crisis with his military commanders as they want slow withdrawal from Iraq after security agreement that gives them bases not to look like defeated. General David Petreus, the Commander of the Central Commandship supports talking with Taliban. The European allies start to withdraw their troops from Iraq to their homeland and sending them to Afghanistan is another story.
Not only is Afghanistan but also Russia makes the gap wider between the two shores of the Atlantic. France support the Russian views regarding a new European Security treaty. British media revisits the Georgian War and the Independent Newspaper said that facts were biased during the war and it blames Georgia for the crisis. British Foreign Minister sees that dialogue with Russia is important and should have a priority for Europe. Even the American Radar Stations and the Anti-missile shield lost popularity after Russia threatened that it would spread its Alexander Missiles near the Polish border and it would withdraw from the Traditional Arms Limitation Treaty if Ukraine and Georgia joined NATO. Both Medevedv and Sarkozy agreed about a conference in mid 2009 to discuss the European Security and the new geopolitical facts. They call for each part not to take unilateral decision until this conference.
Russia and the EU went united to the Monetary Summit and Medevedv called for another summit. The American President George W Bush defended the market forces but he agreed that both monetary and management systems should be revised. In fact, this is the first time the going American President talks about corrective steps in the management system. This means that the European views that the cause of the crisis is the corrupted American managers had repercussions in Washington circles. Most probably, this is the last time Europe would pay for American faults whether they are economic, military or political. Both the EU and Russia want changes in the monetary system and the use of other currencies beside the dollar. More important they want multipolar leadership for the world.
If the EU big countries decided to withdraw from Afghanistan, the US would be forced to coordinate with Russia not to lose the region. While Obama gave the Middle East problems priority three after the economic crisis and Afghanistan, the EU and Russia see the Palestinian-Israeli peace talks comes second to the European security problems. Sarkozy wants Obama to open this file soon not to let situations deteriorate more. In fact, the Mediterranean Union that France sees it too important to have an economic block that adds to the EU and may solve the immigration problems faces serious problems due to the Palestinian problem. Russia has interests and it returned to the region. Yet, Tzipi Levini, the Israeli Foreign Minister declared that it is not necessary for the Americans to be more engaged in negotiations.
Between Obama´s change and Russian return, Europe stands for new era that will reflect its interests in global leadership in a multipolar system. However, Obama´s change will never reach Middle East until Arabs ask for it. Iran sent messages for the new American President. It is supposed that Arabs are his allies in the region. This time they should not be satisfied with promises. The world changes. The superpowers´ leaderships change. Arabs should revise their strategies too if they want to see light at the end of their endless tunnel. Obama is not AL-SHATER HASSAN – the clever Hassan – of One Thousand and One Nights who will come on his horse to save them.