Kerry takes a first step

by George S. Hishmeh

Many are wondering how it is possible for George W. Bush to expect a second term in the White House after he managed to get his country embroiled in a disastrous foreign policy adventure, digging for himself "a deep hole" in Iraq that he seems unable to escape unscathed.

A comeback to the White House for "43" is bound to shake international hope and confidence in American leadership, primarily because of the uncompromising line and the audacious unilateralist views of this administration, which have undermined relationships with several nations and institutions, like the United Nations.

A glaring example is the sinking feeling that is now evident in the Arab and Muslim worlds where no one seems to be expecting any respite in the event of a repeat performance of the dreaded policies, concocted by the pro-Israel cabal of neoconservative, that have been the hallmark of this administration. In one area, these policies have brought havoc to the region and turned many Palestinian landmarks into graveyards for large numbers, including women and children, at the hands of Israel's Ariel Sharon, seen by Bush as a "man of peace".

But is Senator John Kerry, the Democratic challenger locked in dead heat in the latest poll on the White House campaign, any better? To date, the public record, especially on the Middle East, is not very comforting, although optimists usually assume that any change has to be for the better. As a matter of fact, listening to knowledgeable supporters of Kerry, one cannot but feel a little hopeful.

Madeleine Albright, the former Secretary of State, speaking at the annual conference of the prestigious Middle East Institute in Washington, fired several salvos against the Bush administration for losing its credibility since it "manipulate[d] the facts" regarding Iraq. After noting that Americans "deserve the truth" from their leaders, she underlined in a little-reported speech that this "(US) occupation of a Muslim country (Iraq) has increased, not decreased, the terrorist danger" facing the United States. "The (Bush) administration thought our troops would be greeted as liberators, leaving us with no plan to blunt Iraqi anger and no strategy for earning trust," she noted, adding "the way to attract support is to treat others with respect".

She told one questioner: "I think we are in a deep hole (and) the first thing you have to do when you're in a deep hole is stop digging."

The former secretary came down hardest on the Bush administration for mishandling the Abu Ghraib scandal: "Our moral standing has been damaged to an incredible extent by Abu Ghraib, and the fact that those hearings did not really produce anything, and everybody is still in office is unacceptable." Here, she stressed, people everywhere "would not understand why we would reelect somebody that has not told the truth on this issue and ... our credibility has been destroyed with Abu Ghraib".

She thought Kerry would be better to do the job of rebuilding America's standing, but even for this Democratic challenger it "will be very hard". Her reasoning: "It will take a long time to rebuild the reputation of the United States, it will require a great deal of work and a great deal of openness and a great deal of honesty and a lot of diplomatic efforts, because, as I said, we are in a hole. ... I think it is very hard to explain what it is we did. But I think, what I have said, it is necessary to have Senator Kerry as president but it is not sufficient. We are all going to have to work if we want to rebuild the relationship in the Middle East and with Europe."

Albright also disputed the popular notion among some administration officials that "the road to Jerusalem is through Baghdad", arguing that one of "the biggest mistakes that have been made" was that "this famous roadmap has never really been taken out of the glove compartment".

America needs to reengage in the Middle East with the help of "moderate" Arab states.

Kerry, who has supported the roadmap, has this week complained about the Bush administration's disengagement from the Mideast peace process. The one change that he revealed would be to name a top-level envoy to restart the Arab-Israeli process, something akin to what President Bill Clinton did in naming Dennis Ross.

This is probably a first step, but where will it take us is anybody's guess. Kerry has not been willing to share his ideas with the public and it is unlikely that he would before Nov. 2; it's too risky at this moment to reveal all one's cards, considering the influence and power of various interest groups that support the Bush line.

This article was published in the Friday-Saturday, October 15-16, 2004 edition of the Jordan Times. It is used here with permission.