Arezki Unscripted

 America’s new president is a courageous man. He is saying loudly what hundreds of million of Americans generally think, but have long been silenced given the political circumstances of the past years. No doubt billions of people around the world liked what they heard in an interview with Al Arabiya TV, including me. A reassertion of its diplomatic might is what America needs and what Obama seems to be delivering on day one of his presidency.

But as an observer, I see two big obstacles that Obama will have to overcome. One is a broad remark on his approach, strategy and positions, the second is more specific to his approach to the Arab and Muslim worlds, which the President is looking to reengage, and rightly so.

As regards to the first, the President is clearly walking on uncharted territory; I call it a walk on the wild side. My limited knowledge of the American presidency tells me that Obama’s style is probably unique and risky. He is blunt and communicates well as to his objectives and expectations. The problem in all of that is that he is likely forcing his political foes and opponents to build a case against him very quickly and in earnest. And there is no shortage of them. From the Republicans who have suffered a debilitating defeat and cannot wait to stage a come back. Then there are the right wing movements, from the evangelical hardliners to the likes of Rush Limbaugh. Then there are those who do not agree with any appeasement in the Middle East crisis. There are plenty of religious extremists on all sides who would prefer a continuation in the conflict to win whatever war they are waging. And many of them have a lot of power in Washington, including some Evangelists who believe that war in the Middle East can only be stopped by a returning prophet. That’s just the tip of the iceberg, by the way. And as the Arab proverb says, the enemy of my enemy is my ally; one can only speculate that alliances are going to be formed precisely to undermine what Obama has publicly pledged to achieve.

Regarding Obama’s stance on the Muslim and Arab worlds, his remarks are no doubt refreshing and will bring a much needed re-balancing of the American foreign policy in the region. It will calm the moods and fears of the Arab and Muslims and will provide a good start to build bridges. But Obama failed to mention one critical element of what must be included in his policies vis-à-vis the region. As he seeks to reengage the Arab world, he must bring back the traditional American requirements of democratization, pluralism, and across-the-board civil rights. What Obama focused on in his first interview was essentially about mutual respect and understanding. He also reiterated the need to solve the Israeli-Arab conflict. These are good points, but he also needs to remember that what also fuels the strength of Al Qaeda and discontent in the Arab world is this perpetual stronghold of power by unpopular regimes in place, from Sheiks, Kings, military men and so-called presidents-for-life. Most regimes in the Arab world have been the sources of enormous social instability and economic mismanagement. Obama will have to ultimately craft a conditional rapprochement. One that engages almost without conditions with the populations through educational and cultural exchanges, one that speeds up the creation of a Palestinian state, and one that distances America from rogue regimes, defined as regimes that are source of pain and human rights abuses, and obstacles to democracy.