The world reacts as Obama is inaugurated

Posted by admin on Feb 3, 2009 in Issues & Ideas | 0 comments

With the inauguration of the new U.S. president, many throughout the Middle East are awaiting anxiously for any sign of change from the policies of the past eight years. Barack Obama, the man they have waited so anxiously for over the last year, has finally been given the office of President. True to form he has already taken actions to correct some of the misunderstandings that have been created – though one can continue to anxiously await concrete action.

Many in the Middle East are very skeptical about the possibility of real change. Though Obama has promised much, it seems unlikely that he will be able to truly deliver given continuing U.S. interests in the region. Though the majority of Egyptians may cheer for Obama, they seem to muse privately that policies are unlikely to change. With that in mind, many have much bigger worries than who is President of the United States.

Obama has already taken some major steps in order to correct previous misunderstandings. The offers of direct talks with Iran are an example, though the conservative government of Iran led by Mahmoud Ahmadinejad seems very reluctant to accept, given the potential damage that this could do to their own cause. Other ideas such as the creation of the position of Middle East Envoy also lend a hand to the idea that this is going to be an ongoing central feature of U.S. foreign policy over the next few years. The image that Obama seems to be trying to project is that “The Great Satan” is capable of being friendlier, but whether this will resonate with the people of the region is a completely different question.

This past fall, rumours circulated that Obama would be visiting the Middle East within the first 100 days of his presidency. Whether this will actually happen remains to be seen, but such a visit would send a very strong message to all that questioned Obama’s foreign policy acumen. Coming to the region would strike a major blow on those who would attempt to recruit for extremist causes – much as the election of Obama itself has done. Though Obama can’t directly change the much-hated governments of the region, he can do much to influence them, and it appears he will be willing to make efforts to do so. It is clear that his role will not be static, and his massive popularity (dosed by a reasonable amount of skepticism) will certainly help matters here when dealing with local governments. Even Ahmadinejad, one of the most popular leaders in the region among his people, seems to be fearful of Obama to some extent, even as he offers a very cautious hand of friendship.

It’s clear that there is still much to be done in order to right the perceptions that have been made here of Americans and the West in general. That being said, Obama certainly has made a significant effort even in his first week in office to try and correct some of these past wrongs and offer positive perceptions for the region. One can only hope that this trend will continue.