The Manas air base in Kyrgyzstan. Photo from SlateBarack Obama's Uzbekistan Problem -- Slate
Realpolitik ambushes Obama, and not just at home.
President Barack Obama's administration is not yet a month old, and editorialists have already accused the new president of losing his innocence after he was forced to abandon his lofty talk of bipartisanship over the economic stimulus plan. But a touch of partisan politics at home is nothing compared with the ethical predicament now looming in Central Asia, where Obama may soon need to choose either funding a vicious dictator in Uzbekistan or hindering the mission in Afghanistan. Getting into bed with Uzbekistan could be Obama's first ugly but necessary foreign-policy compromise.
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President Barack Obama's administration is not yet a month old, and editorialists have already accused the new president of losing his innocence after he was forced to abandon his lofty talk of bipartisanship over the economic stimulus plan. But a touch of partisan politics at home is nothing compared with the ethical predicament now looming in Central Asia, where Obama may soon need to choose either funding a vicious dictator in Uzbekistan or hindering the mission in Afghanistan. Getting into bed with Uzbekistan could be Obama's first ugly but necessary foreign-policy compromise.
Read more ....
My Comment: The question that is running through my mind is .... would these countries be doing the same thing if President Bush was still President?
I would think not. President Bush's relationship with all of these countries .... Russia included .... were at times strained and testy. But everyone still worked together. There was a common goal to stop the Taliban and their Al Qaeda allies from spreading their brand of Islamic extremism in the region, and there was enough of a rapport and friendship that helped to make things work.
Does President Obama have a rapport and friendship with the men in this region .... for the moment he clearly does not.
Read more ....
My Comment: The question that is running through my mind is .... would these countries be doing the same thing if President Bush was still President?
I would think not. President Bush's relationship with all of these countries .... Russia included .... were at times strained and testy. But everyone still worked together. There was a common goal to stop the Taliban and their Al Qaeda allies from spreading their brand of Islamic extremism in the region, and there was enough of a rapport and friendship that helped to make things work.
Does President Obama have a rapport and friendship with the men in this region .... for the moment he clearly does not.