#US Foreign Policy: Similarities in President Obama and Bill Clinton Approaches

Every week we look at an article that is making waves in the world of international relations. This week we look at the US foreign policy. The latest issue of Foreign Policy Magazine looks at the decline of America's world influence. In what they term as 'declinism', the issue, drawing largely from Samuel Huntington's postulation of American tendency to fear decline, looks at how America's global influence in dwindling. Paul Kennedy's book The Rise and Fall of the Great Powers which has given a historical account of the rise and fall of great civilizations has been used as reference to this seemingly American decline. Has America hit the Peak as FP discusses?

Reading Stephen Walt's opinion in the FP Magazine, he tries to explore the FP prospects of Madam Hillary Clinton if she wins the Democratic nomination and win the presidential elections in 2016. Walt asserts that "With her knock against Obama, Hillary Clinton was criticizing [during her interview with Atlantic] more than one former president's foreign policy." He goes on to explain the similarities in foreign policy between President Obama and President Clinton. It makes an interesting reading observing the distinct similarities of the two when it comes to formulation, approach and execution of FP goals. Walt cheekily calls it Obama's  (Bill)-Clintonesque approach. See article for further analysis.

 

US, Zionism prime suspects over anti-Islam movie: The Ayatollah

Ayatollah Khamenei

Nicodemus Minde and various sources

The Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei has slammed the antagonistic policies of Zionism and the US as the root cause of the recent production of an American movie desecrating Prophet Mohammad (PBUH). 

This message comes after the US Secretary of State Hilary Clinton publicly said that the movie has nothing to do with the US government. Clinton goes on to say the film is "disgusting and reprehensible." She calls it a cynical attempt to offend people for their religious beliefs. Clinton says the U.S. would never stop Americans from expressing their views, no matter how distasteful. And she says the film is no justification for violence or attacks on U.S. diplomatic facilities and personnel. 

US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton

There is no doubt that the film has been badly received in the Muslim Arab world. Many commentaries have been written on the turnout of the events leading to the storming of various American embassies in the Arab nations and the protests after with. But one thing stands out clearly. There is still a deep seated enmity between the Arab world and the US. Watching one of the leading cable news networks, a protestor in Egypt analyzed the tensions in a very unique way. He publicly condemned the film saying it was an affront to their Prophet (PBUH) and their religion but he also denounced the violent protests. Egyptian President has come under intense criticism for not condemning the violent attacks aimed at the US embassy in Cairo.  As the Ayatollah says, the US and their ally Israel remain as prime suspects.  

What Clinton's visit to Kenya means

By Nicodemus Minde

The US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton is on a seven day Africa tour. She is visiting a number of African countries in what is seen as an attempt to check on China’s growing influence in the continent. It is barely two weeks since China pledged over $20 bn in credit facility and technical support in various sectors of the African economy. This pledge was made in the 5th Ministerial Conference of the Forum on China-Africa Co-operation (FOCAC) in late July in Beijing. Chinese influence in the continent has grown enormously. The Chinese are mainly targeting the construction industry and rentier African economies. This has sent shivers to the US who see China’s growing influence as a direct challenge to their global economic hegemony.

Clinton’s Africa visit can be interpreted as a counter check of the growing Chinese influence. True to America’s foreign policy strategy, the trip has been choreographed and tailored on Washington’s pursuit of democracy and the respect of the rule of law as its enduring foreign policy essentials. Clinton is visiting Senegal, South Sudan, Kenya, Malawi, South Africa, Nigeria, Uganda and Benin. Her visit to Senegal amplifies the spirit of smooth democratic transition in competitive and free and fair elections. Senegal’s opposition candidate Macky Sall beat incumbent Abdoulaye Wade in a fiercely contested second round of the Presidential elections early this year. The smooth of the transition was heralded as one off in a region that is largely volatile to electoral malpractices and coup d'états.  Clinton’s visit to Senegal can thus be seen as a way to congratulate the country for the smooth transition.

Why Kenya?

Madam Clinton meets PM Raila Odinga

I would like to explore the implications of Clinton’s visit to Kenya. This is Clinton’s second visit to Kenya. Her first visit was in August 2009. The United States has an interest in keeping Kenya stable, so Washington has a good deal in Nairobi. The Kenya Defense Forces are in Somalia in attempts to dilute and scuttle the Al Shabaab militia. Kenya needs assurances and support from the Americans. America sees Kenya as a key ally in the attempts to squash terrorism in the Horn of Africa region. Clinton also visited Uganda which is also a key ally in the attempts to deal with the Al Shabaab menace.

Madam Clinto with President Kibaki

During her visit to Kenya, Clinton reiterated the need for a democratic transition in the coming elections in March 2013. This can be affirmed by her meeting with the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC). She also had an audience with the Chief Justice Willy Mutunga where they discussed among other things, the speed of judiciary reforms. Madam Clinton further discussed Uhuru Kenyatta and William Ruto, who intend to run for the presidency despite the noose of ICC still hanging in their necks. It is believed that Clinton sought the government position on the possible eligibility of the candidacy of these two individuals. Justice Minister Eugene Wamalwa, who is a key political ally of the two, is believed to be of the support of the two to run for the president. However, in the meeting, Wamalwa said that the matter is in court and that the courts will rule over the matter. Clinton is said to be against the idea of the two running. In the event of either Ruto or Uhuru winning the elections next year, Clinton says that it could jeopardize the otherwise smooth relations between US and Kenya.