To achieve the goal of success, wisdom lies in between two extremes; one that touches the failure index at the top and the other one moving towards higher success level, the same prism when applied to Obama’s presidential tenure implementing his foreign policy principles, indicates his moderate projections on world affairs specially when it comes to the US foreign policy towards different regions. Obama inherited the highly toxic, anti American sentiments from his predecessor G.W. Bush when he opted office of the administration as president back in January 2009.Since then it has been a hard objective to counter the prevailing conflicts and move forward peacefully. Though apparently it is widely believed that Obama has not done up to the mark yet to be very honest, it is witnessed that rate of successes is far better than failures seeing with neutral eyes. This brief account is an attempt to evaluate critically Obama’s achievements.
Inheriting economic recession and global anti Americanism specially from the third world countries in Asia, Africa and Latin America when Obama became the president of US, the world was facing extreme terrorism, nuclear armament race, environmental degradation and different conflicts in different regions mostly believing major power was behind most of the tyrannies. His first major achievement was creating a block of allies to assist his efforts against terrorism. In the Middle East, the traditional monarch were destabilizing regional balance and making life harder for their own masses, they were overthrown in many countries with the help of America at the name of democracy. Iraq war a biggest mistake of Bush administration, he withdrew forces from there. Energy related concerns especially with oil were also protected to maintain a balance. Foreign policy with gulf region countries. Nuclear deal with Iran is a major breakthrough to normalize tensions with rival.
Moving on towards Asia, we witnessed that policy of openness was adopted with widened arms for China to become a part of international system thus undercutting the fears of clash of interests with emerging China, enhancing trade volume providing market access on larger scale along with covert policies of containment with the help of India and other regional players. North Korean nasty behavior was tried to cool down with the help of six parties talks also helping Japan and South Korea to protect interests with the balancing efforts towards South China sea crises. Vietnam issue were smoothed to some extent as well as acceptance of Tibet and Taiwan as a part of China though ambiguous seeing with Chinese eye. ASEAN countries were offered fully to play their part in peace and progress context.
South Asia the most vulnerable and unpredictable region in the world also came under Obama’s consideration. Pakistan and India were offered peace process to and limit arms race solving their long standing issues like Kashmir but NSG waiver like favors deteriorated the path and quite recently the f16 waiver to Pakistan might be an offer to balance the regional strategic ties. Afghanistan the mother of terrorism along with tribal areas of Pakistan couldn’t fruit the benefits of American presence, though Osama bin Laden’s assassination proved a lethal act for Al-Qaida’s overwhelmed threats all over the world but still the situation isn’t very good, as for terror free region assumption is taken into an account. Other regional smaller countries like Bangladesh and Sri Lanka are at somewhat same situation as far as American role is considered.
When it comes to the traditional cold war rival Russia, Eurasian region was unable to prove a soft target for American dreams, Ukraine and Georgia conflicts are clear evidences of Russian dominance under Putin leadership. Resurgence of Russia hasn’t been tackled skillfully by Obama’s policies. The same thing is taking place in Syria, if we are to discuss American role and Russian hindrance. The African states to some extent enjoyed American positive approach to resolve their crises like US role in South Sudanese freedom struggle, Angola settlement, Congo’s violence and Somalia persistent miseries. Despite American positivism there has been deeper concerns like poverty, negligence to impose efficient policies and due consideration yet we can’t say that African states have not been the part of Obama’s interests.
Neighbors are always the ones who are first affected by any kind of action taking place anywhere in the world, same is the situation with the Latin American neighbors of United Sates of America. Up till the end of Bush’s administration Latin American states were highly against American discriminatory policies towards them, communism block in the cold war might be one of the reason but American arrogance and strategic dominance is also taken as American efforts of undermining Latin American efforts in countries like Venezuela, Argentina, Cuba etc. Obama started a policy of rapprochement to minimize the differences and bring mutual harmony with relations related to Latin American neighbors, his visits and public statements are obviously speaking his positive approach to normalize long lasting hostility. Mexican drug issues were also taking into an account for a peaceful settlement with every angry Mexican person towards American dominance eradication in changing public’s mind set there.
One of the most important policy handling had been the relationship road map with indispensable partner Europe. Although European states are to some extent angry with American more focus on Far east rather than Europe but still there cooperation has not been diverted to any other direction. Both US and Europe are facing terrorism as bolt from blue, so the only option remains there is of cooperation because of conversion of interests. Terrorists attacks and new dynamics of changing world politics are bounded ties among western world. Obama is not unaware of this entire scenario, his close relations with European leadership, interests in European union markets, frequent official visits show sense of urgency to keep close partnership with Europe, NATO is another common defensive platform which most of the times worked for western interests under Obama’s instructions in recent years.
Concluding all this quagmire which Obama suffered, gifted from Bush, it can be said that these stalemates haven’t proved easy for him to handle but G-20 activism, environmental discussions leading to practical agenda based conferences, to some extent successful nuclear security summits, anti terrorism efforts, securing American exceptional efforts for global survival, enhancing global partnerships along with strategic interests. Iranian nuclear deal, Cuban American rapprochement, balancing Indo-Pak prone American policies, Middle Eastern dictatorial regimes demolishing attempts, one western world view point about global issues, China’s acceptance in global affairs, humanitarian aids programs for suffering humanity, Al-Qaeda’s Osama bin laden killing.
To some extent keeping closer eyes on Russian expansionism strategies and devising plans to counter and major role in united nations functions are evidences of Obama’s successes but still we have failure in Afghanistan, emergence of ISIS, Arab Israel Palestinian conflict, ever confusing Pak-American relations and a shift from arrogant super power to sharing super power deterioration, thinking about global survival ,humiliation faced in KSA recently and anti American sentiments prevailing in different regions because of its dubious policies on Obama’s account. Let us not forget that Obama is the only president after Woodrow Wilson who is regarded as war time peace seeking noble peace prize winner president in American history. Few months are still available for him to do whatever he can. Seemingly being a democrat he did as democrats do i.e. morality plus pragmatism just to ensure sustainable American world order, the term quite so often used to describe Americanism to outer world. Perhaps moderate president could be the right title for him to call as compared to his hostile predecessor.
