April 1, 2009
Quick Action On Diplomatic "To Do" List
Analysis: Against G20 Backdrop, Obama And Clinton Move Swiftly To Improve Relations With Iran, Russia, And China
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President Barack Obama, accompanied by Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton, announces a new Afghanistan strategy, March 27, 2009. Against the backdrop of the G20 summit in London and and upcoming NATO summit, the new diplomatic team has made a bevy of moves to improve strained relations with Russia, China and Iran. (AP)
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Video G20 Analysis: Obama a Success? CBS News Foreign Affairs Analyst Pamela Falk on competing interests at the G20 Summit.
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Video Protesters In London "CBS News RAW": Protesters gather in London's streets for the G20 summit.
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Photo Essay G20 Protests Protesters clash with riot police in London, break into heavily guarded Royal Bank of Scotland.
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Photo Essay Hillary Clinton A look at a life and career full of firsts.
Talk about making the most of the situation. You have to shake your head at the amount of diplomatic business President Barack Obama and Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton have been able to do the past few days.
Using the G20 meeting in London and a conference on Afghanistan in the Netherlands as venues to meet with a variety of foreign leaders, Mr. Obama and his chief diplomat have made the most of the circumstances.
Even before Air Force One landed outside London, Clinton had already announced the next move in the administration’s effort to open a diplomatic dialogue with Tehran. Oh so conveniently, Clinton’s special envoy on Afghanistan and Pakistan, Ambassador Richard Holbrooke, found himself sitting near Iran’s Deputy Foreign Minister, Mohammed Mehdi Akhondzadeh. And Voila! A handshake between American and Iranian diplomats and their exchange of a diplomatic niceties and Clinton was able to tell a press conference “it was cordial, unplanned and they agreed to stay in touch” as Holbrooke’s effort moves forward.
Clinton was also clear that she just happened to be sitting on the other side of the room and, displaying the deft touch of a seasoned politician, said, “I myself did not have any direct contact with the Iranian delegation.” Translation: If things work out there is plenty of time for me to meet with Iranian officials; if they don’t work out, all this happened at lower levels and the Iranians are just not interested in working with the new administration. Either way, check off the next move on Iran and look for Holbrooke to have further meetings with Iranian officials. No word yet on how Ambassador Dennis Ross, the special envoy for Iran, fits into the picture.
To tackle another outstanding issue between Washington and Tehran, Clinton read publicly from a letter she said was given directly to Iranian officials asking for more information about and access to three Americans either missing or being held in Iran. It was a very public marker intended to pressure Tehran for an update on these cases.
Your Turn
While this was going on, the National Security Council’s Russia expert, Michael McFaul, was sent to The Hague to meet with Russian officials and prepare the announcement - made a day later in London - that Mr. Obama and Russia’s President Dimitri Medvedev will meet in Moscow this summer to prepare a new agreement related to arms control and missile defense, two thorny issues which need work between the two countries.
What's your opinion? Charles Wolfson welcomes comments from readers of Diplomatic Dispatch and can be reached at cwp@cbsnews.com.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov told a group of Russian journalists in The Hague that “the new atmosphere of mutual trust is an atmosphere which does not create the illusion of good relations because they develop well on a personal level, but which ensure taking into account mutual interests and readiness to listen to each other.” Just in case anyone did not grasp the reference to the rocky relationship between Washington and Moscow during the Bush administration, Lavrov added, “We missed this much in past years.” Check off the box - not to mention the “reset” button - for another troubled relationship getting off to a positive start.
If Washington is working to solve its problems with Moscow, well, Beijing doesn’t want to be left to wait in line for attention. And, lo and behold, it will not have to wait. Just after news arrives of the Obama-Medvedev meeting, the White House announces from London a trip by the president to China in the second half of 2009. Further, Washington and Beijing say they’ll resume high-level talks on a regular basis including such subjects as human rights. Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner and the State Department’s Clinton will head the American team. Check yet another box.
All this before the G20 really gets down to the business of tackling reforms aimed at solving the world’s economic crises. And after that meeting concludes, Mr. Obama and his team head for a NATO summit in France. Expect more meetings and probably more surprise announcements. To be clear, none of these measures amount to real diplomatic achievements. They fall more properly in the category of trying to set a positive agenda as the Obama administration, not in office for even three months, tries to get off on the right foot in its relations with leaders in other key capitals.
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Best-selling author Mitch Albom on his first nonfiction work since "Tuesdays with Morrie."
Remember that during the debates, Hillary was against talking with them and Obama was for talking with them. Now Hillary is Secretary of State and has to deal with them. She is taking the right approach. The initial indications from Iran is that they are going to be unreasonable. No surprise there.
Go Obama
Posted by janareader at 8:39 PM : Apr 1, 2009
How many times I heard this yesterday I can't even begin to count! It is so great to finally see a President and an Administration that can do something other than blow things up... EVERYONE is feeling a lot better about our country right now even though we are in the middle of a very bad economic time. The reason is simply the intelligence and ability of the Obama Administration to do more than one thing at a time and to be effective doing it.
Posted by skyk-2009
It really is an incredible feeling. It feels like the darkness is giving way to light. Once again America is the shining beacon of hope. Meanwhile, republicans in congress continue to expose their incompetence by unveiling a ridiculous facsimile of a budget... (same old same old).
Posted by blog_fever2 at 4:23 PM : Apr 1, 2009
Doing his job!
Go Obama
Posted by janareader at 8:39 PM : Apr 1, 2009
How many times I heard this yesterday I can't even begin to count! It is so great to finally see a President and an Administration that can do something other than blow things up... EVERYONE is feeling a lot better about our country right now even though we are in the middle of a very bad economic time. The reason is simply the intelligence and ability of the Obama Administration to do more than one thing at a time and to be effective doing it.
Posted by _CBS_is_Pravda_ at 10:34 PM : Apr 1, 2009
I know all this is strange to you, "Hate them because they won't agree with me" crowd but it's as old as the nation itself. If we do not have leaders who are at least willing to talk to other nation and leaders who are capable of talking in complete sentences that OTHERS can understand, no solutions to the differences can be found. Now, since you and the Republican's failed so badly in these area's, would you please sit down and let the New President and his Team work here?
I think the leaders of other countries will welcome the thaw in relations between the United States of America and the rest of the world.
Posted by idlepugilist at 8:55 PM : Apr 1, 2009
Most of us have had to endure watching the twit for over two years - we don't need to see any more to know that he doesn't carry himself like a president - he carries himself like a Chicago political thug who can't speak coherently without reading from a teleprompter.
Go Obama
Posted by blog_fever2
In view of the fact the president is currently traveling overseas, most likely the vice president in somewhere in the u.s.. :-)
- by blog_fever2 April 1, 2009 7:23 PM EDT
- Where's Joe Biden? Hehe.....
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