When U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell spoke at Georgetown last Friday, the day before the third anniversary of Sept. 11, 2001, he came to defend the Bush Administration’s record and laud the strength of the relationship between the United States and Europe. Although Powell’s diplomatic strategy was obvious, his administration’s duplicity and hypocrisy have crippled all attempts to achieve a coherent foreign policy.
Powell is a disciple of clarity, fondly recalling the black and white world of the Cold War, when the threat of the Soviet Union united Europe and the U.S. against a common foe. Powell now predicts the resurgence of this trans-Atlantic alliance.
“We don’t have a Soviet Union again, but we do have common enemies, so we must again make common cause,” he said. Powell is right, but the administration has yet to apply this strategy honestly.
Though Powell spoke about the future of Iraq, he failed to mention the original reasons the U.S. invaded that country: terrorism and weapons of mass destruction and terrorism. The latter never materialized, and the former was not present until after the war, as reported in the 9/11 Commission Report. Without a change in policy or tactics, the U.S. continues to struggle in a guerrilla-style war, with civilians and American soldiers dying almost every day. Even when specifically pressed by a student, the best answer Powell could muster was, “We felt we had to do it. We thought we were right.”
The deceptive statements continued as Powell discussed the current conditions in Afghanistan and Iraq. Both countries are expecting elections, and both have descended into a chaos that will most likely prevent any successful transfer of power. Top officials within the Iraqi government predict that the election will be delayed indefinitely. In Afghanistan, the central government has little control beyond the capital in Kabul. Powell promises that we will, “in due course,” defeat the insurgents and put in place a democratic government. However, it is likely that without a major shift in strategy and tactics, the insurgency will continue to grow.
Most disappointing, however, is the clear double standard enforced by this administration. Powell predicts that, just as soon as the insurgents are defeated, “You would see schools being built. You would see town councils being formed. You would see Iraqis arguing with each other over the nature of their constitution … you would see open debate about how they want to be governed.” However, when a student asked Powell how the U.S. is promoting these same values in Pakistan and Saudi Arabia, nations the Human Rights Watch has condemned for employing torture and repressing freedom of expression, he changed the subject to the war on terror. Powell concluded: “So it is not just a matter of turning a light switch and things change. It takes time, it takes patience; it takes steady, consistent diplomacy over time.”
Unless, of course, that country is Iraq or Afghanistan.
If common interests and shared values will unite the two sides of the Atlantic, then this administration needs to speak clearly about its values. Powell tells us that, “Europe cannot really be secure … with much of the Middle East in constant turmoil,” but fails to explain how our policies will bring stability. To restore our foreign policy, we need to speak clearly and embrace a realistic approach to international affairs.
