President Obama, since he came to power, constantly endeavors to come to conclusion on important foreign policy issues which does not give enough hope to international public opinion yet, nor also foreign policy issues which are not able to reach on expected level as desired. Nevertheless, the fact that existing problems are entangled and the ways of solutions which are full with handicaps do not offer any other alternative for the U.S. President to continue his efforts patiently without falling into despair.
It is seen that the efforts carrying on Afghanistan issue, which is the most essential item on the foreign policy agenda of President Obama, rise increasingly in military and civil administration. In this context, Obama, who makes such a hard decision about dispatching 30,000 additional troops to Afghanistan, receives the supports he expected, though slowly, from the members of NATO of allied countries. For instance, Spain announced its plans of dispatching 511 additional troops for the training of Afghan forces. Furthermore, it is started a military operation to one of the important headquarters of Taliban in the north of Kabul along with a 1000 person force consisting of 800 French legionnaires and 200 American and English troops. As it is known, soon before in this region 11 French soldiers were captivated and killed by the Taliban forces.
Meanwhile, when the news, concerning some private security companies of tribal leaders working in Afghanistan as well as concerning Taliban were paid regularly by the U.S., began to spread, a resolution involving new precautions to increase the effectiveness of the sanctions on the persons, companies and organizations in relation with Taliban and El-Qaida, is approved unanimously, with the U.S. initiatives.
It is observed an increase in the number of people leaving their countries and taking refuge in the neighboring ones due to the progressive attacks and harassments by Taliban and El-Qaida. According to recent the number given by United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, 3600 Afghans have taken refuge in Tajikistan since January 2008. However, it is getting hard for Tajikistan that is struggling against poverty itself with great economic difficulties, to load on their responsibilities. Nevertheless in this Afghanistan equation, Pakistan is the protagonist and leading focal point that draws attention on American policy. The U.S. is asking once again aid from its friends in Europe to overcome the economic and political difficulties in Pakistan, but facing difficulties in obtaining this aid.
The Copenhagen Climate Summit, which was convened about the climate issue that has also capital importance in the context of internal politics of President Obama and which ended yesterday, eventuated in signing a “mutual compromise” with the efforts of President Obama in order to save the appearance. The “Copenhagen Compromise” consists of articles having no legal binding and formulized wherever the countries could come together, did not reach any desired result. In this compromise, it is emphasized the necessity of restricting the greenhouse gas emission. However, the great supports expected from the developed countries to developing countries are not mentioned. In the compromise, the only tangible statement is “the developed countries will supply a predictable and sustainable financial source, technology, capacity development support for the harmonization efforts of the developing countries.” Beside this statement, it is emphasized required supports for the least developed countries in Africa and the island countries in ocean, and “it is also aimed a 100 billion dollar supports for developing countries in need by developed countries until 2020.” In this “compromise” some pledges are mentioned. For example, EU 10,6 billion dollars, Japan 11 billion dollars and the U.S. 3,6 billion dollars pledged to give. In fact, the most controversial issue is the opposition of China on international supervision.
Another issue on which could not be made any progress and which have preoccupied previous American administration as well as President Obama for many years, is about the fate of new agreement which will replace Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (START-I) whose date was expired in December 5, 2009. While it was raised expectations on signing this new agreement during the Copenhagen Climate Summit, President Obama and Russian President Dmitri Medvedev declared that the new agreement can be signed only after the meetings in Copenhagen. However it was asserted that Obama agreed with Medvedev on the new agreement in his Moscow visit. According to this, the parties would reduce the number of nuclear warhead and the launching systems.
When the Copenhagen Summit ended on 18 December, President Obama declared that the U.S. and Russia were very close to come to terms and that both countries would observe each other easily by reducing the nuclear stocks. He, however, added that the meetings could not be finished up to the end of this year and would be restarted in 2010.
As it is known that the subject of discussion is about an international conference to revise the Treaty on Non-proliferation on Nuclear Weapons. That START-II comes into force before the conference will certainly contribute the success of the international conference. Even if the START-II is signed, it is doubted that the START-II will be approved before May due to a group ultimate opposing to the democrats in Congress. Russians like Chinese object to any supervision that might reach to the level of intervening in their internal affairs.
Consequently, when all the handicaps of the subjects handled from the beginning are taken into account, there is no other way for Obama to continue his efforts on foreign policy issues with patience and hope in 2010.
Ambassador (R) Nüzhet Kandemir