The Obama Paradigm Shift; Profiles on Zuhdi Jasser, Eric Edelman, William Luti, and Elaine Chao

FEATURED ARTICLE

Obama’s Paradigm Shift in U.S.-Mideast Relations
By Phyllis Bennis

President Obama’s powerful Cairo speech unquestionably represents a significant departure from the hubris and militarism of the Bush era and towards a more cooperative and potentially even internationalist approach. In acknowledging that the United States bears some blame for problems in the Middle East and that Palestine’s right to exist is equivalent to Israel’s, the president sent a powerful message. But turning new language into new policies might require a mass mobilization on the scale that helped bring Obama to power. Read full story.

 

FEATURED PROFILES

Zuhdi Jasser
Jasser, a physician and devout Muslim connected to various neoconservative groups, is the founder of the American Islamic Forum for Democracy, which touts itself as “a leading voice for liberty-minded Muslims in America in the war on terror.”

Eric Edelman
An undersecretary of defense during George W. Bush’s second term, Edelman is now “distinguished fellow” at the Center for Strategic and Budgetary Assessments.

William Luti
A former Bush administration foreign policy operative and veteran of the Pentagon’s controversial Office of Special Plans, Luti is now a VP at defense contractor Northrop Grumman.

Elaine Chao
The former secretary of labor has returned to the Heritage Foundation, where she worked before being tapped by George W. Bush in 2001.

 

ALSO NEW ON RIGHT WEB

Obama Appeals to Muslim World for “New Beginning”
By Ali Gharib and Jim Lobe

In his speech in Cairo, President Barack Obama extended a hand to the world’s 1.5 billion Muslims, addressing nearly all of the issues that divide the United States and the Islamic world.

Hawks Push “Jordanian Option” for Palestine
By Daniel Luban

As President Obama pushes Israel toward a two-state solution, right-wing hawks are pressing the U.S. administration to adopt the “three-state solution,” under which Jordan would take over the West Bank and Egypt would control Gaza.

Now the Hard Part: Implementing “Af-Pak”
By Ali Gharib

Now that his administration has completed its review of U.S. policy in Afghanistan and Pakistan, President Obama gets to the hard part: how to prevent the Talibanization of both countries.

Iran’s Place in the Mideast Peace Puzzle
By Helena Cobban

Divergent Israeli and U.S. views on the place of Iran and the Palestinian situation within the larger question of regional peace and stability reveal much about the underlying challenges facing Mideast peacemakers.

Drive for Sanctions Likely in Wake of North Korean Test
By Jim Lobe

The Obama administration’s reaction to North Korea’s nuclear test will send a message about how the new president intends to confront foreign policy crises.

 

LETTERS

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