Posted by: Michael J. Boyle
Moderated by Mr. Stryker McGuire from Newsweek International, this panel examined the key positions of the 2008 U.S. presidential candidates on foreign policy. Ivo Daalder pointed out that the challenge for this upcoming election was about restoring trust in the United States, which has been lost due to circumstance and due to the foreign policy of the Bush Administration. In terms of forward strategy, a Democratic president will need to pay less attention to the war on terror, and focus more on global interconnectedness. That interconnectedness requires an engagement with the world and an understanding that, for the U.S. to be secure, others will have to be secure. The interconnectedness must now be the basis of U.S. strategy. Second, in terms of style, there will have to be multilateral engagement, within the context of institutions, for problem-solving on global challenges. This will involve a new and cooperative style of leadership. Finally, there will be a strategic reassessment: starting a process of removing troops from Iraq and downgrading Iraq as the centre of American foreign policy. Several new issues will get particular attention in the new administration, including climate change, Pakistan-Afghanistan, and nuclear weapons.
