In his four-country, six-day trip, President Obama is trying to work his PR magic once more. He weaved a convincing (and, for lack of a better word, “American”) story out of his unique background during his campaign. His appeal is wider than that of his policies. He is known to consistently deliver to his benefit either a kill switch or an energy boost to any topic stepping in front of him. Obama will need to play a Mad Man once more.
Obama faces a Muslim world that is angry and cynical. Words like “Abu Ghraib,” “Haditha,” and “war on terror” are much more convincing to them than “justice,” “freedom,” and “peace.” With Bush, they were bullied, misunderstood, and treated as an experiment on democratization.
Decades of negligence and abuse won’t easily be washed away with a fancy trip:
In Haditha, no one calls it a crime. No one refers to it as a killing. The only word used is “majzara,” or “massacre.” Nearly every villager seems able to recall even the most minute details of what they see as Marines, bent on revenge, killing unarmed men in a car, then men, women and children, including a 1-year-old girl, gathered in three houses.
“Only God can bring justice,” said Khadija Hassan, whose four sons — Jamal, Marwan, Qahtan and Chasib — were killed that day in a room still scarred with bullet holes.
“Is the American administration ready to reconsider its policies toward the Arab and Muslim world? Are they ready to admit their mistakes? Are they ready to apologize and promise not to interfere in our internal affairs?” he asked. “I don’t think they are.”
Obama has a fine line to follow: be strong, but not bossy; make them trust you, but don’t lose Israel’s trust; recognize mistakes made by previous administrations, but be wary of looking submissive. Indeed, Obama’s trip to the Middle East will be deconstructed into a million pieces, hoping to figure out what is in store for the region for the next 4 years.
Obama is widely respected by his counterparts across the globe. He has enchanted Europe, and is now attempting to charm a much more resistant region. Leaders, such as King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia, already feel good about his visit:
“I am not surprised, given the historically strategic ties between our two countries, I believe that go back to the time of the meeting between the late Franklin Delano Roosevelt and the late King Abdul Aziz,” King Abdullah said. “I also want to express my best wishes to the friendly American people who are represented by a distinguished man who deserves to be in this position.”
This is both a curse and blessing. Most leaders of countries in the Middle East are very unpopular with their citizenry. But Obama well knows that they, in the end, hold the key and influence to stabilize the region.
Israel is possibly looking on more intently than anyone else. Israel has already felt a shift in treatment from the US; Obama has made it clear that he will respect and aid Israel…as long as they do some legwork also. Unlike his predecessor, Obama is willing to risk having a chilly relationship with their stalwart ally, as long as it is a productive one.
In the end, the president is coming in at the best time. The Muslim world sees hope in a man who has a much more familiar face and background, an unlikely American representative at this level; they want to believe Obama’s efforts to reach out to them are genuine. His audience wants him to succeed.
People gathering in Cairo, Egypt, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, and everywhere else to listen to his speech, hopeing they will finally find an ally, are cautiosly optimistic. They’ve heard the pretty (or jarring, in W’s case) words by previous presidents, followed only by patronizing or insufficient gestures. They know he is only one man, and this is only one trip. With Obama, they are too afraid to be giddy–but secretly they are.
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