Obama Triangulates and Won't Go Where Other Great Americans Will on Hamas

Ben Smith of Politico points out that Barack Obama has "drawn a line" regarding which of the world's problematic bad guys should be met by Presidents like himself -- and Jimmy Carter. He thinks Carter should not meet any Hamas leaders.

I guess isolation works for some and not others -- but ah, just when does one know in Obama's play book?

Apparently, he's OK meeting Israeli leaders because they disavow terrorism -- but still they protect and establish illegal settlements and have installed more roadblocks and inhibitions to Palestinian mobility than was the case since the November 2007 Annapolis Summit. And while knocking Carter's efforts, Obama fails to articulate how any negotiation that does not include in some way a wrestling match and attempt at a negotiation with Hamas will be stable enough to believe in.

A leading Knesset Member in Israel who strongly favors Senator Obama if he had the chance to vote in the U.S. elections told me recently that his one fear about Obama is that in his quest for the White House, he will ultimately have to shed his pragmatic approach to problem solving and demonstrate to critics "that he will be more Israeli than the Israelis."

To establish a context, look at this roster of great Americans -- all national foreign policy leaders, military leaders, former government officials, and public intellectuals -- who have been able to go where Barack Obama seems unable.

They all signed a letter at the time of the Annapolis Summit to President Bush and Secretary of State Rice that said that:

As to Hamas, we believe that a genuine dialogue with the organization is far preferable to its isolation; it could be conducted, for example, by the UN and Quartet Middle East envoys. Promoting a cease-fire between Israel and Gaza would be a good starting point.

While he didn't sign our letter, Colin Powell has also said that Hamas should not be isolated and must be engaged.

The roster of American leaders who led the letter are:

BRENT SCOWCROFT, ZBIGNIEW BRZEZINSKI, THOMAS PICKERING, CARLA HILLS, LEE HAMILTON, THEODORE SORENSEN, ERIC SHINSEKI, NANCY KASSEBAUM BAKER, and PAUL VOLCKER.

Others that are included on the roster of signatories are:

US AID Deputy Administrator HARRIET "HATTIE" BABBITT, former USIA Chief JOSEPH DUFFEY, former US Senator GARY HART, former US Senator LINCOLN CHAFEE, RAND Corporation Board Member and New America Foundation/American Strategy Program Chair RITA HAUSER, former Assistant Secretary of State JAMES DOBBINS, former State Department Policy Planning Director MORTON HALPERIN, former Deputy Ambassador to the UN WILLIAM VAN DEN HEUVEL, former Israel Foreign Minister SCHLOMO BEN-AMI. . .

former US Senator BIRCH BAYH, former Congressman and Corning CEO AMO HOUGHTON Jr., former National Intelligence Council Chairman ROBERT HUTCHINGS, Fletcher School Dean and former U.S. Ambassador STEPHEN BOSWORTH, former Assistant Secretary of Defense LAWRENCE KORB, former American Political Science Association President and Columbia University professor ROBERT JERVIS, Kings College Terrorism Chair and New America Foundation Senior Fellow ANATOL LIEVEN, former National Security Agency Director Lt. General WILLIAM ODOM. . .

Committee for the Republic President WILLIAM NITZE, Brookings Visiting Senior Fellow DIANA VILLIERS NEGROPONTE, Former CIA Deputy Director JOHN McLAUGHLIN, former US Ambassador JOHN MALOTT, former EU Commissioner for Foreign Relations CHRISTOPHER PATTEN, former National Intelligence Officer for the Near East PAUL PILLAR, former US Senator LARRY PRESSLER, former US Ambassador FELIX ROHATYN. . .

MIT Center for International Studies Director RICHARD SAMUELS, retired Marine Corps General JOHN J. "JACK" SHEEHAN, Princeton University Woodrow Wilson School Dean ANNE-MARIE SLAUGHTER, Former Congressman STEPHEN SOLARZ, former First USA Bank CEO and Adagio Partners CEO RICHARD VAGUE, Former US Senator and UN Foundation President TIMOTHY WIRTH, and former US Ambassador and AIG Vice Chairman FRANK WISNER. . .

former New Jersey Governor and Environmental Protection Agency Administrator CHRISTINE TODD WHITMAN, Nixon Center President and National Interest Publisher DIMITRI SIMES, former National Security Advisor to Vice President Al Gore LEON FUERTH, Brookings Senior Fellow PHILIP GORDON, former US Ambassador to NATO ROBERT HUNTER, former Malaysia Deputy Prime Minister ANWAR IBRAHIM, former CIA Deputy Director JOHN McLAUGHLIN. . .

former State Department Chief of Staff LAWRENCE WILKERSON, Lehman Brothers Managing Director THEODORE ROOSEVELT IV, former US Ambassador JOSEPH WILSON, former Chief Monitor of the Middle East Roadmap at the Department of State JOHN S. WOLF -- among others.

Former President Jimmy Carter is right to try and do what can be done to kick the tires of an alternative, internal solution to the political division of Palestine. His work may fail -- but the effort is worth exploring.

The correct position for Obama to have taken is to say that he would be open to what someone like a Jimmy Carter. . .or a Colin Powell. . .or a Tony Blair, Joschka Fischer, Javier Solana, Vladimir Putin, Hu Jintao, or Saudi King Abdullah might be able to achieve by way of Hamas and Fatah. Emissaries are important, and they can create opportunities a President can't often take the risks to do himself or herself.

Obama, in my view, has tarnished his foreign policy credentials here. If he can't embrace what these Americans have been able to do -- and what Senator Chuck Hagel has suggested be done with Hamas -- then what use is his new vision?

What is his position today if not one that has been influenced by special interests whose political weight has undermined the strategic interests of the United States?

-- Steve Clemons publishes the popular political blog, The Washington Note

Comments

[plafayette]

Greetings To All:

Does anyone here agree that the MOST Important Issue in facing AMERICANS Today is AMERICA? I am personally sick and tired of hearing about any place that is NOT HERE on OUR OWN SOIL! Our roads and bridges, schools and houses are falling down around our own heads... Let Hamas and Israel and everybody/­everyplace else take care of their own problems for a while. Damn.

[clevelandchick]

I agree that his position is against his policy of diplomacy rather than conditions - but I also know that he is in a race to become president. After the GOP and some of HIllary's surrogates tried to label him a Muslim, he has spent months and months dispelling that rumour and characterization. The GOP and Hillary's camp have tried to scare American Jews away from voting for Barack because of his statements of seeking a fair compromise in the Israeli Palestinian conflict. Obama is in a very sensitive spot on this issue.

For Obama at this point to come out and say "I'll sit down and talk to Hamas" the Clintons and the GOP would jump all over him and never have a shot at the office. I believe once elected Obama will do the right thing and take the advice of one of his policy advisors and signatory to the letter you highlight, Zbiginiew Brezinski.

[gloria1129]

Once elected he will do what he now says he won't do?
So you are saying that we shouldn't believe what he says, right? Meaning, in Axelrod-speak, "He will say anything to get elected."
Yup.
What is still surprising, every single day, is that you'all think that's OK because it's your guy.

[NoGoodNamesLeft]

hey, knock it off. the Obama supporters already know what he'll really do. they know some things he just HAS to say to get elected. But, they all signed up and they get the "secret" emails from Barack where he explains what he will really do when he gets elected. This keeps them all calmed down so they don't cause him any trouble during the election. They even all ge the secredt decoder ring in the mail so they can translate the coded messages he sends to them in his speeches. Just trust HIM, what kind of a cult do you think we're running here?

[clevelandchick]

No....sinc­e you are having such a hard time grasping the concept of what I wrote, I will repeat it for you. Try reading slower or have someone read it to you very slowly.

What it means is that if he wants to be president the very last thing he should be committing to is talks with Hamas at this point. He signs that letter and he becomes an 'enemy of Israel and a coddler of terrorists' in the eyes of every dumb ass who can't think for himself in America, then the corporate media, the GOP and the Clinton-borgs would destroy him with it. Why should he walk into a political trap? Would Hillary? Has Hillary signed this letter? Has Hillary promised to sit down and talk to Hamas?

I still get e-mails from nutcases telling me that Obama is a secret Manchurian candidate sent here by Bin Laden to kill us all. Hell I've seen those same nutcases posting that crap here on Huffington and elsewhere. So save your sanctimonius attempt at a 'gotcha', dispense with the pretense that you don't know this is the reality just because it benefits your girl.

[Bluesman48]

Unfortunately, genuflecting beforethe Israeli wingers is a ritual that every candidate for president must perform like a trained dog. If Obama gets a mandate, which I hope he does, he may be able to loosen the shackles of the Zionists a bit, but don't hold your breath.

[c1ee]

maybe he will change his mind if he gets hold of this

[PKSSK]

Mr. Clemon's, Obama is running against your candidate, an individual who is ready to crucify him at all costs by playing the fear and anti-semite card, which will supposedly give her and the republican opponent a perception of superior foreign policy views and experience. So I ask you Steve, are you writing this article as a surrogate for your candidate or have you not been watching the destructive acts that your candidate has adopted.

Obama has to be on guard at all times until he is the nominee, then and only then can he take his stance that will set him apart from a Bush III administration. In addition, the signatories who support meeting with Hamas were not supporting a Carter meeting with Hamas in Syria, they were supporting a summit meeting with all parties, including Hamas, associated with establishing peace with Israel and Palestine.

[BubbaC33]

Here is a peace plan that will work.
Any Arabs not willing to live in Israel are welcome to move to Jordan.
The territories are not up for negotiation, the land is necessary to provide the strategic depth Israel requires for its defense.
Jerusaelm is the capital of the Jewish state.
Gaza can remain under the control of the PA, but as a state within the nation of Israel.
The Golan is an important defensive position for the protection of Israel and will not be returned to Syria.
All of her Arab neighbors must accept Israe's right to exist within defensible borders.
Arabs living in Gaza and Jordan get free cable for the first year following the signing of this agreement, but with no Playboy channel or Spice channel.

[drmavis]

I am an Obama supporter, but I do agree with your essay. I think Obama is coming to the place where he is having to make some concessions to interest groups for the purpose of electability, but I wish he would revise his position.

[TahoeEditor]

Never fear, a little on-the-job training will clear this all up. Keep mongering The Hope and what can go wrong?

http://www.politicalcartoons.com/cartoon/906a5268-c87a-4ec3-8532-2429e74287e8.html

[cblcar]

Finally. Someone on HuffPo willing to speak out about Obama and say, "Look. The Emperor has no clothes!"

[noneIn2008]

Obama is clear on his foreign policy. Iraq is bad, anything Bush is bad. Obama is good. He will talk to people about stuff, the world will be a wonderful place. I'm glad his positions and policies are sharp and clear.

[NoGoodNamesLeft]

and, he wants a VP that know stuff that he doesn't too.

[CAPTAIND]

Do not be disappointed. Senator Obama is not the idealogue everyone thinks. He does play a good game. He leads black militant and ultra liberal radicals to believe that down deep he is their guy. He tells crowds that he is the great unifier. He tells people like you that he will start a new era of foreign diplomacy when elected, to include talks and negotiations with leaders our past presidents and secretaries of state would not. What Obama will really do is what is expedient for Obama. He is just a glib politician ambitious to get elected. Don't be upset just don't vote for him, and stop paying lp service to him as some kind of political idol.

[clevelandchick]

Did you even read what you wrote and realize how insane you sound?

[FogCityJohn]

Oh yeah, I can just see the headlines now. "Obama Agrees to Talk to Terrorists!" Your proposal is tailor-made for those who wish to suggest that Obama is insufficiently loyal to Israel. As an African-American politician, he's considered suspect on this issue, so he doesn't have the luxury of agreeing to meet with Hamas. I can well imagine the use the Clinton campaign would make of that.

[Justtellthetruth]

Obama's views are one whole hell of a lot more progressive than Hillary or McCain, both of whom have come out in favor of the completely whacky ultra right wing position of having Jerusalem be the undivided capitol of Israel, and that the US embassy should be built there.

With Attitudes like that, there is no reason to talk to ANY Palestinians. It is a declaration of eternal war and struggle in keeping with Hillary and McCains Neocon Leanings.

Obama is trying to keep an even keel on Israel, but he will do more to repair the situation than McCain or Hillary ever would.

[BubbaC33]

The best thing we can do is to stop pressuring Israel to meet with a terrorist organiztion run by criminals. The only solution to the "situation" with Hamas can be best provided by Sayeret Matkal.

[Justtellthetruth]

You are an idiot. How about we send special forces to YOUR house, to remove you, forcibly take your property, and then give it to people who claim that god gave it to them, and then escort YOU to another country and tell you you no longer belong here?

Once the settlers and the IDF have been utterly removed from all occupied territory, peace will ensue, and terror will drop off dramatically for both Israel and the US and the only people who wont be happy are the ultranationalist, radical fundamentalist settlers, who could care less about anyones lives (us, israeli, palestinian) anyway.

[unsolved999]

I agree. It's a mistake. Plus it contradicts what he has said previously which is that preconditions to dialogue are counter productive.