For The Grand Dream!
Published in Al Ahram
(Egypt) on 30 November 2008
by Salwa Habib (link to original)
Regardless of her sheer siding with Israel, nobody can deny that Senator Hillary Clinton is always admired for her strong personality, courageousness and diligence. And not to forget the steps she made on the presidential candidacy road that added a humane dimension to her experiment. All these can make of her a successful secretary of state. However, her success will also depend on her president's faith in her, because she stands for her country before the whole world.
In this way, Clinton will put in force Obama's policies, not hers. He may take her advice, but will not be driven by them; after all, she was his stubborn rival for the president's seat. But what if she showed no "pliability"? He would turn to his vice-president, John Biden, the old hand at foreign politics and she shall be reduced to a follower's role.
What would she do then? Has she left her independent role at the Senate to play a secondary one? Why did she accept the State's position? Is it because she wants to be back on the international scene to satisfy her ambitions?
It is no secret that this office was Obama's reward for her supporting him during the preliminaries. And besides her abilities, she belongs to the school of her husband, the ex-American president, Bill Clinton, from which Obama chose most of his secretaries and advisers.
The world wants Obama's secretary of state to be a professional negotiator and mediator to infuse all the international conflicts and to fix what Bush's administration committed. While Obama, himself, needs her to find practical answers, especially for the enigmas of the Middle East, Iran's nuclear program, Iraq's political future and to restore the damaged credibility of the American diplomacy.
Indeed, it is a tough and complicated mission and certainly needs cooperation. And if she was not granted success, it shall be a second blow to her grand dream; holding the chair of the Oval office.
In this way, Clinton will put in force Obama's policies, not hers. He may take her advice, but will not be driven by them; after all, she was his stubborn rival for the president's seat. But what if she showed no "pliability"? He would turn to his vice-president, John Biden, the old hand at foreign politics and she shall be reduced to a follower's role.
What would she do then? Has she left her independent role at the Senate to play a secondary one? Why did she accept the State's position? Is it because she wants to be back on the international scene to satisfy her ambitions?
It is no secret that this office was Obama's reward for her supporting him during the preliminaries. And besides her abilities, she belongs to the school of her husband, the ex-American president, Bill Clinton, from which Obama chose most of his secretaries and advisers.
The world wants Obama's secretary of state to be a professional negotiator and mediator to infuse all the international conflicts and to fix what Bush's administration committed. While Obama, himself, needs her to find practical answers, especially for the enigmas of the Middle East, Iran's nuclear program, Iraq's political future and to restore the damaged credibility of the American diplomacy.
Indeed, it is a tough and complicated mission and certainly needs cooperation. And if she was not granted success, it shall be a second blow to her grand dream; holding the chair of the Oval office.
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