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U.S. Foreign Policy Under Bush
WASHINGTON (IslamOnline & News Agencies) - U.S. President-elect George W. Bush recently signaled his desire to restructure U.S. foreign policy.
Bush, who will take office Saturday, said that he would eliminate U.S. interference in foreign affairs that characterized President Bill Clinton's administration, affirming that the U.S. would refrain from playing the "watchdog" for the world.
Credible sources report that Bush is aiming at restructuring the American foreign policy by shutting down special delegation offices outside the U.S.
While Clinton considers these offices necessary for the credibility of the U.S. foreign policy, Bush believes they have become inefficient bureaucratic institutions.
Heading the list is Dennis Ross's position of Special Middle East Envoy, in charge of brokering the Mideast peace process, followed by the office of Special Envoy of Balkan's Affairs, led by James O' Brian.
Some incoming Bush administration officials have questioned the leadership of Washington's role in peacekeeping processes and delegation of U.S. troops for humanitarian reasons.
As for the Middle East, Bush's policies and intentions remain vague and ambiguous, despite of his promises of U.S. mediation for the peace process and interests in the Gulf, especially Iraq.
Analysts state that Bush foreign policy advisers will pursue a different track in the Middle East than the one taken by Clinton; a track they believe defined foreign policy in the region exclusively through the eyes of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
Instead of dealing with other states in the Middle East as they were extensions of the conflict in the Occupied Territories - a charge levied against Clinton's Middle East foreign policy outlook - the Bush administration has said that it would treat those countries separately and on a case-by-case basis.
U.S. policy towards countries like Iraq, Saudi Arabia and Iran, shall be treated given the direct circumstances present in those countries.
Foreign policy observers say that although the incoming Bush administration states that foreign policy shall be treated in this manner, and that Clinton viewed the Middle East through the conflict in Israel and Palestine, they state that the accusation against Clinton is a bit vague and that Bush proposals are equally so.
Bush has previously asserted that any peace deal achieved between the Palestinians and Israelis should not weaken Israel's security. However, secretary of state nominee Colin Powell has stressed on the necessity of mutual regard between all parties.
Latin American affairs come on top of Bush's priorities as he plans to attend a third summit for North American countries taking place in Quebec next April. The summit will discuss the probability of expanding the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) zone in the region by 2005.
Bush's other foreign policy concerns include opposing extension of International Monetary Fund (IMF) new credit grants to Moscow and boosting ties between the U.S. and Taiwan.
Bush has not refined any details on the possibility of a U.S. partnership with Russia and China. Moreover, he has not elaborated on participation of U.S. troops in international coalition military delegations, and has raised NATO fears as he has suggested recalling U.S. troops out of the Balkans.
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