Obama Takes Charge; D.C. Takes Spotlight; Balls Take the Cake
 The sheer numbers say it all: an estimated 1.8 million enthusiastic spectators packing Washington, D.C., some traveling thousands of miles, waiting several hours and braving temperatures that dipped below 30 degrees Fahrenheit (followed by celebrations at no fewer than 100 balls), all to inaugurate the country’s 44th president — and its first-ever African American president.
Jan. 20 was indeed a historic day for the nation — and for the city of Washington — as Barack Hussein Obama took the oath of office in front of not only record crowds on the National Mall, but in front of the entire world (Obama graced the front pages of some 700 newspapers in 70 countries following the big day).
Despite a flub by Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr. during the swearing-in, Obama’s oratory elegance was on full display in a forceful speech that matched the momentous spirit of the occasion, making it clear that the change this 47-year-old senator from Illinois has long promised is more than a campaign slogan.
But Obama was upfront about the enormous challenges that must be addressed to enact that change — from wars abroad to a battered economy at home — and equally upfront about the blame everyone shares in those challenges. “Our economy is badly weakened, a consequence of greed and irresponsibility on the part of some, but also our collective failure to make hard choices and prepare the nation for a new age,” said Obama, the fourth youngest man to be elected president in U.S. history, who recited the oath with the same Bible that Abraham Lincoln used at his inauguration 148 years ago.
 Yet just as he was honest about the “gathering clouds and raging storms,” Obama tempered his sobering assessment with a soaring optimism about the resiliency of the American people to weather those storm clouds and, as he put it, “dust ourselves off and begin again the work of remaking America.”
“We remain the most prosperous, powerful nation on Earth,” he said. “Our capacity remains undiminished. But our time of standing pat, of protecting narrow interests and putting off unpleasant decisions, that time has surely passed.”
That goes for government as well, he added, proclaiming “an end to the petty grievances and false promises, the recriminations and worn-out dogmas, that for far too long have strangled our politics.”
It was one of many strong statements in a speech that signaled a clear break from his predecessor, who was seated just a few feet away. Indeed, it was a strange dichotomy as Obama thanked George W. Bush for his help in the transitioning process — which by all accounts was one of the smoothest in recent memory — even escorting the former first couple to an airplane that took them back home to Texas. Yet at the same time, as many commentators put it, Obama’s administration will not just transition from Bush policies — it will transform them, something that was evidenced by Obama’s pointed repudiation of the Bush administration’s approach to the “war on terror.”
 “As for our common defense, we reject as false the choice between our safety and our ideals,” he declared in a thinly veiled jab at Guantanamo, Abu Ghraib, wiretapping policies, interrogation techniques and other controversial tools in the Bush terrorism arsenal. (Earlier, his nominee for attorney general, Eric H. Holder Jr., point blank rejected the use of torture and techniques such as waterboarding at his Senate confirmation hearing.)
Instead, Obama reminded the audience of the limits of military might, as well as the reach of the U.S. government in battling its enemies — a stark departure from his predecessor. “Recall that earlier generations faced down fascism and communism not just with missiles and tanks, but with sturdy alliances and enduring convictions. They understood that our power alone cannot protect us, nor does it entitle us to do as we please.”
After Bush’s invasion of Iraq, the more humbling rhetoric particularly resonates in the Muslim world, an audience Obama directly addressed in an attempt to repair U.S.-Muslim relations, although not at the cost of American ideals, he said.
“To the Muslim world, we seek a new way forward, based on mutual interest and mutual respect. To those leaders around the globe who seek to sow conflict, or blame their society’s ills on the West — know that your people will judge you on what you can build, not what you destroy. To those who cling to power through corruption and deceit and the silencing of dissent, know that you are on the wrong side of history; but that we will extend a hand if you are willing to unclench your fist,” Obama said, suggesting he would eschew the diplomatic isolationism championed by his predecessor — who refused to directly engage foes such as Syria and Iran. (Both Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and Obama’s newly installed U.N. ambassador, Susan Rice, have promised engagement with Iran.)
The perception that there will be a return to vigorous diplomacy in the Obama administration has many world leaders and diplomats excited, as best wishes flooded the White House the day after Obama’s inauguration — from Pope Benedict XVI, who urged Obama to be “the promoter of peace and cooperation between nations,” even to longtime U.S. nemesis Cuba, whose president, Raul Castro, said Obama “seems like a good man” and wished him luck.
He’ll certainly need it. Expectations are high, but Obama hasn’t shied away from bold promises to fulfill those expectations, vowing to usher in a “new era of responsibility” and restore tarnished American ideals. “[F]rom the grandest capitals to the small village where my father was born, know that America is a friend of each nation and every man, woman and child who seeks a future of peace and dignity, and that we are ready to lead once more.”
He also pledged to help developing nations — while curbing the appetite of developed ones — because “we can no longer afford indifference to suffering outside our borders; nor can we consume the world’s resources without regard to effect. For the world has changed, and we must change with it.”
And the new president is wasting no time making those changes. Just six hours after wrapping up the last of the inauguration festivities, Obama got down to the business of governing with a flurry of activity that touched on many of the agenda items mentioned the previous day.
These included: implementing a slew of lobbying and ethics rules to ensure greater transparency of the White House; calling various leaders in the Middle East and appointing special envoys to the region; meeting with advisors to discuss a drawdown of forces in Iraq to shift over to Afghanistan; granting his first formal television interview to the Arabic station Al Arabiya, promising to speak to the Islamic world in a “language of respect”; and shutting down Guantanamo and the CIA’s network of so-called “black site” prisons in other countries.
Other rollbacks of Bush policies: quietly lifting the “Mexico City policy,” dubbed the “global gag rule” by its opponents, that bans federal money for international family planning groups; announcing a series of environmental plans to reduce fuel consumption and greenhouse gas emissions; and ordering a halt to any last-minute rules and regulations put in place by his predecessor, along with a review of all legal decisions taken over the last eight years.
Yet Obama has also pledged to end the partisanship that has polarized Washington, reaching out across party lines to push through an $819 billion stimulus package, which recently passed the House but didn’t garner a single Republican vote.
The White House though has dismissed charges that Obama’s GOP outreach failed, and it’s clear the new president will continue to pursue the post-partisan governing style echoed in his inaugural address, which sought to play down divisions between big government versus small government. “The question we ask today is not whether our government is too big or too small, but whether it works,” he said, noting for instance that the free market system works but that without government supervision, it will spin out of control.
But throughout Obama’s presidential campaign, as well as his 45-minute inauguration speech, Obama stressed that government doesn’t have all the answers and that the onus falls on both the public sector and private citizens to effect change — hence his call for boosting national and community service.
“For as much as government can do and must do, it is ultimately the faith and determination of the American people upon which this nation relies,” he said, pointing to the men and women in uniform who serve the country. “We honor them not only because they are guardians of our liberty, but because they embody the spirit of service; a willingness to find meaning in something greater than themselves. And yet, at this moment - a moment that will define a generation - it is precisely this spirit that must inhabit us all.”
D.C.'s Day As Well
That spirit was on full display throughout the nation’s capitol on Jan. 20. Another impressive figure from that day: the more than 35,000 civilian and military personnel that managed nearly 2 million people trying to navigate the inauguration. And for the most part, the city managed — with a few glitches.
 The Diplomatic Pouch had a few firsthand experiences with the throngs of inauguration revelers that reflected both the successes and failures of the massive citywide preparations. For the most though, it’s clear the security efforts went off without major problems. Other than a few unattended bags that turned out to be harmless, the only major incident occurred when a 68-year-old woman fell onto the Metro tracks on Tuesday morning, although a quick-thinking Houston police officer rescued her from an oncoming train.
In fact, I was boarding a train on the red line shortly after the incident, convinced the ride from Shady Grove in Maryland into D.C. would take hours. To my surprise, it was a smooth 30-minute jaunt to the Farragut stations, mostly though because the area around the White House was away from the action on the Mall. Nevertheless, security was well coordinated, with officers boarding almost each car and politely helping tourists find their way.
 Likewise, the scene along the inaugural parade route near the White House was efficient and orderly, with smooth going at security checkpoints and medical emergency tents throughout the day.
But elsewhere, the story was not pretty. At the L’Enfant Metro Station, there were reports of riders waiting well over an hour just to exit the escalator area. The crush of people also shut down at least one Metro station and swelled most of the trains to record capacity.
But probably the most notorious mishap of the day involved some 4,000 unfortunate purple and blue ticket-holders who were turned away from the swearing-in because of what many said was confusing, bungled-up security. It’s been variously described as “purple gate” or the “purple tunnel of doom” — there’s even a Facebook page devoted to it online — and there’s plenty of blame still going around.
What’s for certain is that 4,000 people with tickets — out of a total of 250,000 — didn’t get to use them.
After arriving hours early to wait in line, these ticket-holders complained of discombobulated officers directing people to the wrong lines, or absent altogether, and eventually police became overwhelmed by the surging mobs that had gathered at the gates, refusing them entry. Police are still investigating but cited an over-distribution of tickets, broken screening machines and a few rowdy incidents as reasons for the problem.
 “What a huge disappointment to be cut out of such a historic event as the inauguration of Barack Obama,” said our own Victor Shiblie, publisher and editor in chief of The Washington Diplomat, who was one of the rejected purple ticket holders, even though he and his friend, Jennifer, had arrived at 7:30 a.m. that day.
“As sad as my story is, I felt worse for Jennifer, who traveled by car from Erie, Pennsylvania. She was one of the lucky people whose representative gave her two coveted tickets to the inauguration. Back in Erie, she was offered $10,000 for the tickets — prior to it being a federal crime — and declined, because as an African American this was a historic event that promised a memory of a lifetime,” Shiblie explained.
“Although it was probably one of the biggest crowds I’ve ever seen, people were pretty good. The one thing missing was police presence or instructions,” he recalled. “The sea of people was in confusion and we had no idea the line had shifted. Any misshape with this kind of crowd could have been disastrous.
“Finally, after waiting in line in the wrong place — where we were told to go — an officer showed up with a bullhorn and instructed us to go two blocks down the road and through a bridge, which turned into a half-mile walk, then join the end of that line,” Shiblie continued. “By the time we got to the front, it was about 11:15 and they began turning away thousands of people. I ended up with Jennifer watching the ceremony at the bar of California Kitchen in Dupont Circle.”
He concluded: “I was disappointed, but I took it in stride. Jennifer took it pretty well too, but these mistakes cost her a memory that was worth more than $10,000 — a memory of a lifetime. A little better organization would have gone a long way.”
Purple gate aside, most spectators took the frustrations in stride, and the jubilant mood permeated the sea of diverse faces — including a large African American presence — who were all just happy to be part of the moment.
James Morrison, who writes the Embassy Row column in the Washington Times, witnessed some of the inauguration ups and downs on his way to work downtown from Virginia. At the King Street Metro Station where he boarded, the passengers were already crammed into the train like sardines, with everyone pressed against every one else, Morrison told the Diplomatic Pouch.
The train kept stopping at other stations, which were equally crowded with people trying to get inside. Many of the riders were African American, with some ladies dressed as if they were going to church, in faux leopard print, Morrison recalled, although most were dressed for the cold.
“At several points when the train would stop at stations and someone would beg to get on, the passengers in my car responded in unison with a loud ‘Nooooo,’” Morrison said. At one point, a man wearing a red Washington Nationals baseball cap pleaded to get on the car, and one African American woman responded: “We shall not be moved.”
When she finally got to her station, after a ride of more than an hour, she squeezed out of the packed train and proclaimed, “Free at last.”
Balls Go Out With Bang, or Bust in Some Cases
 Obama and his wife Michelle were able to let loose a bit — albeit still in the public spotlight — at the 10 official inaugural balls following his swearing-in, but not everyone in town had a ball with the festivities.
Like the demand for property rentals during the inauguration, the glut of balls, receptions, galas and “celebrations” for Barack Obama turned out to be an over-hyped bust, though not all the parties fell flat.
Along with the 10 official balls hosted by the Presidential Inauguration Committee, mostly located inside the Washington Convention Center, there were some 100 “balls” from Jan. 18 to 20, on top of at least 130 various other events ranging from neighborhood clean-ups to concerts.
In fact, there was an event for almost every taste, from the frivolous to the generous, and everything in between: a food drive for Martha’s Table; a Darfur community vigil at the Chinese Embassy; the Mele Inoa (Hawaiian name chant) for Obama concert at the National Museum of the American Indian; the Cherry Hill Road Community Park “invasive plant removal”; the Dreams from My Father American Scholars Inaugural Ball hosted by the Hip-Hop Caucus and National Intellectual Property Law Institute; the Sikh/Desi Inaugural Ball; the Good Stuff Eatery Burger Ball; the Funk 4 Peace Inaugural Ball; and the Reality of a Dream Haitian Inaugural Ball, where Wyclef Jean was expected to attend but not perform, event organizers stressed.
 In fact, the star wattage sprinkled throughout D.C. — from Beyoncé to Anne Hathaway to Ben Affleck to Dionne Warwick— didn’t always translate into ticket sales. The high ticket prices — even $500 at some places didn’t guarantee you food or alcohol — and last-minute planning didn’t help either.
Many of those ticket prices eventually came down at the last minute due to low demand, and at least one big party, the Veterans Ball at the St. Regis Hotel, was canceled at the last minute, with the promoter — and refunds — nowhere to be found.
For those thinly planned celebrations that went ahead as scheduled, how much of a profit organizers actually turned probably wasn't a cause for celebration, as lots of freebies were given away to bring people in and fill up rooms.
Still, most parties went off alright, especially big-name events such as the Latino Inaugural Gala that drew stars like Eva Longoria and Jimmy Smits, and of course the 10 official balls where Obama and Michelle made an appearance.
 The Diplomatic Pouch didn’t get to meet Obama, or Eva or Jimmy for that matter, but we did attend a potpourri of events that ran the Goldilocks spectrum, with some too small or too big, and others hitting just the right balance of people and partying.
The Foreign Diplomats Inaugural Ball attracted only a handful of diplomats on Jan. 18, but overall the event — hosted by the Ethiopian Embassy at the James Monroe Mansion along Pennsylvania Avenue — was well attended. And the food — unlike many other balls — was abundant and actually pretty tasty.
The somewhat sparse turnout in the beginning may have been a result of the inconvenient road closures outside after the big “We Are One” concert at the Lincoln Memorial, but once the closures were lifted, people began streaming in and the historic but intimate venue proved a good fit for the crowd.
 Likewise, the Washington Life Magazine’s Inaugural Musical Celebration on Jan. 16 featured a good helping of both food and diplomats, who came out to see House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) and Co-Chairman of the Presidential Transition Team John Podesta, the evening’s headline speakers, at the Fairfax at Embassy Row hotel.
Although Pelosi posed for a few photos and then ducked out shortly after her speech, Podesta stayed on to talk with inquisitive fans, answering the question of the day: will he work for Obama now that the transition is over? No, he politely told guests, he will stay on as head of the Center for American Progress, the influential think tank he established in 2003.
 There weren’t any Obama transition folks at the Latino Inaugural Celebration at the Organization of American States, but the event was geared more toward the local Hispanic community anyway. And a large group of local community members did turn out for the Jan. 29 celebration, which also featured a performance by the ensemble Coral Cantigas, although coordination at the check-in (especially for the media) was sorely lacking.
The food too, what little there was, also left something to be desired — a similar story at many balls — although at least there were some alcoholic beverages, unlike the cash bars at many other high-priced affairs.
Over at the Inaugural Purple Ball on Jan. 20, the champagne was definitely flowing, thanks mostly to the event’s main sponsor, Moët & Chandon Champagne. The Purple Ball was billed as a star-studded affair, with a smorgasbord of celebrities from Ed Harris to Patricia Arquette to Josh Lucas attending.
 It was also populated with lots of pretty people wanting to bask in the Hollywood glow, although those who paid $300 for tickets had to content themselves with basking nearby in the outside reception area if they didn’t pay the $500 for a sit-down dinner.
If you shelled out $5,000, you could also get an upgraded gift bag, memoir book and autographed copy of the latest album by Il Divo, who performed against an elegant purple-lit backdrop in the Fairmont Washington hotel.
Why purple? To emphasize that there are no “red” or “blue” politically designated states, just a united, purple America. But it wasn’t that black and white as issues of race surfaced earlier in the planning, with actor Louis Gossett Jr. pulling his Eracism Foundation out of the gala after complaining about a lack of diversity on the host committee and entertainment lineup.
 Ball organizers shot back, subbing in the United Negro College Fund as the beneficiary organization and honoring the fund’s president and CEO, Michael Lomax. “We are so pleased to have Dr. Lomax’s support,” said ball chair Asal Masomi, “since the purpose of our ball is to celebrate diversity.”
In the end though, perhaps the spat — and all the showy celebrating — was best put into perspective by my cab driver that evening, an immigrant from Ghana. He poked fun at all the people spending “all that money” to dress up and dance the night away, though he mused: “I guess people are just trying to feel special on a special day.”
From top photo to bottom:
Barack Obama, with his wife Michelle Obama by his side, is sworn in as the 44th president of the United States by Supreme Court Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr. in front of the Capitol in Washington, D.C., Jan. 20. In addition to the estimated 1.8 million people who flocked to D.C. to witness the inauguration, more than 5,000 men and women in uniform provided military ceremonial support, a tradition dating back to George Washington’s 1789 inauguration.
Photo: DoD photo by U.S. Air Force Master Sgt. Cecilio Ricardo
Front page photo of swearing-in: DoD photo by Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Chad J. McNeeley
President Barack Obama and first lady Michelle Obama wave to the crowd as they make their way down Pennsylvania Avenue during the presidential inaugural parade following Obama’s swearing-in.
Photo: DoD photo by Staff Sgt. Timothy Kingston, U.S. Army
A changing of the guard: President Barack Obama and first lady Michelle Obama walk former President George W. Bush and Laura Bush to a Marine Corps helicopter for their departure back to Texas.
Photo: DoD photo by Tech. Sgt. Suzanne M. Day, U.S. Air Force
The National Mall, augmented by a row of Jumbotron screens, provides space for the huge crowd wanting to witness the 56th presidential inauguration in Washington, D.C., Jan. 20. An estimated 1.8 million people turned out to inaugurate President Barack Obama.
Photo: DoD photo by Spc. Daniel J. Herrera, U.S. Army
Parade participants make their way down Pennsylvania Avenue during the inaugural parade.
Photo: DoD photo by Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Michael Heckman, U.S. Navy
Parade watchers patiently wait to go through metal detectors before being allowed into the inaugural parade area.
Photo: Anna Gawel
President Barack Obama and first lady Michelle Obama dance during the Commander-in-Chief’s Ball at the National Building Museum, one of 10 official inaugural balls that the first couple attended the night of Jan. 20. On the front page, President Barack Obama dances with U.S. Army Sgt. Margaret H. Herrera while first lady Michelle Obama dances with U.S. Marine Corps Sgt. Elidio Guillen at the Commander in Chief's Ball at the National Building Museum, which honored the country’s active duty and reserve military members.
Photo: DoD Photo by James Bowman, U.S. Air Force
Front page photo of ball: DoD photo by U.S. Navy Petty Officer 1st Class Chad J. McNeeley
Maroon 5’s Adam Levine performs at the Neighborhood Ball in downtown Washington.
Photo: DoD photo by Yeoman 1st Class Donna Lou Morgan, U.S. Navy
Ambassador of St. Vincent and the Grenadines La Celia Prince, left, and Harold Doley III of the Lugano Group attend the Foreign Diplomats Inaugural Ball at the James Monroe Mansion, which was hosted by the Ethiopian Embassy.
Photo: Thomas Coleman
Co-Chairman of the Presidential Transition Team and head of the Center for American Progress John Podesta, left, and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) were the featured guests at the Inaugural Musical Celebration hosted by Washington Life Magazine and co-sponsored by the Atlantic and National Journal at the Fairfax at Embassy Row hotel’s Jockey Club’s Fairfax Lounge and Ballroom.
Photo: Joseph Allen / Washington Life
The ensemble Coral Cantigas performs at the Latino Inaugural Celebration held at the Organization of American States on Jan. 19 to highlight the Hispanic vote in the 2008 presidential election.
Photo: Thomas Coleman
From left, Mrs. and Ambassador of Pakistan Husain Haqqani and British Ambassador Sir Nigel Sheinwald attend a pre-inaugural ball reception at the Pakistani ambassador’s residence on Jan. 20.
Photo: Gail Scott
United Negro College Fund President and Chief Executive Officer as the Michael Lomax was the honoree at the Inaugural Purple Ball held at the Fairmont hotel
Photo: Anna Gawel
Hillary Takes Helm at Foggy Bottom
Judging by the crowd that came out to greet Secretary of State Hillary Clinton on her first day at the job, it’s clear the U.S. Foreign Service is pinning its hopes on the former first lady and senator to give the State Department a much-needed boost — both in prestige and in the all-important pocketbooks.
 The ambitious Clinton promised no less, vowing to usher in “a new era for America” as she waved to the throngs of foreign and civil service officers who packed the lobby off C Street in Foggy Bottom on Jan. 22.
“This is going to be a challenging time and it will require 21st century tools and solutions to meet our problems and seize our opportunities,” the new secretary of state said. And to meet those challenges, Clinton stresses that she will use the full range of tools at her disposal — diplomatic, economic, military, political, cultural and legal — referencing the comments she made at her earlier Senate confirmation hearing about “smart power.”
“With smart power, diplomacy will be the vanguard of foreign policy,” she said at the hearing (also see “Hillary Goes to the Hill to Begin Quest as America’s Top Diplomat” in the February 2009 issue of The Washington Diplomat).
At the State Department, she added that “smart power are smart people, and you are those people,” promising to listen, work as a team and “not tolerate the divisiveness that has paralyzed and undermined our ability to get things done for America.”
She also pledged to get things done for the State Department and diplomacy in general, which many critics say had been sorely neglected by the previous administration (also see “Defense, Development and Diplomacy: Experts Want a Return to the Last Two” in the February 2009 issue of The Washington Diplomat).
“There are three legs to the stool of American foreign policy: defense, diplomacy and development, and we are responsible for two of the three legs. And we will make clear, as we go forward, that diplomacy and development are essential tools in achieving the long-term objectives of the United States. And I will do all that I can, working with you, to make it abundantly clear that robust diplomacy and effective development are the best long-term tools for securing America's future,” declared Clinton, who also oversees the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID).
To that end, the next day, Clinton talked about setting forth a clear path for USAID, which she described as an “an equal partner, along with defense and diplomacy, in the furtherance of America’s national security.”
 And it’s clear Clinton wants to shift some of the focus — and resources — away from defense. “It will also not surprise you to learn that we have to regain some credibility in order to regain the authorities and the resources that have drifted elsewhere. It is, as I said publicly in my testimony, ironic that our very best young military leaders … are given unfettered resources through the Commander’s Emergency Response Program to spend as they see fit to build a school, to open a health clinic, to pave a road — and our diplomats and our development experts have to go through miles of paperwork to spend 10 cents. It is not a sensible approach,” she said to applause.
But with the added responsibility will come added work. “We are asking you to do more and more with less, and my goal is to make sure we match the mission and the resources,” Clinton said.
Both USAID and State are just as anxious for Clinton to succeed in getting them those resources, hoping her clout on the Hill and in the Obama administration will translate into bigger budgets for the agencies.
Clinton vowed to do her part. “I will give you my very best efforts,” she said on her first day at State. “This is not going to be easy. I don’t want anybody to leave this extraordinarily warm reception thinking, oh, good, you know, this is going to be great. It’s going to be hard. But if it weren’t hard, somebody else could do it…. And now, ladies and gentlemen, let’s get to work.”
*Note: The State Department doesn’t just have a new team, it has a new Web site, as does the White House. Actually, both have been revamped — you can check out all the changes at www.state.gov and www.whitehouse.gov.
Secretary of State Hillary Clinton arrives for her first day at the State Department greeted by an overflowing lobby of Department employees in the diplomatic entrance. Earlier, she was sworn in as the 67th U.S. secretary of state, with her husband, former President Bill Clinton, standing beside her.
Photos: U.S. State Department
Kissinger Ponders Transatlantic Future
Long out of office but a longtime fixture on the diplomatic circuit, Henry Kissinger delivered the third annual Christopher J. Makins Lecture at the British Residence on Jan. 15.
Another foreign policy wise man, former national security advisor Brent Scowcroft, introduced Kissinger as “one of the few people who has truly strategic minds.”
 “We see secretaries of state come and go, strutting briefly on the stage. But for 30 years, this secretary of state’s presence is undiminished in the public consciousness,” Scowcroft said of Kissinger, who served as national security advisor for President Nixon and secretary of state under Nixon and President Ford.
A third influential foreign policy figure was there as well, albeit in spirit. Christopher J. Makins — whose family was in attendance along with British Ambassador Sir Nigel Sheinwald — was a British Diplomatic Service officer who served as president of the Atlantic Council from 1999 to 2005. Before he died of cancer in January 2006 at the age of 63, Makins spent much of his professional life working on transatlantic issues, and the annual lecture series in his name hosted by the Atlantic Council focuses on this strategic partnership, its future direction, and the prospects for promoting common European and U.S. interests.
It’s an area Kissinger says he understands well, having been “brought up on the Atlantic alliance. I formed my ideas on foreign policy in the period at the end of World War II.” Although times have changed, Kissinger said today’s world presents an “extraordinary opportunity” that could become a period of creativity similar to what followed World War II.
As it was then, a major key to success will be the transatlantic alliance — a relationship Kissinger admits has had its ups and downs, especially as individual European nations cede sovereignty to the European Union in a transition that is still ongoing.
“Europe prefers to exercise soft power and is extremely limited in gaining consensus to go beyond it. But America still has the historic nation-state view of foreign policy. This gap, more than lack of consultation, explains some of the differences that have arisen between Europe and the United States in the past decade,” he said.
National concerns trumping collective priorities also contributed to the current economic mess, according to Kissinger, who says the globalized economy got ahead of political systems not designed to handle a widespread crisis.
“Even now, a global crisis is still being dealt with largely by national policies chosen for different national reasons,” he said. “Much of what one reads about the economic crisis seems to assume that if the immediate panic is overcome, things will return much to what they were before. I don’t believe that is possible,” he added, arguing that an international economic system that reflects 21st century realities and relationships will ultimately need to be formed.
But he’s optimistic such a monumental task can be done because “no major country is deliberately undermining the international system — as was the case during the Cold War,” and therefore everyone has a stake in fixing the problem.
A united front is also required for the other top three issues facing the transatlantic community: Iran, Russia and Afghanistan. Kissinger said that for all three nations, both sides need to define the threat and the mechanisms to deal with it.
For example, on Iran, U.S. and EU policymakers must ask themselves if diplomacy or pressure is the best way to confront Iran’s nuclear ambitions, and weigh the costs of waiting and failure.
Likewise on Russia, Kissinger advises the following questions: “Is Russia going back to its Soviet or historic imperialism, or is Russia evolving in some more constructive way? Secondly, does Russia have the capability to go back to its Soviet and Stalinist tradition? And thirdly, what is it that we’re trying to promote with respect to Russia?”
Given Russia’s current constraints, Kissinger does not believe a return to Stalinism is likely or possible. He also believes that although the promotion of democracy is a worthwhile American principle, it must be done within a reasonable timeframe.
“Should other countries know that we prefer a democracy? Of course,” he said. “But the transformation of a major country like Russia or China through pressure and confrontation is not achievable in a timeframe that is related to single presidencies.” Rather, he advocates dialogue and diplomacy to create a peaceful world order in the short to medium term.
The same goes for Afghanistan, where Kissinger argues that the United States and Europe need to reassess their goals for the war-ravaged nation. “We have stated, as an objective, the creation in Afghanistan of a democratic state with elaborated rights and modern institutions of government. We need to ask ourselves whether this is a conceivable objective. Modernization has a different time scale than pacification,” Kissinger said.
Though the recommendations seem bleak, Kissinger said he is optimistic about the prospects for dialogue, stressing that all of these challenges also present tremendous opportunities. “So the Atlantic nations that from a very unpropitious beginning at the end of the Second World War transformed their world will be able to face this crisis and give the Atlantic Community a new sense of mission.”
*Note: The Atlantic Council along with three other think tanks recently launched a report called “Alliance Reborn: An Atlantic Compact for the 21st Century” that examines new ideas about the transatlantic community’s role in a changing global security environment, including NATO’s future. For information, visit www.acus.org.
From left, former Secretary of State Henry Kissinger, former national security advisor Brent Scowcroft, and British Ambassador Sir Nigel Sheinwald attend the third annual Christopher J. Makins Lecture — given by Kissinger and sponsored by the Atlantic Council — at the British Residence on Jan. 15.
Photos: Courtesy of the British Embassy
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