Clinton promises pragmatic diplomacy - por Daniel Dombey -

Clinton promises pragmatic diplomacy , in Finantial Times

By Daniel Dombey in Washington

Hillary Clinton on Tuesday vowed to strengthen US alliances and international institutions while working closely with the Middle East, China and Russia, in the most detailed account of the incoming administration’s foreign policy plans.

Mrs Clinton used her Senate hearing for confirmation as secretary of state – in which she received strong support from legislators – to strike a less ideological and confrontational line than the Bush administration.

She said: “We must build a world with more partners and fewer adversaries. Foreign policy must be based on a marriage of principles and pragmatism, not rigid ideology.” She called for the use of “smart power” rather than just “hard” or “soft” power, and said: “Diplomacy will be at the vanguard of our foreign policy.”

Ideology pushed aside by pragmatism

When Condoleezza Rice had her confirmation hearing four years ago for the same post she described Cuba and Iran as “outposts of tyranny”. Mrs Clinton highlighted a more pragmatic prospectus.

She said her top international priorities were to keep the US and its allies secure, “promote economic growth and shared prosperity at home and abroad”, and “strengthen America’s position of global leadership”. She said the new administration would seek to persuade Iran and Syria “to abandon their dangerous behaviour and become constructive regional actors”, while strengthening relations with countries such as Egypt, Jordan and Saudi Arabia.

In the wake of a presidential campaign in which her most memorable foreign policy comments were a threat to “obliterate” Iran and the faulty memory of coming under Bosnian sniper fire, an assured Mrs Clinton was happy to discuss topics ranging from Arctic policy to Gazprom’s acquisition policies, much to the satisfaction of the Senators who number such issues among their favourite causes.

The only pressure focused not on her past or prospects, but on the activities of her husband, former president Bill Clinton, who has agreed to greater transparency about donations to his charitable activities, a subject on which some senators remain unconvinced.

“Foreign governments and entities may perceive the Clinton foundation as a means to gain favour with the secretary of state,” said Richard Lugar, the ranking Republican on the panel. “The only certain way to eliminate this risk going forward is for the Clinton foundation to forswear new foreign contributions when Senator Clinton becomes secretary of state.”

Mrs Clinton avoided clear commitments in a committee session presided over by John Kerry, a senator who had hoped to become secretary of state, and watched by Congressional aides, foreign ambassadors and her daughter, Chelsea.

She described the policy review on Afghanistan as the “highest priority” for Barack Obama, the president-elect, and described his stance on the war against the Taliban and al-Qaeda as “more for more” – meaning more US troops and more support from other countries. She said Mr Obama believed in “an attitude towards engagement [with Iran] that might bear fruit”.

In her opening statement, Mrs Clinton avoided specifics about the fighting in Gaza but said the Arab-Israeli conflict continued “to inflame tensions from Asia to Africa”. She described a final peace deal as “critical not only to the parties involved but to our profound interests in undermining the forces of alienation and violent extremism across our world”. She ruled out diplomatic contacts with Hamas, the Islamist organisation, as long as it refused to rule out violence and denied Israel’s right to exist.

The secretary of state-designate said the Obama administration would seek ratification of the comprehensive nuclear test ban treaty and renewed negotiations on a fissile material cut-off treaty for nuclear materials, as well as further arms reduction deals with Russia.

She added that the new team wanted to “deepen and strengthen” ties with China but relations would depend on Beijing’s policies at home and abroad.

In comments about human rights, she focused on economic marginalisation and the role of women, rather than free elections. “If half of the world’s population remains vulnerable to economic, political, legal and social marginalisation, our hope of advancing democracy and prosperity will remain in serious jeopardy,” said Mrs Clinton.

“We should use the United Nations and other international institutions whenever appropriate and possible. We should work with like-minded friends to make sure these institutions reflect the values that motivated their creation in the first place.”

Copyright The Financial Times Limited 2009

Obs: Num só texto a srª Hilary Clinton jizou com mestria as traves-mestras da política externa norte-americana. Uma antítese da prática de W. dos últimos anos, mas entre a praxis e a arquitectura teórica vai uma distância que ora é suave ora é abrupta. Tudo dependerá das circunstâncias impostas pela realidade. Ninguém pensaria em 2000 que o 11 de Setembro iria modelar a presidência de G.W.Bush e, em parte, dos aparelhos diplomáticos de todo o mundo.

Mas fica a mensagem de elevado pragmatismo, menos ideologia e uma aposta na Diplomacia para negociar com todos em todo o mundo.

Para já o Hamas fica de lado, so far...

Algo que Henry Albert Kissinger também subscreveria. Dê-se, para já, os parabéns a Hilary com votos da melhor sorte para a tarefa complexa que tem de desenvolver.