Features of American Policy under Bush (2001)

مقدمة / Introduction

The new Bush administration has not announced a clear, detailed plan for its policy regarding the Middle East, or even the rest of the world, as of this writing. This is because it is undertaking a comprehensive review, study, and planning of these policies. Secretary of State Colin Powell commented on this issue: "I'm uprooting everything, and if we see it's good, we'll replant it." And he said on March 19th: "The Bush administration is only two months old, so reviewing where we are going in dealing with these issues - the Middle East - is a little premature; however, some key aspects of our foreign policy are still evolving..." Bush said in a press conference with Tony Blair at Camp David on February 23rd: "We are reviewing all policies in all regions of the world, and one of the areas where we are spending a great deal of time is around the Persian Gulf and the Middle East; the Secretary of State will go there to listen to our allies about developing the best policy..." He said: "Powell is going - to the Middle East - in fact to listen, he will seek the opinion of our friends and the people in the Middle East, and before formulating any policy we will have listened, and then of course, we will consult with friends and allies such as the Prime Minister - Tony Blair - who is here while we conduct a comprehensive study of the policy that we hope and know will be more realistic."