A Bold New Approach
By Alexander PriviteraU.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice's recent trip to Europe was a success on the diplomatic front, but she failed to win over the general public. When she clarified U.S. policy towards terror suspects held by American personnel, she calmed jittery European governments, but not public opinion. Secretary Rice's meeting with the new German Chancellor Angela Merkel was supposed to be a picture of harmony, but the El Masri case blew up in their faces. A German Lebanese citizen, El Masri was allegedly abducted by the CIA and imprisoned in Afghanistan for about five month; German authorities were only notified when he was finally released after it became clear that he had no links to Islamic terror. The German media reacted to the case with near hysteria - the reporting clearly mirrors the level of hostility still felt by Germans towards the U.S. Diplomacy alone will not be enough to get the transatlantic community back together again. We still have a long way to go. First, we need to know where we're headed. The war against terror has become a negative term. At best, it might be viewed as a necessity, certainly not a vision. But even as a vision for spreading freedom in the Middle East and around the world, it is too vague. When this vision clashes with daily realities, it turns into hypocrisy. Skeptical Europeans, when confronted with the Bush definition of freedom, still think: "What Bush means is the American freedom to do whatever he thinks is necessary to protect American lives and interests." Guantanamo, Abu Ghraib, the policy of renditions and the allegations about secret prisons keep those suspicions alive. Freedom needs a clear definition, something that has been lost in the war against terror. We have to ask ourselves: do we have a common code? Do we want to win this war on the field of ideas as well as on the battlefield? We still have not found the right balance between freedom and security. We still haven't found the right forum to address these issues. But this war cannot be won by focusing only on protecting the lives of the American people. America can only win if she is perceived as a champion for those around the world who fight for freedom and democracy. Senator McCain has recognized that this is now a war of ideas. His proposed amendment to the Defense Appropriations bill would bar cruel and inhumane treatment of U.S.-held prisoners. McCain understands that only by publicly upholding such standards can America regain her moral ground. The rules applied in the war against terror so far have only weakened America's image. During the cold war, Radio Free Europe was a tool to spread American and western ideas of freedom behind the Iron Curtain. Everybody knew who was speaking to them. Everybody wanted to hear what America had to say. Today the Bush administration prefers to conceal its fingerprints and use undercover propaganda tools because when people hear "America" instead of listening, they tune out. In the war of ideas, America is on the defensive because the ideals of freedom have suffered. After 9/11, President Bush wanted to show strength. Since then though, he has shown little magnanimity. This has only emboldened the enemy. An excessive show of strength can be perceived as a sign of weakness. Reagan, Rabin, and now Sharon, were hawks that reached out to their enemies from a perceived position of strength. Such statesmen move history forward. Bush is quickly losing the chance to do so. He cannot reach out to Al Qaeda, but he can reach out to Europe and he can even re-engage the despised United Nations. Reagan dealt with the evil Soviet empire that was certainly worse than a tall but toothless building in midtown Manhattan. The way the Bush administration is currently dealing with the UN still looks too much like it is just accepting a necessary evil, and is being forced to do so only because it is bogged down in the Iraq mess. Although the State Department is making some attempts to re-engage old allies, the new Rice diplomacy is still perceived as focused on repairing damaged relations rather than re-launching a new strategic alliance. The Bush administration needs a bold new approach. It needs to declare the UN, a reformed UN, a central pillar of a new international order that is still in the making. The UN is imperfect because the world is imperfect. But whether we like it or not, the UN is still the best place to advance ideas. The administration now has no real choice. President Bush has to regain the initiative in a wider debate that goes beyond Iraq. Once he does, European governments will have a better chance at selling America's point of view to a very critical audience. The new German government should encourage such steps. Angela Merkel has a chance to do so, not only during her trip to Washington in January 2006, but mainly by finally starting a long-overdue debate within Germany about what role the country is to play in the twenty-first century. Schröder covered over Germany's lack of direction by aggressively attacking the U.S. Since barking at Washington made him popular, the new German government might be tempted or feel forced to behave in a similar fashion; instead, Merkel should resist the pressure from some elements of the popular German press to engage in moralistic finger pointing. Let's get our priorities straight: the trans-Atlantic community must again be the pillar of a free world, not just a relic of the past. Let's start with the obvious: What is our vision of freedom? What is the standard that modern democracies apply TOGETHER in a time clouded by terrorism? What is the positive message for people with little or no hope around the world? How can America regain trust and become a role model again? What mistakes were made (people love contrition if it comes from the strongest kid on the block)? Is the Bush administration willing to fill the gap between their rhetoric about freedom and their action on the ground? Democracy is on a very slow march, and the biggest challenges may still lie ahead. The truly democratic core in this world is still a small one. Many countries that call themselves democracies, in Europe and elsewhere, are currently in a grey area. Dramatic setbacks are still possible. What the Bush administration and European governments need to repair is far more than their diplomatic relations. They need to re-launch a common platform and rebuild their capacity to inspire those around the world who fight for a modern, free and democratic order. Let's not leave freedom in a grey area in the name of the war against terror. Dictators around the world will laugh at us when we try to convince them to behave.
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Alexander Privitera is a news anchor for the German television station N24 and has frequently participated in AICGS events, most recently the forum on Media and Politics. ........................................................................................................................
This essay appeared in the December 16, 2005 AICGS Advisor.
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