Foreign Policy
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26 September 2008
Former Secretaries of State Discuss Future of American Policy
By Michael Buchanan
Staff Writer
Washington — A packed auditorium at George Washington University in Washington gave a rock-star reception to five former secretaries of state who took the stage to discuss the new foreign policy of the next president.
College students and CNN correspondents led the September 15 conversation, which featured America’s top diplomats from Republican and Democratic administrations. Colin Powell, Madeline Albright, Warren Christopher, James Baker and Henry Kissinger fielded questions on topics such as climate change, the Middle East and Russian relations as part of the news network’s The Next President: A World of Challenges.
After Christiane Amanpour, CNN’s chief international correspondent, cautioned the panel against “pat party-line talking points,” her colleague Frank Sesno asked, “What should the new president do first?”
“One of the first things that you have to do as president, the very next day, is to start to restore a sense of confidence in the United States of America — let all our friends and allies around the world know that America is reaching out to them,” said Colin Powell, who served as secretary of state from 2001 to 2005 under George W. Bush.
All the participants agreed the first days of the new presidency are a critical window within which to connect with countries around the world. Henry Kissinger, who began working in presidential administrations in 1969 with Richard Nixon, said that as the new administration reaches out to the world, internal issues, such as the “jockeying for position” among advisers, must not be allowed to cause problems.
“And then we can talk with conviction to the rest of the world,” he said.
ACTIONS IN THE CRITICAL FIRST STAGE
When the moderators asked about first steps that would send a signal to the international community, the response from the panelists was consistent:
“Close Guantanamo,” Powell and Madeline Albright began.
“Close Guantanamo,” continued James Baker, who was George H.W. Bush’s secretary of state from 1989 to 1992. “We were on a panel together three months ago, and we all agreed, one of the best things that could happen would be to close Guantanamo, which is a very serious blot on our reputation.”
Guantanamo Bay is a U.S. Navy base in Cuba at which nonuniformed enemy combatants from Afghanistan and other countries are being detained and tried under the military commission process.
In addition, Albright, who served from 1997 to 2001 as Bill Clinton’s secretary of state, highlighted increasing American support in the fight against HIV-AIDS as another specific step the new administration could take to combat perceptions that the United States does not care about the increasing global gap between the rich and poor.
“The trick in this, and what’s hard, is how to have confidence and at the same time have some humility. And that’s not easy when you’re in office,” she said.
Greenhouse-gas reduction was another subject that most of the participants brought up as an area of potential leadership for the next administration.
James Baker suggested the United States should focus on the need for all major carbon-dioxide-producing countries to be a part of the solution to climate change.
“I think the United States needs to lead an effort — global effort, it’s a global problem — to round up all the countries that have to be a party to any treaty. And you’re not going to get it done if the president of the United States doesn’t lead the charge,” he said.
REGIONAL CHALLENGES
On country- and region-specific challenges that the next president will face, Russia and the Middle East topped the list.
After a Russian conflict in Georgia flared in August, both presidential candidates condemned Russia. The former secretaries of state urged the candidates to take a more far-reaching, strategic look at relations.
Kissinger said that this Russia is not the same as America’s foe during the Cold War.
“We have a number of common issues we need to settle, if possible, with Russia. We need Russia for a solution to the Iranian problem. We may need Russia if Pakistan evolves in some of the directions it might. ... And I think that this Russia is not democratic, but it is also not what it is before, and that one must permit some evolution to take place.”
Participants also suggested the next president change America’s approach to Iran, a nation with a shadowy nuclear program that has been antagonizing the international community for years. Currently, preconditions must be met before direct U.S.-Iran dialogue takes place.
Warren Christopher, who was Bill Clinton’s secretary of state from 1993 to 1997, summed up U.S. aims in a hypothetical conversation with Israel.
“We can’t be complacent about the nuclear possibilities in Iran, but nevertheless we cannot afford not to have a comprehensive dialogue to see if it can be stopped,” he said.
THE ELECTION
The remaining hurdle that Barack Obama or John McCain must cross before undertaking foreign policy initiatives is the November 4 presidential election, and the campaign is in full swing with only a few weeks left before Election Day.
When a student asked about the election, party allegiances began to show among the speakers.
Applause broke out as Baker expressed his support for McCain and Albright endorsed Obama. Albright and Christopher are advisers to the Obama campaign; Kissinger is advising McCain. (See “Presidential Candidates’ Foreign Policy Advisers a Diverse Group.”)
Attention focused on Powell, who had declined to discuss whom he supports in the election and maintained that neutrality.
Sesno pressed the retired general, asking “How much harder is this for you? You were the first African-American secretary of state. This has to be personal ...”
Powell interrupted, drawing thunderous applause with his next words. “I’m an American, first and foremost,” he said. “I’ve said to my beloved friend John McCain, a friend of 25 years — ‘John, I love you — but I’m not just going to vote for you on the basis of our affection and friendship.’ And I’ve said to Barack Obama, ‘I admire you, I’ll give you all the advice I can, but I’m not going to vote for you just because you’re black.’ We have to move beyond this.”
Powell said he was waiting to see how the candidates perform in debates, which start September 26. The first one will be held in Mississippi and was scheduled to focus on foreign policy, although recent events suggest economic issues might arise as well.
As the speakers left at the conclusion of the discussion, a small group pressed toward the stage for a more personal encounter with the stars of American foreign policy. At the center of the group, Kissinger was signing autographs.
The full video broadcast, broken into Part 1 and Part 2. is available on CNN’s Web site.
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