President's Difficulties Extend to Foreign Policy

With all the focus on the U.S. economy and the President's response to persistent high unemployment and stagnate economic growth, another crisis is brewing, one that will have dramatic effect of the image and standing of the United States; that is in foreign policy.

Within days of assuming the presidency, President Obama was selected as a recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize, and would be awarded this prestigious honor nine months later. This distinguished award was not given to the President for what the Nobel Prize Committee believed he would accomplish in the realm of peace, but more a repudiation of the polices of his predecessor; President Bush.

Unfortunately, the polices of President Obama have failed to live up to the lofty expectations many had for this perceived transformational president. This week the President of the Palestinian National Authority, Mahmoud Abbas, will address the United Nations and issue a formal request to the UN Secretary General for full UN membership for a Palestinian state.

The United States has now been placed in a difficult situation by having to utilize its veto in the Security Council and would rather the situation be dealt with in negotiations between the Israelis and Palestinians. The President's own policies have contributed to this situation. Last September, the President unveiled his "Peace in a Year" initiative which failed to revive the peace process.

The "Arab Spring" revolution which swept the region, caught the administration totally by surprise, and it seems the President has always been one step behind world events. The difficulties the President is facing domestically are now manifesting themselves overseas.

The lofty aspirations many had for him after receiving the Nobel Prize were never rooted in reality!

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