Theodore Couloumbis – Obama’s Public Diplomacy in Egypt I
President Obama’s April visit to Turkey won strong praise for reaching out to the Muslim world. He clearly stated that the United States was not at war with Islam, and its involvement in the Middle East is not solely a matter of opposition to a “fringe ideology” promoted by al-Qaeda. America’s engagement would be based upon “mutual interests and mutual respect.”
This is only the public diplomacy phase, and Obama will eventually need to move beyond stirring words. But anyone who has worked in the Middle East knows this is the mandatory first step. Nothing concrete gets done until there is some sort of symbolic drinking of the Three Cups of Tea described in Greg Mortenson’s best-selling book. It is as significant as Anwar Sadat going to Jerusalem to talk with former Prime Minister Golda Meir before arriving at Camp David to negotiate with Menachim Begin. The visit to Meir was absolutely essential before any serious negotiation could take place.
