Engaging With The Enemy

Anna Borshchevskaya
Forbes.com
14 December 09

As Michel Suleiman visits the White House, it's time for Obama to rethink his foreign policy.

From his first day in office, President Barack Obama has made engagement the cornerstone of his foreign policy. "To those who cling to power through corruption and deceit and the silencing of dissent, know that you are on the wrong side of history, but that we will extend a hand if you are willing to unclench your fist," the president declared in his inaugural address. It has not always worked as Obama hoped. When Lebanese President Michel Suleiman visits the White House on Monday, the unintended consequence of embracing unfettered engagement will be clear.

Obama prides himself on engagement, but too much can be a bad thing. By allowing any item on the agenda, the White House encourages partners and adversaries alike to take maximalist positions. Once on the agenda, any position can gain diplomatic legitimacy, and flexibility and compromise often rewards adversaries. Pro-democracy leaders and advocates who look to the U.S. for leadership and support for their cause will perceive such compromises as legitimizing demands of authoritarian regimes, taking away the hope for change and the belief in the ideals of freedom and democracy for which America stands.

Iran is a case in point: Wishing to show flexibility, Obama put Iran's demand for uranium enrichment on the table, effectively reversing three unanimous or near unanimous Security Council resolutions reaffirming the illegality of the Islamic Republic's program. Tehran promptly rejected Obama's deal but claimed victory because Obama had inadvertently affirmed Tehran's right to enrichment.

While Suleiman will not say as much, his visit will highlight how Obama's desire to engage Syria has undermined democracy in Lebanon. During the Bush administration, Washington, Paris and Riyadh cooperated to make Syria an international pariah. International pressure forced the United Nations to launch a Commission to investigate alleged Syrian complicity in the assassination of former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri, an event that unleashed the Cedar Revolution and culminated in the Syrian army's withdrawal from Lebanon after 29 years of occupation.

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