Editorial
January 26, 2009
ONE IS CALLED a special envoy for the Mideast, the other a special representative for Afghanistan and Pakistan. Whatever the titles bestowed on former senator George Mitchell and erstwhile diplomat Richard Holbrooke, their respective appointments send a heartening message that President Obama and his secretary of state, Hillary Clinton, are serious about elevating the role of diplomacy in US foreign policy.
Impressive as the past achievements of Mitchell and Holbrooke have been, the knots they are being asked to untie now will not yield to the mere force of their personalities or mediating skills. They have been chosen to carry out Obama’s policies, and it will be those that determine American success or failure in resolving conflicts in the Middle East and Central Asia.
The appointments are encouraging signs. Mitchell has a deserved reputation for resoluteness, fairness, and unflappability. Some of the lessons he learned from his role in forging the 1998 Good Friday agreement that led to peace in Northern Ireland are applicable to the Mideast.
In an article he co-authored last year, Mitchell said: “Including in the political process those previously associated with violent groups can actually help. Sometimes it’s hard to stop a war if you don’t talk with those who are involved in it.” Mitchell also favors bringing antagonists to the bargaining table without preconditions. And he believes it is occasionally necessary to impose sanctions on parties that fail to do what they have pledged to do.
If the choice of Mitchell reflects Obama’s determination to push Israelis and Palestinians into real negotiations without preconditions, to demand fulfillment of promises from both sides, and to bring even violent groups to the table, a promising new US policy may be on the horizon.
Holbrooke’s portfolio, on the other hand, does not include imminent peace talks. Rather, he is to coordinate the implementation of policies with the White House, the Pentagon, and the State Department.
Holbrooke’s mission is based on the sound premise that Afghanistan’s problems cannot be solved without Pakistan’s cooperation; that Pakistan’s stability may not be assured unless its domestic crises are addressed; and that there is no hope of peace in Central Asia without resolving the India-Pakistan quarrel over Kashmir.
Obama must now decide how these aims are to be pursued. With the right policies, the hard-driving Holbrooke may be the right emissary to persuade Afghans, Pakistanis, and Indians to begin settling their overlapping conflicts.
The time is past due for a restoration of the “robust diplomacy” Clinton promised last week, when introducing Holbrooke and Mitchell at the State Department.
© Copyright 2009 Globe Newspaper Company.
