The Ambassadors Magazine - Winter/Spring 2013

OPINIONS

Source: ABC News Online

Views on John Kerry’s nomination as the US Secretary of State

By Atif Shamim Syed

On December 21, President Barack Obama officially nominated Senator John Kerry for the post of US Secretary of State. The nomination followed Hilary Clinton’s resignation.

John Kerry is a senior senator from Massachusetts and a former candidate for US presidency. He is the chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and holds extensive experience in foreign policy matters.

Despite his remarkable resume, John Kerry was not Barack Obama’s first choice for the post of United States’ highest diplomat. The president wanted Susan E. Rice, U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, to take the job. However, Ms. Rice fell from grace after having made a misleading comment about the Benghazi attack that occurred in September and claimed the lives of four people including the American ambassador J. Christopher Stevens. In the face of intense republican criticism, Mr. Rice requested her name be withdrawn from consideration. Republican senators have already conveyed their consent to Mr. Kerry’s appointment.

Senator John Kerry has been improving his foreign policy credentials for the past few years and, as yet, seems the best choice for the post. He has also played key roles in several diplomatic missions and seems to be on the same frequency as the President on several key issues.

Incidentally, it was Mr. Kerry who gave President Barack Obama a start on the American national stage in 2004 during his own presidential campaign when he tapped the then obscure senator from Illinois to deliver the keynote of the convention. Mr. Kerry eventually lost the election to George Bush.

Barack Obama nominated Senator John Kerry despite the fact that this nomination may become politically problematic in the state of Massachusetts since the Republicans have already set their eyes on the seat in the senate that Mr. Kerry will be required to vacate once he becomes the secretary of the State.

Senator John Kerry – a Vietnam veteran and winner of purple hearts – is regarded as a friend of Pakistan. That is why Sherry Rehman, Pakistan’s Ambassador to the United States, was the first from the Sub Continent to congratulate him. She praised John Kerry for his distinguished achievements and affirmed that he truly understands the complexities of the Sub Continent and Central Asia.

From Pakistan’s perspective, Mr. Kerry’s appointment is a positive step towards the improvement of Pak – US relationship which has considerably deteriorated during the past few years. The bone of contention is Afghanistan where Pakistan and the United States are facing acute conflicts of interests, and where both accuse each other of betrayal and back stabbing. America’s ties with India are also improving -a persistent trend that Pakistan does not regard favorably. Keeping in view India’s old-school bureaucracy and the dynamics of its internal politics, it seems very unlikely that the two countries will ever be able to forge a long-term strategic affiliation. However, the changing dynamics of the region requires some serious diplomacy on Pakistan’s part.

There is no likelihood of Mr. Kerry setting his own diplomatic agenda. Nor will he be able to make any fundamental changes in the US foreign policy towards the Arab – Israeli conflict or the nuclear stand-off with Iran. Mr. Kerry, however, enjoys good personal relations with the Israeli Prime and also takes keen interest in the Middle East peace process. This can prove very beneficial in managing the recent turmoil in the region. Moreover, he can also play a pivotal role in any future negotiations with North Korea.

There are also expectations that Mr. Kerry will address the issue of global climate change since he has a long association with this cause. He has taken part in seven international gatherings on climate change during the past two decades and has remained committed to the cause despite a failed effort to enact domestic climate change legislation in the senate two years ago.

On the flip side, Mr. Kerry is regarded by some as an opportunist who does not hesitate from shifting his positions. He has also been
accused of being a flip-flopper who takes his cues from, and changes his course which way the political wind is blowing. For example, in 1990, when Saddam Hussein attacked Kuwait, Mr. Kerry opposed going to war with him invoking the gruesome prospect of another Vietnam. Later, however, he voted in favor of using force to topple Saddam Hussein’s regime in 2002 because, at that time, he was planning to run for the presidency. Later again, he was subjected to more criticism when he voted against funding for the war.

As for Senator John Kerry; he may, in the days to come, become frustrated upon realizing that he, as the US secretary of State, has even less influence than he had as a US Senator.

Atif Shamim Syed is an Investment Banker and has been writing articles for several newspapers and magazines. He writes on current events in Urdu and has published several of his works. Apart from Urdu, Syed speaks English, French, Arabic and Gujraati. His e-mail address is syedatifshamim@hotmail.com.