U.S. President Barack Obama has, in his first address after inauguration, signaled a possible change to the U.S. foreign policy.
By taking oath of offices at a historic ceremony on Capitol Hill Tuesday, Obama became the first African-American head of state of the United States, lifting hopes and expectations across the world for a change.
But from his predecessor, George W. Bush, the new leader has inherited not only the presidency but also the legacies of his "cowboy diplomacy", including wars in Afghanistan and Iraq and a slipping U.S. image in the eyes of the world.
In his speech, Obama indicated that his administration's policy would lean toward multilateralism and the "tempering qualities of humility and restraint."
Obama suggested that he would seek a clean departure from his predecessor's policy on national security, saying that "As for our common defense, we reject as false the choice between our safety and our ideals."
The Bush administration, following the Sept. 11 terror attacks in 2001, had taken counter-terrorism as the cornerstone of its foreign and security policy.
Under the excuse, the United States invaded Iraq, threatened rivals with preemptive attacks and authorized unwarranted arrests and detention, straining its relations not only with the Muslim world, but with some traditional allies as well.
Obama promised to bring about changes. "To the Muslim world, we seek a new way forward, based on mutual interest and mutual respect," he said.
"Our power alone cannot protect us, nor does it entitle us to do as we please," he said, with a hidden reference to the much-criticized unilateral policy pursued in particular in the first term of the Bush administration.
Obama said the United States would seek "even greater cooperation and understanding between nations."
"With old friends and former foes, we will work tirelessly to lessen the nuclear threat," he said, hinting that he would seek to resolve issues of nuclear proliferation, such as the Iranian nuclear issue, through cooperation and diplomatic engagement.
On Iraq, he refrained from specifying a clear timetable for his previous promise on withdrawing all U.S. combat troops from Iraq within 16 months, only saying that it would "responsibly leave Iraq".
In sharp contrast to the Bush administration which refused to regulate greenhouse gas emissions, Obama promised more active U.S. involvement in international fight against global warming, saying that it would work with partners to "roll back the specter of a warming planet."
From Obama's first address, the world might have caught a glimpse of a possible reorientation of the U.S. foreign policy, with early signs of multilateralism, but some analysts warned people not to expect too much.
It might take much longer for Washington to make real changes than many people had expected, given the severity of its economic recession and deep rifts with many other countries caused by its past policies, they said.
(Xinhua News Agency January 21, 2009)