US Middle East envoy George Mitchell discussed Middle East peace efforts with Saudi King Abdullah on Sunday after stops in Israel, the Palestinian territories and Egypt during his third trip to the Middle East since he took the job.
Meanwhile, US President Barack Obama has tendered the olive branch to the Arab world with a series of new measures and revised rhetoric since he took office in January. These were viewed by observers as indications that Washington will make major readjustment of its Middle East strategies and policies.
Overall readjustment
The readjustment will involve a range of issues including Iraq, Afghanistan, Palestine-Israel conflict, Iran's nuclear ambition, and the US-Arab relations. It strives for a balance between the immediate concerns and long-term strategies, featuring a scale down in military operation and a halt to push regional democratization.
Meanwhile, Washington has tried to enhance ties with its traditional allies and initiate dialogues with foes, shifting emphasis from military means more to diplomacy in an effort to mend its ties with Arab and Islamic countries and revive the Middle East peace process.
The new Administration's geopolitical strategy still focuses on Greater Middle East. In his first working day as president, Obama had a phone conversation with Palestinian President Mahamoud Abbasand named former Senate majority leader George Mitchell as his Mideast envoy soon after.
In his first TV interview as president, Obama explained to Arab audiences his administration's position on Middle East issues via a Dubai-based satellite TV.
"The United States is not, and will never be, at war with Islam," Obama vowed in a speech during his visit to Turkey two weeks ago, "We will listen carefully, bridge misunderstanding, and seek common ground. We will be respectful, even when we do not agree," he said.
Bush's strategic dilemma
The United States has pursued a "balance of power" strategy in the Middle East since the 1930s. After the Sept. 11 terrorist attack, the Bush Administration decided to change its policies and viewed terrorism as the top threat against its national security.
After the two wars that overthrew Taliban and Saddam's regimes, the Administration launched the Greater Middle East Initiative aiming at "democratization" of the region, which dragged the United States into the worst dilemma since the end of Cold War.
Free elections have been a major part of the Greater Middle East Initiative. However, at times the results of elections were not only contrary to the wishes of the United States and undermined ties with its allies in the region, but also led to the rising of Islamic radicals.
