Our young president is making a name for himself – and among those who are some of the hardest people to impress: the Germans. Beyond his generally speedy start getting down to business, in this op-ed by Thomas Klau of Germany’s Financial Times Deutschland, Obama’s ‘outstretched hand’ to the Islamic world, particularly his interview with Al-Arabiya, is labeled ‘diplomatically virtuosic.’
He shows a sensitivity to foreign affairs that his predecessors entirely lacked – what a pleasant surprise. … Obama committed himself to the security of Israel and simultaneously engendered confidence in the Arab and Islamic world. That kind of nuance and choice of words has never been found in American policy. … We were punished for eight years with the worst President in U.S. history. Obama’s first steps give cause for hope that in four or eight years, an opposite judgment on Obama will be made.”
By Thomas Klau
Translated By Jonathan Lobsien
January 29, 2009
Germany – Financial Times Deutschland – Original Article (German)
The first steps of the new US President are a sign of a true turning point in Near East policy [Middle East]. He shows a sensitivity to foreign affairs that his predecessors entirely lacked – what a pleasant surprise.
Since the election of Barack Obama as U.S. President, there have been concerns that the battle against the collapse of the U.S. economy would leave sparse room for other issues. Obama rebutted such skepticism in his first week in office. No other president in U.S. history, including Franklin D. Roosevelt, has gotten down to government business as quickly and comprehensively as he has.
On the broader front, Obama is dismantling the disastrous legacy that his predecessor George W. Bush left behind. Within 48 hours, the desired signal was sent in regard to a globally-welcomed ban on torture and the closure of the Guantánamo prison camp. The promise of a bold policy on climate protection was renewed in clearer form.
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