U.S.-FOREIGN POLICY: Christopher Blasts Isolationism in Farewell Speech

By Jim Lobe Reprint | | Print |

Jim Lobe

WASHINGTON, Jan 15 1997 (IPS) - U.S. Secretary of State Warren Christopher used his farewell speech at Harvard University Wednesday to assail what he called “a new form of isolationism that demands American leadership, but deprives America of the capacity to lead.”

Deploring a succession of cuts in the U.S. foreign affairs budget since the end of the Cold War which has reduced foreign aid in real terms to the lowest levels in 50 years, Christopher warned that “our foreign policy will not be sustained by rhetoric or good intentions.”

“Talk is cheap; leadership certainly is not,” he told his audience, departing from his usual bone-dry delivery and colourless rhetoric.

Christopher’s remarks come amid indications that the administration of President Bill Clinton is gearing up for a major effort to persuade the Republican-controlled Congress to increase the foreign affairs budget by almost seven percent — or 1.2 billion dollars — next year.

Included in the budget, which will be formally unveiled early next month, are one billion dollars to help make up U.S. arrears of about 1.3 billion dollars to the United Nations and another billion dollars to fulfill outstanding pledges to the World Bank.

“It’s time to pay our dues and our debts,” Christopher said.

Christopher, who, on the eve of his retirement, appeared to be in an almost buoyant move, hailed Wednesday’s U.S.-mediated agreement between Israel and the Palestinian Authority on Israel’s withdrawal from Hebron and other West Bank territory as “an extraordinary achievement.”

The early-morning accord, which capped an intensive three-month effort, marked the second major policy breakthrough in the past month that Christopher has been able to achieve before he hands over the reins to his successor, U.N. Ambassador Madeleine Albright.

In late December, Washington helped broker an apology by North Korea to South Korea for an incident last September when two dozen submarine-borne North Korean commandos infiltrated the South. The incident threatened to derail a two-year-old effort to get Pyongyang to abandon its nuclear programme which Washington believed to be aimed at building nuclear weapons.

The apology also came with a North Korean pledge to consider taking part in unprecedented four-party talks with Seoul, Beijing, and Washington designed to reach a final peace agreement between the North and the South and normalise uhe situation on the Korean Peninsula.

The Korean and Hebron agreements have defused, at least for the time being, the two most tense and explosive foreign policy issues confronting Clinton’s new national security team.

In his address, Christopher reviewed the achievements of Clinton’s first term, stressing progress made in reducing the threat posed by weapons of mass destruction, integrating environmental considerations into foreign policy-making, wrapping up new trade agreements to boost U.S. exports, laying the groundwork for NATO’s eastward expansion and creating new “structures of cooperation” in Asia.

But he reserved the bulk of his remarks to the importance of maintaining and increasing a credible international affairs budget which has plunged more than 50 percent in real terms since 1985.

“The amazing thing is that these cuts have not been accompanied by any serious congressional debate,” noted Christopher, adding that Congress, while slashing foreign aid, still expects Washington to act as the leading world power.

“I say the biggest crisis we’re facing our foreign policy today is whether we will spend what we must to have an effective American foreign policy,” he said.

Congress approved a fiscal 1997 international affairs budget of about 18.1 billion dollars about two-thirds of which were earmarked for bilateral aid and contributions to multilateral agencies. Of that two-thirds, however, almost half is devoted to aid to Egypt, Israel, Jordan, the Palestinian Authority, and Mideast peace initiatives.

As a result, aid to Latin American, Caribbean, Asian, and some African countries has fallen sharply in recent years, while accounts for population, health, environmental and other development programmes have been hit hard. Washington has also become the United Nations’ biggest deadbeat and has played a leading role in the world’s financial near-bankruptcy.

In addition, Washington’s diplomatic infrastructure has suffered badly. Thirty diplomatic missions, including half-a-dozen embassies, abroad have been closed. Christopher said the U.S. embassy in Angola, a focal point for peace talks there, is located in a “makeshift trailer park,” while U.S. diplomats in Tajikistan must carry jugs of water to their offices for drinking.

“I urgently and earnestly call on the Congress today to reassess the erosion that has taken place in our diplomatic readiness,” said Christopher.

Most observers here believe that Clinton, who until now has generally failed to lobby hard for foreign aid, will have to become personally engaged in the upcoming effort to increase the budget. Some are hoping that Albright’s close relationship with First Lady Hillary Clinton may be helpful in persuading the president to commit himself.

Early signs are favourable in that regard. The White House’s Office of Management and Budget — which has vetoed proposed boosts in the foreign affairs budget over the past three years — has apparently decided to go along with the 6.6 percent increase. In addition, Treasury Secretary Robert Rubin — an administration heavy-hitter — spoke out strongly in favour of increasing foreign aid at a development gather here Monday.

The White House will also have key allies from both parties who have already begun their own lobbying efforts. Earlier this week, a joint task force sponsored by the Washington-based Brookings Institution and the New York-based council on Foreign Relations called for increasing the foreign affairs budget by 16 percent to 21 billion dollars in 1998. The task force included former top Republican officials, including former Secretary of States George Shultz and Alexander Haig.

Some officials believe the administration may also have an easier time on Capitol Hill this year due to the defeat last November of a number of right-wing Republicans in the House of Representatives.

“We weathered the storm. The worst is behind us,” J. Brian Atwood, chief of the U.S. Agency for International Development, told the International Development Conference here Wednesday. “Our budget has bottomed out and it is now on the rebound,” he said.