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Susan Rice as Secretary of State would be a strategic mistake Former Democratic Party 2004 presidential candidate, Senator John Kerry the Chairman of the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations —Photo by Joseph Earnest
by Joseph Earnest November 27, 2012
Newscast Media WASHINGTON, D.C.—The chance that Susan Rice will become the next U.S. Secretary of State is high, but the decision will be counterproductive in regard to U.S. foreign relations in the Middle East. Why Barack Obama would choose someone like Rice is baffling for reasons I will elucidate in this article. Of all the choices that the Democrats have for the position Sen. John Kerry is perhaps the most suitable person for such an undertaking, given the strained US-Arab relations in the Middle East.
Susan Rice is unsuitable for the position, not because she is unqualified, but because of the cultural dynamics in the geopolitical region (Middle East), that the U.S. is attempting to stabilize. This might sound like a harsh reality to Americans, but the cultural reason in the Middle East that works against Susan Rice if she gets the position, is because she is a woman.
My Arab friends who read my articles on a regular basis will agree with me on this one. This is simply part of a religious and cultural belief in that particular region. In Islam, women are viewed differently than men. Islamic law even forbids men to shake hands with non-related women, that's why Egypt's Mohammed Morsi will not shake hands with Hillary Clinton—at least not in public.
Obama is fully aware of the Islamic Sharia teaching that says: "It's not permissible for a man to touch the face or hand of a non-mahram woman (non-relative woman), and it is not permissible for him to put his hand on hers without a barrier." —Muhammad ibn Ahmad ('Ulaysh)
In fact, when Kate Middleton, the wife of Prince William was congratulating athletes upon winning medals at the Olympics, male athletes from Islamic countries that abide by strict Islamic law refused to shake her hand. A spokesperson from St. James Palace then issued the following statement: "Many male athletes from Islamic countries do not shake hands in public with women they are not related for cultural and religious reasons..." as reported by the New York Daily News. (pop-up)
Not all Muslims though observe that law. For instance, Erdogon of Turkey, Field Marshall Hussein Tantawi of Egypt, Hosni Mubarak, Muammar Gaddafi, King Abdullah of Jordan, Bashar Assad of Syria, Muhamood Abbas of Palestine, and a few more, aren't as regimented and have been photographed shaking hands publicly with women they are not related to, and are considered to be moderate Muslims.
If the U.S. were trying to create stability in regions like Europe, Asia, South America or sub-Saharan Africa, Susan Rice's secretaryship would suffice. However, the war is in a region tainted with radical Islamist elements, most of whom are on the State Department's list of terrorists. For this reason, a man would be more suitable to negotiate the "laying down of arms" and peace treaties within such a geopolitical region, and John Kerry has the experience and dynamism to do just that. Rice seems to be cold and very calculating, while John Kerry is warm, engaging and likable. Below is a raw video I recorded that captures Kerry's dynamism.
In this brief raw unedited video, I capture John Kerry interacting with the crowd as he exudes warmth, a dynamic personality and a sense of awareness of his surroundings. —Raw video by Joseph Earnest
If Barack Obama is serious about creating meaningful and lasting change in the Middle East he should pick someone like John Kerry or even Johnny Carson who did an excellent job in sub-Saharan Africa. He picked Hillary Clinton in part, to continue the pattern set by Bill Clinton who chose Madeline Albright in 1997, followed by George W. Bush who chose Condoleeza Rice, then in his first term Obama chose Hillary Clinton.
Sun Tzu, one of the world's greatest war tacticians said: "A true warrior is supposed to behave like the snake of Mt. ChUng...If you strike it on the head, the tail will attack you. If you strike it on its tail, the head will attack you...and if you strike it in the middle, both head and tail will attack you." Sun Tzu The Art of War (page 54).
Isn't it time to change our tactics in the Middle East and have a man-to-man talk with radical Islamist elements that are creating instability? Add Comments>>
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