Pakistan attacks a byproduct of the foundering US war on terrorism: SMH

Seumas Milne

Barack Obama's rise to power is a product of that record of failure: without his opposition to the Iraq war he would not be President. And since his inauguration, he has signalled potentially important shifts in US foreign policy, while ditching the rhetoric of the war on terrorism. But although the belligerent language has gone, what is striking is the continuity with the main elements of George Bush's "war on terrorism".

Obama's timetable for withdrawal of troops from Iraq mirrors last November's status of forces agreement between the Bush administration and the Iraqi Government, including his stated "intention" to pull out all troops by the end of 2011. And, as after last year's deal, that was quickly qualified by the US Defence Secretary, Robert Gates, who said he would like to see a "modest" US military presence stay on thereafter - if the Iraqi Government requested it.

In the crucible of conflict in the Middle East, between Israel and the Palestinians, there is also little sign of any substantive change in US policy, whether on lifting the continuing siege of Gaza or talking to the Palestinians' elected representatives, let alone using US leverage to bring an end to Israel's illegal colonisation of the West Bank or to end its occupation.

For more on this article, please click on the following link: Pakistan attacks a byproduct of the foundering US war on terrorism: SMH