Pew International Journalism Program

Bush Policy is Corroding US Ties with Allies, Steinberg Says

By Tiare Rath, Fall 2002 Pew Fellow

Washington, September 23, 2002 - The Bush administration's doctrine of pre-emption and its focus on maintaining world dominance is corroding the U.S.'s relationship with other countries and will have radical consequences, warned James Steinberg, vice president and director of foreign policy studies at the Brookings Institution.

Speaking to Pew Fellows, Steinberg, a deputy national security adviser in the Clinton administration, argued that the Bush administration's "monochromatic view of the world" has caused ripples of discontent from Germany to Mexico, and is worsening the United States's relationships with other states. "I think it's very difficult for any country, no matter how powerful they are, to sustain (these policies) because ultimately you're going to turn around and you're going to see that when you need people to be there, they're not going to be there," Steinberg said.

He argued that the strategy of pre-emption the Bush administration put forth after Sept. 11 -that it has the right to attack any state it considers a threat - could actually increase the spread of weapons of mass destruction. "In some ways it becomes an accelerator for [rogue states] to develop weapons of mass destruction because if you know they're going to go after you, you'd better get these things as quick as you can so that the United States won't be able to be effective in pre-emptive (attacks)," Steinberg said. "So I think it's quite risky."

By acting as an "800-pound gorilla" that considers only its own interests, Washington is threatening the future of its relations with its allies, Steinberg said. The European-U.S. relationship is "qualitatively worse than it's been in a long time" because the U.S. isn't putting much effort into building or seeking approval from coalitions, he maintained. He pointed to the recent election of German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder, who won the German elections partially based on his harsh criticism of the United States's stance towards Iraq, and what seems to be a failing relationship with Mexico. Mexican President Vincent Fox recently cancelled a meeting with President Bush in Crawford, Texas, because of disagreements with the United States.

The Bush administration's singular focus on terrorism has also meant it is ignoring many other foreign issues that should be priorities, Steinberg said. He called the Bush administration "stunning in its neglect" of Latin America, citing the scant attention the administration has given the Argentine economic crisis and the upcoming Brazilian elections.

He said other nations are also taking their cues from Washington's singular focus on fighting terrorism to employ harsh tactics that may only serve to worsen some local conflicts. "It's indisputable that the Israeli tactics changed when they felt they could get the support of the United States because they felt they had the overall legitimation of this post-Sept. 11 environment," Steinberg said. He also Russia, where President Vladimir Putin agreed to help the U.S. fight al-Qaeda if he received support for Russia's war against Chechen rebels. "That bargain has basically been accepted by the administration," Steinberg said.

He praised the U.S. military campaign in Afghanistan but criticized the Bush administration's approach to Iraq. That Bush had to be taken "kicking and screaming" to the United Nations to outline his case against Iraq symbolizes his unilateral policy, Steinberg said. He agreed that there is a case now for stepping up the pressure to get inside of Iraq and inspect for weapons of mass destruction. But, he argued, Iraqi President Saddam Hussein has already had a decade to give such weapons to terrorists, and there is no evidence he has done so. "Indeed the best argument and the most likely case for him to give (weapons of mass destruction) to terrorists is if we start to attack him, and he's got nothing to lose."