American President

No other election fetches as much interest and concern around the globe as the United States presidency. The United States purports itself as being a beacon for democracy. Many are attentive to how sturdy our democratic system is and how much a voice the people are given. Not only do we have great influence in various countries abroad, but the majority of those countries also have a great deal invested within our markets and within our economy. Over the last four years, the Bush Administration has strengthened certain alliances. However, within that same time period, we have created many new enemies and we’ve witnesses our longstanding enemies grow stronger. Clearly, many groups were paying attention to results of this election. There was a plethora of media broadcasting coverage of every inch and slight of the election around the world. Its safe to assume that this has been the closest watched election in this history of mankind. Bush’s closet allies, some of whom have endured steady domestic upheaval for supporting him, we’re certainly hoping for a reelection. However most of our enemies, state and non-state, were counting on a change of pace in White House foreign policy. Of these many organizations and countries around, I will focus this analysis on the reelection’s effect in the Middle East.

Though a victory by Democratic hopeful John Kerry would not mean an end to US action abroad, in the long term it would surely mean a gradual withdraw of our offensives. The underground ring of Anti-Western governments and organizations stretches deep into the Middle East. It extends from the Sunni Triangle in Iraq, to the lands of Tehran in Iran, in to the mountainous border region between Afghanistan and Pakistan, and throughout the streets of Palestine. It even lies behind the backs of some of our allies in countries such as Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, and of course the provisional government of Iraq. The fact that Bush was in a dead heat to lose his post as commander and chief excited these groups. In an October 30th audiotape released from Al Qeada, Bin Laden said "Although we are ushering the fourth year after 9/11, Bush is still exercising confusion and misleading you and not telling you the true reason. Therefore, the motivations are still there for what happened to be repeated. Your security is not in the hands of Kerry or Bush or al Qaeda. Your security is in your own hands. Any nation that does not attack us will not be attacked."

It’s surprising that Bin Laden would announce such a message right before election. He had to anticipate the American reaction and foresee the benefit it would serve the Republican campaign. Because Bush’s foothold throughout the campaign was national security, the timely release of this videotape gave the President a much-needed jump in the poles approaching judgment day. It’s likely that Bin Laden and his cronies did not anticipate an adequate shift in American foreign policy no matter who was in office and decided to release the propaganda.

Operation Iraqi Freedom has stirred up much volatility in the region. In the short term it has made matters worse within the country. The unprotected borders have allowed masses of militants to flock into the Sunni Triangle. These militants are making a mess of the order and stability that America and Iraq is trying to create. Many are now questioning whether the US led invasion was a good strategy on the overall war on terror. Being that it’s currently in such a bad condition, what Iraq needs now is firm, steady and thorough support. It needs not to see the leader of the country who liberated it be defeated by a gentleman who was quoted as saying that it was the “wrong war.” The vast majority of Iraqis, those not living in the troubled cities, are content with that coalition force has done within the country and they would like America see it through until they can stand on their own feet. Any major shift in US policy caused by a change in leadership would certainly give the Iraqis unrest and suspicious feelings toward our intentions.

Pakistan has certainly been our most significant ally amongst the Arabs. They have aided our manhunts and made it a priority to keep the military pressure on the lawless region along its border with Afghanistan. Though their military disbursements have come up short of acquiring high value targets, they are certainly on our side. In an early December visit to the White House to congratulate President Bush on his reelection, President Musharraff of Pakistan “urged Washington to engage more aggressively in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.” Masharraf is a man who has gambled his presidency and control by firmly standing with the Americans against terror organizations. He has endured heavy backlash by his people and he recently had to downgrade his latest offensive. This is a man who obviously did not want to see Bush lose the Presidency.

The reelection was an enormous success in the war on terror abroad and at home. How would we have enticed new nations to join and keep standing nations to stay with our coalition against terror if our leader and spear header of the global campaign was defeated on his own domestic front?