There is little dividing the two US presidential candidates on the Middle East, notes Anayat Durrani In an effort to sharpen his foreign policy credentials, United States Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama will travel this summer to the Middle East and Europe. Republican presidential candidate John McCain, who travelled to Europe and the Middle East earlier this year, recently made stops in Colombia and Mexico. The candidates' international travels highlight the role issues of foreign policy have played in this presidential election, with foreign policy in the Middle East taking a more prominent role than in past elections. McCain, a 71-year-old Vietnam War veteran and congressman for 26 years, has often criticised the 46-year-old Illinois Senator Obama as inexperienced in foreign policy matters. In his presidential quest, Obama will be travelling to Germany, Britain and France, as well as making his first visit to Israel and Jordan. Obama will also travel to Iraq and Afghanistan as part of a congressional delegation that would include other senators, funded by taxpayer dollars. In a statement Obama said the trip would serve as "an important opportunity for me to assess the situation in countries that are critical to American national security, and to consult with some of our closest friends and allies about the common challenges we face." He called the trip an opportunity to foster an "exchange of views with leaders in these countries about these and other issues that are critical to American national security and global security in the 21st century." Obama plans to discuss issues such as terrorism, nuclear proliferation, climate change, Iraq, Iran and Afghanistan. "Israel is a strong and close friend of the United States, and is confronting grave threats from Gaza to Tehran," Obama said in his statement. "Jordan has been a close partner in the peace process and a host of other issues of common concern. France, Germany and the United Kingdom are key anchors of the trans-Atlantic alliance and have contributed to the mission in Afghanistan, and I look forward to discussing how we can strengthen our partnership in the years to come." Obama visited Iraq more than two years ago. McCain has since been challenging Obama to go back and witness the surge in action. McCain made eight Iraq visits since the 2003 invasion. He was in Europe and the Middle East earlier in the year and travelled to Colombia and Mexico 1-3 July to discuss trade, security and energy issues. During his March visit to Jordan, a misinformed McCain mistakenly said Tehran was training Al-Qaeda members. The US has accused Shia-majority Iran of training and arming Shia forces, but has never made the connection with Sunni Al-Qaeda in Iraq. The Middle East has from the beginning been an important issue in the presidential election. Obama and McCain sharply differ on Iraq. Obama was an early opponent of the Iraq war and wants US forces out of Iraq with a stronger focus on Afghanistan. McCain, on the other hand, is a staunch supporter of the US military presence in Iraq. McCain believes US troops must remain in Iraq until a self- governing Iraq is established in order to secure long-term peace and security in the region. McCain believes international pressure should be ratcheted up on Syria and Iran for aiding Iraqi insurgents in Iraq, that a stable, democratic Iraq is one that poses no threat to its neighbours and will therefore be a defeat for the terrorists. American troops can return home only when Iraqi troops are able to safeguard their own country, even if it takes 100 years, he said. Obama who was most recently criticised for saying his upcoming Iraq trip could "refine" his policy on Iraq, calls for withdrawal of American forces from Iraq within 16 months. His comment on refining his policy, he explained, referred to the number of troops that may need to stay in Iraq to train the Iraqi army and police and what troops might be needed "to be sure Al-Qaeda doesn't re-establish a foothold there". He has said that if Al-Qaeda builds a base in Iraq, troops would remain in Iraq or other parts of the region for "targeted strikes". Obama said his goal was to "end this conflict as soon as possible". Both candidates' policies on Israel follow the current administration: a continued strong US-Israeli relationship committed to Israel's security as well as $30 billion in US military aid over the next decade. Both advocate a two-state solution, with McCain saying he would take a more hands-on approach than President Bush and Obama promising to work on a Middle East peace immediately. McCain describes himself as "proudly pro-Israel". Obama went so far as to declare at a convention of the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) his support for an "undivided" Jerusalem under Israeli sovereignty as part of a peace deal with the Palestinians. The comment was more in line with Israeli conservatives. The fate of Jerusalem is one of the thorniest issues in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. In Obama's announcement of his plans to visit Israel he left out whether he would meet with Palestinian officials. Obama's visit to Israel is a crucial one as he will seek to reassure Jewish voters of his absolute commitment to Israel while at the same time attempt to thaw relations between the US and Arab and Muslim nations. Obama has advocated diplomacy with Iran and other perceived "enemies" of the US. However, during his speech at AIPAC Obama set aside his offer to meet personally with President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad offering instead a possible encounter with "the appropriate Iranian leader at a time and place of my choosing, if and only if, it can advance the interests of the United States." Like President Bush, Obama believes "the danger from Iran is grave" and said if elected he would do everything in his power to pressure Iran, including sanctions, to prevent them from obtaining a nuclear weapon. McCain's approach to Iran is more in line with the current Bush administration's stance. When asked how he would deal with Iran, McCain once responded by singing the Beach Boys song "Barbara Ann" instead using the words "Bomb, Bomb, Bomb, Bomb, Bomb Iran." McCain's approach advocates sanctions, limiting Iranian imports of gasoline, denying visas, freezing assets and calling on the international community to divest itself from Iran. During the July 2006 Lebanon war, Obama strongly supported Israel's right to defend itself from Hizbullah attacks. He co-sponsored a Senate resolution against Iran and Syria's involvement in the war, and said that Israel should not be forced into a ceasefire that did deal with the threat of Hizbullah missiles. Obama wants to bring security and justice to Lebanon and supports Lebanon against extremism and Syrian-Iranian interference in its internal affairs. He believes the US must work with its European and Arab allies to sponsor an intra- Lebanese consensus on a stable and democratic Lebanon. McCain believes Lebanon's Hizbullah threatens the interests of the United States and the West. During the 2006 Israel-Lebanon conflict, McCain commented on Israel's role saying, "what would we do if somebody came across our borders and killed our soldiers and captured our soldiers? Do you think we would be exercising total restraint?" McCain believes Hizbullah's influence in Lebanon will only serve to prevent Israel from achieving peace with the Lebanese. McCain believes the international community must empower their allies in Lebanon by going beyond military aid to undermine Hizbullah's appeal by improving access to education and healthcare, and building infrastructure so as not to "cede Lebanon's future to Syria and Iran". The US energy crisis has taken the most prominent role in the presidential campaign as Americans struggle to pay for nearly $5-a- gallon gasoline and the rising price of goods and services. Both candidates have linked the issue to the Middle East and have advocated cutting America's dependency on foreign oil, saying the situation threatens national security, economically and politically. Obama said, "oil money pays for bombs going off from Baghdad to Beirut," while McCain described Middle East oil suppliers as "some of the most stagnant and oppressive societies on Earth". However, both candidates failed to mention that Canada and Mexico make up two of the top three sources of imported oil for the United States. McCain wants to increase production by lifting a federal ban on offshore oil and gas drilling and building refineries and nuclear reactors to help combat rising gas prices. McCain wants to institute a summer gas tax holiday and calls on Congress to suspend the 18.4 cent federal gas tax and 24.4 cent diesel tax from Memorial Day to Labor Day. Obama supports taxing profits from oil companies and using that money to assist families in paying their energy bills. He also said he would "close the loophole that allows corporations like Enron to engage in unregulated speculation that ends up artificially driving up the price of oil." Obama said he would raise the fuel standards and invest $150 billion over the next 10 years in alternate sources of energy.
