PUTTING THE UNI IN MULTILATERAL:

President Outlines Foreign Policy: Cooperation to Be Top Priority; Bush Puts Onus of Mideast Peace on Palestinians (Dana Milbank, December 2, 2004, Washington Post)

President Bush on Wednesday outlined a second-term foreign policy that would make international cooperation his administration's top priority but put responsibility for Middle East peace efforts on the Palestinians, a tough stance at odds with some U.S. allies.

Addressing Canadian officials at the end of a two-day trip to the country, Bush vowed that his first order of business would be to build "multilateral institutions," signaling that, after a contentious first term, he was eager for more fruitful diplomacy.

"A new term in office is an important opportunity to reach out to our friends," the president said, making his most extensive remarks on foreign affairs since his reelection last month. Pledging to "foster a wide international consensus" for "three great goals," he said the first would be "building effective multinational and multilateral institutions and supporting effective multilateral action." The other priorities, he said, are fighting terrorism and promoting democracy.

Yet, in a speech at this city's storied seaport, Bush made clear that such cooperation must occur on his terms, and he did not retreat from the first-term policies that angered some allies. Indeed, he appeared to harden his position on the Middle East by omitting the obligations he had previously placed on Israel and saying peace in the region could only be achieved through democratic reforms by the Palestinians.

Kind of like when the big brother tells the little brother he can come along if he shuts up and does what he's told?

Posted by Orrin Judd at December 1, 2004 11:38 PM