THE SAFETY DANCE:

Obama Dances Awkwardly With Bush Policies (Dan Balz, August 26, 2009, Washington Post)

On the same day Holder made his announcement, it became clear that some elements of the Bush administration's policies for handling suspected terrorists would continue. The current administration will continue the policy of rendition -- shipping suspects abroad for interrogation -- although, administration officials insist, under stricter guidelines that will prevent them from being tortured.

That was the latest example of an area of continuity between Obama's and Bush's national security policies, particularly the policies that were in practice during the last years of Bush's presidency.

The most obvious area of continuity in foreign policy involves two of the key architects of Bush's policies in the final two years of his presidency. Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates and Gen. David H. Petraeus, the head of U.S. Central Command, continue to play central roles in military and security policy of the Obama administration.

In Afghanistan, Obama's departures from Bush's policies have been aimed at augmenting the size of U.S. forces and stepping up the nation's commitment to the war there. In Iraq, Obama has ordered a withdrawal of U.S. forces, as he pledged during the campaign, but on a slightly elongated timetable. In reality, given the relative success of Bush's troop surge policy and the agreements negotiated at the end of his administration, the shift from U.S. to Iraqi dominance in securing the country was already in the works.

In other areas of national security policy, Obama has made alterations but not always full breaks with Bush. In some cases, he has repackaged the rhetoric that describes these policies, but Bush administration officials see clear links.