Hillary Clinton circumnavigates a sphere of diminishing US influence

[marmar]

Hillary Clinton circumnavigates a sphere of diminishing US influence
Clinton's round-the-world tour is likely only to highlight how impotent the United States has become

Simon Tisdall
guardian.co.uk, Thursday 14 July 2011


Hillary Clinton's 11-day round-the-world tour is remarkable even by the high-flying standards of US secretaries of state. It's certain to make headlines around the globe. But paradoxically, this diplomatic tour de force may unintentionally highlight the apparently inexorable decline of American power and influence. It will be notable as much for what is not said as what is.

Clinton's first stop is in Istanbul on Friday, where she will join European and other foreign ministers in the international contact group co-ordinating the Nato-led intervention in Libya. The official line, promulgated by France, is that pressure on Muammar Gaddafi's embattled regime in Tripoli is telling, and that the outlines of a negotiated settlement are beginning to emerge.

While that assessment will be publicly upheld in Istanbul, behind the scenes Clinton may hear well-rehearsed complaints that the US is not doing enough, militarily and in other ways, to back up its Nato partners. Despite claims that Gaddafi is close to throwing in the towel, there is as yet no concrete sign that he will stand down – amid widening differences in approach between the US and Britain, France, Italy and Russia. To confuse matters further, Turkey will propose yet another "roadmap" to end the conflict.

Clinton could give the interventionists a boost were she to announce US recognition of the rebel national council in Benghazi as Libya's government and release more than $30bn in regime funds frozen in US banks. But Washington, worried in part about encouraging Islamist extremists, has so far hedged its bets. ............(more)

The complete piece is at: http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2011/jul/14/hillary-clinton-world-tour

[PoliticAverse]

1. Diminishing influence? A few drones can fix that... n/t

[fascisthunter]

2. She needs a few more wars and then the US will have more "influence"

[HysteryDiagnosis]

3. Doesn't matter, we still have a monstrous military tab. n/t