BARACK OBAMA

I will describe Barack Obama as centre of the world. Why not? Today he is the man who matters the most, he is the man who can make difference, and he is the man with absolute power. As the saying goes ‘with great power comes great responsibility’, Obama must be experiencing this first hand after sitting in the oval office. The world looks at him to bring the change he promised - a safe, peaceful and prosperous world. For some parts of the world Barack Obama will bring peace with bullets and missiles. Well, words do not have much significance in that part of the world.

Americans have put him in the white house with great expectations. On domestic turf depression, crumbling infrastructure and security threats will be his primary objectives. If he wants to be in white house for 8 years (4*2) he needs to turnaround the things in his country and the change which he has promised needs to be delivered in his first term or he can kiss white house goodbye. Seeing his past record and considering his ‘extra ordinary’ achievements (as a black man in white America) I bet he will bring a momentous change in USA. Obama knows what needs to be done, he knows how to do it and most importantly he knows how to get it done right. He is smart, talented (he is a Columbia University & Harvard Law graduate) and the way he handled his presidential campaign against Clintons and McCain depicts that he knows his way around in the dirty business of politics. I am sure he will go on to become one of the best presidents ever.

QUESTION: Were George Bush’s policies controversial (Please don’t laugh)? Whatever the answer be there is no doubt that his war on terror has spun out of control. It has cost US more than $2 trillion dollars till now and will cost even more as the war drags on (of course US has its interest in it which are worth more than $2 trillion). I do not see the war on terror ending in his first term, it will drag on beyond his second term but his term will be a turning point in war or on terror. Obama’s foreign policy will be well balanced and he will not be entertaining any opinion, person or nation that undermines US and world security. He will deal with terrorism with an iron fist. One major component of his foreign policy will be ‘How to deal with Pakistan’. He means business and Pakistan can assure itself of no more free lunches. He has already introduced ‘performance based incentive’ policy and every penny that US will pay to Pakistan will be fully exploited. Latest I heard US auditors have deducted $55 million out of $156 million which Pak had demanded as reimbursement for the cost it incurred in war on terror. Obama has made clear that the US strikes in FATA region will continue & its just matter of time before US sends its ground troops inside Pak. The next couple of years are going to be filled with action, drama and hatred.

One of the biggest challenges for Obama after 8 years of Bush regime (read debacle) will be gaining confidence of the Muslim world, at one end he is talking about finishing pro-Islam Al-Qaeda and Taliban and at the other end he is asking the Muslim world to stand by him in this fight against radical Islam. Not all will stand by him, today even moderate Muslims question US’s double standards in handling Palestine issue. They will first ask a solution for Gaza & Kashmir, they will demand to implement his strategies first on Israel & India. US cannot do much about Israel or about India. Whatever the situation be I see hope under his administration, a hope of better future. Let’s be honest Obama will not succeed to bring peace to the entire world, till date who has? Should a country look up to a foreign leader to solve their problems? No. But he will help to bring end to the menace of terrorism, he will assist the key economies to race ahead, he will lead America like never before. He will definitely deliver the change he promised.

- Pritash Chaudry