"Condoleeza Rice for next Nobel Peace Prize"

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Sat Feb-26-05 09:39 PM
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"Condoleeza Rice for next Nobel Peace Prize"

NH Union Leader Sunday Editorial

Serious, serious gag alert... Have a receptacle nearby.

http://www.theunionleader.com/articles_showa.html?article=51246

Commentary:
Condoleeza Rice is top candidate for next Nobel Peace Prize
By NANCY E. SODERBERG
Guest Commentary

LET ME be the first to say it: Condoleezza Rice may be in line for a Nobel Peace Prize. As a critic of the Bush administration and a Democrat, I�m not a fan of Rice�s record as national security adviser. But if her new rhetoric means a real second-term conversion, she may go down in history as one of the most successful secretaries of State ever.

U.S. actions over the last four years have been driven by Rice and colleagues who believe that as the lone superpower, the United States is powerful enough to act whenever and wherever it wants, primarily through military means. That costly myth has made the superpower burden heavier � and spiked anti-Americanism to unprecedented levels that, in turn, breed further terrorist attacks. There are signs, however, that the administration may be abandoning this myth.

Going into the lion�s den of France earlier this month, Rice spoke of the need for �an even stronger partnership based on common opportunities� and laid out the threats both countries face � terrorism, proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, regional conflicts, failed states and organized crime. Over the last four years, we have lost ground in combating these threats. If she and her boss succeed in restoring America�s place as a persuader, not just enforcer, dramatic progress is possible.

First, the administration is poised to make history in the Middle East, not only between the Palestinians and Israelis but perhaps also between Israel and Syria and the Arab world. The rise of the more responsible Palestinian leadership and the strong U.S. backing of Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon could be a winning combination if the administration seriously engages in the search for peace. The backlash over a Syrian role in the assassination of the former prime minister of Lebanon could lead to a housecleaning and a new willingness in Damascus to make peace with Israel. Rice has appointed herself as the lead peace negotiator, putting her firmly in line for a Nobel Peace Prize.

Second, the recent elections in Iraq came off better than even the administration had hoped, with 8.5 million Iraqis voting despite insurgent violence. And they voted for a secular � not Islamic, Iranian-style -- government. The key to success, however, will be continued U.S. aid and military presence over the next several years while we build up a functioning Iraqi force able to maintain security. Historians will long debate whether the U.S. investment was worth it. Regardless, an increasingly stable Iraq will help address problems elsewhere in the Arab world; the United States can convert its investment into progress in the region. To do so, Washington must develop a serious plan to address the lack of reform in the Arab world � a root cause of the radical fundamentalist terrorism. Third, if the administration�s newfound fondness for building partnerships and diplomacy holds, it has a chance to make significant progress in stemming the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction.

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Regardless of past differences, the world will follow the United States if it does the right thing. If the administration engages and leads, the gains made in the second term may be some of the most important in our history.

Nancy Soderberg, a senior national security advisor in the Clinton administration, is the author of �The Superpower Myth, the Use and Misuse of American Might.�