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December 20, 2008
Dr. Susan Rice’s Dangerous Agenda
President-elect Barack Obama’s selection of Dr. Susan Elizabeth Rice to be United Nations ambassador is both troublesome and dangerous.
Rice, known for her strong personality and never apologize attitude, was educated by professors at Oxford who were strong advocates of the role of the United Nations. While studying there, she earned the M.Phil and D.Phil degrees.
Past educational influences aside, Dr. Rice appears set on elevating her role in the United Nations to a Cabinet-level position. She signaled her desire for power when she and Hillary Clinton, Obama’s choice for Secretary of State, both made trips to the State Department headquarters on December 11, 2008 for briefings.
Showing up with the Secretary of State at the State Department is a major break with tradition. In the past, the UN ambassador would be briefed after the Secretary of State. Having the briefings at the same time, and at the State Department, already elevates Dr. Rice’s position to a new level of importance.
Sources familiar with Dr. Rice indicate that she would like to install her own transition team inside the State Department, though her position will actually be in New York near the U.N. headquarters.
Having an office in Foggy Bottom (often used as a metonym for the State Department) would place Dr. Rice close to Barack Obama and give her new-found, foreign policy-making leverage. Proximity always enhances the latter.
Giving the UN ambassador cabinet-level status signals to member states of the United Nations that Dr. Rice is a key player in making foreign policy. Former U.N. Ambassador John Bolton never portrayed himself as anything more than an order-taking public servant.
Ambassador Bolton took his cues from Washington and carried them forward to member states of the United Nations. Bolton was never into gaining influence and power. Bolton was a team player and never would allow hostile foreign states to think they were equal the United States (both figuratively and literally).
A widely-quoted statement I made about the United Nations after September 11, 2001, is worth repeating here: "The U.N. provides cover almost the same way the Taliban does. It serves as the laboratory, the linchpin for legitimizing incendiary rhetoric (against the West in general and America in particular)."
Please don’t get me wrong. I’m not for getting out of the United Nations. I understand its symbolic importance. I do, however, believe that U.N. member nations, especially those willing to denigrate the United States at a drop of the hat, must understand they are not equal partners in making (or influencing) U.S. foreign policy.
The security of the United States must remain the UN ambassador’s primary goal. Elevating Dr. Rice to a Cabinet-level position will give U.S. detractors a new level of importance and harm national security.
FamilySecurityMatters.org Contributing Editor Harvey Kushner, Ph.D., is an internationally recognized authority on terrorism and related security matters, and has advised and trained numerous governmental agencies such as the FBI and U.S. Customs. He also has just launched a new conservative news site, http://www.harveykushner.com/
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