Labor Day in the United States marks an important juncture in the political calendar. It is the time of the year when US lawmakers roll up their sleeves and get down to serious business now that the summer break is over. Yet as eager as President Barack Obama might be to go back to work and get things rolling, he will be faced with at least five major issues, four of which are in the Middle East.
The American president’s first major challenge, however, will be a domestic issue and very likely the one to give him greater hassles than the Middle East dossiers he will have to tackle.
On the US front, Obama will be kept busy with his plan to convince his fellow Americans that it is time to enact into law a universal health care coverage plan. Indeed, it is hard to believe that the US remains the only country in the developed world that does not have universal health care, when there are 40 million Americans living under the poverty line and some 45 million Americans without health coverage.
Obama’s plan, though thinned somewhat down so as not to face too stiff a resistance from the Republicans, and even some Democrats who worry that they may upset their constituents, is still facing opposition from many quarters.
Billions upon billions of dollars are at stake and the anti-health care reform groups are taking no prisoners. Fear, once again, is being used to conscript people against the project. You may recall that fear was used very successfully by the Bush administration after the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks on New York and Washington, DC, to allow the Bush team to enact a number of laws and get away with decisions which under normal circumstances they would have never been able to.
The health care industry is the holy cow of Capitol Hill, where legions of highly paid and very influential lobbyists will do what it takes to keep any changes away. Some have tried to spread the message that universal health care coverage is the first step to socialism. And many Americans are falling for that.
Now in the Middle East, Obama’s problems stem from a) the war in Iraq; b) the war in Afghanistan; c) the stalled peace talks between Israel and the Palestinians, and d) Iran’s nuclear ambitions.
In Iraq, violence is on the rise once again and relations with Syria have reached an all-time low after a spate of suicide attacks claimed the lives of hundreds of victims. Indeed, Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Malaki wasted no time in pointing the finger at Syria, where just days earlier he had met with President Bashar al-Assad. Malaki accused the regime in Damascus of abetting those responsible for the August 19, “Black Wednesday” attacks that left more than 100 people dead. Baghdad is demanding that Damascus hand over two suspects to face justice in Iraq.
In Afghanistan, the level of violence is increasing and raising concerns among allied forces backing up US and NATO troops fighting the Taliban. Eight years after the US invasion the Taliban, who were to have been destroyed by now, are still a force to be reckoned with. Support for the war effort among US allies is waning. In Germany, for example, the government is facing increasing pressure from the public to bring their troops home.
In regards to Israel and Palestine, Obama’s other problem comes from the more “traditional” Middle East conflict and, more precisely, from Israel where Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, in defiance of Obama’s request and world public opinion, has given the green light for 500 new housing units to be built on land belonging to the Palestinians.
Obama had hoped to bring the Arabs and Israelis together and to finalize a peace deal that would see the end of the 61-year conflict that spurred five wars in as many decades. Obama had hoped to see the creation of a Palestinian state that would normalize relations between Israel and the Arab world. However, following Israel’s latest announcement, the Palestinians said they would suspend all negotiations with Israel.
And last but by no means least, is the Iranian nuclear dossier, an issue which remains as hot as the spent uranium rods from Iran’s facilities. The challenge for Iran will be to hold the West off until Washington goes into re-election mode. But will they be able to?
Claude Salhani is editor of the Middle East Times and a political analyst in Washington
