Mitleid ist ein integraler Bestandteil der US-Aussenpolitik?

*MITLEID IST EIN INTEGRALER BESTANDTEIL VON PRÄSIDENT BUSH’S AUSSENPOLITIK*

”The advancement of human rights and democracy is important in its own right. At the same time, these efforts are the bedrock of our war on terrorism. The violation of human rights by repressive regimes provides fertile ground for popular discontent. …

I am pleased to tell you that this Administration's commitment to human rights, democracy, and religious freedom is unshakeable. The President and other senior officials have emphasized these core principles repeatedly in the aftermath of September 11. The President's National Security Advisor, Condoleezza Rice, at a recent Forum on the Africa Growth and Opportunity Act, reiterated our commitment to promoting democracy, noting "democratization and stability are the underpinning for a world free of terrorism."


Indeed, the promotion of democracy and human rights has been at the root of American diplomacy. For decades, under Republican and Democrat Administrations, the United States, the world's oldest democracy, has been the leader in advancing human rights and freedom around the world. As one of the original signers and proponents of the Helsinki Accords on Human Rights in 1975, the U.S. has been looked to by other countries for moral guidance, and, when needed, action on human rights and freedom issues.

Whether supporting dissidents in the former Soviet Union or Burma, the Solidarity Movement in Poland, or pushing for the end to abuses by dictators like Slobodan Milosevic or more recently the Taliban regime, the United States has constantly spoken out in defense, and acted on behalf, of the universal right of all human beings to be free from government oppression and unfair persecution.

America's enormous cultural, ideological, spiritual, and scientific appeal and accomplishments offer viable and successful approaches to global problems and examples of what can be achieved to those around the world who are struggling with issues of democracy stability and economic growth.

The "soft power" of the United States, a term coined by Harvard University professor Joseph Nye, is a complement to the "hard power"--military, economic and diplomatic--that remains a cornerstone of U.S. foreign policy. Demonstrating by example is often the best way for the United States to achieve its goals.

Despite the collapse of the Soviet Union and the fall of the Berlin Wall, numerous repressive regimes continue to violate the rights of their citizens. Thus, the need for us to maintain a focus on human rights and individuals' freedom has not abated.

The State Department does this not only in its bilateral and multilateral meetings, but also through its Annual Country Reports on Human Rights Practices, as well as its recently released report on International Religious Freedom. These reports are designed to shed light on a country's performance on human rights and religious freedom in order to engage other nations in dialogue and to encourage them to take steps that will allow the people living in those states to experience the liberties we enjoy in the United States.

In describing our human rights policy, I want to stress one key point. While we are committed to resolving individual human rights cases and work hard to advance particular human rights causes, our fundamental goal is to effect long-term, sustainable democratization around the world. While some democratic reversals have been known to occur, by and large, once a society reaches a certain level of democratic maturity, it usually continues indefinitely on a democratic path.
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Our foreign policy must be flexible enough to respect other countries' traditions and values, while simultaneously advancing principles of democracy and human rights that have become universally recognized. Through vigorous public diplomacy, however, we should never shy away from extolling the virtues of our society, the diversity of our people, and the power of our example. This, by the way, explains why, while we are actively cooperating with dozens of countries which have joined the anti-terrorist coalition, even the ones with a serious democracy deficit, we have not shied away from speaking out forcefully in defense of human rights.

This applies not only to countries in transition, as is the case with the Central Asian members of the coalition, but also to our traditional friends in the Middle East. A careful, measured but nevertheless determined and purposeful path of democratization offers the best avenue for stability, prosperity and reconciliation around the world and the best long-term insurance against forces of terror and extremism.

Democratic reforms, political pluralism and the promotion of women's rights can be carried out with due sensitivity to cultural and religious values and in ways that marginalize, rather than empower, extremist forces and movements. …

In addition to bringing forth our own experiences and expertise, both at the governmental and NGO level, it is imperative to engage local civil society in the promotion of democracy and human rights.

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To achieve these goals it is important to undertake vigorous public diplomacy efforts. These efforts should be designed to enhance both our understanding of cultures and traditions in Muslim countries and improve their understanding of American foreign policy. To accomplish these goals, we will draw upon the entire arsenal of public diplomacy tools including radio, television broadcasts, roundtables and conferences, exchange programs as well as official dialogue.

AFGHANISTAN
What we are doing in Afghanistan today has first and foremost to do with the security of the United States. We should not lose sight of that. But humanitarianism and compassion also are key driving forces behind our policy. Where the international community can avert or arrest humanitarian crises, it, of course, has an obligation to do so. But this requires an international--not solely an American--response. The overriding goal of U.S. policy is to prevent these kinds of crises, to avert them before ever reaching the point of being a humanitarian disaster. Where we fall short of that goal, of preventing crises overseas, we must be ready to respond forcefully, with all of the available tools of statecraft.

Compassion is an integral component of President Bush's foreign policy, and it motivates America, even in these trying times, to continue to lead the international effort to provide humanitarian relief to those most vulnerable. As the President has asserted, "We have no compassion for terrorists, or for any state that sponsors them. But, we do have great compassion for the millions around the world who are victims of hate and oppression--including those in Afghanistan. We are friends of the Afghan people. We have an opportunity to make sure the world is a better place for generations to come."
Our assistance to the people of Afghanistan is not a new, post-September 11 development. Over the past two decades, the United States has consistently been the largest donor of humanitarian assistance to the Afghan people, providing roughly two-thirds of the total aid to Afghanistan for all international donors. …

In the words of President Bush, "America will join the world in helping the people of Afghanistan rebuild their country. The United States will work with the U.N. to support a post-Taliban government that represents all of the Afghan people."
CONCLUSION
As the President has noted so eloquently, America has always understood that we can never rid the world of evil, unless we also do our part to fill the world with good.

The post-September 11 fight against terrorism, while drawing upon all of the traditional tools of American statecraft, has reinvigorated the moral and spiritual aspects of our foreign policy. The promotion of democracy and human rights causes lies at the heart of this Administration's foreign policy. What Thomas Jefferson said more than two centuries ago still rings true today: "The spirit of our citizens, rising with the strength and majesty which show the loveliness of freedom, will make this government in practice what it is in principle, a model for the protection of man in a state of freedom and order."
The Honorable Paula J. Dobriansky is Under Secretary of State for Global Affairs.
The Heritage Foundation”