Sabtu, 13 Oktober 2012

FOREIGN POLICY OF THE UNITED STATES IN OBAMA’S ERA TOWARD THE ISLAMIC REPUBLIC OF IRAN


PART I

PREFACE

1.1              Problem Identification

Foreign policy is the combination and the reflection of a country’s domestic condition which fluenced by the regional or international condition. The end of The Cold War have been arisen The United States as “The Sole Super Power”. Beside that, the 9-11 (11th of September) 2001 had bring a great effect on the revolution turn on foreign policy of The United States, especially on the revolutional turn on the essence of The United States role as ‘the police agent’ for the countries in the Middle East and the Northern Africa and for the countries all over the world.
In the Middle East, foreign policy of The United States related to it’s global politics. More than 3 decade, when the uni Soviet still became a greatest rival for the United States, the strategic interest of that country in the Middle East is only for the preventif action to dame up the Uni Soviet domination. But after the fall out of the Uni Soviet, the interest of the United States is for defending it’s hegemony in the Middle East and keep the existence of it’s global strategies which need more backing from the countries in the middle East.[1]
About the foreign policy of the United States to the Islamic Republic of Iran, the historical fact shown that the relations between the United States and the Islamic Republic of Iran was begin by the very close diplomatic relation. The official relation between them was begin in the end of 1800 when King Nasser al Din Shah sent his ambassador to Washington. Since that time until the World War II, the relations between them is really fine.
The relations between them become worse when Shah Reza Muhammad Pahlevi regime fallen out and then the Iranian Revolution born which led by Imam Khomeini. And then The Islamic Republic of Iran exist as a sovereign state. After all that time, Iran became a state which gaze directly to the United State.
The strained situation of Iran-the United State relation was reach a crest when George W. Bush elected to be the President of the United State. Bush expelled Iran from international community and called Iran as “devil axis” with North Korea and Irak (when Irak led by Saddam Hussein).
            When Barrack Obama elected as a new President of the United States (take the place of George W. Bush), he gave a new direction to the foreign policy of the United States. He gave a good signal for changing the foreign policy of the United States in the Middle East and Northern Africa.
            But in reality, the foreign policy in Obama’s era is difficult to realize. The harmony in Iran-the United States relation is difficult to reach again because Iran becoming insistent for improving it’s nuclear program. If the United State still believe that Iranian nuclear program is brought to the non-peacefull aim, it will be impossible for them to make a good relation as before.
Based on the argument that I said before, I’m trying to identify the foreign policy of the United States to the islamic Republic of Iran after Barrack Obama elected as the United States President. Of course, I also identify how was the condition of their relations and the policies which have done by both countries.

1.2              Research Question

Why the foreign policy of the United States to the Islamic Republic of Iran never change in Obama’s era ?

1.3              The Framework Theories

In this working paper, I use this theory and concept as my base to identify the problem. They are :

1.3.1        The Concept of National Interest

The foreign policy of a country adopted based on the national interest of it’s country. The national interest mostly used as a tool to analize something to know the aim of the foreign policy of a country.
More than 3 decade, when the uni Soviet still became a greatest rival for the United States, the strategic interest of that country in the Middle East is only for the preventif action to dame up the Uni Soviet domination. But after the fall out of the Uni Soviet, the interest of the United States is for defending it’s hegemony in the Middle East and keep the existence of it’s global strategies which need more backing from the countries in the middle East.[2]

1.3.2        The Theory of Foreign Policy

Foreign policy is a combination from the authoritative policy of a country to the external circumstances, which fluenced and formed by many internal factors and many external factors which interacted each other. Foreign policy of a country drew an action of it’s country for any special condition, time and place which fluenced by domestic condition or international condition.
In this working papaer, I try to analyze the construction of foreign policy of the United States in Obama’s era to the Islamic world citizen, especially to the Islamic Republic of Iran, in the shadow of interest power and pressure group such as AIPAC (American-Israel Public Affairs Committee) who mostly gave a simplistic view to the dynamics of politic in Islamic states.


PART II

RESEARCH

2.1              The Dynamics Relations Between The United States of America and The Republic of Iran

The official relation between the United States and Iran was begin in the end of 1800 when King Nasser al Din Shah sent his ambassador to Washington. In 1911, the United States sent Morgan Shuster, an American commerce banker, and Arthur Chester Millspaugh, an economic advisor, to Iran for improving the financial condition of Iranian Kingdom. Suster and Millspaugh was succesfully do their job. The economic condition of Iran has grown rapidly, and then Iran begin to make a trade relations with the Western.
Iran positioning the United States as “the third power” in Iran excertion on struggle for freedom from the domination of Russia and England. The United States with the Shah Reza Muhammad Reza Pahlevi regime have brought Iran to the brighter eonomic and financial condition, which caused by the huge funding from the United States and the pro-Israel policy of Shah Reza regime.[3]
The fallen out of Shah Reza regime become a bad momentum of Iran and the United States relations. The Iranian think that the United States funding for improving the economic condition of Iran, which also brought the capitalism and materialism, as satanic temptation. The Iranian abhorence to the United States can not be dame up because of the civilization.
The close relations between them at the beginning was totally change since the reclination of 50 diplomat from the United States in the United States Embassy Building in Teheran on November 1979 by the militant group, pro-Khomeini university students, and the Iranian armed group.[4] After that case, the United States takes the policy for isolating Iran from international circumstances. On World Jewish Conference on 30th of April 1995, President Bill Clinton said that he decided to cut all acquintance of the United States on trade and investment with Iran.
On 1979, the relations between Iran and the United States after Iranian revolution become worse. This is because of the born of Iranian Revolution which led by Imam Khomeini and the declaration of independence of The Islamic Republic of Iran.
The strained situation of Iran-the United State relations was reach a crest when George W. Bush elected to be the President of the United State. Bush expelled Iran from international circumstances and called Iran as “devil axis” with North Korea and Irak (when Irak led by Saddam Hussein). After all that time, Iran became a state which gaze directly to the United States.
When Barrack Obama elected to be the President of the United States, the relations between Iran and the United States still unclear. Personally, Obama really wanted to improve the relations between Iran and the United States. But in reality, the foreign policy towards Iran in Obama’s era is difficult to realize. The harmony in Iran-the United States relation is difficult to reach again because Iran becoming insistent for improving it’s nuclear program. If the United State still believe that Iranian nuclear program is brought to the non-peacefull aim, it will be impossible for them to make a good relation as before. So, the development of Iran and the United States relations depends on Obama’s foreign policy as the President of The United States.

2.2              The Influence of Obama As The Designated Leader (The President) of The United States on Framework of The United States Foreign Policy Towards Iran

When Barrack Obama elected as a new President of the United States (take the place of George W. Bush), he gave a new direction to the foreign policy of the United States. He tried to take a risk and opened a peacefull communication with another states who think that the United States is their enemy.
President Obama gave a good signal for changing the foreign policy of the United States in the Middle East and Northern Africa countries. It’s not only about the problems between Iran and the United States, but also about the effect into the countries in the Middle East and the Northern Africa region, such as Irak, Syria, Lebanon, Palestine, Iran and Afghanistan.
But in reality, the foreign policy in Obama’s era is difficult to realize. The harmony in Iran-the United States relation is difficult to reach again because Iran becoming insistent for improving it’s nuclear program. If the United State still believe that Iranian nuclear program is brought to the non-peacefull aim, it will be impossible for them to make a good relation as before. The success and the failure of the dialogue between Iran and the United States is really influential for the situation in the Middle East and the Northern Africa region. The effect of ‘the domino theory’ is really aplicable here in terms of the relations between Iran and the United States.[5]
The reconciliation efforts on relations between Iran and the United States by President Obama was doing by the horrifying steps. One of that is admitted the United States involvement on the coup d’etat in 1953 to fall out the Prime Minister Mohammad Mossadegh government. “Di tengah Perang Dingin, AS telah memainkan peran dalam menggulingkan pemerintah Iran yang dipilih secara demokratis”. That was the statement from President Obama in his speech to the Moslem world in Cairo. That was the first time in the history of the president of the United States in revealing the involvement of the United States on that coup d’etat.[6]
Ayatullah Khomeini as Iranian leader gave a strong reaction to Obama’s speech in Cairo. Khomeini said that even Obama speech for hundred times, it will be useless if no changes made in the foreign policy of the United States. Khomeini think that Obama’s word into Islam world will be useless if there is no changes made on Washington’s policy itself.[7]
Analyzing the foreign policy of the United States in Obama’s era is also can be observed by the political view of his party. The Democrat have no willing to use the military power on it’s foreign policy. The concern of the domestic politic and foreign politics of the United States is on Human Rights issues, democracy issues, and the environment issues. The Democrat is concerned on the economic development of the United States, social assurance, consistency of progressive aplliance of tax, better health services, more concern about the equality in education, and willingness to use the power of the state to reach the social justice.[8]
            The important thing to know is that the foreign policy of the United States will have no drastic change from George W. Bush (Republican) to Barrack Obama (The Democrat). This is because of the national interest of the United States. For example : even in his speech, President Obama said that he promise to improve the relations towards Islamic states in the world, but in reality the United States still have a really big problem with Iran because the United States rejected Iran’s nuclear program.
The most influential reason of the United States to reject Iran’s nuclear program is about the political reason. As I said before, the United States still defending it’s national interest. The United States dont want any new power of the world defeated him, moreover Islamic state such as Iran.  So, even Obama promises that he would change the United States foreign policy, there will be no changes made significantly because he also want to defend the united States national interest.


PART III

CONCLUSION

The United States still defending it’s national interest, especially for it’s relations towards Iran. That aim is for keeping it’s hegemony in the world. The United States dont want it’s hegemony is beaten by the new power in the world such as Islamic states like Iran. Because of that, the foreign policy of the United States towards the Islamic Republic of Iran which applied by President Obama have no differences with the foreign policy in Bush era.


BIBLIOGRAPHY

Bhakti, Ikrar Nusa. Obama dan Politik Luar Negeri AS. Artikel Koran, Jakarta: Seputar Indonesia, 2009.
Gerges, Fawaz A. Amerika dan Islam Politik : Benturan Peradaban atau Benturan Kepentingan? Jakarta: Alva Bet, 2002.
http://www.adangdaradjatun.com. http://www.adangdaradjatun.com/berita/terbaru/333-obama-akui-keterlibatan-asdalam- kudeta-di-iran-1953 (diakses April 4, 2012).
Kegley, Charles W. International Terrorism Characteristic, Causes, Control. New York: Fact St. Martins Press, Inc., 1990.
Khamanei: Politik Luar Negeri AS Harus Diubah. http://www.beritanusantara.com/-internasional/80/1544.html (diakses April 5, 2012).
Rahman, Musthafa Abd. “Efek Teori Domino dalam Isu Dialog Iran-AS.” Kompas, 6 April 2009.
Susilo, Taufik Adi. Mengenal Amerika Serikat : Rahasia di Balik Negeri Adidaya. Yogyakarta: Garasi, 2009.



[1] Taufik Adi Susilo, Mengenal Amerika Serikat : Rahasia di Balik Negeri Adidaya, Yogyakarta, Garasi, 2009, hlm. 59.
[2] Ibid.
[3] Fawaz A. Gerges, Amerika dan Islam Politik: Benturan Peradaban atau Benturan Kepentingan?, terj., Jakarta, AlvaBet, 2002, hlm. 53.
[4] Charles W. Kegley, International Terrorism Characteristic, Causes, Control, New York, Fact St. Martins Press, Inc., 1990. hlm. 173.
[5] Musthafa Abd. Rahman, “Efek Teori Domino dalam Isu Dialog Iran-AS”, Kompas, Edisi 6 April 2009 diunduh dari www.kompas.com pada 2 April 2012 pukul 12.15
[7] Baca “Khamanei: Politik Luar Negeri AS Harus Diubah” di website http://www.beritanusantara.com/-internasional/80/1544.html, diunduh pada 5 April 2012 pukul 13.27
[8] Ikrar Nusa Bhakti, “Obama dan Politik Luar Negeri AS”, di Harian Seputar Indonesia, Edisi 19 Januari 2009.

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