Obama has made several big moves on terrorism. Particularly dropping the idea of a ‘Global war on terror’ and the commitment to closing Guantanamo bay. Obama has stopped using the name GWOT that has seemed to imply an ongoing conflict with a set of united groups, this is not the case. This represents a new start in terms of getting rid of a phrase that damaged the US’ credibility, Global War on Terror implied Guantanamo Bay, extraordinary rendition and attacks on civil liberties. Practically the first thing that Obama did was to order the closure of Guantanamo bay and the overseas CIA detention centres. Obama argued that "The United States intends to prosecute the ongoing struggle against violence and terrorism... We are going to do so vigilantly, we are going to do so effectively, and we are going to do so in a manner that is consistent with our values and our ideals." Guantanamo bay has been one of the major recurring criticisms of US policy in the ‘war on terror’ during George Bush’s administration for most of the world (excepting the republicans within the US), Obama has drawn a line under this.^[1]

1. ^ Obama orders Guantanamo Closure, BBC News, 22nd January 2009, http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/americas/7845585.stm

In Prague on April 5, 2009, President Barack Obama proclaimed "clearly and with conviction America's commitment to seek the peace and security of a world without nuclear weapons." The core of Obama’s action on nuclear disarmament has been negotiations with Russia to move towards renewing the Strategic arms reduction treaty, and hopefully reducing Russian and US stockpiles to 1000 nuclear weapons. Negotiations however are likely to be long and drawn out despite both sides having incentives to reduce their stockpiles.^[1] Cooperation with Russia however has not been the entire agenda: “as the only nuclear power to have used a nuclear weapon,” he said, “the United States has a moral responsibility to act.” Thus Obama was accepting that the USA should take the lead in nuclear disarmament. As such Obama has been pledging unilateral action; reducing the reliance on nuclear weapons in US military policy, commiting to not developing any new nuclear weapons (unlike the Bush administration that actively pursued them), ratifying the comprehensive test ban treaty and attempting to prevent the spread of nuclear weapons and materials.^[2]

1. ^ Ian Taylor, Luke Harding, The Guardian, 6th Feb., 2009, http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2009/feb/06/nuclear-disarmament-russia-us
2. ^ David Krieger, A 100 Day Nuclear Disarmament Agenda, President Obama Scores High, Nuclear Age Peace Foundation, 16th April 2009, http://www.wagingpeace.org/articles/2009/04/16_krieger_100_day.php?krieger

At the G20 Barack Obama to a certain extent allowed Britain to have its time in the sun. He hailed the summit as a historic turning point in the pursuit of world economic recovery.^[1] Moreover he signed on to some of Gordon Brown’s ideas on solving the economic crisis thereby helping the summit towards being a success. That the US and Russia had a mini-summit on cutting nuclear arsenals on the fringe of the summit further enhanced the summit.^[2] The summit itself was unusual in actually having achievements; particularly an expanded and changed IMF.

1. ^ Obama hail historic G20 summit, BBC News, 3rd April 2009, http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/7980558.stm
2. ^ Ross Hawkins, BBC News, Brown’s G20, 2nd April 2009, http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/7979539.stm

Obama’s first task has been to change the overall tone of US diplomacy to being one that welcomes dialogue and wishes cooperation with US allies on issues facing the world, no more unilateralism or ‘coalition of the willing’ that is divisive among US allies. Obama has been reaching out in the middle east, giving interviews and sending positive messages about engagement with Iran and the Arab world. He has hit the ‘reset button’ with Russian relations to try to draw a line under the geopolitical conflict between Russia and the USA throughout Eurasia. Wendy Sherman, a Principal at the Albright Group says "It is a tone of leading and listening... [Understanding] that the world is a complicated place [and] the United States alone cannot solve all of these problems... But also understanding that the US has a responsibility to lead, accepts that responsibility, will be held accountable for that responsibility. So, I think they've gotten off to a tremendous start in probably the most complex world I've seen in my lifetime."^[1]

1. ^ Kim Ghattas, Obama’s first 100 days; foreign policy, BBC News, 29th April 2009, http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/8025932.stm

Britain and much of the rest of Europe were particularly concerned about George Bush’s stance on the environment. Obama has appointed Carol Browner who was Environmental Protection Agency head during the Clinton administration, to serve as the special adviser on climate and energy to the White House. Browner was seen as a tough regulator at the EPA, and would have been more aggressive had the White House given her more latitude. She has been joined by other top ranking officials with good green credentials. Obama has opened the door to tougher fuel standards if states want, and the department of transport will set higher fuel-economy standards for cars and light trucks while the economic stimulus has energy and efficiency measures. This invested $62 billion on green initiatives and $20 billion on green tax incentives. The stimulis included funds for renewable energy, efficiency, transmission and mass transit. There is also a billions available to move towards creating some corridors of high speed rail. Obama’s administration is also much more serious about cap and trade that the EU in particular, and also some US states and cities are already using. Carbon dioxide emissions are now regulated under the clean air act so falls under the remit of the environmental protection agency which has begun to create a list of the country’s largest polluters. Obama has announced plans to regulate coal ash waste, and the destruction of mountain tops that the coal industry does to extract coal from the Appalachian mountains.^[1]

1. ^ Kate Sheppard, 100 days: Obama’s big green dream, The Guardian, 29th April 2009, http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/cifamerica/2009/apr/27/obamas-100-days-environment