The ball, not a burqa, is in Clinton’s court

Getty image 88846708, July 6, 2009 | SHAH MARAI/AFP/Getty Images   When Tina Brown wrote in belittling fashion that President Obama has Secretary Clinton in a burqa, it revealed just how difficult it is to comprehend how foreign policy gets made in the United States, writes Washington Post columnist Anne Applebaum today. Applebaum writes that Obama ...

582986_090728_Burqa2.jpg
582986_090728_Burqa2.jpg

 

Getty image 88846708, July 6, 2009 | SHAH MARAI/AFP/Getty Images

Getty image 88846708, July 6, 2009 | SHAH MARAI/AFP/Getty Images
 

When Tina Brown wrote in belittling fashion that President Obama has Secretary Clinton in a burqa, it revealed just how difficult it is to comprehend how foreign policy gets made in the United States, writes Washington Post columnist Anne Applebaum today.

Applebaum writes that Obama doesn’t send detailed instructions to Clinton, controlling what she does — that kind of stuff only happens in dictatorships, like North Korea. Rather, she is granted a lot of leeway in deciding how to engage the world. Obama doesn’t force her to keep quiet; rather it’s up to Clinton to engage the world as she sits fit.

And Clinton has been outspoken many times during her first six months. In April, she said Pakistan was “abdicating” to the Taliban; she made controversial statements about China and human rights in February; she discussed a possible “defense umbrella” in the Persian Gulf region. She has held town-hall meetings overseas and spoken in TV interviews both abroad and in the United States.

Ultimately, Applebaum concludes, the ball — not the burqa — is in Clinton’s court: “It is up to her to tell us what she thinks is important, and why. If she hasn’t done so yet, that isn’t the president’s fault.”

Photo: SHAH MARAI/AFP/Getty Images

Preeti Aroon was copy chief at Foreign Policy from 2009 to 2016 and was an FP assistant editor from 2007 to 2009. Twitter: @pjaroonFP

More from Foreign Policy

Newspapers in Tehran feature on their front page news about the China-brokered deal between Iran and Saudi Arabia to restore ties, signed in Beijing the previous day, on March, 11 2023.
Newspapers in Tehran feature on their front page news about the China-brokered deal between Iran and Saudi Arabia to restore ties, signed in Beijing the previous day, on March, 11 2023.

Saudi-Iranian Détente Is a Wake-Up Call for America

The peace plan is a big deal—and it’s no accident that China brokered it.

Austin and Gallant stand at podiums side by side next to each others' national flags.
Austin and Gallant stand at podiums side by side next to each others' national flags.

The U.S.-Israel Relationship No Longer Makes Sense

If Israel and its supporters want the country to continue receiving U.S. largesse, they will need to come up with a new narrative.

Russian President Vladimir Putin lays flowers at the Moscow Kremlin Wall in the Alexander Garden during an event marking Defender of the Fatherland Day in Moscow.
Russian President Vladimir Putin lays flowers at the Moscow Kremlin Wall in the Alexander Garden during an event marking Defender of the Fatherland Day in Moscow.

Putin Is Trapped in the Sunk-Cost Fallacy of War

Moscow is grasping for meaning in a meaningless invasion.

An Iranian man holds a newspaper reporting the China-brokered deal between Iran and Saudi Arabia to restore ties, in Tehran on March 11.
An Iranian man holds a newspaper reporting the China-brokered deal between Iran and Saudi Arabia to restore ties, in Tehran on March 11.

How China’s Saudi-Iran Deal Can Serve U.S. Interests

And why there’s less to Beijing’s diplomatic breakthrough than meets the eye.