Six months after he ascended to the presidency of the United States, Barack Obama can point to a distinct new tone in American foreign policy and the start of a discernible makeover of the country's image around the globe. When it comes to specific achievements in the international arena, however, the administration does not have much to show, so far.
The transformation of America's global standing had already started even before the president moved into his new Pennsylvania Avenue address on Jan. 20. Two factors triggered the process. First, Obama replaced a man who had become extraordinarily unpopular throughout most of the world. The mere anticipation of George W. Bush's exit had begun to erase America's tarnished image. ...
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