I've already noted individual reassurances to the Iraqis and Lebanese. This report notes that the reassurances were given to far more:
At each of her stops, Clinton heard concerns from Arab allies about the direction of American efforts to engage Syria and Iran.
A U.S. official said that in Kuwait City on April 24, Clinton privately gave Kuwaiti officials a message that she has delivered to other oil-rich allies: they will be consulted as the U.S. reaches out to Iran. Persian Gulf allies are deeply suspicious of Iran’s ambitions and influence with extremist groups in the region.
They're not "just words" when our president reaches out to rogue and, yes, evil states. Friends who've counted on our help to resist these common foes have reason to wonder whether they'll be thrown under the bus as we seek to make the objects of our outreach our new friends. What price will Iran and Syria demand to be our friends? And will America pay? Or rather, will we charge it on the accounts of our friends who will ultimately pay the bill?
Say what you will about President Bush, but few friends wondered if we'd stand by them when the going got rough. Now the Secretary of State has a full time job following in the wake of the president to keep our allies from breaking ranks.
I didn't think this is what our new age of diplomacy would be. Is it nuanced, yet?
