Questioning change

New Zealander Bob Rigg has published an extensive analysis of the Obama administration’s initial approach to foreign policy in a paper for the South Asia Strategic Forum, a recently launched thinktank on global geo-political development. The paper examines the reputations and backgrounds of high level White House foreign policy appointments to date, paying particular attention to key players in the Middle East and nuclear fields. Rigg notes a reluctance to appoint outside of the political establishment and the apparent power of Hillary Clinton in these areas, questioning the likelihood of radical moves towards disarmament hoped for by many of Obama’s grassroots supporters. Bob Rigg was formerly senior editor for the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons in The Hague, and chairman of NZ’s Consultative Committee on Disarmament 2003-2006, and has published widely on issues of chemical and nuclear weapons, the Middle East, Iran and US foreign policy.