Leadership vs. Stewardship

As Zalmay Khalilzad prepares to head to New York as the top U.S. representative to the United Nations, a collective sigh of relief can be heard from Turtle Bay, and not just from our adversaries. The U.S. image is in need of serious repair at the United Nations and sending an ambassador who has the formal backing of the U.S. Senate and the confidence of the White House is the right formula to begin putting U.S.-UN relations back on track. Having just returned from two of the toughest overseas posts — Afghanistan and Iraq — New York might seem to the ambassador like a picnic in comparison. However, there is hard work to do at the United Nations, and Khalilzad must get his footing early to be able to restore the view that the world’s only superpower really does respect world opinion and intends to step up to its role as both leader and steward of the international organization.