Steinberg shines as 'star' of foreign policy team

The man behind most American foreign policy decisions is someone with whom most Americans are not familiar. He has been described by colleagues as ambitious and has been credited with engineering many of the country's foreign policy triumphs over the last half-decade.

Deputy National Security Adviser James Steinberg became involved in foreign affairs by joining the justice department after finishing law school at Yale University in the late 1970s.

"It seemed interesting and where one could make a contribution," Steinberg said in an interview yesterday, adding that the Iranian hostage crisis was a hot issue at the time and intrigued him. "There was a lot of change going on in the world."

Steinberg will speak at the University today on the recent elections in both Taiwan and Russia and their influence on future American foreign policy decisions.

He said being involved in U.S. foreign policy-making is exciting because the United States has the ability to influence the world. He warned, however, that there is a risk this power can be abused, and one of his jobs is to make sure it is "used wisely."

Before being appointed to his current position, Steinberg was the director of the Policy Planning staff at the U.S. Department of State from 1994 to 1996. He described the Policy Planning organization as "a think tank within the state department but outside the bureaucracy."

"It's able to bring a fresh and more comprehensive approach to American foreign policy," he said.

He said he remembered those three years as very tumultuous ones, during which his department's main responsibilities were "preventing conflict, peacekeeping and dealing with international crime."Steinberg said he worked to adapt and expand NATO, which he said was one of President Clinton's top priorities during his first term. In addition, he pursued policies that would promote peace in the Balkans. "We were very involved up to the Dayton Peace Agreement," he said.

Bill Antholis, a visiting fellow with the University Center of International Studies, organized Steinberg's speech. Having worked with Steinberg as a Policy Planning staff member, Antholis said he remembers Steinberg as always having his "eye on the prize. He cuts to the chase."

Antholis added that in his current position, Steinberg chairs the Deputies Committee which "runs foreign policy. He's been in the center of every big issue the president cares about."

"Steinberg's the young star of the Clinton foreign policy team," Antholis said.

Steinberg stressed that the recent elections in Taiwan and Russia are important foreign policy issues because the two areas are in transition phases. "The U.S. needs to pursue strategy that makes these transitions go forward in a way that benefits people in these countries."

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He specified that future American foreign policy should help to ensure democracy, prosperity and security in these areas.

Steinberg pointed to the developments in Taiwan and Russia as positive, but he questioned the "direction [newly elected Russian President Vladimir] Putin is going to take the country."