Bush, a Foreign Policy Novice

W A S H I N G T O N, Dec. 14 -- George W. Bush, who takes over as U.S. president in January after squeaking through a protracted contest with Democrat Al Gore, did not get the job for his foreign policy expertise.

The Texas governor, wealthy son of a former president whohad served as ambassador to China and as CIA Director, hasshown little interest in the world outside the United States, traveling abroad only a handful of times in his 54 years.

But since the Nov. 7 election, he has publicly givenspecial attention to foreign policy, perhaps to assure anervous world that despite weeks of uncertainty over the result there will be no hiatus in U.S. policy.

He will choose his national security team from a pool ofwell-seasoned advisers, including retired Army Gen. ColinPowell as secretary of state, to make up for his inexperience and boost his legitimacy after a knife-edge election win.

In a campaign dominated by domestic issues Bush staked outsome principles on which his foreign policy would differ with that of outgoing President Bill Clinton, in particular a greater reluctance to intervene in foreign conflicts.

Bush will to continue U.S. commitment to free trade and toNATO, although he worried European allies by suggestingwithdrawing U.S. peacekeeping forces from the Balkans, saying American troops are for “fighting wars” not peacekeeping.

He says he will maintain tough sanctions on Iraq andengagement with China, although he sees the communist giantmore as a “strategic competitor” than as a “strategic partner” and promises more emphasis on traditional ties with Japan.

Old Friends, Old Foes

Bush has a host of foreign policy advisers, many of whomserved his father and former President Ronald Reagan and will recall some of the enduring foes, like Yugoslavia’s Slobodan Milosevic and Iraq’s Saddam Hussein, from the old days.

Many analysts believe a more pronounced “America-first”attitude adopted by some of those advisers, particularly those who built their careers during the Cold War, could emerge, contrasting with a globalist approach under Clinton.