Bush lets Europeans know that America is resolute

With foreign policy analysts all over the board in their postmortems of President Bush's week-long tour of Europe, it would appear that the visit failed to accomplish anything of substance. But that just isn't so.
Not even the president's critics of his decision to withdraw from the Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty of 1972 can ignore the historic and significant Treaty of Moscow signed by Bush and Russian President Vladimir Putin. The agreement will result in a two-thirds reduction in the nuclear arsenals of both countries.
And not even those who are questioning the Bush administration's handling of important pre-Sept. 11 reports of suspicious activities by Arabs in the United States can credibly argue that he failed to articulate America's resolve in fighting global terrorism.
While Bush may not have the flair of some his predecessors when it comes to foreign policy, and while he is still viewed by a few European leaders as a bumbler and is held up to ridicule in the European press, the fact remains that he leads the most powerful country in the world and what he says matters. And in that role, America's values hold sway.
Important message
The decision by the Russians to accept less than full membership in NATO carries an important message for the rest of Europe: We'd rather be in looking out, than out looking in. Bush deserves credit for this important development. The close personal relationship he has established with Russian President Putin has gone a long way toward changing the Cold War mentality that was embraced by citizens in both countries for so long. That the two enemies have become friends is no insignificant achievement. The Moscow Treaty will be the foundation for stronger ties between the United States and Russia on issues of trade, cultural exchanges, sharing of technology and even the war on terrorism.
Indeed, unlike some other European leaders who complain about America's "cowboy" attitude, vis & aacute; vis, the war in Afghanistan and the worldwide search for terrorists and terrorist cells aligned with Osama bin Laden's Al-Qaida network, Putin has been unwavering in his support of the Bush doctrine.
The Russian president understands that while America suffered death and destruction last September, Europe remains most vulnerable to such terrorist attacks. That's because borders are porous and the number of immigrants from the Middle East continues to grow each year. Many European capitals have become hotbeds of Islamic militancy.
And Putin knows all too well that without America's active participation, the war on global terrorism will be lost. That was the gist of Bush's message to leaders in Germany, France and Italy. It's a message they would be foolish to ignore.