He looks like the presidential version of the late Hollywood actor Steve McQueen, a/k/a The King of Cool, composed and poised even while looking into the face of American adversaries, -particularly Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and Venezuela leader Hugo Chavez - and US President Barack Obamais showing a more laid-back style than his belligerent predecessor George W. Bush by opening his ears instead of his mouth when it comes to US foreign policy, which is coming as a big relief to European Union allies and the rest of the world. But at the close of his first 100 days in office, Obama showed he was no pushover either, saying he was seeking a common ground on threats and terrorism and the Gordian Knot of international affairs and conflicts.

At a news conference to mark the traditional presidential benchmark and give himself a grade on how he’s doing so far, Obama voiced surprise at the number of challenges that had converged on the US since he began running for the presidency more than two years ago. Obama entered office in January facing ongoing wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, a devastating global economic crisis and threats of a nuclear-armed Iran and North Korea. Challenges that have since been added to his list include the growing threat from Somali pirates and a looming swine flu pandemic. He said he was “gravely concerned” about the stability of Pakistan’s government, which is battling Taliban insurgents that have crept to within 100 kilometres of the capital Islamabad.

He also pushed for more political reconciliation in Iraq amid an uptick in violence over the last few weeks. He didn’t forget the home front either as he assessed world and foreign affairs for the world’s biggest economic and military power. He said he still expected far-reaching reforms of health care and financial regulation to be approved by Congress before the end of the year. “I am surprised ... by the number of critical issues that appear to be coming to a head all at the same time,” Obama said.

“The typical president, I think, has two or three big problems. We’ve got seven or eight big problems.” While Obama declared himself happy with his early efforts to stabilise the US economy, which has dominated the young administration, he warned of more struggles ahead before the 16- month-long recession comes to an end. “I am pleased with our progress but I am not satisfied,” Obama told reporters. “Millions of Americans are still without jobs and homes, and more will be lost before this recession is over.” He asked for “patience” from the public on the economy and reiterated his longrunning theme that the country had to build a “new foundation for growth” in the coming years that was less reliant on debt and lax regulations of financial institutions.

HE’S NOT BUSH

Obama also touted his attempt to reshape US foreign policy, including reopening diplomatic channels with US enemies, and said the country would be safer in the long run by banning tough interrogation practices that could be considered torture, although he risked the wrath of the Central Intelligence Agency by outlining Bushera methods of “aggressive questioning” that had some lawmakers demanding prosecution for former Justice Department officials who authorised the practice. His decision to release past legal memos that sanctioned the use of tough interrogation techniques has set off a furious debate between allies of Obama and those of Bush. “I will do whatever is required to keep the American people safe,” he said. “I am absolutely convinced that the best way I can do that is by not taking short cuts that undermine who we are.”

Having been elected on a promise to “change” the culture of Washington, Obama voiced some frustrations over the country’s intense partisan divide, which may even have grown since he took office. While Obama’s overall public ratings have remained above 60 per cent, a poll by the Pew Research Centre found he is most polarising president in modern US history, with a 61-point gap opening up between Republicans and Democrats on his job approval. But while he’s been focused primarily on the US-started economic meltdown that threatened to bring the world with it, Obama – until the swine flu crisis had people thinking pandemic instead of bank statements – has shown he is adroit in handling a myriad of foreign affairs issues that have long vexed world leaders.

Days after taking office, Obama fulfilled a campaign pledge by ordering the eventual closure of the Guantanamo Bay prison camp. He has drawn up a timeframe for withdrawing US combat forces from Iraq and reached out, cautiously, to Cuba and Iran. So far, Obama has visited Canada, Britain, Germany, France, the Czech Republic, Turkey, Iraq, Mexico and Trinidad and Tobago as part of his offensive to change the face of American foreign policy after eight years of Bush’s unpopular policies.

Progress on the diplomatic front can move at a slower pace than pushing an economic stimulus package through Congress, and success often depends on how other countries react to the new president. “States are like big ships. Moving the ship of state is a slow process,” Obama said last month in Turkey. Obama quickly named special envoys for the Middle East peace process, the Afghan-Pakistan conflicts, North Korea and for dealing with Iran’s role in the region, indicating the broad array of issues he intends to tackle.

OUR MAN IN HAVANA

He has suffered some early challenges. North Korea announced it would no longer participate in the six- nation nuclear disarmament negotiations, shortly after defying the US and other countries by launching a ballistic missile. The situation in Afghanistan has continued to deteriorate, and Islamic militants in Pakistan are growing stronger. Iranian supreme leader Ali Khamenei rebuffed Obama’s offer of a “new beginning” in relations with Tehran, saying the United States first had to change its policies in the region. Tehran has refused to suspend uranium enrichment, a key aspect of its nuclear programme. The Obama administration is reportedly weighing whether to drop the US demand for a suspension of uranium enrichment as a precondition for any early negotiations. During the campaign, Obama pledged to work toward better relations with longstanding US foes including Iran and Cuba, and has not ruled out meeting with those countries’ leaders.

Obama sought to reach out to Cuba shortly before attending the Summit of the Americas earlier last month in Trinidad and Tobago. He announced that he was lifting tough measures enacted by the Bush administration that limited travel by Cuban-Americans and the remittances they can send to relatives on the island, in a symbolic easing of the decades-long economic embargo against Cuba. Havana’s response to Obama was lukewarm, but his gesture played well with Latin American countries who are closely watching US policy toward Cuba as a sign of Washington’s willingness to improve relations with the western hemisphere. US and Cuban diplomats met for more informal talks since Obama took office.

The Obama administration hopes that thawing relations with Cuba will encourage democratic reforms and more political freedom on the communist island. “There are a host of steps that the Cuban government would take and we’d like to see,” State Department acting spokesman Robert Wood said. Despite Obama’s wild popularity in Europe, he won few concessions during his first overseas trip there in early April. NATO allies including France and Germany still refuse to send significantly larger number of troops to Afghanistan, or to ease restrictions that limit their participation to peacekeeping and training missions. German Chancellor Angela Merkel gave Obama good marks for his first 100 days in office. “In many areas a new course was set very assertively,” Merkel said in Berlin. “I’m full of hope. It was a very intensive 100 days.” Merkel said the Obama administration had reacted firmly to the economic crisis “and in my consideration done everything that one can to apply countermeasures.”

This was important for the global economy, said the chancellor. Merkel welcomed the “new course” set by the United States with respect to climate protection and cooperation in Afghanistan. Obama had created the conditions “for very, very close relations” between the US and Germany as well as with the European Union, she said.

THE SYRIAN CONNECTION

Obama has even made overtures to Syria – which was ignored by Bush and has been blamed by the US and the European Union for meddling in Lebanon and even being behind the assassination of former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik Hariri. But Syrian President Bashar Al-Assadsaid in Vienna that Obama would face a serious crisis in the Middle East if within a year he did not fix what he said were the mistakes made by Bush.

Speaking at a discussion with Austrian leaders and intellectuals near the end of his two-day visit, al-Assad called on the United States to quickly withdraw its troops from Iraq, which would resolve “50 percent of the problem,” Austrian press agency APA reported. Austrian leaders urged al-Assad to use Syria’s influence to stabilise the wider Middle East region. Austrian President Heinz Fischer said that Syria should get Tehran to respond constructively to resolutions of the United Nations Security Council and proposals from the international community for resolving the nuclear standoff with Iran.