Inside Obama’s White House on RTÉ One July 26th at 23.30.
Series 1, Episode 3
Title- Don’t Screw It Up
The third episode of ‘Inside Obama’s White House’ explores how Barack Obama set out to end George Bush’s wars in the Middle East and reset relations with the rest of the world.
In Cairo he speaks to the Arab world, calling democracy a human right. Two years later when
protest erupts in Tahrir square, the President is torn between Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and Defence Secretary Robert Gates who believe Egypt’s President Hosni Mubarak provides regional stability and his young advisors who are in tune with the promise of the Arab Spring.
Before long a similar test arises in Libya, Hillary Clinton changes her position to back military intervention and Obama agrees to join allies in airstrikes against Col. Gaddafi. In Syria, when shocking evidence shows the use of chemical weapons, Obama decides to bomb.
But when the British Parliament votes against intervention, he decides he needs the backing of a reluctant Congress. Foreign Secretary William Hague explains why the British Parliament voted against intervention in 2013 and President Obama explains why he then decided to seek the backing of a reluctant Congress.
This episode also explores how Obama scored a big win when he negotiated a secret deal to end the nuclear threat from Iran – behind the backs of his closest allies. Secretary of State John Kerry tells how he worked through the night (with President Obama on the phone) to secure the outlines of the deal.