Rebranding Bush

"The White House has retreated from its doctrine of regime change and pre-emptive military action and is returning to traditional diplomacy in an effort to repackage George Bush as a president for peace," the Guardian reports. The British paper writes that recent signs indicate a shift from military action to diplomatic engagement as seen in recent interactions between the U.S. and North Korea, Libya and Iran. Washington analysts see this as an election year strategy, acknowledging the White House finds itself in a delicate situation in Iraq, Afghanistan and Palestine, given continuing violence and the glacial transition to democracy in Iraq and Afghanistan. "With elections 11 months away, Mr Bush does not want to be vulnerable to claims that he has presided over a warmongering strategy that has left Americans little safer than September 11 2001. His shift follows an established pattern in Washington of politicians moving to the centre during an election year," the Guardian writes.