Barack Obama, the 47 year-old senator-who-will-be-president will soon take his place in the coveted Oval office. And there will be no time to waste when he gets there. The new president will be facing the challenges of having to deal with two wars in which his country is embroiled, ensuring his country are safe from the threat of terrorism, and work toward helping the United States economy break free from the grips of recession.
In many ways, Obama's transition into the White House will be unlike any other presidential changeover. First, this is the first time the country has been in a war situation during a presidential election since the 60s, during the Johnson-Nixon changeover. That will unquestionably affect the decisions Obama makes during his adjustment period.
President-elect Obama will have to make important - and difficult - decisions about the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, decisions that will affect the more than 180,000 military personnel stationed in this two countries. It is well known that Obama has a longstanding opposition to the war in Iraq, and he has vowed to set up a timetable to withdraw the troops. If his former statements hold true, that could be done within 16 months of his taking office.
Obama will also have to address the problem of terrorism. Historically, transitions in the American government, when the government is assumed to be at its weakest, have been prime striking moments for terrorists to launch attacks. Even the original (pre-9/11) attack on the World Trade Center took place only weeks after Bill Clinton was sworn into office. And it is also important to note that the Bush-Obama transition will be the first since the attacks on 9/11. It is because of these realities that a new law was passed that will allow security clearances to be "fast-tracked" for the incoming government. .
When Obama receives his first security briefings after being sworn in, the talk will be centered on terrorist threats and potential triggers, as well as how the FBI is working to halt future attacks and on the growing number of spies at home and abroad, online.
