海角大神

The event was billed as a counter-ISIS conference, but for Rex Tillerson it was more like a coming-out party 鈥� with him starring as the diplomatic debutante.

With all eyes on the new secretary of State with no formal diplomatic experience, the former ExxonMobil CEO offered the high-level representatives of the 68 countries in the US-led counter-ISIS coalition a bit of insight into his global philosophy and his approach to his new gig.

鈥淲hen everything is a priority, nothing is a priority,鈥� he said in opening the conference Wednesday. 鈥淲e must continue to keep our focus on the most urgent matter at hand.鈥�

Mr. Tillerson was talking specifically about the Middle East, underscoring his point that in a region 鈥渙f many pressing challenges,鈥� the defeat of the so-called Islamic State will be the United States鈥� 鈥渘umber one goal.鈥�

But because the new chief US diplomat is such an unknown quantity in the rarefied circles of international relations 鈥� and because he represents a new president whose foreign-policy vision and commitment to traditional alliances remain unclear 鈥� those words echoed through the flag-appointed State Department conference hall like an invitation to speculate about what other priorities Tillerson might have in mind.

In the run-up to Wednesday鈥檚 conference, former US officials, foreign diplomats, and international affairs experts spoke of the meeting that would draw many of America鈥檚 major global partners as the first test for the reclusive and media-shy Tillerson.

But by the end of the week, there seemed to be little sense among those same observers of any new clarity about Tillerson or his priorities 鈥� or about the foreign policy of America鈥檚 unconventional new president.

What did it mean, some European diplomats wondered out loud, that Tillerson had decided he would skip a NATO foreign ministers鈥� meeting in April 鈥� in effect the new secretary of State鈥檚 first opportunity to dispel lingering doubts about President Trump鈥檚 commitment to the trans-Atlantic Alliance?

By the end of the week NATO officials announced they were working with the State Department (and the 27 other Alliance members) to find a new date for the foreign ministers鈥� meeting that would work with Tillerson鈥檚 schedule. (The State Department announced Friday afternoon that Tillerson would travel to NATO headquarters in Brussels March 31).

Preference for big-power relations?

But by then the damage was done. What was to be made of the fact that a chief US diplomat who advised his colleagues of the importance of focusing on the 鈥渕ost urgent matter at hand鈥� was initially prepared to forgo his first NATO meeting 鈥� yet visit Moscow a short time later?

Some said the NATO flap underscored the Trump administration鈥檚 apparent preference for big-power relations and one-on-one diplomacy over multilateral venues. One reason given for Tillerson鈥檚 inability to make the long-scheduled April 5-6 NATO meeting was that it conflicted with his plans to accompany the president to his reception of Chinese leader Xi Jinping at Mar-a-Lago, the president鈥檚 Florida retreat.

But others said Tillerson and the Trump administration were simply showing the world that they are newbies to the realm of global diplomacy, as-yet unorganized and unschooled in the art of managing the expectations that much of the international community has of the sole superpower and leader of the free world.

Chile鈥檚 ambassador to Washington, Juan Gabriel Vald茅s, said in conversation with reporters Thursday that there was no doubt that signals emanating from the new US administration about America鈥檚 shifting approach to issues it has long led 鈥� such as global trade and international economic reform 鈥� have 鈥減roduced a certain amount of uncertainty and even perplexity in Latin America.鈥�

More time needed

Citing a general sense among many US partners that they have been left to wonder just what the Trump administration鈥檚 policies will be toward the region 鈥� and in particular concerning trans-Pacific trade 鈥� Mr. Vald茅s said, 鈥淲e understand the administration needs time, and we want the administration to take all the time it needs to organize itself.鈥�

But he also acknowledged that countries like Chile 鈥� or the other signatories of the Trans-Pacific Partnership trade deal from which Trump has withdrawn the US 鈥� aren鈥檛 going to sit idly by and wait on Washington.

Some ISIS conference attendees indicated that while they understood a new secretary of State and new administration need time to settle in, they had come to Washington hoping for more decisive action.

鈥淚 understand that the Trump administration is new and needs some time, but this [battle to destroy ISIS] is urgent,鈥� said French Foreign Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault. Saying he 鈥渨as hoping for more details, more specific plans鈥� concerning what Tillerson promised will be an 鈥渁ccelerated鈥� counter-ISIS campaign, Mr. Ayrault said he learned that the administration is conducting a policy review before launching what will be the battle to take back Raqqa, ISIS鈥檚 self-declared capital in northern Syria.

鈥淚 just hope this review doesn鈥檛 take too long,鈥� he added, noting that France 鈥� the US鈥檚 closest partner in Syria operations 鈥� has been pressing for a Raqqa offensive for the past year.

Post-ISIS plan unclear

The French diplomat also suggested he would leave Washington with the sense of an administration that has not yet settled on a clear post-ISIS game plan for Iraq and Syria.

Ayrault says he was heartened to hear Defense Secretary James Mattis declare that a military response to ISIS 鈥渋s not sufficient鈥� and that a significant post-conflict reconstruction and political program would be essential.

But given those words from the Pentagon, he said it was unclear to him what Tillerson meant when he told the conference that, 鈥淎s a coalition, we are not in the business of nation-building or reconstruction.鈥�

Tillerson appeared to acknowledge the lack of clarity from Washington, noting in his speech that 鈥渁 more defined course of action is still coming together.鈥�

In the meantime, allies and partners continue to wonder about America鈥檚 priorities, about the time it will take for the US to settle on policy for 鈥渢he most urgent matters at hand鈥� 鈥� and about whether or not the new secretary of State and administration intend to continue to lead the free world.