Policeman
of the World

Military incidents involving the
United States over the past five years has had an impact on the American public
and how it the United States is perceived in the international community.  The civil war in Syria and with ISIS has
brought many controversies in foreign countries.  Since the Spanish-American War in 1898,
foreign strategies utilized by the United States throughout the decades have
proceeded from expansionist to isolationism, and then to preserving democracy
against Communism and dictatorships. (Ferran, L., &
Momtaz, R. 2015)   With the
self-assigned task of preserving democratic autonomies of those who are unable
to stand up for basic human rights and freedoms, the United States has taken on
the role of “policeman of the world”. 
“The world in no way differs from cities needing police. Those who
oppose America’s being the world’s policeman need, at least, to acknowledge
that the world needs one,” (Prager, 2013).

(2) International events involving
the US military

Operation New Dawn – during this
operation, the remaining 50,000 US service members serving in Iraq would
conduct stability operations, focus on the advising, assisting and training
Iraqi security forces.  The operation
represented a shift from predominantly military US presence to one that is
predominantly civilian, as the Department of Defense and State Department
worked with governmental and non-governmental agencies to help build Iraq’s
civil capacity. (Reporter, 2012) In a memo, Gates wrote to David Petraeus,
chief of U.S. Central Command. “It also presents opportunities to synchronize
strategic communication initiatives, reinforce our commitment to honor the
Security Agreement, and recognize our evolving relationship with the Government
of Iraq,” (Reporter, 2012). 
However, combat in Iraq was not completely over.  Troops retained the ability to revert to
combat operations if necessary.  The war
in Iraq was controversial. The public demanded justification for the war.  They immediately evaluated the threat posed
by Iraq’s weapon of mass destruction, and whether or not the use of force was
the most effective approach to dealing with that threat.

Libya, a desert oasis, full of oil,
and with a disposed dictator.  This
“policing action” which was to last less than 90 days, turn to be over a period
of months under the Operation Odyssey Dawn later Operation Unified
Protector.  The Libyan Civil War had
started months before; this military action was, in turn, to be used to help
the rebel forces against Gaddafi governmental forces.  The initial operation implemented missile
strikes by Tomahawks and a no-fly zone during the Libyan Civil War to prevent
government forces carrying out air attacks on Anti-Gaddafi forces.   In a statement to Gadhafi late Friday, “the
United States, Britain, and France backed by unspecified Arab countries called
on Gadhafi to end his troops’ advance toward Benghazi and pull them out of the
cities of Misrata, Ajdabiya and Zawiya,” (Al-Shalchi & Lucas, 2011).  The memoranda called for the restoration of
water, electricity, and gas services in all areas of the country.  Libyans must be able to receive humanitarian
aid and basic needs, or the “international community will make him suffer
the consequences” with military action.

(3) aspects- Rise as a World

The US foreign policy changed after
September 11th, 2001. During January 2001, George Bush assumed his presidency
and initiated the foreign policy by the missile shield that covers parts of
Europe.  Bush’s missile shield, designed
to counter intercontinental missiles from Iran and Russia, “was very much
a signature initiative, both with respect to Central Europe and with respect to
a missile defense,” (John Pike 2013). 
However, this program was cut from government spending by the Obama
administration, for a missile defense program using SM-3 Block IIA.  This program will use the (4) Aegis class
destroyers to be forward deployed in Rota, Spain and a land-based SM-3 sites in
Romania, Poland, and several sites throughout Europe.

George Bush changed the direction of
the foreign policy of America with the War on Terror speech before a joint
session of Congress.  Bush stated that
the United States must direct the resources by utilizing diplomacy,
intelligence, and the enforcement of the laws required to deal with every
war.  His statement required defeating
the networking of terror across the globe. 
The speech he will make will be remembered for the remark,” that we as
people need to pursue the nations that provide aid and support terrorism.”  This statement solidified the U.S. taking a
stance as the world police.  It also
pressured all regions of the world to decide to stand together with the
terrorist or with the United States.

The US humanitarian assistance was a
subject more in the foreign policy demands that it required military action
than others.  Many military humanitarian
operations were being pushed off to the side due to military operations in Iraq
and Afghanistan.  Within Iraq, The
National Guard could not assist or provide protection for the International Red
Cross.  Without adequate protection, an
estimated eight million people in need of immediate assistance resulted in the
humanitarian crisis.  Amongst them, 4
million are reported to be displaced, and another 4 million people were
considered as in need of food.  U.S.
policies related to stopping terrorism made it impossible for the military to
assist. 

(3-5) international incidents

The five international incidents
since WWII that where American has taken a policing role would be the failed
attempt in Cuba called the Bay of Pigs Invasion/Cuban Missile Crisis
(1962).  The president at the time, John
F. Kennedy, forced Russia’s hand by removing the medium-range nuclear missiles
from Cuba.  Kennedy’s policy of a naval
blockade and over 50-year embargo on the island nation did stabilize the
region.  The Vietnam War (1964-1975), a
war fought with politicians trying to control a conflict from D.C. and not from
the generals’ on the ground.  This
conflict brought down the presidents of this period.  The first of such operation in Iraq was the
Persian Gulf War (1991). (Vietnam War History) 
This policing action liberated Kuwait against the Iraqi inhumane acts
against the Kuwaiti people will not be tolerated and military action was
required.  The second policing in Iraq
was the Iraqi Invasion (2003), where a full-fledged battle a state military and
later the insurgency by al-Qaeda.  This
policing ended up destabilizing the region and countries nearby into fighting
terrorists and civil wars.  Lastly the
Global War on Terrorism with the starting point in Afghanistan in (2001).  The retaliation for Sept 11, 2001, attack on
the World Trade Center.  This policing
action was immediate with Tomahawk missiles attack from destroyers and with
special operations forces attacking. (Carden, D., 2015)

(3-5) driving forces that fueled
international policy decisions

The driving forces that fueled
international policy decisions involving the international community are Saddam
Hussein invasion of Kuwait, that led into the Persian Gulf War, Osama bin
Laden’s al-Qaeda Network in Afghanistan and surrounding Arab States, and the
disorganized and broken Iraq after the invasion that the remains of al-Qaeda
and Iraqi insurgents starting ISIS, a “JV Team.” (Thompson,
N., Greene, R., & Mankarious, S., 2015) Following the
invasion of Kuwait by Saddam Hussein’s military forces into Kuwait stating that
the Kuwaiti government was siphoning crude oil from the oil fields.  The policing action lasted 42 days with the
Iraqi forces being defeated, surrendered, or retreated.  It wasn’t until the 2001 World Trade Center
attack, Americans did not know about Afghanistan, other than it was Russia’s
Vietnam.  Only a handful of people knew
who Osama bin Laden was, the barracks bombings, embassies, USS Cole bombing,
etc., were small items until the September 11th attack.  The immediate response to Afghanistan after
the attacks fueled spiritism in America and at the time people believe in America.  This action led to a two war front with the
Afghanistan War and the Iraqi Invasion and occupation.  With al-Qaeda no longer a threat, a new
threat emerge from al-Qaeda and other factions, creating ISIS.  This next stateless army has craved part of
Iraqi and Syria to create a state of anarchy, genocide, and religious killings
in the name of God, or in this case, a jihad. 
This terrorist network has carried out attacks in Paris and California,
which are the most recent ones to date. 
This new threat is highly trained, some of them are trained by our
forces during the buildup of the Iraqi military, and with extremist from around
the world that are willing to do in the name of jihad.   

In last 150 years, the United States
has adopted various attitudes towards foreign policy. Immediately after the
Civil War, this nation recovering from the wounds focused on issues on the home
front.  With the Reconstruction from the
Civil War, the country welcomed the industrial revolution with open arms.  The advance of technology and transportation
during the latter years of the 19th century led to great improvements in
American society. ( Al-Shalchi, H., & Lucas, R.,
2012) With its strides to establish the United States as a world
super-power, America believed it was their duty to civilize and police the
world.  Although the United States had
moral reasons for expansion, their foreign policy was mostly fueled by
self-interest.  This self-interest
dictated foreign policy from 1865 all the way to present day.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

References

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Conry, B. (1997, February 5). U.S.
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Military.
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