Does it want to be the world’s policeman?

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9/11 and After: The Bush Doctrine: Retaliate First

President Bush declared that there would be a “war on terror”. Not only this, the US would take “pre-emptive action” to prevent America being attacked. Hence, first the US and NATO moved into Afghanistan to tackle the Taliban. Then, in March 2003, “shock and awe” as the US attacked Iraq.

The Axis of Evil

President Bush identified an “axis of evil”; certain states he believed were the US’s enemies; Iraq, Iran and North Korea.

Challenges: Afghanistan

In June 2010, the Afghanistan conflict surpassed Vietnam as the longest war in US history. More than 1,000 US troops have been killed and more than 6,000 have been injured. The war is costing the US $3.6 billion per month.

Yet, the Taliban are rampant, killing tribal leaders and intimidating local people. The “surge” of 2009, in which 30,00 extra troops were deployed in order to seize the initiative from the Taliban and allow the Afghan government to charge, has not been successful.

In June 2010 President Obama fired General Stanley McChrystal, the American commander in Afghanistan after he called US national security adviser, James L Jones, “a clown”, Vice President Joe Biden “a nobody” and said the President was “uncomfortable and intimidated”.

General McChrystal fired

Challenges: IraqOn June 29, 2009, U.S. troops formally withdrew from Baghdad and other Iraqi cities, in accordance with former U.S. President George W. Bush's security pact with Iraq known as the Status of Forces Agreement. The SOFA pact stated that U.S. troops will leave Iraq on Dec. 31, 2011.

The war in Iraq succeeded in overthrowing, and executing, former President Saddam Hussein. But no weapons of mass destruction were ever found and an estimated. Over 4,000 US troops were killed and anything between 100,000 – 600,000 Iraqi civilians. And they are not home yet.

Iraq now has it’s own democratically elected Government. But, is the US, and the UK for that matter, still seen as the great enemy by Muslims in the middle east?Troops withdrawal

Challenges: Iran

President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad is an outspoken critic of the US. The US believes that Iran is building a nuclear weapons capacity. The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has, to date, found no conclusive evidence that Iran is running a nuclear weapons programme. However, in July 2010, Iran has prevented IAEA inspectors from entering the country.

Iran claims that it is developing nuclear energy, not nuclear weapons. But Iran is awash with oil and gas. Why does it need nuclear energy? Iran claims it is planning for the future when oil and gas run out.

In July 2008 the US and Israel condemned Iran after it test-fired a long range missile capable of reaching Tel Aviv.

Challenges: North Korea

In 2006, the North Korean government issued an announcement that it had successfully conducted a nuclear test for the first time.

Both the American and Japanese seismological authorities detected an earthquake with of 4.2 on the Richter scale in North Korea.

However, in October 2008, following North Korea’s participation in weapons talks and it’s acceptance of the U.N. nuclear watchdog agency, the USA removed North Korea from it’s list of “rogue states”.

2008 The Obama Doctrine?Before becoming President, in June 2008, Obama outlined what would be his foreign policy objectives:

•end the war in Iraq responsibly •finish the fight against al Qaeda and the Taliban •secure all nuclear weapons and materials from terrorists and rogue states •achieve true energy security •rebuild our alliances to meet the challenges of the 21st century

President Obama has ended the Bush presidency’s talk of a “war on terror”. Most commentators, whether they agree with Obama’s actions or not, agree that the Obama Presidency will be less strident in tone, will be more co-operative with the United Nations, friendlier with the Arab world and more likely to seek negotiation rather conflict.

Obama claimed that the US would intervene around the world for “humanitarian” reasons as well as economic interests.The Obama Doctrine

The 2009 Nobel Peace Award

Obama was awarded the prize after only a few weeks in post! This was more for his promises of peace, rather than for anything delivered.

Obama promised to close the American detention facility at Guantanamo Bay, move towards a nuclear free world and bring to an end the conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan.

The Nobel prize is awarded to the person who...shall have done the most or the best work for fraternity between nations, for the abolition or reduction of standing armies and for the holding and promotion of peace congresses

President Obama awarded 2009 Peace prize

Obama and Russia

“The USA is a wolf which knows who to eat and is not about to listen to anyone, it seems”. Vladimir Putin

Former Russian President Vladimir Putin “enjoyed” a love-hate relationship with the USA during the Bush years. But his successor Dmitry Medvedev signed the nuclear arms reduction treaty START with President Obama in April 2010 in Prague signalling a much more harmonious relationship.

A New Beginning? The Cairo Speech June 2009

In an interview to Al Arabiya, few days after his inauguration, Obama declared: "my job to the Muslim world is to communicate that the Americans are not your enemy."

In June 2009, President Obama delivered a speech in Cairo. Cairo was symbolic because this was an American president speaking to Muslims in a Muslim country. It was the biggest indication of a shift in US foreign policy from the Bush era.

Obama stated his support for the creation of a Palestinian state and announced that he would engage in negotiations with Iran. He also declared he opposed Israeli settlements and wanted to revive peace talks.

His speech enraged his conservative critics back in the USA but was praised by others.

Still number one?“For globalism to work, America can’t be afraid to act like the almighty superpower that it is.…

The hidden hand of the market will never work without a hidden fist—McDonald’s cannot flourish without McDonnell Douglas, the designer of the F-15.

And the hidden fist that keeps the world safe for Silicon Valley’s technologies is called the United States Army, Air Force, Navy and Marine Corps”.

Thomas Friedman, What the World Needs Now,

New York Times, March 28, 1999

President Obama may well pursue “humanitarian interventions” around the world. But the US expects a President to protect the country’s economic interests abroad. “National security” and economic interests are closely connected.