From Berlin To Baghdad

Question 1

What were the three historical traits in US foreign policy?

Answer 1

Sense of American exceptionalism - belief that they’re different to other nations
Morality in foreign policy - should promote morality, democracy, human rights etc.
Unilateralism and freedom of action - Monroe doctrine 1823 (thought Lat. America. Was its sphere of influence)

Question 2

What were the 5 grand narratives of US foreign policies?

Answer 2

Isolationalism - distant but open to trade
Wilsonialism - promote democracy
Internationalism - economically (Marshall plan), politically (UN&NATO), militarily (NATO)
Imperatives of capitalism - needs permanent growth so interdependence is purely economic
US dominance - reason for internationalism is to help the US dominate

Question 3

Describe Francis Fukuyama’s End of History theory

Answer 3

Liberalism was spreading
Not inevitable but grounds to hope
No longer any political ideas to challenge liberalism
Some issues: lack of freedom in marketplace, was there global appeal of liberalism

Question 4

Describe Samuel Huntington’s Clash of Civilisations

Answer 4

Culture would cause conflict not ideology
8 sections
West vs the rest mentality
Criticism: portrayal of Muslims, implied west needed to arm itself against the rest, role of resources, economics, nationalism, overpopulation were understated

Question 5

Describe Joseph Nye’s theory of Soft Power

Answer 5

Soft power could influence events
Culture ideology and attractive political system
Recognised growth of interdependence in the post Cold War world
Criticisms: can’t use as its not tangible, culture was attractive but often foreign policy wasn’t

Question 6

Describe Krauthammer’s idea of the unipolar movement

Answer 6

Bipolar Cold War wasn’t replaced by multi polarity but unipolarity
Purpose of US policy should be to preserve unipolarity
International market would be marked by the rise of weapon states
Criticisms: term is superficial and one dimensional

Question 7

Describe globalisation

Answer 7

Integration of human activity across the world
Through economy, access to information, culture, environment, military
Not a new phenomenon, been taking place for centuries
Results in interdependence

Question 8

When and how did the US get the land to build the Panama Canal?

Answer 8

1903
Supported Panama in gaining independence from Columbia
Got the land as a reward

Question 9

What was the Bretton Woods system?

Answer 9

Aim: rebuild economic system while WW2 was still raging
Developed at a UN monetary and financial conference in Bretton Woods, New Hampshire (1944)
Established rules for commercial and financial relations among the US, Canada, Western Europe, Australia and Japan
Maintained the exchange rate by tying its currency to the US $
Established the International Monetary Fund and International Bank for Reconstruction and Development

Question 10

When was the General Agreement of Trade and Tariffs established?

Answer 10

October 30th 1947

Question 11

When was George HW Bush president?

Answer 11

Jan 89 - Jan 93

Question 12

When was Clinton president?

Answer 12

Jan 93 - Jan 01

Question 13

When was George W Bush president?

Answer 13

Jan 01 - Jan 09

Question 14

What was George HW Bush economic policy?

Answer 14

Began negotiations for NAFTA
Needed to assess the enemy in light of the Soviet Unions reforms and opening to the West
First post Cold War president to turn to China

Question 15

What was Clinton’s economic policy?

Answer 15

Focus on the economy like a laser
Warren Christopher - national security is inseparable from our economic security
National Economic Council
China - most favoured nation status, low tariffs, human rights
Asia Pacific economic conference

Question 16

What was George W Bush economic policy?

Answer 16

9 bilateral free trade agreements

Credit crunch 2008 - easy credit, banks stop lending=global credit crunch, $700bn used to bail out banks

Question 17

What was Bush 41 foreign policy vision?

Answer 17

Devoted to personal democracy
Special place for US leadership - obligation to lead world community
Respect sovereignty and stability
Pursue national interest while still keeping in mind friends and international community

Question 18

What was Bush 41 and Clinton’s approach to China?

Answer 18

Bush: saw long term benefits, acknowledged that China was a growing market
Clinton: low tariff access, de linked agreement from human rights after they abused them - Tiananmen?

Question 19

How did Bush deal with Panama?

Answer 19

Noriega switched sides and joined drug trade - assumed control of the Panamanian military
Bush indicted him on drug trafficking charges and put military by the canal
Tried a coup in 1989
Launched Operation Just Cause after an attack on US servicemen at the end of 89
Imprisoned Noreiga in Miami

Question 20

How did Bush 41 deal with the end of the Cold War?

Answer 20

Ordered a strategic review when he became president
Met Gorbachev in Malta (1989), Washington (1990), Moscow (1991)
Amount of personal diplomacy was criticised

Question 21

How did Bush 41 deal with German reunification?

Answer 21

Dealt with it himself - personal diplomacy
1990: two plus four initiative
Pushed the idea of joining NATO and found a way to convince the Soviet Union

Question 22

What happened in the Persian Gulf war?

Answer 22

Iraq (Hussain) invades Kuwait in 1990 after they call in debt after the Iraqui/Iranian war
US forms coalition (joint statement)
Operation desert shield - Aug 1990-Jan 1991 - UN gives permission to forces to do anything necessary if Iraq don’t leave - build up to war
Operation desert storm - Jan 1991-Feb 1991 - US led air offensive then ground invasion
Hussain remained in power despite coalition victory

Question 23

Who ordered the bottom up review and what was the outcome?

Answer 23

Clinton in 1993
Reduction in forces by 1/3, increased operational tempo and rate deployment even as force reduction continued, cut of $60 billion
4 dangers identified: WMDs, economic instability from failure to grow, large scale aggression and ethnic and religious conflict, potential threat to democracy from former soviet states

Question 24

What were Clinton’s 5 major foreign policy/rogue state objectives?

Answer 24

1. Defeat aggression in major regional contingencies
2. Maintain overseas presence to deter conflict and provide stability
3. Conduct smaller scale intervention operations such as peace enforcement, peace keeping, humanitarian assistance and disaster relief
4. Deter attacks with WMDs against the US and their allies
5. Be able to fight in two regional conflicts at the same time

Question 25

What opportunities did the old satellite states provide to Clinton?

Answer 25

Free markets
Could use to promote collective security
Spread democracy

Question 26

What are the characteristics of a rogue state?

Answer 26

Can’t engage constructively with outside world in alliances etc.
Lack resources of a superpower but are aggressive
Ruled by cliques that control through coercion
Suppress basic human rights
Promote radical ideology
Siege mentality/build up military

Question 27

What are some of the rogue states?

Answer 27

Cuba - because of Castro
Libya - Colonel Gadaffi and the Lockerbie bombing
Iraq - Hussain and the Persian Gulf war
Iran - biggest consumer of military hardware, Islamic republic replaced by the Shah, attacks US embassy in a hostage crisis

Question 28

Who came up with the idea of backlash states?

Answer 28

Anthony Lake

Question 29

What was Clinton’s strategy in dealing with rogue states?

Answer 29

Maintain alliances and deploy military to deter or respond to aggression - EU pressured the, to engage with Iran and from an alliance
Seek to contain the influence of these states - isolation, diplomatic and economic measures
Engage in unilateral and multilateral efforts to restrict their military and technological capabilities- intelligence, counter terrorism
Duel containment - Donette Murray - Iran: Seen as potential ally - Iraq: Important because of terrorist groups

Question 30

What did the Iraq Liberation Act find and how did Clinton deal with it?

Answer 30

Found that between 1980 and 1998 they had breached international law, failed to comply with post gulf war agreements and ignored the UN Security Council

Accused them of having WMDs (they had refused inspections) (reason to invade in 2003)
Attacked Iraqi military in December 1998 (Operation Desert Fox)

Question 31

Who was Madeleine Albright?

Answer 31

US ambassador to the UN in Clinton’s first term

Secretary of State in Clinton’s second term

Question 32

What was Madeleine Albright’s idea of the international order?

Answer 32

UN members
Emerging democracies
Failed societies
Rogue regimes

Question 33

Why did Madeleine Albright think the US should support the UN?

Answer 33

Becoming the global 911 so was under strain
Important to peacekeeping but couldn’t carry on as it was
US is paying 30% of the costs but 5 countries are paying 86%

Question 34

What was Clinton’s Presidential Decision Directive (NSC 25)?

Answer 34

Would support peace operations while still keeping in mind the national interest
Set up the peace keeping core group would make recommendations for US support for participation in peace operations, interagency movement and sending goods, services and personnel and would consider future policy

Question 35

(Clinton) What happened in Somalia?

Answer 35

Military coup
Bush deployed soldiers to provide aid in the civil war (Operation Restore Hope)
A war Lord challenged the US
US sends in soldiers to guard food and supplies from warring factions
12 of Hadids forces killed in 1993 and 19 US soldiers killed
War began to lose public support
Clinton initially increased number of troops but ordered a full withdrawal in 1994, leaving Somalia in chaos

Question 36

(Clinton) What happened in Rwanda?

Answer 36

Belgium had governed and favoured the Tutsi tribe
Hutu took over when Belgium left
Tutsi then blamed for shooting down the presidents plane (could have been Hutu to start war)
1994 - Rwanda genocide between the tribes
500,000 (mainly Tutsi) killed
Clinton ordered air drops of food and supplies and 200 non combat troops to the capital Kigali
No other US intervention because of criticism over Somalia
Still harsh criticism after this

Question 37

(Clinton) What happened in Bosnia?

Answer 37

1992 - Bosnia and Herzegovina declare independent from the former Yugoslavia
Bosnian serbs and Croats wanted to annex Bosnia for Serbia and Croatia respectively
Serbs sieged Sarajevo to cut Muslims, Croat and Serb residents off from food, utilities and communication
Serbs began to cleanse large areas of Bosnia - 12,000 killed in 3 months siege
Economic sanctions imposed - Clinton proposed bombing but the UN didn’t agree
Clinton turned to NATO and they got involved
US drew up peace accords that only lasted 4 months
Dayton Accords eventually signed after Clinton deployed troops

Question 38

(Clinton) What happened in Kosovo?

Answer 38

1998 - Ethnic tensions in the federal republic of Yugoslavia
90% of residents were Muslim and ethnic Albanian, many wanted independence
Clinton tried to implement the Ramboulliet Agreement but Serbs and Russians refused to sign - it required NATO troops to be stationed there
Was unreasonable so could have been deliberate to start war
March 1999 - US led NATO forces launched operation allied forces - opposed by Russia, the UN, China and human rights organisations
June 1999 - NATO and Yugoslavian leaders approved a peace agreement for Kosovo

Question 39

(Clinton) What happened in Haiti?

Answer 39

1991 - Haitian coup led by General Cedra ousts Arstride
Refugees escaped to the US and Clinton imposed sanctions (banned petroleum etc.)
1994 - Clinton publicly demanded the return of Arstride but congress oppose US intervention
UN back the US and deploy military - Operation Uphold Democracy
Clinton send Jimmy Carter to urge Cedra to step aside
Astride returns to power on the condition he adopts a US economic program

Question 40

How did Al-Qaeda come about?

Answer 40

Origins in the Soviet war in Afghanistan
US, UK and Saudi Arabia supported Islamic Afghan guerrillas against Soviet Union and Afghanistan
May 1996 - The world Islamic front for jihad against Jews and Crusades (sponsored by Bin Laden) formed a large base in Afghanistan where the taliban had seized power
Clinton launched operation infinite reach after a seri s of attacks against the west

Question 41

What was outlined in the 1992 Defense Soending Guidance?

Answer 41

There are greater threats than the Soviet Union
Preserve NATO as the primary instrument of western defence and security
Keep an eye on European conflict
Concern over Asia
Limit creation of nuclear weapons
Wants Latin America and Caribbean to be stable

Question 42

What was outlined in the 2001 National Security Strategy?

Answer 42

Increase military capabilities
Utilise intelligence against terror threats
Wants to rely on diplomacy

Question 43

What were the 7 points of Ikenberry’s interpretation of Bush 43’s foreign policy? ‘The Grand Strategy’

Answer 43

1. Unipolar world where US has no competitor
2. New analysis of global threats
3. Pre emptive/preventative tactics
4. WMDs
5. General depreciation of international rules and security partnerships
6. US need to play direct and I constrained role in responding to threats
7. Less value to international stability

Question 44

How was George W Bush 43 involved with Afghanistan?

Answer 44

October 2001 - operation enduring freedom
U.K. and US forces conduct air strikes over enemy targets
November 2001 - Fall of Kabul, al-Qaeda withdraws to Tora Bora, Bin Laden escapes to Pakistan
Al-Qaeda go on to join the Syrian civil war

Question 45

Want was Bush 43’s involvement with Iraq?

Answer 45

WMDs were an issue

2003 - Operation Iraqi Freedom - air campaign immediately followed by US led ground invasion