Introduction and Thesis
As of today, the world grapples with many challenges to international peace and security. The rising cases of terrorism and proliferation of small arms, for instance, threaten efforts to foster peace and security. In the face of the threats to peace and security in different parts of the world, United States needs a foreign policy to chart its broad agenda for interacting with other nations of the world and for protecting her national interests. However, many are the times when the country’s foreign policy is misinterpreted. For example, there are claims that the country’s foreign policy is aimed at gaining control of the natural resources in other countries with the long-term objective of exploiting them. In addition, there are allegations that the country’s foreign policy is aimed at “policing” the world. However, these allegations remain unsubstantiated. The foremost agenda of the country’s foreign policy is to ensure that cases of insecurity and instability in other parts of the world do not impact the country negatively. Nonetheless, this is not the only objective because the country’s position on several global matters is not static rather it depends on the context and the prevailing demands.
Thesis: Despite the genuine efforts to draw a foreign policy aimed at protecting the country’s citizens and national interests, some countries still believe that United State’s foreign policy is aimed at meddling with the internal affairs of other countries and as well as controlling the natural resources found in those countries.
- Currently, United States has many foes faces, some of whom are manufacturing weapons of mass destruction.
- This brings the need for a foreign policy that would articulate the country’s fears in the international forums for the sake of the country’s people.
- In the past, non-friendly countries such as Iran, Iraq and recently Syria have attempted to manufacture weapons of mass destructions.
- Using the example of Syria, there are those who argue that the foreign policy of United States is driven by the desire to meddle with the affairs of other countries.
- However, this is not entirely true because Syria was indeed making chemical weapons against the provisions of United Nations regarding the manufacture and use of chemical weapons.
- In Syria, UN officials found out that the Syrian president was making chemical weapons which he had used against his opponents.
- United States also faces terrorism threats, with some of the terrorist activities being carried out in countries without proper or weak security mechanisms.
- There is need for a foreign policy that stipulates the terms for providing military assistance to other countries in order to prevent cases of terrorism since terrorism is a global phenomenon.
- In September 2001, U.S. was hit by Al-Qaeda linked operatives who had links with Afghanistan.
- However, when U.S. sent its troops to Afghanistan to flush out Osama Bin-laden and Al-Qaeda linked groups, there were cries that U.S, was invading Afghanistan to gain control over its vast opium fields.
- What many fail to understand is that the weak government in Afghanistan was providing a safe haven for terrorists and posing a threat to peace and security in the world.
- Because of the weak government, terrorists were in control in Afghanistan thus enabling them to plan and execute their terrorist activities without any challenge from the government.
Works Cited
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Merolla, Jennifer L. and Elizabeth J. Zechmeister. Democracy at risk: How terrorist threats affect the public. Chicago, IL : University of Chicago Press, 2009.Print.
Rüland, Jürgen, Theodor Hanf and Eva Manske. U.S. foreign policy toward the third world: A post-cold war assessment. New York, NY: M.E. Sharpe, 2006. Print.
