Cold War Vision SENIOR CONTRIBUTING EDITOR: of the U.S
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Published by CQ Press, an Imprint of SAGE Publications, Inc. www.cqresearcher.com U.S. Global Engagement Should America be more assertive on the world stage? s concern grows about Russia’s intentions in Ukraine and the civil war in Syria continues unabated, the United States faces increasing A pressure from hawks to intervene militarily — though not with boots on the ground. But in the wake of the long wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, most Americans oppose involving U.S. troops in military actions abroad. Mindful of the potential for escalation and in tent on shifting resources to domestic needs, the Obama adminis tration has been using diplomacy and economic sanctions rather than bullets to assert American power. It has refused military aid to Ukraine but Pro-Russian militants take positions in Donetsk, in eastern Ukraine, on May 6, 2014. Despite Russian imposed economic sanctions in an attempt to stem what many President Vladimir Putin’s annexation of Ukraine’s Crimean Peninsula, President Obama has refused military aid to Ukraine, instead imposing economic view as an effort by Russian President Vladimir Putin to bring sanctions. Most Americans oppose military intervention in Ukraine and other Ukraine under Moscow’s control. Last year President Obama international hotspots. stopped short of bombing Syria after it used chemical weapons, instead sending aid for refugees of the war. Some U.S. allies I THIS REPORT N applaud the administration’s restraint, but others want to see more THE ISSUES ....................435 S American muscle. BACKGROUND ................440 I CHRONOLOGY ................443 D CURRENT SITUATION ........446 E CQ Researcher • May 16, 2014 • www.cqresearcher.com AT ISSUE ........................449 Volume 24, Number 19 • Pages 433-456 OUTLOOK ......................450 RECIPIENT OF SOCIETY OF PROFESSIONAL JOURNALISTS AWARD FOR BIBLIOGRAPHY ................454 EXCELLENCE u AMERICAN BAR ASSOCIATION SILVER GAVEL AWARD THE NEXT STEP ..............455 U.S. G LOBAL ENGAGEMENT May 16, 2014 THE ISSUES SIDEBARS AND GRAPHICS Volume 24, Number 19 Unrest Spreads in Ukraine MANAGING EDITOR: Thomas J. Billitteri • Should the U.S. military [email protected] 435 intervene in Ukraine? 436 The Ukrainian military and • If the U.S. reduces its pro-Russian protesters have ASSISTANT MANAGING EDITORS: Maryann global involvement, will clashed in eastern and south - Haggerty, [email protected], west Ukraine. Kathy Koch , [email protected] China and Russia step in? • Is the post-Cold War vision SENIOR CONTRIBUTING EDITOR: of the U.S. as the “indispens - Most Want U.S. to “Mind Thomas J. Colin 437 Its Own Business” [email protected] able nation” still valid? More than half of Americans CONTRIBUTING WRITERS: Brian Beary, agree the U.S. should “mind its Marcia Clemmitt, Sarah Glazer, Kenneth Jost, BACKGROUND own business internationally.” Reed Karaim, Peter Katel , Robert Kiener, Barbara Mantel, Tom Price, Jennifer Weeks Russia and the U.S. Top Isolationism Defeated 440 China, EU in Military SENIOR PROJECT EDITOR: Olu B. Davis 440 Interventionism replaced Spending EDITORIAL ASSISTANT: Ethan McLeod isolationism during the Military expenditures as a 20th century. share of GDP are higher for FACT CHECKERS: Eva P. Dasher, Russia and the U.S. than Michelle Harris, Nancie Majkowski Cold War China and Europe. 441 Foreign policy after World INTERN: Kaya Yurieff War II aimed to control the Chronology spread of communism. 443 Key events since 1939. 442 Soviet Collapse U.S. Weighs Interests The U.S. intervened in post- 444 of Allies Soviet Europe and the Persian Saudis speak out about Syria; An Imprint of SAGE Publications, Inc. Gulf in the 1990s. Europeans worry about VICE PRESIDENT AND EDITORIAL DIRECTOR, Ukraine. HIGHER EDUCATION GROUP: 444 Major Wars Michele Sordi Public opposition to military Probable GOP Candidates EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, ONLINE LIBRARY AND intervention increased after 446 Debate Intervention wars in Iraq, Afghanistan. REFERENCE PUBLISHING: “The most interesting debate Todd Baldwin is in the Republican Party.” Copyright © 2014 CQ Press, an Imprint of SAGE Pub - CURRENT SITUATION At Issue: lications, Inc. SAGE reserves all copyright and other 449 Is the Obama administration rights herein, unless pre vi ous ly spec i fied in writing. Sanctioning Putin 446 responding effectively to the No part of this publication may be reproduced The U.S. and Europe have Ukraine crisis? electronically or otherwise, without prior written economically sanctioned some permission. Un au tho rized re pro duc tion or trans mis - Russians for supporting unrest sion of SAGE copy right ed material is a violation of in Ukraine. FOR FURTHER RESEARCH federal law car ry ing civil fines of up to $100,000. 448 Syria: Ballots and Bombs For More Information CQ Press is a registered trademark of Congressional President Obama refuses to 453 Organizations to contact. Quarterly Inc. militarily intervene in Syria’s civil war. CQ Researcher (ISSN 1056-2036) is printed on acid- 454 Bibliography free paper. Pub lished weekly, except: (March wk. 4) Selected sources used. (May wk. 4) (July wk. 1) (Aug. wks. 3, 4) (Nov. wk. OUTLOOK 4) and (Dec. wks. 3, 4). Published by SAGE Publications, The Next Step Inc., 2455 Teller Rd., Thousand Oaks, CA 91320. Annual 455 Additional articles . Cautious Posture full-service subscriptions start at $1,054. For pricing, 450 call 1-800-818-7243. To purchase a CQ Researcher report The public remains opposed Citing CQ Researcher to U.S. military intervention. 455 in print or electronic format (PDF), visit Sample bibliography formats. www.cqpress.com or call 866-427-7737. Single reports start at $15. Bulk purchase discounts and electron - ic-rights licensing are also available. Periodicals postage paid at Thousand Oaks, California, and at additional mailing offices . POST MAST ER: Send ad dress chang es to CQ Re search er , 2300 N St., N.W., Suite 800, Wash - Cover: AFP/Getty Images/Alexander Khudoteply ing ton, DC 20037. 434 CQ Researcher U.S. Global Engagement BY PETER KATEL first asked in 1964 — 52 percent THE ISSUES of respondents . 5 (See graph, p. 437. ) n May, yet another for - Some foreign-policy experts eign official came to welcome the public skepticism. I Washington to act out a It matches their own rejection time-honored ritual: pleading of the doctrine of American for help in overthrowing a “exceptionalism” as justification hated dictatorship. for intervention. “What nation This time the supplicant doesn’t think it is exceptional?,” was Munzer Akbik, chief of asks Melvin Goodman, a former staff in the Opposition Coali - CIA and State Department an - tion seeking to depose Syrian alyst of Soviet affairs who now President Bashar al-Assad. Al - directs the National Security though the rebels have re - Project at the liberal Center for ceived some U.S. weapons, i International Policy in Wash - a f they want more. 1 i ington. “We’ve carried too much R - l a “There is a wide range of of the international burden.” n i sophisticated weaponry that e Other, more hawkish, ex - Z / can make a difference on the s perts argue that the public, e ground, [such as] missiles, the g though understandably wary a m I anti-aircraft, antitank missiles after more than a decade of y t and maybe some kind of t war in Iraq and Afghanistan, e G guided weaponry and heavy / should be persuaded to sup - P artillery,” Akbik said. 2 (See F port some actions overseas. A “Current Situation,” p. 446. ) A girl is carried to safety in Aleppo, Syria, after being “Americans are gun-shy about In the 1980s, Afghans fight - wounded by a reported barrel bomb dropped by military action,” says James F. ing a Soviet invasion, government forces on April 27, 2014. At least 150,000 Jeffrey, a former U.S. ambas - Nicaraguans opposing a left- people — one-third of them civilians — have been killed in sador to Iraq in the Obama the three years of fighting between government forces and wing government and Bosni - the rebels seeking to unseat President Bashar al-Assad. administration, who also ans facing assault by Serbian President Obama backed off military action against Assad served in the National Security forces all came to Washington after he agreed to destroy his chemical weapons. Council in the George W. with similar requests. 3 Four Bush administration. “But I decades earlier, as Nazi Germany overseas in those regions and others in don’t think anybody recently has done bombed London, British Prime Minister many ways — diplomatically, econom - a good job of explaining to the Amer - Winston Churchill was unable to visit ically, militarily — and does so for many ican public why it is that the Russia Washington personally, but he still plead - reasons, including opposing its foes, sup - action in Crimea matters,” says Jeffrey, ed successfully for help getting U.S . porting its allies, protecting its economic now a distinguished visiting fellow at weapons, despite Americans’ resistance self-interest and providing humanitarian the Washington Institute for Near East to entering World War II prior to Japan’s assistance. But Americans are increasingly Policy. “There is a serious public ed - 1941 attack on Pearl Harbor . 4 unhappy at the prospect of more U.S. ucation case to be done here.” Akbik came to Washington at a time involvement in foreign crises. In fact, the administration is also wary of multiple foreign crises: Pro-Russian A Wall Street Journal /NBC poll in April of the public mood as it confronts pres - separatists are fighting Ukrainians over found that nearly half (47 percent) of sure to intervene, treaty responsibilities territory; a rapidly militarizing China respondents want the United States to to allies, humanitarian obligations and is asserting claims to lands held by be less active internationally — a much its own caution about military action . neighbors; and the U.S.