Infocus Winter 2017
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VOLUMEVOL. 9 ISSUE 15 ISSUE 4 | FALL 1 | 2015 WINTER 2021 ininFOCUSFOCUSQUARTERLY Latin America: Our Southern Neighbor Craig Deare on Securing U.S. Interests in Latin America | Steve H. Hanke on the Benefits of Dollarization | Mark Klugmann on Israel’s Friends in the Western Hemisphere | Lt. Pete Harrington, Capt. Timothy tktk on tktk | Brown, and Cdr. Don Terkanian on Preventing Drug Smuggling | Emanuele Ottolenghi on Hezbollah’s Narco- Funding Networks | Lawrence A. Franklin on Chinese Investments in the Caribbean | Daniel S. Mariaschin on Jewish Communities in South America | R. Evan Ellis on Challenges in Mexico | Jeffrey J. Schott on the USMCA’s Shortcomings | Steven Dudley and Alex Papadovassilakis on Gang Intimidation in San Salvador | Jay Nordlinger on Ortega’s Dictatorship in Nicaragua | Shoshana Bryen reviews Supreme Disorder ALLIANCES:Featuring an AMERICAN Interview withINTERESTS Ambassador IN A CHANGING Michael G. WORLD Kozak LETTER FROM THE PUBLISHER re you breathing yet? Between moves in the Caribbean. Dollarization is inFOCUS the election and the Covid-19 the purview of Prof. Steve Hanke, while VOLUME 14 | ISSUE 4 pandemic, most of us couldn’t flaws in the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Free wait for the end of 2020. But with trade agreement are explained by Jeffrey Publisher A Matthew Brooks the election over and a vaccine on the Schott. The condition of Jewish commu- horizon, it behooves us to look around at nities in South America and Israel’s im- Editor the world we’re entering in 2021. South proving relations with South American Shoshana Bryen America is the place inFOCUS Quarterly governments are covered by Daniel Associate Editors has chosen to start. Our Southern Mariaschin and Mark Klugmann. Michael Johnson Neighbor runs the gamut Shoshana Bryen re- Lisa Schiffren from allies to friends to views Supreme Disorder: Copy Editor trade and security part- Judicial Nominations and Shari Hillman ners to adversaries. the Politics of America’s Published by: JPC Senior Director Highest Court by Ilya Jewish Policy Center Shoshana Bryen’s in- Shapiro – no, the review 50 F Street NW, Suite 100 terview with Acting is not late. Had you tried Washington, DC 20001. Assistant Secretary of State for the to read this outstanding resource about (202) 638-2411 Western Hemisphere Mike Kozak lays our nation’s highest court during the out American diplomacy. past six months, you might have had a Follow us: Craig Deare suggests melding heart attack. Now, you can read it calm- JewishPolicyCenter U.S. NORTHCOM and SOUTHCOM, ly and – I think – will find it illuminat- @theJPC among other changes. The combi- ing at many levels. nations of Steven Dudley and Alex If you appreciate what you’ve read, The opinions expressed in inFOCUS do not Papadovassilakis, and Jay Nordlinger I encourage you to make a contribution necessarily reflect those of the Jewish Policy Center, its board, or its officers. and Eric Rozenman bring us up to date to the Jewish Policy Center. As always, on El Salvador and Nicaragua. Drugs you can use our secure site: http://www. To begin or renew your subscription, please are the bane of our relations: Emanuele jewishpolicycenter.org/donate contact us: [email protected] Ottolenghi traces Hezbollah’s opera- Sincerely, tions, while Lt. Peter Harrington, who © 2021 Jewish Policy Center leads a U.S. Coast Guard group, explains how our military interdicts drugs at sea. Matthew Brooks, Lawrence Franklin explains China’s Publisher www.JewishPolicyCenter.org CRAIG DEARE, Ph.D., is Professor and Department Chair of Ambassador MICHAEL G. KOZAK is Acting Assistant Secretary for Strategic Initiatives and Leadership at The National Defense Western Hemisphere Affairs at the U.S. State Department. (22) University. (3) DANIEL S. MARIASCHIN is the CEO of B’nai B’rith International. (26) Featuring STEVE H. HANKE, Ph.D., is a Professor of Applied Economics at The Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore and a Senior Fellow at R. EVAN ELLIS, Ph.D., is a senior associate with the Americas the Cato Institute. (7) Program at Center for Strategic and International Studies. (29) MARK KLUGMANN is a former speechwriter for Presidents Ronald JEFFREY J. SCHOTT is a senior fellow at the Peterson Institute for Reagan and George H.W. Bush. (10) International Economics. (32) Capt. TIMOTHY BROWN is the Chief of Maritime Law Enforcement. STEVEN DUDLEY is the Co-director and Co-founder of Insight He, Cdr. DON TERKANIAN and Lt. PETE HARRINGTON are assigned Crime. ALEX PAPADOVASSILAKIS is an investigator at Insight to the Coast Guard’s Response Directorate in Washington D.C. (13) Crime. (36) EMANUELE OTTOLENGHI is a senior fellow at the Foundation for JAY NORDLINGER is a senior editor of National Review. Defense of Democracies. (16) ERIC ROZENMAN is an author and editor. (39) LAWRENCE A. FRANKLIN, Ph.D., was Iran Desk Officer for SHOSHANA BRYEN is Senior Director of the Jewish Policy Center Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld. (20) and Editor of inFOCUS Quarterly. (41) A “Big Idea” for Latin America by CRAIG DEARE s a new administration takes of- who fill the vacuum created by U.S. dis- required from the United States is not fice, the time is ripe for new ap- traction and inattention; and finally, a one requiring a dominant military proaches to improve the quality number of regional political actors em- component because the threats are Aof the security relationship the bracing ideological positions opposed not fundamentally military in nature United States has with its counterparts to open political systems and free mar- – although there are elements and de- throughout Latin America. U.S. foreign kets, which undermines progress toward rivatives of a military tone. Rather, the policy in general, and U.S. national se- democratic governance and stability. combination of serious structural short- curity strategy in particular, does not All are exacerbated by poor gover- comings and malign actors results in a routinely focus on the nations of Latin nance, endemic poverty, and an incon- toxic mixture that erodes effective gov- America, where threats are assumed to sistent level of U.S. interest in and com- ernance throughout the region. be less pressing than in other parts of mitment to our neighbors. They thrive the world. The national security inter- in an environment where many national ❚ Enduring Interests ests of the United States were captured governments are ill-equipped to con- U.S. national security interests in succinctly by the Project on National front them. Latin America are enduring and tran- Security Reform: scend administrations and political ❚ The Geographical Imperative parties; what varies over time are levels To maintain security from aggres- Though lack of capacity is not of attention paid to the region and the sion against the nation by means of unique to Latin America, there is an im- ways and means used to pursue the ends. a national capacity to shape the stra- portant distinction: Latin America is the The most current expression emphasizes tegic environment; to anticipate and only region in the world where those ad- “the security of our allies and partners, prevent threats; to respond to attacks by defeating enemies; to recover from the effects of attack; and to sustain the costs of defense. The U.S. model is by far the most attractive model If these interests are at varying de- to emulate for the majority of the peoples of Latin grees of risk in other parts of the world, they are also under assault in Latin America. Very few want to send their children to America. Obviously, this part of the study in China, Russia, or Iran. world is an environment we should wish to shape; after all, we share the same neighborhood. It seems clear that antici- pating and preventing threats in Latin America is both prudent and cost-ef- versely affected by violence and extreme an open international economic sys- fective. Consequence management after poverty can walk to (and across) the U.S. tem that promotes opportunity and the fact will be far more expensive, and border. It is also true that not all regional prosperity, respect for universal values, these problems are on our doorstep. governments are incapable of handling and a rules-based international order U.S. national security interests in these challenges – there are countries advanced by U.S. leadership that pro- Latin America are undermined by three whose political systems have matured motes peace, security, and opportunity key threats: transnational criminal or- sufficiently to handle alternating politi- through stronger cooperation to meet ganizations, which exploit weak levels of cal parties in power and maintain work- global challenges.” It is not an exaggera- governance across the majority of coun- able levels of governance. tion to state that all these interests are at tries in the region; extra-regional actors, At this juncture, the response risk throughout most of Latin America. Latin America: Our Southern Neighbor | inFOCUS 3 The good news in this potentially de- challenged to provide coherent solutions centers, which act as interagency pressing picture is that for the most at the individual country level – and it headquarters for national security part, the U.S. model is by far the most is – the notion that it can do so region- policy… convening Cabinet mem- attractive model to emulate for the ma- wide is unrealistic. What is lacking in bers and integrated regional direc- jority of the peoples of Latin America. that regard is an overarching coordinat- tors based on issues, not statutory Very few want to send their children to ing entity with authorities to direct the membership. The departments and study in China, Russia, or Iran. The bad various key federal actors – Department agencies support IRCs by provid- news is that the U.S.