DATE=3/2/99
TYPE=BACKGROUND REPORT
NUMBER=5-42752
TITLE=U-S FOREIGN POLICY
BYLINE= ED WARNER
DATELINE= WASHINGTON
CONTENT=
VOICED AT:
INTRO: AS THE ONLY REMAINING SUPERPOWER, HOW MUCH RESPONSIBILITY
DOES THE UNITED STATES HAVE FOR KEEPING ORDER IN THE WORLD AND
HOW MUCH CAN IT DO? THESE QUESTIONS ARE NOW BEING VIGOROUSLY
DEBATED AS THE UNITED STATES BECOMES INVOLVED IN A NUMBER OF
CONFLICTS THAT HAVE NO EASY RESOLUTION. V-O-A'S ED WARNER
REPORTS SOME OF THE DEBATE AND THE COMMENTS OF TWO LEADING
STRATEGIC THINKERS.
TEXT: U-S TROOPS ARE NOW INVOLVED IN MORE THAN 100 COUNTRIES,
AND HAVE CONDUCTED MILITARY EXERCISES WITH NATIONS OF THE FORMER
SOVIET UNION. AN EXPANDING NATO ADDS TO U-S COMMITMENTS, ALONG
WITH PEACE-KEEPING EFFORTS IN BOSNIA-HERZEGOVINA, KOSOVO AND
ELSEWHERE. IN THE LAST SEVERAL MONTHS, THE UNITED STATES HAS
BOMBED THREE COUNTRIES -- IRAQ, SUDAN AND AFGHANISTAN -- AND
THREATENED A FOURTH -- SERBIA.
"WELCOME TO THE POST-COLD WAR WORLD," SAYS ELIOT COHEN, A
PROFESSOR AT JOHNS HOPKINS UNIVERSITY WHO DIRECTED A U-S AIR
FORCE STUDY OF THE PERSIAN GULF WAR. "THIS IS THE KIND OF
IMPERIAL POLICING THAT THE AMERICAN MILITARY IS GOING
INCREASINGLY TO BE CALLED ON TO DO."
A NEW ERA CALLS FOR A NEW STRATEGY, SAYS RALPH PETERS, A RETIRED
U-S ARMY OFFICER WHO SERVED IN VARIOUS PARTS OF THE DEVELOPING
WORLD AND IS AUTHOR OF THE FORTHCOMING BOOK, "FIGHTING FOR THE
FUTURE: WILL AMERICA TRIUMPH?"
MR. PETERS SAYS MOST TROUBLE STARTS WITH A HARD CORE OF EVIL MEN
WHO CAN QUICKLY BE STOPPED, IF THEY ARE CONFRONTED EARLY ENOUGH:
/// FIRST PETERS ACT ///
A FRACTION OF ONE PERCENT OF A NATION'S POPULATION CAN
DESTROY A FRAGILE COUNTRY. LATER ON, OF COURSE, MORE
ACTORS ARE INVOLVED -- THE UNEMPLOYED, NATIONALISTS.
THE NUMBERS SNOWBALL. BUT AT THE CORE, THERE IS ALWAYS
A SMALL GROUP OF VIOLENT ACTORS -- HITLER'S BROWNSHIRTS,
FANATICS EVERYWHERE. AND IF YOU DO NOT RID THE
SUBJECT COUNTRY OF THOSE FANATICS -- WHETHER BY
IMPRISONING THEM, TRYING THEM OR KILLING THEM OR
WHATEVER IT TAKES --YOU LEAVE THE CANCER TO FESTER.
/// END ACT ///
MR. PETERS SAYS PROMPT ACTION CAN SAVE A THREATENED SOCIETY FOR
THE VAST MAJORITY OF ITS LAW-ABIDING CITIZENS.
TO DO THIS, SAYS MR. PETERS, MEANS MOVING BEYOND A STRICT
DEFINITION OF THE U-S NATIONAL INTEREST IN PURSUIT OF A LARGER
GOBAL INTEREST. HE IS NOT SUGGESTING THE UNITED STATES
INTERVENE IN ALL CRISES. THEY MUST BE DETERMINED ON A
CASE-BY-CASE BASIS:
/// SECOND PETERS ACT ///
SOMETIMES, CLEARLY GENOCIDE OR ACTS OF BARBARISM ARE SO
HORRIFIC THAT WE MUST RESPOND BECAUSE IN THE END, WE ARE
OUR BROTHER'S KEEPER[S]. THE PENTAGON WILL EVALUATE
THESE CONFLICTS IN TERMS OF THE COST TO US INSTEAD OF
THE COST TO GLOBAL SOCIETY. SOME CONFLICTS MAY BE MORE
EXPENSIVE IN TERMS OF TREASURE AND LIVES TO FIX, TO
SOLVE. BUT THEY ARE THE ONES THAT ARE WORTHWHILE.
/// END ACT ///
MR. PETERS SAYS AMERICANS WILL ACCEPT CASUALTIES IN A JUST CAUSE
WITH CLEAR RESULTS. THEY WILL NOT TOLERATE LIVES WASTED IN
VAIN. HE BELIEVES IT IS IN THE AMERICAN PSYCHOLOGY TO COME TO
THE AID OF THE OPPRESSED. LIKE IT OR NOT, HE SAYS THE U-S
MILITARY WILL CONTINUE TO ENGAGE IN SMALL WARS IN THE YEARS
AHEAD.
NATO COMMANDER GENERAL WESLEY CLARK SAYS "THERE IS A GREAT HUNGER
FOR AMERICAN VALUES, IDEAS AND SECURITY. THEY [ -- PEOPLE
OVERSEAS -- ] WANT TO SEE AMERICANS. THEY WANT TO BE TOUCHED BY
AMERICANS."
BUT HOW MUCH CAN AMERICA REALLY DO? ASKS ROBERT MANNING, DIRECTOR
OF ASIAN STUDIES AT THE COUNCIL ON FOREIGN RELATIONS. THERE ARE
FINITE LIMITS TO NATIONAL WILL, ENERGY AND RESOURCES. HE THINKS
THEY HAVE BEEN NOW BEEN REACHED. YET THERE ARE PROPOSALS TO
STRETCH THEM EVEN FARTHER, PERHAPS INTO THE UNSTABLE REGIONS OF
THE FORMER SOVIET UNION.
THE UNITED STATES IS OVER-COMMITTED, SAYS MR. MANNING, BECAUSE IT
LACKS A STRATEGY:
/// FIRST MANNING ACT ///
HERE WE ARE ALMOST A DECADE AFTER THE BERLIN WALL HAS
FALLEN DOWN. DO WE HAVE ANY SENSE OF DIRECTION OF A NEW
INTERNATIONAL SYSTEM? I GUESS MY ANSWER WOULD BE, "WE
DO NOT." RATHER THAN STEPPING BACK AND TRYING TO HAVE A
LARGER IDEA OF HOW THOSE PIECES FIT TOGETHER, WE ARE
JUST SORT OF REACTING -- ONE MASSACRE, ONE CRISIS AT A
TIME.
/// END ACT ///
MR. MANNING SAYS A TOP PRIORITY OF U-S FOREIGN POLICY SHOULD BE
TO WORK IN CONCERT WITH THE OTHER MAJOR POWERS WHO MUST HELP
MAINTAIN THE PEACE. BUT THEY FEEL INCREASINGLY NEGLECTED BY THE
UNITED STATES.
COLUMNIST FLORA LEWIS WRITES (IN THE INTERNATIONAL HERALD
TRIBUNE): "FOR THE FRENCH, THE UNITED STATES HAS BECOME THE
'HYPER-POWER,' DETERMINED TO TELL EVERYBODY ELSE WHAT TO DO." //
OPT // MANY EUROPEANS ARE ESPECIALLY CRITICAL OF AMERICAN
PRESSURE TO OPEN CAPITAL MARKETS, WHICH IN THEIR VIEW HAS LED TO
EXCESSIVE CURRENCY SWINGS AND A GLOBAL ECONOMIC MELTDOWN. IN
REACTION, EUROPEAN NATIONS ARE TURNING TO MULTILATERAL SOLUTIONS.
// END OPT //
U-S-RUSSIAN RELATIONS ARE EVEN MORE FRAYED, BECAUSE OF NATO
EXPANSION AND SHARP POLICY DIFFERENCES OVER IRAQ AND KOSOVO.
SAYS STEPHEN BLANK, A PROFESSOR AT THE STRATEGIC STUDIES
INSTITUTE AT THE U-S ARMY WAR COLLEGE: "U-S OFFICIALS
DANGEROUSLY MIS-READ RUSSIA. THEY THINK IT WILL BE LIKE
POST-1945 GERMANY [ -- PEACEFUL AND DEMOCRATIC]. I THINK THEY
ARE DEAD WRONG. WE ARE EXPANDING OUR SPHERE OF INFLUENCE AT THE
EXPENSE OF THE RUSSIANS."
ROBERT MANNING SAYS CURRENT U-S POLICY RISKS LOSING THE SUPPORT
OF AMERICANS AS WELL:
/// SECOND MANNING ACT ///
THEY ARE PREPARED TO SEE US DO OUR FAIR SHARE. BUT THEY
DO NOT WANT TO SEE US DO EVERYTHING, AND THEY WANT TO
SEE OUR FRIENDS AND ALLIES DOING THEIR FAIR SHARE. THE
DANGER IS WHEN WE KEEP MAKING LARGE INVESTMENTS IN
PLACES THAT ARE MARGINAL TO OUR INTERESTS. I THINK OVER
TIME YOU ARE GOING TO ERODE SUPPORT FOR AMERICAN
INTERNATIONALISM.
/// END ACT ///
MR. MANNING SAYS THE UNITED STATES HAS THE GLOBAL RESPONSIBILITY
OF THE ONLY SUPERPOWER. IT IS THE STABILIZER OF LAST RESORT.
BUT BEFORE THAT POINT IS REACHED, HE SAYS OTHERS SHOULD SHARE THE
BURDEN. (SIGNED)
NEB/EW/WTW
02-Mar-99 7:55 PM EST (0055 UTC)
NNNN
Source: Voice of America
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