While the U.S. remains the world's strongest military and economic power, its place and role on the international stage is shifting. There are potentially dramatic implications for international peace and security from a U.S. foreign policy that is increasingly inward-looking, less predictable, less multilateral, and more reliant on the threat or use of military force to achieve its objectives. In 2017, Crisis Group established its first program dedicated to analysing U.S. policy, understanding who makes and shapes it, and offering recommendations to help guide its trajectory.
The core lesson of the 2003 Iraq war is that ruptures in autocratic settings are inherently fraught with risk. Policymakers should approach proposed interventions in such settings with caution.
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Moving forward, the United States should ensure military coups are never seen by its partners as a viable option.
Whenever the American forces there [in Syria] are attacked, the question arises again: Why are they there?
You see a lower operation tempo, what you might call GWOT-lite, but continuity in terms of deployments or even some increases in places in Africa.
The U.S. has traditionally seen Africa as a problem to be solved, but its competitors see Africa as a place of opportunity, which is why they are pulling ahead.
If U.S. democracy looks like it is back on life support, I think you'll see even good friends of the U.S. start to edge away from Washington on democracy issues.
[U.S.] sanctions still have serious collateral impacts, which solutions like Treasury licenses do not fully address.
This week on Hold Your Fire!, Richard Atwood is joined by Amanda Hsiao, Crisis Group's China expert, and Stephen Pomper, Crisis Group’s chief of policy, to discuss China's involvement in Ukraine, the U.S. downing of the Chinese spy balloon and risks of confrontation over Taiwan.
From the Baltic Republics to Crimea, Washington has opposed forcible annexation—and the Golan Heights should be no exception.
Washington Can Help Broker a Lasting Peace
The U.S. constitution divides war powers between the executive and legislative branches, so as to ensure that decisions about using force are collective and deliberative. Lawmakers’ role has receded, however, particularly in recent decades. Small steps would help them start reclaiming their prerogatives.
Designating Russia as a state sponsor of terrorism will only backfire.
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