Since 1776, when the United States gained independence from the British, the nation’s foreign policy has advanced from expansionist to isolationism depending on democracy. In my opinion, the United States, has assumed the responsibility of being the policemen of the world. This role is evident with the United States’ use of military forces in international incidents such as the UnitedStates intervention during the 2011 civil war in Libya to overpower the dictatorship of Muhammad Gaddafi, the then Libyan leader(Dwyer, 2011). Another incident is the US involvement during the 2011 civil war in Yemen where there military forces protested the leadership of the then Yemen president, Ali Abdullah Saleh(Dilanian & Cloud, 2012). Though the United States has been praised for defending democracy, there is always a behind motive behind their actions. In the above two incidents, the major factor was protecting the nation’s interests. Both Yemen and Libya are known for terrorist activities committed by groups such as al-Qaeda. The US focuses on the activities of these terrorist groups in order to intercept information to frustrate acts of terrorism especially against the Americans. Leadership in Yemen and Libya is of interest to the US because some regimes sympathize with such military groups. Lack of transparent leadership in the two countries is a threat to the interests of the United States because failure in leadership can lead to military coups and military governments.

Outline

I)                   Three International happeningsthat can be associated with the foreign policy formed subsequent to the end of civil war

• The Vietnam War, which commenced in 1955, was fought between south and North Vietnam. South Vietnam was supported by the United States.
• The overthrow of Mohamed Said Barre, the Somalia president was the cause of civil war in Somalia (Antizzo, 2010).TheUS intervened to end the civil war.
• The war in Iraq, that commenced after the nation stated that it possessed weapons of mass destruction such as nuclear weapons.

II)                Three facetsin the history of US since 1865 that has geared the rise of the nation to being a world power and policeman

• Economic expansion (1890-1920) enabled the US leadership to built a powerful nation, for example, the America’s major defense, the navy, was financed
• The Spanish-American-Cuban-Filipino war of 1898
• The Presidency of Roosevelt and the Trans-Isthmian Canal
• Theodore Roosevelt’s avoidance & Diplomacy, President of Peace and war advocate

III)             Three international incidents where US has adopted a policing responsibility since the second world war

• The united states presence in Korean conflict
• the missiles, bombing and covert operation in Pakistan where CIA missiles, Special Forces and airstrikes raids of al-Qaeda killed multiple civilians
• US troops in Colombia where US Special Forces were sent to support Colombian militia in shielding oil pipeline.

IV)             Three to five forces that led to worldwidestrategy choices involving Vietnam, Somalia and Iraq incidents

• Fear of the spread of communism throughout the world to undermine capitalism
• Protecting the US from threats
• Helping the united nations offer aid to the affected countries
• Strive to fulfill the foreign policy of eradicating terrorism and protecting democracies

References

Dilanian, K., & Cloud, D. (2012, May 16). U.S. escalates clandestine war in Yemen. In LosAngeles Times. http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/world_now/2012/05/washington-escalation-american- clandestine-war-Yemen-us-troops-.html

Schultz, K. M. (2014). HIST: Volume 2: U.S. history since 1865 (3rd Ed.). Mason, OH: Cengage Learning

Dwyer, D. (2011, August 22). US military intervention in Libya cost at least $896 million. In abc news; http://abcnews.go.com/blogs/politics/2011/08/us-military-intervention-in-libya-cost-at-least-896-million/

Antizzo, G. J. (2010). U. S. Military Intervention in the Post-Cold War Era: How to Win America’s Wars in the Twenty-First Century. Louisiana: Louisiana State University Press.