DOI: / Obama, US Foreign Policy and the Dilemmas of Intervention

Transcription

1 DOI: / Obama, US Foreign Policy and the Dilemmas of Intervention

2 Previous Books by the Authors David Fitzgerald Learning to Forget: The US Army and Counterinsurgency Doctrine and Practice from Vietnam to Iraq David Ryan US-Sandinista Diplomatic Relations: Voice of Intolerance The United States and Decolonization ed. With Victor Pungong US Foreign Policy in World History Iraq in Vietnam: Tactics, Lessons, Legacies, Ghosts ed. With John Dumbrell Frustrated Empire: US Foreign Policy from 9/11 to Iraq America and Iraq: Policy-Making, Intervention and Regional Politics ed. With Patrick Kiely The Other and US Foreign Policy ed. With Michael Cullinane DOI: /

3 Obama, US Foreign Policy and the Dilemmas of Intervention David Fitzgerald Lecturer, University College Cork, Ireland and David Ryan Professor, Chair of Modern History, University College Cork, Ireland DOI: /

4 David Fitzgerald and David Ryan 2014 Softcover reprint of the hardcover 1st edition All rights reserved. No reproduction, copy or transmission of this publication may be made without written permission. No portion of this publication may be reproduced, copied or transmitted save with written permission or in accordance with the provisions of the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988, or under the terms of any licence permitting limited copying issued by the Copyright Licensing Agency, Saffron House, 6 10 Kirby Street, London EC1N 8TS. Any person who does any unauthorized act in relation to this publication may be liable to criminal prosecution and civil claims for damages. The authors have asserted their rights to be identified as the author of this work in accordance with the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act First published 2014 by PALGRAVE MACMILLAN Palgrave Macmillan in the UK is an imprint of Macmillan Publishers Limited, registered in England, company number , of Houndmills, Basingstoke, Hampshire RG21 6XS. Palgrave Macmillan in the US is a division of St Martin s Press LLC, 175 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY Palgrave Macmillan is the global academic imprint of the above companies and has companies and representatives throughout the world. Palgrave and Macmillan are registered trademarks in the United States, the United Kingdom, Europe and other countries. ISBN: PDF ISBN: A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library. Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Fitzgerald, David, 1984 author. Obama, US foreign policy and the dilemmas of intervention / David Fitzgerald and David Ryan. pages cm 1. United States Foreign relations United States Foreign relations Middle East. 3. Middle East Foreign relations United States. 4. Obama, Barack. 5. Intervention (International law) I. Ryan, David, 1965 author. II. Title. E907.F dc doi: /

5 DOI: / For Sarah & Heidi, Daniel, Hannah, and Luca

6 Contents List of Abbreviations vii 1 Good, Safe, Strong: Obama and the Impossible Reconciliation 1 2 Obama and Iraq: The Dumb War 25 3 Afghanistan, Escalation and the Good War 52 4 Afghan Good Enough 73 5 The Libya Exception 92 6 Syria and the Dilemmas of Intervention 109 Conclusion 133 Bibliography 139 Index 145 vi DOI: /

7 List of Abbreviations CENTCOM United States Central Command CNAS Center for a New American Security CIA Central Intelligence Agency COMISAF Commander of International Security Assistance Force FM 3-24 US Army Counterinsurgency Field Manual FM 3-24 GWOT Global War on Terror IED Improvised Explosive Device ISR Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance ISAF International Security and Assistance Force ISI Inter-Services Intelligence ISIS Islamic State of Iraq and Syria [sometimes Levant] NATO North Atlantic Treaty Organisation NSC National Security Council R2P Responsibility to Protect SoFA Status of Forces Agreement SNC Syrian National Council UN United Nations UNSC United Nations Security Council USAID United States Agency for International Development WMD Weapons of Mass Destruction 9/11 September 11, 2001 attacks on the United States DOI: / vii