Police of the World

Introduction

The United States military continues to play an important role as the “World’s Police” as evidenced in the two events of military interventions in Libya and Syria that can be linked to the foreign policy of US as provided for in the Four Freedoms by Franklin Delano Roosevelt. The United States was propelled to become a global superpower by historic aspects such as terror attacks, global superpower status, and strict foreign policies which have seen the military get involved as global police in the Gulf War, Korean War, and Vietnam War, decisions that were fueled by the need to fight International terrorism and support Chapter VII of the UN Charter and the Disarmament program (Buckley, 2012). To accept or reject this assertion, maybe we can ask, “who else?” The other countries that can potentially rise to this level include Russia, Britain, China or even the UN. According to an interview that the former secretary general of NATO gave to Aljazeera (25^th October 2016), he mentioned that Russia was declining and overly aggressive, China has no influence outside Asia (Its region) while the UN is too weak, probably because it is funded by the same governments that are antagonizing. This leaves the U.S. as the only suitable candidate for the task.

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Referring to the United States military by different people of different capacities as, “The World’s Police” indicates acceptance and placing of some responsibility and right to go out in various places in the world and use their military force if deemed necessary. In September 2016, the former NATO secretary general, indicated that the United States needed to embrace the role of the global policemen in attempt to overcome the forces of oppression that threatened freedom, prosperity, and global stability. The U.S. has effectively managed to assert its authority in the international area through the use of economic power that it wields. If the economic power does not work, for instance, through issuance of trade restrictions, embargoes, sanctions, and international trade tariffs among many others as described by Dunlevy (2014). Failure by nations to get into shape after economic warnings, as noted by Perkins (2011) aggravates the matter to involve the military. NATOs secretary general,Jens Stoltenberg, reasserted the position that President Obama had indicated to the UN in 2014 that United States was ready to act as the World’s Police in the war against the self-styled Islamic State as well as other extremist groups. This paper will seek to identify various international incidents in which the United States Military has been involved as the military police and the controversy that resulted from this (Zifcak, 2012).

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In 2011, President Obama with the support from UN-United Nations Security Council Resolution (1973), authorized military action against Libya. The military intervention in Libya was carried out through NATO that is a multi-state coalition. The decision to engage in military action was taken due to events during the Libyan Civil war. The NATO forces that engaged in the military action were from France, Britain, America, and Canada. The US senate had in 2011 passed a non-binding resolution that made a calling to the United Nations Security Council to put a no-fly zone on Libya (Zifcak, 2012). President Obama offered justification for the involvement of the US military by stating that they were protecting the civilians in Libya from horrible violence, that US had strategic interest in Libya, and that action was carried out through the NATO coalition. This military action sought to assert the role of US military as the global police (Martin, 2015).

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The United States considered military action against Syria following the Civil unrest in the country. While US had in the early stages of unrest did not consider any military action but warned that the use of biological and chemical weapons by the government would make it reconsider its position in military engagement. The Syrian government was accused of using chemical weapons which prompted President Obama to seek the approval of Congress to take military action in Syria which was granted in September 2013 (Hamud, Blanchard, Nikitin, 2017). The intervention in Syria escalated to target the Islamic State of Iraq and Levant (ISIL), a terror group that had operational, lethal, and significant bases in Syria. This terror group was involved in the executions, human rights abuse, and kidnappings, for instance, James Foley, a U.S. journalist whose throat was severed in the full glare of a global audience (Martin, 2015).

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There have been significant events that have left the U.S with no option but to accept the role of a World’s Policeman. The U.S. has had its fair share of rendezvous with terrorists, the largest being the 9/11attack. It was not to be allowed to happen again. Both world wars left America a respected big boy after it showed its big jaws to its then combatants who were left flattened and cowering for safety. The encounter with Japan earned America recognition and respect worldwide. In the economic world, America has dominated international trade by forcing the U.S dollar as the standard currency. This position was created especially after the 1973 oil embargo that left big oil producers such as Saudi Arabia denominating their oil in U.S dollars as confirmed by Zhang (2013). Besides the dollar, the U.S has ensured that it is the unofficial custodian of global gold reserves which gives value to international currencies. The collapse of the Soviet Union, the main protagonist after the cold war left America without a serious and capable critic. The U.S has had a strong presidency and congress that does not compromise the abilities of the U.S in its quest for being the best (Martin, G 2015).

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There have been numerous international incidents since the World War II that have forced America take the position of an international policeman. The Korean war which was initiated by North Korean attacks on various strategic points in South Korea were voted as a breach of peace by UN. UN forces combined efforts with US military to squash the North. President Truman did not have a formal declaration of war with Vietnam from Congress. The Vietnam war was initiated by the need to stop communist expansion making it both an economic and military war. This saw US directly engage its military as opposed to the earlier strategy of just offering military assistance to the collaborators. In August of 1990, Iraq’s president, Sadam Hussein, started a seven-month invasion of Kuwait and refused to honor UN mandated deadline on withdrawal prompted a U.S led military action authorized by the UN. The Intervention involved the use of most advanced military technology that made other countries heighten their respect for the U.S (Zhang, Y 2013). In the above Korea, Vietnam, and Iraq, we can see the U.S becoming world police by the need to put control to growth of wrong economic arrangements as well as coming to the defense of its allies who came under fire from aggressive neighbors.

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United States International policy decisions have been shaped by various factors. First, the fight against international terrorism. Since the Al Qaeda attack on 9/11 followed by other terrorist groups, the latest being ISIL, the U.S has been forced to adopt policies that stifle terrorism. Chapter VII of the United Nations Charter gives the UN Security Council powers to maintain global peace. Threats to peace, breach of peace or acts of aggression are considered to avoid destabilizing world peace and economic order. Measures, either military or non-military are often taken. For instance, the disarmament of chemical weapons in Syria was an exercise that was heavily dependent on the U.S. among other countries (Martin, G 2015).

Conclusion

In conclusion, the U.S has stepped up to the role of an international policeman by both design and fate.  By travelling across history, evidence that points towards the consecration of the U.S into the position of the World Police is easily uncovered. Some might consider is necessary while others might find it out of order and intrusive by extension. Such events and happenings in history that have required the U.S to step up and prevent loss of lives as well as economic stability on a global scale. Maintaining that position has remained a tough call that has seen the U.S use its military might to enforce order, sometimes to the detriment of the involved adversaries, for instance, Iraq, Libya and Syria.

References

Aljazeera News. (25 Oct, 2016). Should the US be the world’s policeman? Aljazeera News-Upfront. Retrieved from https://www.aljazeera.com/programmes/upfront/2016/10/world-policeman-161025072530391.html

Buckley, C. (2012). Learning from Libya, Acting in Syria. Journal of Strategic Security.

Dunleavy, P. (2014). Democracy, bureaucracy and public choice: Economic approaches in political science. Routledge

Hamud, C., Blanchard, C., & Nikitin, M. B. (2017). Armed Conflict in Syria: Overview and U.S Response. Washington DC: Congressional Research Service.

Martin, G. (2015). US Military Intervention to Combat the Islamic State. Artifacts.

Perkins, J. (2016). The New Confessions of an Economic Hitman (Introduction). Pesquisa & Debate. Revista do Programa de Estudos Pós-Graduados em Economia Política. ISSN 1806-9029, 27(1 (49)).

Zifcak, S. (2012). The Responsibility to Protect after Libya and Syria. Melbourne Journal of International Law.

Zhang, Y. (2013). The Links between the Price of Oil and the Value of US Dollar. International Journal of Energy Economics and Policy, 3(4), 341.

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