Since World War I, both friends and adversaries have understood the U.S. will act abroad to secure itself, its interests, and its allies. But after ten years of war in Iraq and Afghanistan, and as recession, slow growth, and sequestration sap the funds necessary to maintain our military forces, the question arises: Is U.S. global reach in temporary eclipse or in inevitable decline?
The Jewish Policy Center is pleased to offer this Summer 2013 edition of inFOCUS Quarterly as food for thought. Dr. Daniel Goure of the Lexington Institute addresses America’s military choices, given strained human and economic resources. Dr. Harold Rhode explains the ongoing tension between Sunni rivals Qatar and Saudi Arabia, an important conflict obscured by Sunni-Shiite rivalries. Michaela Dodge of the Heritage Foundation and Dr. Steven Blank of the U.S. Army War College address the implications of America’s failure to modernize its nuclear arsenal, and increasingly tense U.S. relations with Russia, respectively. We offer authoritative military voices to describe Service issues, cyber-security, and illicit international networks that move people, money and drugs. The problems are indeed grave, but Professor Robert Lieber of Georgetown University reminds us that it is too early to write off America’s capacity for renewal.
Don’t miss our interview with former Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld. He describes how the U.S. has played an indispensable role in maintaining international security and explains how the perception of American weakness is provocative.
If you appreciate our work, please consider making a generous donation to the JPC. As always, you may do so securely at www.jewishpolicycenter.org/contribute.php.
Sincerely,
Matthew Brooks,
Executive Director
