When Soldiers Become Cops
by Rachel Bronson
From Foreign Affairs, November/December 2002

 

SUMMARY
As Afghanistan has shown, keeping the peace in foreign lands requires a variety of tools--some of which Washington just does not have. Rather than avoid peacekeeping entirely, the U.S. government ends up sending in elite military units that get bogged down for years. Developing a constabulary force would be a better answer.

 

Rachel Bronson is Olin Senior Fellow and Director of Middle East Studies at the Council on Foreign Relations.

 

TAKIN’ IT TO THE STREETS

  1. How should the U.S. approach “nation building” like in Afghanistan?
  2. Why is the U.S. not prepared for the needs of the new realities of promoting stability?
  3. What is PDDS? Critique it.
  4. Why is the focus of American military restructuring on space, technology, etc?
  5. Explain “Fulda Gap mentality”.
  6. What is Bronson’s answer? Where does she say America is at now?

 

THE COST OF BUSINESS AS USUAL

  1. Is there any evidence that American tactics will change in Iraq? Provide some evidence.
  2. What do Europeans think of American strategy? Where does Canada fit in?
  3. Relate this article to “Black Hawk Down”.

 

ROADBLOCKS

  1. Where is the accountability?

 

FRIENDS IN NEED

  1. What do you think of U.S. meeting needs through its friends?
  2. How do you co-ordinate all the different forces?
  3. Do you agree with Kissinger? Why? Provide examples.