Red Line: American Foreign Policy in a Time of Fractured Politics and Failing States

by P. J. Crowley

Overview

Over the past quarter century, four consecutive American presidents—two Democrat, two Republican—have spent more time, diplomatic capital, and military resources on Iraq than any other country in the world. Much as the Vietnam syndrome cast a long shadow over American security policy in the decades after the end of the Vietnam War, Iraq provides the commanding narrative for this generation of American leaders. In this book, former Deputy Secretary of State P. J. Crowley, one of America’s most insightful national security commentators, unpacks the legacy of American triumphs and failures in Iraq . He argues that presidents have fallen victim to the Iraq Syndrome—the disconnect between politics, policy, strategy, and narrative—that has hampered America’s foreign policy in the Middle East and hotspots throughout the world. In order to maintain America’s global leadership role, Crowley argues that the next president must realign American’s national security politics, policies, strategies, and narrative for the long term.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781442255715
Publisher:	Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, Inc.
Publication date:	12/15/2016
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	350
File size:	481 KB

About the Author

P. J. Crowley, Assistant Secretary of State and Spokesman for the U.S. Department of State under Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, appears frequently on national and global television networks. His opinion pieces have been published in a wide range of print and on-line outlets, including The Washington Post, the Guardian, and the BBC. He is also a member of the Board of Directors of Al Jazeera America. He resides in Washington, DC.

Table of Contents

Foreword
Introduction Red Lines and Political Boundaries
1 Reasonable Assurance
2 War Against Al Qaeda
3 Central Front
4 Extended Hand
5 Wrong Side of History
6 Leading from Behind
7 All Wars End
8 The Pivot
9 Someone Else’s Civil War
10 Reset
11 A Good Deal
12 Good Enough
13 War Within Islam
14 No Boots on the Ground
15 Incredible Nation
16 A Foreign Policy within the Political Lines
Acknowledgments
Notes
Selected Bibliography
Index
About the Author

Editorial Reviews

A must read examination of contemporary American foreign policy. This book takes you inside how foreign policy is made by a seasoned practitioner who has been there."

Bruce Riedel

"Defining America’s role in the world is all too often reduced to slogans. Is the United States, in Madeleine Albright’s words, the “indispensable nation?” In this provocative and well-written book, P.J.Crowley answers this question. By analyzing the foreign policies of Presidents George W. Bush and Barack Obama, and where they were right and wrong, he concludes that we do have a special role to play in the world but we should temper our self-image of being indispensable. Even those who may question his conclusion will learn much from reading this very thoughtful book."

Dennis Ross

"A fascinating inside account of what will be the central challenge to U.S. policy in the 21st century: understanding and adjusting to the limits of American power in an increasingly turbulent world. Crowley convincingly shows that finding a better balance between the role America’s values demand and the influence America’s power permits is essential for American leadership."

Trita Parsi

2016-10-05
A foreign policy insider parses American diplomatic theories and practices overseas.Crowley served as assistant secretary of state under Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. His sweeping, densely packed account of American-centric diplomacy and warfare could have served as a defense of the motivations and actions of Bill Clinton and Barack Obama. Refreshingly, the author mostly puts his partisan loyalties aside as he informs readers, in clear prose, how the government has been trying to find a balance between the U.S. as a global police officer and as a more modest presence. Crowley is careful to tailor his remarks appropriately for each cataclysmic shift in foreign policy—e.g., the Cold War, the fall of the Berlin Wall, 9/11, and the many upheavals and unpredictable paradigms in the last decade. The author explains how President George W. Bush started out sensibly to wage a war against terrorists on American soil but then became so distracted by alleged weapons of mass destruction in Iraq that reasonable reactions went out the window. By the time Obama inherited the mess, applying American military might more judiciously had become problematic given the fierce battles within Islamic states to oppose the U.S. and its objectives. Crowley delineates how and why Obama could not successfully end war in Iraq yet somehow managed to reach a modicum of success with Iran, especially with regard to nuclear weapons. Battles against the constantly shifting al-Qaida proved more or less futile and helped give rise to the even more elusive Islamic State group. Toward the end of the book, Crowley discusses American humanitarian interventions in Libya and Syria, our renewed attention to the relationship with China, efforts to avoid another Cold War with Russia, and how to evaluate the importance of Afghanistan to American interests. Crowley also confidently assesses how domestic electoral politics (think Trump vs. Clinton) influences foreign policy. A useful handbook for understanding the current status of the U.S. in global affairs.

Kirkus Reviews