American Foreign Policy Since 1972

1. American Foreign Policy Since 1972 Unit 11 chapters 23, 24, 25, and 26 Gateway Chapter 16 Part 3

2. VI. The Clinton Presidency (1993 – 2001) A. The end of the Cold War brought a “peace dividend” with a reduction in military spending.

3. The sudden collapse of Communist dictatorship led to ethnic conflict in the former Yugoslavia. • Christian Serbs attacked Muslims in Bosnia and Kosovo in a policy of “ethnic cleansing.” • The U.S. and NATO eventually intervened to prevent genocide and restore peace, but the death toll was still large. • The U.S. and other countries were also slow to react in preventing genocide in Rwanda in Central Africa, where as many as 850,000 were killed.

4. Clinton’s trade policies, like the creation of NAFTA and the World Trade Organization, brought economic prosperity and increased trade with Canada, Mexico, and China. • Clinton maintained friendly relations with China, intervened when democracy was threatened in Haiti, and defended global human rights.

5. President George W. Bush and the “War on Terror” (2001 – 2008)

6. A. The 2000 Election • George W. Bush was elected President in 2000 in the closest elections in history. • Florida decided the election • Gore demanded a recount • The U.S. Supreme Court stopped the recount in a close decision, in Bush v. Gore.

7. B. The attacks on September 11, 2001 • Al-Qaeda • terrorist organization founded by Islamic Fundamentalists in Saudi Arabia • opposed Western influence and the presence of U.S. troops in Saudi Arabia • they began a jihad (holy war) against the U.S.

8. On 9/11/2001 the terrorist boarded several commercial planes and hijacked the planes. • They flew the planes into the World Trade Center and the Pentagon. • the 4th plane meant to crash into the White House crashed in a wooded area in Pennsylvania. • The attacks lead to more than 3,000 deaths.

9. The “War on Terror” declared by President Bush immediately following the 9/11 attacks. • He demanded the Taliban turn over al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden – mastermind of the attacks. • When they refused US forces attacked Afghanistan quickly overthrowing the Taliban. • Americans became committed to maintaining peace and stability in Afghanistan

10. American and the World Today • America is no longer a superpower controlling the world, though it is still a global leader affecting other nations. Political, economic, and humanitarian motives influence U.S. policies.

11. In 2008, Barack Obama was elected as the first African-American President.

12. Obama has tried to strengthen global ties. • He withdrew U.S. troops from Iraq. • His administration found and killed Osama bin Laden. • During the Arab Spring, Obama encouraged peaceful resolutions or revolts against dictatorships. • Nonetheless violence erupted in Libya, Syria, and Egypt

13. In Africa, democracy has been spreading, though the continent still needs greater stability and economic aid. • The “Arab Spring” introduced democracy across North Africa, but these new governments are still fragile and may be threatened by Islamic Fundamentalism or civil war.

14. In the Middle East, America seeks to reduce hostility to the U.S., prevent the spread of nuclear weapons to Iran, and establish peace between Israel and Palestine. • In the rest of Asia, American leaders hope to foster peaceful relations and trade with China while protecting other nations from Chinese militarism. • They are trying to provide economic assistance to struggling nations. • They are trying to persuade Asian leaders to fight pollution and global warming. • Americans hope to maintain good trade relations, continue to defend democracy, and provide economic assistance to struggling nations in Latin America.