U.S. Foreign Policy on Syrian Civil War Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 1

U.S. Foreign Policy on Syrian Civil War - Essay Example Debates as to whether U.S. policy towards the situation in Syria should call for a military action, defending the civilians, wipe out the terrorist groups or specifically act on Syrian forces suspected to be using chemical weapons on the opposition have been taken a central place in foreign policy discussions. Some groups fear that US actions may not lead to the desired outcomes, but may end up with more consequences than current problem. They fear that it may escalate the violence, create regional division and even a power vacuum that may look good from extremists’side. Unplanned expenditure and domestic opposition to the military action are some of the factors suggesting that the US should not take part in the Syrian war1. Administration critics argue that most the presumed costs of U.S. intervention are currently happening and that it will not make any difference if the U.S. gets involved in the Syrian conflict. Some believe that U.S. silence over the matter has a detrimental effect on its influence in the Middle East leading to the reconsideration of US foreign policy and revisiting of certain aspects that will increase their involvement in the Syrian war. Taking civilians into consideration, U.S. involvement in the Syrian war is inevitable. The Sectary of Sate’s announcement at the Friends of Syria Conference that the US and another member of â€Å"London 11†find it necessary to give coordinated assistance of non-lethal nature to the opposition is a good indication of what the U.S. needs to do2.   

The concept of Open Markets and Closed Borders. HLSs311 Forum 2 Assignment

The concept of Open Markets and Closed Borders. HLSs311 Forum 2 - Assignment Example Keeping the borders closed would also cause huge inconveniences from people travelling in and out of the country. Such interventions may have far-reaching effects on the country’s economy. Even if the borders present an opportunity for terrorists and other illegal activities, such as illegal immigration, the country cannot afford to keep the borders closed. This may explain the reason the DHS has increased its presence along the border to secure legitimate travel and trade (Department of Homeland Security, 2011). Business organizations in the United States target numerous foreign markets that may require constant travels across border. If such activities are restrained, such organizations may incur huge losses. Therefore, the government should continue with its efforts aimed at securing the border without necessarily closing it. The ‘need to share’ should replace the ‘need to know’ as reflected in the 9/11 commission report. According to the report, the United States may have been attacked owing to policy issues. Before 9/11, the United States did not consider terrorism as an overriding national security issue (The 9/11 Commission, 2004). This ideology is a reflection that even if the country understood that terrorism was a threat to security, it underestimated the potential consequences. If information regarding the growth of Islamic extremism was available to security agencies. In fact, the commission asserted that the 9/11 attack was more of a shock than a surprise. The FBI also manifested its weaknesses in terms of its capability to link information collected by its agents to identify threats to the national security (The 9/11 commission, 2004). The commission also revealed that the country’s security agencies failed to manage information from the unique challenges of th e 21st century. This is an indication that, the country’s security agencies could have identified