The future of US military intervention - Research Paper Example

Whereas the United States policy makers were quick to launch these interventions, the results of such moves have offered invaluable lessons regarding future military interventions. This research paper seeks to analyze the future of U.S. military interventions in regard to past interventions in countries such as Iraq and Afghanistan. The case in point is the Malian case where at least three terror organizations are suspected to be operational in this North American state. However, the United States has been cautious in its move to send its military to this nation.

What are some of the probable reasons that have triggered such an attitude? Will United States consider intervention in future humanitarian crisis in Mali as even the extremist Islamic terrorist organizations continue propagating acts of terror on Malian citizens and neighboring states? These are some of the major question that this research paper seeks to analyze. Background The last decade has seen the United States military engaged in two major wars- the Iraq war and the Afghanistan war. Thousands of army personnel each year are sent across the seas to eliminate illegal terror groups or regimes that threaten the national security of the U.S. and the world in general.

It is worth noting that these interventions have been a matter of necessity rather than desire to exercise superiority complex. For instance, the U.S. intervention in Iraq was necessitated by the fact that the Iraq leader, Sadaam Hussein, propagated all sorts of human abuses against its citizens as well as threatened the U.S. homeland security. On the other hand, the choice for President Bush’s government to send military in Afghanistan was necessitated by the terrorist attacks in American soil in 2001.

Al-Qaeda, which is a terrorist organization harbored in Afghanistan, claimed responsibility for the attack that killed approximately 3000 people and left a trail of massive destruction behind1. Nearly 12 years ever since the first troops made their way to Afghanistan in the wake of the September 11 attacks, American has been left counting its losses. Over seven thousand lives have been lost and approximately $3 trillion spent. U.S. policymakers are now faced with a far different strategic reality than it did before the commencement of the war.

Currently, the U.S. economy is comparatively weaker and there is mounting pressure to cut down on the budget spent in the military. Also, the military forces have significantly been worn out following constant deployment of the forces. As a result, the idea of sending additional ground forces overseas appears almost unthinkable even in cases where the course pursued is significantly justifiable2. According to the recent polls conducted and released by Gallup and the Council on Foreign Relations, the United States domestic support for military action has hit its lowest mark ever since the years following the Vietnam War.

As all this developments and considerations are taking place, the reality on the ground is that unstable regions around the globe-North Africa, the Middle East, and Central America are in dire need for U.S. support in terms of expertise, technical aspect and advisory. In vein of the above developments, the biggest question that remains in the mind of many Americans is whether United States will be willing to carry out further military interventions in countries such as Mali. It is almost