International Incidents

Three international incidents from the past five years that can be traced back to a foreign policy created after the Civil War are Vietnam, Somalia, and Iraq. The Vietnam War began in 1955 and was fought between communist North Vietnam and South Vietnam. The regime of North Vietnam and its allies known as the Viet Cong were supported by the Russian government while South Vietnam’s primary ally was the United States.

In 1991 the President of Somalia Mohamed Siad Barre was overthrown and this led to the beginning of a civil war. During this time various militias vied for control of the country. This marked a period of intense violence and fighting which eventually required both United Nations Peacekeeping forces and U.S. military involvement.

The Iraqi war of 2003 started after Iraq claimed to possess weapons of mass destruction. Under the dictatorship of Saddam Hussein, some segments of the Iraqi population prospered while others were threatened with violence, tortured, and killed. Under Saddam Hussein’s regime, Iraq developed chemical weapons that were used against its enemies and even its own people.

Three driving forces that fueled international policy decisions involving the international incidents with Vietnam, Somalia, and Iraq were containing communism, providing United Nations aid, and protecting the United States from threats abroad. In Vietnam, the United States was afraid communism would spread around the world, undermining capitalism. Stopping North Vietnam from spreading its communist regime to South Vietnam was seen as necessary particularly during the Cold War battle with the Soviet Union. During the Somali Civil War the suffering of the people was broadcast worldwide and there was public outcry for aid to the country. In Somalia, the United States mission was first and foremost to support the United Nations relief effort to provide aid to millions of starving Somali people. The United States entered Iraq to remove Weapons of Mass Destruction...