Presentation

The Second Chance. Three Presidents and Crisis of

American Superpower by Zbigniew Brzezinski.
Chapter 4. The Impotence of Good Intensions and the
Price of Self-Indulgence (Bill Clinton).

Structure of chapter 4
Introductory topic about The Clinton administration.
International Chronology, Jan. 1993-Dec. 2000.
Shaping the Future.
Confronting the Past.

Clinton's concept of foreign policy:

These challenges required much more than faith in the
historical momentum (impulse) of globalization or a
conviction that world politics could be handled as a
continuation of domestic politics. Globaloney versus
geostrategy.
Author: Clintons critics charged, legitimately, that
Globaloney is no substitute for geostrategy. And
geostrategy calls for a design that prioritizes geopolitical
chalenges in order to facilitate prompt an decisive
response.

Foreign Policy Challenges:

Brutal chaos swept Somalia and Rwanda in Africa.

Violence raged between the new countries formed

from the breakup of Yugoslavia (bloody violence
almost in the center of the new Europe).

Problems with Husein and Iraq (operations Desert

Strike 1996 and Desert Fox 1998).

Fighting Terrorism, attacks on terrorist bases in

Sudan and Afghanistan.

Israeli-Palestinian conflict (Oslo Accords).

Conflicts in Yugoslavia
Violence raged between the new countries formed from
the breakup of Yugoslavia. The war promptly escalated into
atrocities not seen in Europe since the end of WW II,
including the mass executions committee by Serbian forces
in Srebrenica (July 13-22, 1995, nearly 8,000 men and boys
executed).

Foreign Policy Challenges

Clinton helped to sign the Dayton Accords

(December 14, 1995) to end fighting in Bosnia and
Herzegovina.

He urged NATO to act against Serbia.

To send troops to Bosnia, made in the face of a

Republican-sponsored congressional resolution.

The terminal phase of the Yugoslav crisis was resolved

by mid-1999 on Western terms and under American

leadership.

Somalia and Rwanda

Rwanda Hutu vs. Tutsi

April July, 1994, 800,000 killed in 89 days

Foreign Policy Challenges

Somalia:
Bush sent troops to help the UN distribute food to victims

of the civil war.

UN forces also worked to end the fighting.

After a number of Americans died, Clinton withdrew the

remaining soldiers.

Stopped U.S. from sending help to Rwanda.

Foreign Policy Challenges

Oslo Accords:
2nd U.S. Attempts
(incercari).
Clinton hosted the
signing of a peace
agreement between
Israel and the
Palestinians.
Created Palestinian
Authority (PA)
West Bank

Conclusions
Clinton thus left office with Israeli-Palestinian

relations in a worse condition and the Middle East

more volatile than when he had stepped into it.

His special foreign policy decision-making system

(including administration ), contaminated by

domestic political calculus, induced a strategic
timidity that had dangerous implications for
Americans long-term interests.

Clinton also deserves major credit for a domestic

success that did not involve foreign policy as such but

had major foreign policy implications.