Research
- +11
Frances Z. Brown, Nate Reynolds, Priyal Singh, …
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Source: Getty
In The Media
Trump Says He Wants Out of Costly Foreign Wars. But His Actions Say Otherwise
Altering American foreign policy while maintaining national security imperatives is never a matter of just pulling the plug.
Published on Jan 9, 2020
Source: Los Angeles Times
How can the United States draw back from endless costly foreign wars? President Trump campaigned on a promise to do just that. He presented himself as a Washington outsider who could push aside the foreign policy establishment, which has a habit of getting entrapped in Mideast quagmires.
Certainly, that policy goal remains popular across the political spectrum. There’s just one problem: Trump’s tactics could never achieve that objective. Altering American foreign policy while maintaining national security imperatives is never a matter of just pulling the plug. Ending armed conflicts actually requires a long-term strategy and disciplined execution at every step. Every action Trump has taken in the Middle East has been quite the opposite, and has made it even harder for the U.S to leave the region.
This article was originally published by the Los Angeles Times.
About the Author
Frances Z. Brown
Vice President for Studies; Acting Director, Africa Program
Dr. Frances Z. Brown is a vice president for studies at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. Brown served on the White House National Security Council (NSC) staff over the past three presidential administrations. Her research focuses on U.S. foreign policy, Africa, the Middle East, and governance.
- Russia in Africa: Examining Moscow’s Influence and Its Limits
- Africa’s Democratic Kaleidoscope: Trends to Watch in 2026Article
Saskia Brechenmacher, Frances Z. Brown
Recent Work
Carnegie does not take institutional positions on public policy issues; the views represented herein are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of Carnegie, its staff, or its trustees.
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