Quarterly Congressional Week 1 US focuses on 7 objective in Middle East: 1. Ensuring the security of Israel 2. Achieving Arab/Israeli peace settlement 3. Maintaining access by industrialized nations to ME energy supplies 4. Blocking Soviet influence 5. Countering terrorism 6. Stemming the proliferation of WMD 7. Promoting democracy Post 911 -cracked down on terrorism -notable overthrow of Taliban regime in Afghanistan -ousted Baathist gov. in Iraq -(b/c Saddam Hussein was questioned about having WMD and connections to Al-Qaida) Most involved in Foreign Policy: - State and Defense Departments - CIA - National security agencies - Agency for International Developm ent - Sec. Of State and National Security Advisor National Security Council -established (along with CIA, and Department of Defense) by National Security Act of 1947 -started with Truman -Eisenhower. Emerged staff hierarchy -Kennedy. More personalized NS. Valued direct contact with lower-level individuals & interagency working groups -Johnson. Same trend.dom inated by Vietnam war -Nixon. Wanted to revolutionize NSC by creating new com mittees and interagency bodies under Henry Kissinger** (National Security Advisor for Nixon) -Carter. Replaced Nixon's system w/ only 2 committees. (1 long term and short 1 term) -Reagan. Wanted less personal NSC. became organization that had small role in foreign policy and was very difficult to manage. NSC became bloated bureaucracy too occupied with procedure -Bush/Clinton. Had most success. New teams of advisors. Department of State Created in 1789 as primary foreign policy organ -today: US's main representative in foreign countries Intelligence Community Mission: to gather valuable info, analyze it, and present conclusions to policymakers -ex: CIA, National Security Agency, Defense Intell. Agency, FBI, Congress: Make's laws with 2/3 approval Regulates foreign commerce Imposes import taxes Declares war Public's role in Foreign Policy Public opinion & lobbying (larger role) AIPAC-American Israel Public Affairs Committes. founded 1954 -ample funds for campaign contributions -access to offices of majority of members on Congress
-understand power of Jewish history (Holocaust, sensitivity of anti-Semitism) American Arab Antidiscrimination Committee-National Association of Arab Americans -2 merged in 2001 Arab lobbies too, but they have problems -they represent huge diversity. ( 22 states, not 1 Israel) -united on being against War in Iraq -united on Palestinian cause BUT each country really has its own agenda