preview

Why Does The Us Need To Apply The Instruments Of Power

Better Essays

The United States needs to apply the instruments of power (IOP) by first addressing what are available to them. The IOPs available are the diplomatic, military, economic and informational. Each has its own significant impact on arbitration possibilities. Utilizing the diplomatic IOP is the most appropriate way when attempting to negotiate a constructive end result with another country, however, is not always a practical opportunity, especially during times of political turmoil, or when there is no indication of reaching a common goal. It is primarily controlled by the state, not by the civilians. The diplomatic IOP relies on cooperation and persuasion and is reluctant to force. Normally, it has a strong military backing. Another IOP …show more content…

Economics played a huge role for Al Qaeda in the 1990s for the Southeast Asian region, particularly the Philippines, Indonesia, and Singapore. Al Qaeda not only set up regional offices, but it also helped create, strengthen, and make more violent indigenous groups such as the Indonesian based Jemaah Islamiyah (JI) network. By the mid-2000s, however, the actions of various national authorities in Southeast Asia appear to have drastically reduced the size and influence of Al Qaeda, JI, and other sympathetic groups. Throughout the decade, the United States—along with Australia—used capacity-building assistance and at times diplomatic pressure to support and push regional governments’ counterterrorism efforts. It should be noted that while there has been much anti-Western terrorist activity in Southeast Asia many militants in the region are focused on local agendas.
Key factors in weakening violent Islamist groups in Southeast Asia have been: the generally moderate nature of Islam in Southeast Asia; a relatively high level of economic development; the existence of democratic political systems in many affected countries; the miscalculation of JI’s radical wing in killing Muslim civilians in their bomb attacks; and the ability of most national governments to marshal the resources and public support to root out the most violent groups. One possible exception to these observations is the southern

Get Access