U.S. Oil Policy in the Middle East
Securing the flow of affordable oil is a cornerstone of U.S. Middle East policy.
Haiti
Two sometimes divergent, sometimes convergent streams of U.S. policy have played an influential role in defining the economic and political system of Haiti.
Japan: Trade and Security Interdependence
Close trade and security ties bind the U.S. and Japan in a web of interdependence.
Nigeria
In June 1993 Nigerias military, led by General Ibrahim Babangida, annulled election results, thereby blocking the inauguration of the countrys first civilian president in a decade.
Indonesia
As the country in the Asian Pacific Economic Cooperation forum (APEC) that leads the effort to seek rapid tariffs reductions, Indonesia is the darling of U.S. export industries.
Asia/Pacific Peace and Security Issues
The Asia/Pacific region is the geopolitical center of the struggle for world power.
Somalia
For many in the U.S., Somalia is viewed as a powerful symbol of United Nations peacekeeping failure.
North American Free Trade Agreement
The North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) sets guidelines for the elimination of most trade and investment barriers between Canada, the U.S., and Mexico over a 15-year period.
Military Strategy
The U.S. military did not foresee an end of the cold war and was caught without a new strategy when the Soviet Union collapsed.
Mexico
Since the early 1980s Washington has sought to break down all barriers to U.S. trade and investment in Mexico.
South Africa
Since 1994 U.S. statements regarding a newly democratic South Africa, under the leadership of Nelson Mandela and the African National Congress (ANC) have frequently been cast in the language of a love fest.
Overseas Private Investment Corporation
The Overseas Private Investment Corporation (OPIC), a wholly owned government corporation established in 1971, provides taxpayer-backed and taxpayer-funded loans, loan guarantees, and insurance to businesses for investments in politically risky countries.
Indochina
The unquiet legacy of foreign intervention still casts a long shadow over U.S. policy in Indochina.
World Trade Organization
Today, member countries number 125 (nearly the whole world except China, some former communist countries, and a number of small nations) and WTO rules apply to over 90 percent of international trade.
Burundi and the Crisis in Central Africa
The international community, which failed to act when the crisis began, now faces a major challenge in Burundi and, more widely, in Central Africa.