Counterterrorism and Counterinsurgency in Somalia: Assessing the Campaign Against Al Shabaab

Abstract

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Strategic Choices for a Turbulent World: In Pursuit of Security and Opportunity

“…As former national security adviser Brent Scowcroft put it, "This world is not as dangerous as that during the Cold War, but it is much more complicated." 20 In such a complex and dynamic environment, strategic surprises may or may not occur more frequently than in decades past-this is unknowable. But we can safely assume that surprises will happen.…”

“…One widely accepted analysis has found that a 1-percent increase in trade relative to GDP leads to growth of per-capita GDP of between 0.85 percent and 1.97 percent. 20 A 2005 study pegged the value of trade to the U.S. economy on the order of $1 trillion, the equivalent of a gain in income of $2,800 to $5,000 each year for the average person in 2003 dollars. 21 U.S. corporations, in particular, reaped the benefits of the new global economy, as did high-skilled workers.…”

“…20 Many global leaders in politics and business have studied in the United States (along with a smaller fraction of U.S. leaders who have studied abroad), and, more often than not, their views and sympathies are shaped by this experience, contributing to a commonality of attitude about norms and values in what is now called "the international community." While none of these advantages is guaranteed to continue, no other nation is equipped to take over the role of global steward or is likely to be considered as benign as the United States in filling that role.…”

“…The U.S. embrace of diversity has made it possible for the nation to attract and retain the best minds from around the world. 21 20 The United States hosts 13 or 14 of the top 20 universities in various rankings, although its share of international students has dropped-attributed in part to the increase in cost and difficulty of obtaining student visas after 9/11. "World University Rankings, 2015-16," Times Higher Education, London, undated; Jason Lane, "U.S.…”

“…Authorities took appropriate steps to mitigate the damage, and the federal, state, and local responses following the storm were widely praised, although some significant disruptions to liquid fuel supplies still occurred. 20 But U.S. health agencies were unprepared to help African nations deal with the rapid spread of Ebola in West Africa, although the possibility (though not the probability) of such a pandemic had been widely foreseen. And there are multiple warnings from the scientific community that the United States remains ill-prepared and is underinvesting in resilience to deal with the effects of a climate that could change much sooner than we think.…”