A trend seems to have been in effect, gathering steam since September 11, 2001. Farrow notes that “Around the world, uniformed officers increasingly handled the negotiation, economic reconstruction, and infrastructure development for which we once had a devoted body of trained specialists.” Today it seems that America has changed who it brings to the table. The author notes that the foreign ministers are still there, but the militaries and militias have the better seats. It seems that the State Department has ceded a lot of authority to the Defense Department since that fateful event in 2001. We are witnessing the destruction of the diplomatic institutions and giving little thought to engineering modern replacements. This is important as it makes the world less safe and prosperous. Farrow, in this book, gives as an account of the crisis unfolding. He describes it as “a life-saving discipline torn apart by political cowardice.” We have here the story of the transformation of the role of the U.S. and its public servants “inside creaking institutions desperately striving to keep an alternative alive.”
The story begins with an important diplomat Richard Holbrooke. This story describes the disintegration of his last mission concerning Pakistan and Afghanistan, and provides a window into “what was lost when we turned away from a profession that once saved us.” This was a long time coming as the Pentagon and CIA often bypassed the civilian foreign policy system and did business with various country’s military and intelligence leaders directly. The ensuing chapters provide an interesting and intriguing narrative of what transpired in Pakistan and Afghanistan.
In part three of the book, Farrow discusses diplomacy, or lack thereof, in Syria (2016), Afghanistan (2002), Horn of Africa (2006), Egypt (2013), and Colombia (2006). This lessoning of dependence on diplomacy was put on steroids since the 2016 election. For example, in Iraq and Syria more decisions on troop deployment were given to the military. In Yemen and Somalia, field commanders could engage in raids without White House approval. In Afghanistan, Trump granted secretary Mattis sweeping authority to set troop levels. “Diplomats were no longer losing the argument on Afghanistan: they weren’t in it.” In addition, the White House ended the practice of “detailing” State Department officers to the National Security Council, meaning fewer diplomatic voices in the policy process. In many cases, we see military and intelligence solutions win out, and we see the U.S. actively sabotage opportunities for diplomacy, sometimes resulting in an actual increase in terrorist groups and terrorist activity. For example, the CIA’s relationship with the warlords of Somalia actually destabilized the region and enflamed Islamist sentiment. We see the rise of al-Shabaab from a fringe element with limited influence to one with ambitions beyond Somalia’s borders. Its bloody message would resonate with recruits around the world.
In the Middle East, “American administrations had chosen to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with the Middle East’s autocratic strongmen for decades.” When those regimes crumbled and the alliances became a liability, the U.S. was slow to adapt. “Military-to-military deals had eclipsed diplomacy for so long, we barely knew how to do anything else.” In Afghanistan, we see warlords ruling with the imprimatur of a government backed by the U.S. In Columbia, we see paramilitary death squads gain support of the United States. It is a slippery slope we have been following, now only compounded by the current Trump administration.
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Reviews with images
Why we failed as diplomats.
Brilliant.This will satisfy your curiosity, your wonder, your dismay at how and why the State Department of our democratic government has shrunk to be barely recognizable proportions.The skill in fleshing out details while holding the reader with riveting prose is a highlight known to only a few wordsmiths like Ronan Farrow.I am oddly intrigued by the future of foreign policy like never before.Thank you Mr. Farrow!
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shiraz f aziz
insight into how american govt. foreign policy functions
Reviewed in Canada on January 31, 2021
Jennifer Coutu
Bonne qualité de livres l usagé
Reviewed in Canada on October 7, 2021PPR
Great book
Reviewed in India on June 28, 2020
PPR
Reviewed in India on June 28, 2020
Awesome book
Good quality print and paper
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