The President of The Council on Foreign Relations on What A Clinton Doctrine Would Look Like

The president of the Council on Foreign Relations, Richard Haass, spoke to the German business newspaper Handelsblatt about what a Clinton Doctrine would look like if she is elected president.

It's all about more aggressive adventures of the Empire.

"Judging by Clinton’s comments on the campaign trail and what she argued for as secretary of state, she would likely be comfortable with greater American leadership and assertiveness in the world, including the use of force," he told the paper.

At Project Syndicate, he got into details:

While only Congress can officially declare war or ratify treaties, presidents may use (or refuse to use) military force without explicit congressional approval. They can also enter into international agreements other than treaties, appoint powerful White House staff, and change US foreign policy by executive action, as Obama recently did regarding Cuba.

Under Clinton, this discretion could translate into establishing one or more safe areas in Syria, providing more defensive arms to Ukraine, and taking a tougher line toward North Korea as it continues its nuclear and missile buildup.

As for a Trump policy, he wrote:

  It is more difficult to guess what Trump would do. He is, after all, a political outsider, so no one knows how much of his campaign rhetoric would be translated into policy. Still, one could anticipate a Trump administration distancing itself from some traditional allies in Europe and Asia and standing mostly aloof from the Middle East.

He is probably correct about Hillary but Trump's top military adviser, Michael Flynn, sees a multi-generational fight with ISIS and other Mideast terrorists.

Trump won't start hostilities to expand the Empire. but he will do so to fight perceived enemies.

I would expect a Trump Administration to have troops on the ground in the Middle East within  90 days of Trump taking office.

-RW