Abstract:

What is the Bush doctrine and how does it fit in American foreign policy? The thesis of this article is that the Bush doctrine is part of a broader bipartisan American foreign policy that has emerged since the end of the Cold War. Defined as 'selective engagement', four criteria are offered for how the US has defined its willingness to be physically involved abroad: is it in the national interest? Can a coalition be formed to share burdens? What will it cost in terms of men and money? Will the region be better off after engagement? Five reasons are offered why the Bush administration had little if any interest in engaging in foreign affairs issues in general and the Middle East in particular. Despite all signs to the contrary, the new administration, while battling terrorism and witnessing an unprecedented but unsuccessful effort by the Clinton administration to weave together an Israeli-Palestinian agreement, publicly advocate a Palestinian State alongside Israel and put in place the Mitchell/Tenet/Zinniframework to rejuvenate Arab-Israeli negotiations.


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