1. The situation before the attacks: Key role in negotiation to restore the peace Ex: Oslo Agreement, 1993; signing ceremony in the White House Ex: NATO forces in Bosnia (1994), and Kosovo (1999) American economy still powerful, but suffers from global competition (trade balance in deficit; creditor = China) BUT, soft power; innovation center; attractive country (migrants) B) 2001 : the end of the "American century" ?

2. 9/11 and its impact on American foreign policy Text study Unilateralist policy is explicit New slogan « America first » Ex: War in Iraq, 2003. First preventive war (no aggression, suspicion of WMDs) launched without UN approval and against the judgment of allies such as Germany, France and Canada « War on Terror » = new crusade; the US is the leader; world considered by US foreign policy as divided in two (Good vs. Evil; « us » vs. « them »)

3. Cartoon by Dary Cagle, september 17, 2001 Advertisement for the future aircraft carrier ‘George Bush’ (launched 2006)

4. A degraded moral authority Patriot Act, october 2001 (limits civil liberties and right to privacy; enemy combattant statute) Guantanamo prison (Cuba) and harsh living conditions for inmates Photographs depicting inhumane and degrading treatments in the Abou Ghraib prison Forms of torture allowed to CIA operatives Relocation of suspects in countries without human rights protection Anti-Americanism in the world Ex: Chavez, 2006, branded Bush « the Devil » in a UN speech

5. C) How to be a global power in a multipolar world? « It’s like the American dream in reverse », B. Obama, 2009 Economic crisis in 2008 (mortgage subprime crisis), Lehman Brothers bankruptcy as a symbol Layoffs More than 2 M homes foreclosed in 2008 Part of the public opinion under the impression that inequalities are increasing (Occupy Wall Street Movement, 2011, denounced the « one percenters ») Middle-class families have to get into debt to maintain their way of life

6. New competitors on the international economic and diplomatic stage Ex: Brazil, PRC, Russia Dependency resulting from the twin deficits (or double deficit) = government deficit + balance trade deficit

7. From a military viewpoint : new strategies Asymmetric(al) warfare = war between a professional army and and insurgency or resistance movement (informal enemy, less equipped, undermanned, and using « guerrilla warfare » or « unconventional warfare ») The US army must adapt (a military solution or victory is considered impossible) Confusing situation in Iraq and Afghanistan (leading to the rise of ISIS) US formally withdraws from Iraq in December 2011 US withdraws partially from Afghanistan, starting 2014

8. A new doctrine for the American foreign policy Smart power (defined by H Clinton in 2009) Combination of hard power and soft power, depending on the situation (after careful examiation) Novelty = Possibility for the US to take a step back (and not be the leader, or on the front row)

9. a decisive step back others to step up Barack Obama takes a back seat (March 2011) […]the United States took a decisive step back on the world stage after a decade of robust assertiveness. […] In cases where the US was not directly threatened […] It should instead mobilise the international community for collective action – "real leadership creates the conditions and coalitions for others to step up as well". Source: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/comment/telegraph-view/8414826/Barack- Obama-takes-a-back-seat.html

10. Ex: hard power = Bin Laden executed during a military operation in Pakistan, 2011 Ex: back seat = in Libya (2011), the US lets France and the UK lead the intervention

11. A new rhetoric Reconciliation and dialogue; optimistic point of view Text study = source 3 Obama = Nobel Peace Prize, 2009 Reconciliation and negotiation efforts appear in the recent foreign policy: New START arms control treaty with Russia Paris Agreement, 2015, on climate change Nuclear deal with Iran Normalized US relations with Cuba