The US has been very active in international relations for a long time. They have participated in both military and diplomatic operations with the purpose of pacifying and uniting the world. Their readiness to participate in war and treaties has earned them the name “policeman of the world” (Tyler, 1992). This paper discusses two events that demonstrated the role of the US military as the world’s police. The two events are: the operations of the US soldiers in Haiti in 2010 and in Jordan in 2013. They went to Haiti in 2010 with the purpose of providing support to civilians after the earthquake that killed many citizens. However, the citizens of both Haiti and the US accused the US government of colonizing Haiti.
In 2013, King Abdullah of Jordan requested the US to offer him reinforcement. Consequently, about 600 soldiers remained behind to protect the country from the Syrian Civil War. This act was criticized by the Syrians, Americans and the Jordanians. Some of the critics accused them of taking a passive role in the war, while others accused them of participating in a war that was not theirs. Regardless of the criticism, the US army has the responsibility of pacifying and unifying the world, and so far, it has played this role satisfactorily.
When the earthquake occurred in Haiti, the US sent its soldiers to aid the victims. The earthquake affected approximately two million people both directly and indirectly. About 160,000 people died, and many others lost their homes. The US government reacted promptly by sending its navy seals to take pictures of the damage and collect other intelligence information. Other soldiers joined later and offered foodstuffs, medical services and prepared the airport to receive support from other countries (Thompson, 2010).
Their involvement in the Syrian Uprising was the King Abdullah’s request. American troops were in Jordan for training. The king requested the US to leave some soldiers behind to secure Jordan from attacks by the Syrians and their allies. The US had opted to play a passive role in the Syrian Civil War. However, continued violations of civilians’ rights, especially the use of chemical weapons on citizens, prompted the US to join the war. They opted to facilitate the rebels by giving them food, weapons and financial support. Their support was very useful in defending civilians against Syrian soldiers and the Hezbollah Forces (Klare, 2013).
Therefore, the US military effectively played its role as the “policeman” of the world. The two events in this paper demonstrate their value for the welfare of human beings in all parts of the world and their selflessness in defending people facing different atrocities.
References
Klare, M (2013). Why the push for Syrian intervention is about more than just Assad. The Nation.Web.
Tyler, P. (1992). US strategy plan calls for insuring no rivals develop: A one superpower world. New York Times. Web.
Thompson, M (2010). How the US military will help Haiti. Times. Web.