Foreign Policies and Trade-Offs
Foreign policies govern the relationship between states or countries to attain specific objectives. Trade-offs form the foundation of most foreign policy making, especially in the US. These trade-offs may be grounded on such aspects as short-term and long-term interests, or human rights and political stability. In the US, two major examples of trade-offs elaborate the basis of foreign policy making. These include the foreign policy between Bahrain and the US in the year 2014 as well as the Iran sanctions before the JCPOA. This paper offers an elaboration of the foreign policy making and the role of trade-offs in this process, based on the two examples identified.
Bahrain and U.S. Relationship
Foreign policy making is dependent on several trade-offs as per the objectives of the policies. Bahrain and the U.S have been allies for decades and this relationship is an example of a foreign policy based on a middle-range objective. This relationship has been beneficial for Bahrain, which has had the military support of the US against its rivals. In return, the US has taken advantage of the investment opportunities in Bahrain. The two countries share treaties such as the US-Bahrain Bilateral Investment Treaty and the US-Bahrain Free Trade Agreement, both of which protect the interests of US investors in Bahrain. However, this changed in the year 2014 when a wave of anti-US sentiment swept through Bahrain in a period of civil and political unrest (Katzman).
Tension between Bahrain and the US strained the foreign policy in the year 2014. Bahrainis protested against the US' presence in their countries citing abuse of human rights by the government as the basis of their discontent. The US acted by embracing the reforms the protesters were pressing for as a way of reaching a compromise between the Sunni and the Shiite families (Abrams). Obama had to campaign for stability in Bahrain since the association brought about several advantages for the US in the Arab region. Nevertheless, the Sunni royal family did not implement the reforms and it continued to repress the Shiite people and strip them of their fundamental rights. Moreover, the Sunni took actions against US that were against the treaties signed, and this was met with little reaction from the US. Rather, the US strives to maintain and expand its presence in Bahrain as was seen through its additional support in 2012 and 2013 (Abrams).
Iran and U.S. Relationship Before JCPOA
On the other hand, a good example of a foreign policy that supports a short-term objective is the relationship between Iran and the US before JCPOA. The US government implemented various economic, proliferation and nuclear-related sanctions on Iran. The foreign policy in relation to Iran-US relationship is punitive to Iran as it affects trade between Iran and the US as well as with any firms that support Iran (BBC News). The aim of this foreign policy is to enhance peace within the region by limiting Iran's resources and support to create nuclear weapons and advance its involvement in terrorism.
The US sanctions against Iran date back to the year 1979 and they were triggered by the action of Iranian students that took US diplomats in Tehran hostage. The U.S decided to ban Iranian imports in return, and the sanctions saw assets worth $12 billion being frozen. The sanctions were expanded in the year 1984 following the designation of Iran as a terrorism sponsor (Kumar). In 1992, further sanctions were enacted due to Iran's involvement in nuclear and chemical weapons. In turn, the US decided to stop the transfer of technological goods that could advance the development of weapons to Iran. The 1996 Iran Sanctions Act targets Iran's petroleum industry as it pronounced sanctions against foreign firms that would invest in Iran's gas and oil industries. Nuclear-related sanctions have been in place since 2007 as advised by the UN due to Iran's persistence in making nuclear weapons against the demands of the UN to stop such developments (Kumar). The US also imposed secondary sanctions on firms and persons dealing with Iran as a way of countering proliferation (BBC News).
Conclusion
In brief, foreign policies making is grounded on various objectives. The policies aim at arriving at a compromise that can enhance peace and stability while ensuring the relationship between the countries is mutually beneficial. In other cases, the relationship can be punitive to advance peace in the region. The two examples show how the US makes foreign policies that advance its economic prosperity as well as political stability by helping allies and suppressing foes.
Works Cited
Abrams, Elliott. “How Obama Caved on Bahrain.” Foreign Policy, 2015, foreignpolicy.com/2015/02/27/how-obama-caved-on-bahrain-manama-human-rights/
BBC News. “The Impact of Iran Sanctions in Charts.” BBC News, 2018, www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-44052734
Katzman, Kenneth. “Bahrain: Unrest, Security, and US Policy.” Congressional Research Service, 2018, fas.org/sgp/crs/mideast/95-1013.pdf
Kumar, Ashish. “A Brief History of Sanctions on Iran.” Atlantic Council, 2018, www.atlanticcouncil.org/blogs/new-atlanticist/a-brief-history-of-sanctions-on-iran
