American Foreign Policy Group 5

To: POL 245: American Foreign Policy From: Nicole Buchanan, Hillary Ferreira, Brenna Kueter, Will Moreton, and Taylor White (Group 5) Date: April 14, 2019 RE: The United States’ Involvement in the Creation of ISIS Executive Summary In 2001 the United States and its allies declared a “War on Terror” with the intent of responding to the September 11th attacks and eradicating violent extremism, with a particular interest in combating partners, sponsors, and any movement with links to al-Qaeda.  This global initiative paved the way for multiple military operations, specifically incursions in Iraq and Afghanistan. However, when looking closer into the actions and policies of the United States during this period it is apparent that a fundamental lack of understanding and extensive abuses of power have led to the creation of new and more dangerous extremist movements, most notably the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS).  While these actions cannot be undone, it would...

To: POL 245: American Foreign Policy From: Nicole Buchanan, Hillary Ferreira, Brenna Kueter, Will Moreton, and Taylor White (Group 5) Date: February 10, 2019 RE: The Presidential and Humanitarian Crisis in Venezuela Executive Summary On January 23, 2019, Juan Guiado, the President of the National Assembly, proclaimed himself acting president following the controversial elections the previous May. Guiado stated that he would assume all the powers of the executive branch, and undertook this role in spite of Maduro, who had just been inaugurated for the second time on January 10th. The military has also played a role in the crisis, as they have been outwardly supportive of Maduro and his threatening agenda. The Venezuelan people have had to take actions to protect themselves and their families leading to one of the largest forced migrations in the Western hemisphere. To mitigate the effects of this crisis the international community has taken action, with over fifty countrie...