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 20, 2019 RE: After 30 Years in Office, Sudan’s President Omar al-Bashir has been Removed Executive Summary After months of protests, on April 11, 2019, Sudan’s military overthrew President Omar al-Bashir. al-Bashir had been immensely criticized for his repressive rule and had held power for over 30 years. As Sudan looks to transition to a peaceful democracy, the country will be run by a military council for the next two years before it begins to implement free and fair elections. The news of the end of al-Bashir’s reign comes only one week after Algeria’s president Abdelaziz Bouteflika stepped down from office due to societal pressure. The toppling of these military leaders shows distinct resemblance to the Arab Spring uprisings of 2011.  Darfur Genocide: Currently al-Bashir is facing five counts of crimes against humanity an...

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...