Nation building
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Nation building is a controversial diplomatic and military initiative. Leaders in the Bush administration and other American officials have expressed different opinions about its wisdom and practicality, particularly in regards to post-war Iraq.
According to the Boston Globe George W. Bush (then governor of Texas said the following on Oct. 11, 2000:
- I don't think our troops ought to be used for what's called nation-building.
- I think what we need to do is convince people who live in the lands they live in to build the nations. Maybe I'm missing something here. I mean, we're going to have a kind of nation-building corps from America? Absolutely not. [1]
The 2008 Army Field Manual on Operations was released in March 2008 by Lt. Gen. William B. Caldwell, commander of the Combined Arms Center at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas.
- it makes the "stability of a nation" just as vital to success as offensive or defensive combat operations [2]
- the manual's third directive, titled "stability operations," focuses on nation-building
Retired Army Maj. Gen. Paul Vallely said in 2008 that efforts to rebuild in Iraq and Afghanistan have placed a serious financial strain on an Army whose job is to "win war" not "build nations." [3]
External Links
- Army manual stresses nation building - Washington Times - Sara Carter - March 3, 2008