Defense and National Security

U.S. And Mexico, 1920-1945
The Good Neighbor policies of Herbert Hoover and Franklin D. Roosevelt did much to counter a century of bad relations between the U.S. and Mexico.

Clinton Takes Responsibility
U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton took full responsibility for the safety of U.S. foreign service personnel in the wake of Libyan Ambassador Chris Stevens' death.

Romney's VMI Speech
Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney made a foreign policy speech at the Virginia Military Institute October 1, 2012. Instead of offering new foreign policy for debate, he weakly tried to attach himself to one of America's premier diplomats.

What Is The Korean War Armistice That North Korea Just Invalidated?
On March 11, 2013, North Korea declared the Korean War armistice invalid. Here is a look at the Korean War, the armistice, and American foreign policies involved in both.

Missile Defense and Diplomacy
The U.S. plans to strengthen its missile defenses against North Korean threats in a move that may also reassure Russia about Eastern European missile defense plans.

Kerry Visits East Asia
In April 2013, U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry visited China, Japan, and South Korea in a trip that reaffirmed the nations' commitment a denuclearized Korean Peninsula.

Clausewitz On Foreign Policy
One of history's premier military theorists long ago stressed that war is an extension of foreign policy.

The U.S. and Great Britain: The Special Relationship Forged In War
A look at the "special relationship" of U.S. and British diplomacy during the two world wars.

India Successfully Fires Nuclear Capable Missile
India successfully fires an Agni-V missile on April 19, but unlike the response to North Korea's recent attempt at a missile launch, no one is too upset.

Nuclear Weapons Non-Proliferation Treaty
The Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, first opened for signing in 1968, was the first major international treaty aimed at curbing the development of nuclear weapons.

U.S., Japan Strike Deal On Okinawa Troops
The United States and Japan have struck an agreement to move 9,000 U.S. Marines from the prefecture of Okinawa to Guam.

George C. Marshall, 50th U.S. Secretary of State
George C. Marshall, the 50th U.S. Secretary of State, earned a Nobel prize for his humanitarian efforts in rebuilding war-torn Europe.

U.S. Chemical Weapons Diplomatic History
U.S. warnings to Syria against chemical weapons usage underscore America's long adherence to anti-chemical weapons policies.

The United States In Vietnam
A brief look at the American policies and ideologies that plunged the U.S. into the Vietnam War.

Hagel, Brennan Nominated For Defense, CIA Spots
On January 7, 2013, President Barack Obama nominated former Nebraska Senator Chuck Hagel to become the new secretary of defense and John Brennan to head the Central Intelligence Agency. If they win Senate approval, both will lead agencies that are central to the implementation of U.S. foreign policy.

Clinton's Heated Exchange
Secretary of State Hillary Clinton engaged in an emotional, heated exchange with senators during questioning about the death of Ambassador Chris Stevens in Benghazi, September 11, 2012.

Foreign Policy Highlights Of 2013 State Of The Union Address
U.S. foreign policy highlights of President Barack Obama's 2013 State of the Union address.

Hagel Confirmed As Secretary of Defense
The United States Senate confirmed Chuck Hagel as U.S. Secretary of Defense on February 26, 2013.

International Strategy for Cyberspace
Just as the realm of U.S. foreign policy reaches around the globe, it also reaches into cyberspace. In an effort to keep the Internet free, open, and secure, the Obama administration introduced the International Strategy for Cyberspace in May 2011.

U.S. Wants To Secure Weapons In Libya
The collapse of the Qaddafi regime in Libya puts new emphasis on one of the U.S. State Department's major policy components -- conventional weapons nonproliferation.

US Foreign Policy After 9/11
United States foreign policy changed in some very noticeable ways after September 11, 2001. In other ways, foreign policy after 9/11 has remained the same.

Obama, Panetta Announce "Leaner" Military
President Obama announced on January 5, 2012, that, in the wake of budget constraints and changing strategic needs, the U.S. military is going to become "leaner."

The Bush Doctrine
The Bush Doctrine of US foreign policy combined elements of unilateralism with preventive warfare.

U.S. Interest In The Strait of Hormuz
Iran's threat to close the Strait of Hormuz points out the strategic value of many straits to U.S. foreign policy.

The War Powers Act of 1973
A description of the War Powers Act of 1973, its function and intent.

Obama, Panetta Herald End of Iraq War
On October 21, 2011, President Barack Obama announced the end of U.S. involvement in the Iraq War.

Clinton's Apology To Pakistan
Secretary of State Hillary Clinton apologizes to Pakistan for a November 2011 incident that killed 24 Pakistani soldiers, but her apology has diplomatic wiggle room.

Obama Defends War in Libya
The Obama White House defended US action in the war in Libya against a rebuke from Congress.

Munich Olympic Massacre Forces Changes In U.S. Diplomatic Security
The murder of Israeli athletes at the 1972 Munich Olympics forced changes in the way the United States handles diplomatic security.

When The U.S. Boycotted The Summer Olympics
The 1980 Olympics became enmeshed in American foreign policy as the U.S. boycotted the games to protest the Soviet Union's invasion of Afghanistan.

The Christmas Bombing
The Christmas season of 1972 brought a brutal American air campaign over North Vietnam. Known as the Christmas Bombing, it was President Richard Nixon's practice of foreign policy by force.

Henry Kissinger, Seretary Of State For Nixon And Ford
Henry Kissinger is one of the most reconizable, and controversial, of America's modern secretaries of state.

The Reagan Doctrine, Pt. 1
The Reagan Doctrine was a policy of rolling back, not just containing, Communism.

North Korea Threatens To Engulf Washington in "Sea of Fire"
On March 7, 2013, North Korea threatened to engulf Washington D.C. in a "sea of fire" with a nuclear missile attack after the United Nations strengthened sanctions against the communist country.

The Reagan Doctrine, Pt. 2
National Security Decision Directive 75 was the lynchpin of Ronald Reagan's policy to rollback the Soviet Union.

NATO
A profile of NATO, the world's largest military alliance, from About Guide to U.S. Foreign Policy Keith Porter.

Learn about the US Military
The US military is one of the most powerful and important tools of America's foreign policy. To learn all about the US military, check out About.com's comprehensive coverage of the US military.

Love the Warrior, Hate the War
Analyst Lorelei Kelly explores why progressives have more in common with the military than they think.

The U.S. Defense Department
The U.S. Defense Department, also known as the Pentagon, oversees all branches of the U.S. military and maintains a presence around the globe. This is their official web site.

Does America need a Foreign Legion?
Colby Cosh of Canada's National Post speculates that America will need mass recruitment of foreigners to fill the growing need for soldiers.

National Security Council
The National Security Council, including the President and Vice President, is the primary forum for drawing together all executive branch leaders to consider urgent matters of security and foreign policy.

Joint Chiefs of Staff
The Joint Chiefs of Staff include the top commanders of the U.S. Army, Navy, Air Force, and Marines. The Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff is the principal military adviser to the President.