Read full text in French (91k-pdf)

Abstract

While the American power worldwide is at its historic zenith, the Iraqi crisis has underlined two disturbing phenomena: the loss of US international credibility, the growing US international isolation. There are many reasons: the very simple dichotomic view of world realities of the present Administration, which wants to provide global leadership on the basis of fear; the absence of a clear definition of the new security challenges; the brutality with which our old European allies have been dealed with; the many mistakes of the Iraqi campaign; the unconditional support given to Ariel Sharon’s policy; and the unprecedented intelligence failure in the history of the US. All that at a time when our traditional commitment to idealism is being challenged by an exaggerated sense of vulnerability.

Zbigniew Brzezinski, the National Security Advisor for ex-President Jimmy Carter, is an Advisor and a Trustee of the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS).