Employing American Smart Power in the Middle East

Abstract

The United States of America is one of the most influential countries in international politics since the end of World War II until today. The reason for this is its clear superiority in using hard power in its foreign policy. American soft power did not play a major role in the policies of hegemony that the Americans followed at the international level for many decades. However, the major changes witnessed in the global arena after the end of the Cold War and the emergence of new major powers on the international scene made the United States reconsider its absolute dependence on its hard power. After the US wars in Afghanistan (2001) and Iraq (2003), American decision-makers reached a firm conviction to diversify the sources of their power. This conviction centered on the necessity of combining hard and soft powers into one force, which was called smart power. Through its use of smart power, the United States seeks to continue its leadership of the global system and impose its will on the international arena despite its many competitors.