After 9/11, the US administration over-reacted and destroyed first Iraq and then Afghanistan on false allegations, such as possession of weapons of mass destruction, and Iraqi links with Al-Qaeda. Making war decisions on the basis of brazen lies and brutal shenanigans not only damaged US creditability in the world but also revealed a lack of clear thinking on the part of the administration of the super power.
Lack of acuity in the American administrative set up and mistrust about their foreign policy in the minds of Asians was aggravated particularly with the second coming of Barak Obama as US president. Along with his team members, while witnessing the Abbottabad operations on a coloured video screen which showed the killing scenes of Osama bin Laden, the US president was thinking that the terrorist threats from Al-Qaeda would be over. But it had not happened as he imagined. Ayman-al-Zawahiri had expanded the Al-Qaeda network to many more countries, including India. In his latest address in the UN Assembly on 24th September, 2014 the US president had to acknowledge this bitter reality. It has also been reported that the president has admitted his neglect of ISIS on account of which it has turned out to be a big challenge.
Furthermore, the situation in Iraq is deteriorating every day. Hamid Karzai who was a US lackey has been replaced by the election winners; President Ashraf Ghani and Chief Executive Abdullah Abdullah, who took oath on 30th September, 2014.
As for working on nukes by North Korea and Iran, it is all quiet on US threats. In this state of affairs, the US is withdrawing forces from both Iraq and Afghanistan leaving these territories as battlefields for neighbouring countries to assert and contest their influence.
Regarding Far-East Asia, China has invested one billion dollars on the installation of an oil rig in the South China Sea. A Vietnamese fishing boat was found near the rig. As it transpired, China responded with force by sinking the boat in sea waters. The fact of the matter is that China claims almost the whole of the South East China Sea as its own. Likewise, the oil rich Senkuku islands have always belonged to China where it had unilaterally imposed “air-defense identification zone”. No sooner had Japanese planes been detected flying in the air defense skies that the Chinese fighters came as near as 100 feet of the intruders. This event had ambiguously been referred to as an aggressive act. Similarly, with utter disregard for agreements with the Philippines, China started building a construction project in the disputed islands of Spratly.
To reinforce these findings of inertia present in US foreign policy, further investigation- a digression nevertheless - can be extended to a few disturbed areas outside Asia. The scenario in Ukraine clearly explains the US tendency of shrinking back from creating a responsible response. The proposed sanctions against Russia are a typical US routine, which has proved ineffective due to strong Sino-Russian cooperation. The signing of the 30 year, $400 billion natural gas contract between the two Security Council permanent members with veto powers is an indication that Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) is determined to play its role towards handling international affairs especially those pertaining to Asia, where most of the borders of major countries touch either China or Russia. Contrary to Sino-Russian improved relations, the Obama government has to tender an “apology” to the governments of Brazil, France and Germany for unauthorized wiretapping and the monitoring of leaders’ and citizens’ phone calls. As for Africa, Hosni Mubarak, who was friendly with the US, is no longer on the helm of affairs. The new man in Egypt is more inclined towards Russia and China.
As compared to British influence in the previous two to three centuries, US influence has been short-lived; only for the ten years from 1950 to 1960 when American manliness and bravery were asserted through war movies or westerns. The influence therefore, has remained as superficial as images of life presented on celluloid. More specifically, this influence is not deep-rooted in social and cultural values; even the concepts of freedom and capitalism which have been eulogized hugely through the print and electronic media are the products of Europe.
This perspective about signs of inertia in US foreign policy, mainly towards recent developments in Asia, becomes alarming when it comes from an authentic source like Senator Bob Corker. According to him, there is no policy towards Syria; neither towards Al-Qaeda remnants, nor towards the Boko Haram group of Nigeria. Unsatisfactory response towards Asian realities (and elsewhere as well) allow one to conclude that due to the paucity of leadership in the US, foreign policy has dwindled; the Sino-Russian alliance has started diminishing US influence; China “can never be contained” as stated firmly by the Chinese Defense Minister; and Vladimir Putin has emerged as a forceful leader.

 The writer is an educationist living in Lahore.

shahidzubair44@gmail.com