Defeating US coercion

Abstract

Despite its overwhelming military prowess, the US often finds itself unable to coerce regional adversaries. Several key features of US-style coercion - most notably sensitivity to casualties and a preference for multilateral involvement - constrain US military actions and reduce the potency and credibility of US threats. These features and the resulting constraints are apparent to adversaries and provide them with a range of counter-strategies to offset US superiority. These counter-strategies include fracturing US-led coalitions, inflicting US and allied casualties, and playing on concerns over the suffering of an adversary's own people. Successful coercion requires that policy-makers confront directly the dangers inherent in any military action, and avoid limiting operations in ways that play directly into adversaries' hands.