Interventionism in US foreign policy from Bush to Obama
This chapter considers the evolution of US policy and practice towards foreign military intervention under Presidents George W. Bush and Barack Obama, and in terms of strategic intent finds no evidence of substantive change. Although the language of the ‘Global War on Terror’ has been replaced by one of a ‘transnational global conflict’ the underlying policy drivers remain the same: America’s security and related interests continue to shape its foreign policy and provide the justification for an exceptionalist interpretation of international law, to the disappointment of those who hoped Obama's election would usher in a new era of strengthened global norms. However, a change in US official thinking is evident in a greater appreciation of the limitations of certain forms of intervention, and in the emergence of alternative policy instruments to deliver US strategic objectives.
U.S. Special Operations Forces (SOF): Background and Issues for Congress
This report discusses Special Operations Forces (SOFs), which are elite military units with special training and equipment that can infiltrate hostile territory through land, sea, or air to conduct a variety of operations, many of them classified.
Accurate measurements of output characteristics and detonations of motorbike high-speed racing engine and their optimization at actual atmospheric conditions and combusted mixture composition
Abstract At a motorbike high speed racing engine there is very important an output engine characteristics which depends significantly on a detonation combustion rate, atmospheric conditions and a combusted mixture composition. The combustion process has got a relevant influence on a wear degree of main engine parts or on their damage eventually. The detonation combustion rate is very important because this kind of burning can be not only destructive but a useful phenomenon, as well. If the process of detonation burning is kept on a certain level, it can help significantly to the next increasing of an engine power output. In this article there is described the measurements of output characteristics of a high-speed racing engine which were performed by means of a data-recording system and the detonation combustion was evaluated using a quantitative method. The actual values of atmospheric conditions and the mixture composition were added to the measured values. Then the obtained values are compared visually with a damage degree of an engine piston caused by the detonation burning. The result is a limit value expressed in a number of detonation units related to a run distance interval of the vehicle driven by the high-speed racing engine. In framework of this run distance interval there is the process of detonation burning profitable. As well as it increases an engine power output and together it is not destructive with regard to engine design parts.