Between Threats and War

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When faced with persistent foreign policy challenges that threaten U.S. interests and cannot be resolved through economic or political means, American policymakers have increasingly turned to limited military force. This approach aims to address issues while minimizing U.S. military casualties, local civilian harm, and collateral damage. Recommendations for such actions have varied widely, from the bizarre—like targeting Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe with a missile strike—to the unwise, such as preemptively bombing North Korean missile sites, and the more practical, including air raids in Bosnia and Somalia and drone strikes in Yemen and Pakistan. Despite being a consistent aspect of U.S. military engagement across four administrations, the effectiveness of these "Discrete Military Operations" (DMOs) has not been thoroughly analyzed, raising critical questions about their success in meeting military and political goals. Micah Zenko investigates thirty-six DMOs conducted by the U.S. over the last two decades to understand their purposes, outcomes, and factors influencing their success or failure. His evaluation of U.S. policy choices offers insights and recommendations for the more effective use of limited military force, which will be increasingly relevant for shaping American grand strategy and future military policy.