Regime Change Reconsidered: History's Caution for Today's Policy

Historian Richard Haass surveys a long, costly history of regime-change attempts and argues success only comes with credible post-change plans and sustained nation-building. From WWII Germany/Japan to Panama, Afghanistan, Iraq, and Libya, failed efforts show the perils of rushed interventions. With current debates over Venezuela, Gaza, and Iran, the U.S. should treat regime change as a reactive tool rather than a first resort, offering calibrated incentives and supporting viable political transitions instead of attempting to remake regimes from the top down.