Against all of their historical experience, against all the times they have sought to be with the West and not been protected by the West, they still look to the West. They have these hopes. Many current and former U.S. officials share this epic view. There are large risks of failure. What we're doing is very difficult and improbable . . .
Critics see a host of other risks in the U.S. approach.
They fear the administration is extending American security commitments to an unstable region without public debate. Some argue that the effort distracts the military from its central mission of being prepared to fight wars. Some Russia experts say that Moscow, already skittish about the expansion of NATO, may react negatively to an even larger American shadow. They think it will be like post-'45 Germany. American special operations forces have reached out to the militaries of at least 110 countries, including every country in Latin America, through exercises and training missions.