The U.S. has used armed force abroad on 200 occasions since the founding of the Republic. Most of them were for major wars; peacekeeping forces, as in Bosnia; surrogate wars, like in Angola and Nicaragua; covert ops, such as in Chile; and humanitarian efforts.

The wreckage of U.S. nation-building is strewn around the world. In Haiti and Nicaragua, there is immense poverty and misrule. After American troops left Cambodia, the ensuing regime carried out one of the worst genocides in history.

Additional reporting: Phoebe St John and Joanna Khenkine