But if they try to use their
hegemonic position to impose their own preferences or to gain unilateral
advantages (thereby satisfying their domestic constituents), they will inevitably
provoke allied resentment. Similarly, any reluctance to act in places like Bosnia
will trigger doubts about US credibility, but to use force - as in the missile
strikes against Iraq in September 1996 - will undermine the norms of intraalliance
consultation and raise doubts about US judgement. These are not new problems, but they will be more difficult to overcome without a clear and present
danger