Final answer:
President Clinton viewed his presidential role as a leader who would use U.S. military superiority to maintain global peace and intervene in international conflicts, such as in Bosnia, when necessary. His foreign policy was cautious but adaptive, balancing diplomatic efforts with military action.
Step-by-step explanation:
President Bill Clinton believed that his role as president was to navigate post-Cold War international crises independently of the Cold War's bipolar conflict paradigm. He envisioned the United States using its overwhelming military superiority and international influence to preserve global peace, which sometimes entailed intervening in international conflicts.
During the crisis in Bosnia, he initially maintained an arms embargo handed down from the previous administration, hindered by his experience in Somalia, which had a deep impact on his foreign policy decisions. However, he later adapted his strategy, participating in NATO airstrikes and contributing American forces to enforce the Dayton Accords peace settlement.
Clinton's foreign policy was marked by attempts to manage and prevent conflicts through diplomacy, sanctions, or limited military action, as he did in Haiti and North Korea. Despite initial resistance, he underscored the necessity of U.S. intervention in certain crises, particularly when confronted with the genocide perpetrated by Bosnian Serbs, ultimately authorizing military action in the Balkans.