Security Assistance in Latin America: Penny Wise and Pound Foolish?
Abstract
In the early 1980's, the levels of security assistance designated for Latin America were increased in order to counter the threat of Soviet expansionism by its surrogate forces, Cuba and Nicaragua. The passage of the budget-balancing Gramm-Rudman Act mandated massive expenditure reductions and caused subsequent cuts in security assistance funding. The purpose of this study is, in light of constrained resources, to analyze the effectiveness of security assistance as a tool to promote U.S. interests. That analysis will include a discussion of the component programs of security assistance, a review of the costs and benefits of those programs, a comparison of levels of spending by the U.S. and the U.S.S.R., the threats related to U.S. security assistance reductions, and recommendations for improvements in security assistance policy and its implementation in Latin America.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Mar 23, 1988
- Accession Number
- ADA196147
Entities
People
- Charles S. Mahan Jr.
Organizations
- United States Army War College