Security Assistance as an Instrument of Foreign Policy: A Program in Transition
Abstract
Security assistance, a frequently misunderstood term, has been the backbone of U.S. foreign policy since independence. "Lend Lease" and the "Marshall Plan" have been the highlights of foreign assistance in the 20th century. The recently concluded 45-year Cold War witnessed another victory for U.S. foreign policy. Without a strong foreign policy and a willingness to support security assistance the outcome of the Cold War may have been different. Now the Cold War is over and the world is in transition. The Soviet Union is no longer the principal adversary and the possibility of a global war has diminished. The focus of U.S. national strategy is changing, What will be the role of foreign assistance? Is there still a need to dedicate scarce resources to the outside world when there is no serious threat to the United States? In January 1992, when Secretary of State James Baker, III testified before Congress, he emphasized the need to be concerned about regional stability. Foreign assistance will be a program in transition as priorities shift from guns to butter. If regional stability is a foreign policy goal of the United States, can security assistance assure its achievement?
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Apr 08, 1992
- Accession Number
- ADA249427
Entities
People
- Charles B. Jones
Organizations
- United States Army War College