The Eagle Heads Home: Rethinking National Security Policy for the Asia-Pacific Region
Abstract
Despite the attention the Middle East has received with the emerging new Iraq and Afghanistan other significant threats are causing instability in the Asia-Pacific Region. The conflict between North Korea and South Korea in particular continues to increase due to North Korea's recent declaration to seek/develop nuclear weapons and add them to its Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD) arsenal. Increased pressure and demands to allow North Korea's development of nuclear weapons have been futile. Along with these developments are increased pressures for the U.S. to reduce its troop presence in South Korea. This paper will analyze the possibilities of regional fallout should the United States withdraw all military troops from South Korea. Withdrawing all military troops from South Korea will create a tremendous imbalance of power in the Asia-Pacific Theater. Countries such as China Japan and South Korea (Korean Peninsula) will need to rethink their own National Strategies in order to bring balance of power to the region. The United States would greatly benefit (economically and strategically) if stability in the region were maintained without heavy U.S. involvement. This paper will make recommendations that the U.S. use its withdrawal in the region as leverage to promote stability in the region.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Mar 15, 2006
- Accession Number
- ADA448817
Entities
People
- Emilson M. Espiritu
Organizations
- United States Army War College