U.S. Overseas Military Presence: What Are the Strategic Choices?
Abstract
The current U.S. overseas military is largely the outcome of responses to threats as they emerged historically and over time, in Western Europe and in East Asia to the Soviet Union; in the Middle East to the ambitions, nuclear and otherwise, of Iraq and Iran; and around the world to the hostile activities of al-Qaeda and other terrorist organizations. 1 Today, however, the Soviet Union has transitioned from a peer competitor to something less, while China s economic standing and military capabilities allow it increasingly to challenge U.S. global leadership. The United States has removed the threat of a weapons of mass destruction armed Iraq, but Iran s nuclear program continues to evolve. The U.S. military relationship with its partners in the Middle East continues to grow, while prospects for change are high as a result of the Arab spring. Although al-Qaeda s putative operational leader and confirmed figurehead, Osama bin Laden, is dead, the ability of terrorist groups to acquire and potentially use disruptive technologies against the United States has grown.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Jan 01, 2012
- Accession Number
- ADA567471
Entities
People
- Lynn E. Davis
- Melanie W. Sisson
- Michael J. Mcnerney
- Stacie L. Pettyjohn
- Stephen M. Worman
Organizations
- RAND Corporation