U.S. Interests and Future Military Presence in Southeast Asia
Abstract
As the Cold War draws to an end, U.S. military presence in Asia is being called into question. Opponents of continued presence consider it a vestige of earlier times since there is presently no compelling threat to deter. Also, it is a drain on valuable resources. Furthermore, the issue of burden-sharing is constantly being raised as our Asian allies grow richer off of their exports to the U.S. Proponents of U.S. military presence argue that potential conflicts still exist, and that the U.S. must be forward-deployed to react to crisis in a timely manner. Moreover, presence is deemed to have a positive political effect on the region, even if it is aimed at deterring no single overriding threat. In fact, throughout Asia the perception is widespread that the U.S. military presence is a stabilizing influence. In order to examine the issues surrounding the political effects of peacetime presence, CNA undertook a study on The Political Effects of U.S. Military Presence in Asia. This paper, which analyzes U.S. presence in Southeast Asia, was written for that project by Sheldon W. Simon, Professor of Political Science at Arizona State University. The views expressed in it are the author's own, and not those of CNA or the Department of the Navy.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Mar 01, 1991
- Accession Number
- ADA593351
Entities
People
- Sheldon W. Simon
Organizations
- CNA ANALYSIS AND SOLUTIONS ALEXANDRIA VA