No. 344
May 18, 1999
OLD WINE IN NEW BOTTLES
The Pentagon's East Asia Security
Strategy Report
by Doug Bandow
Executive Summary
justification for a dominant U.S. military role in
To contain Soviet-led communism and, secon-
East Asia. U.S. policy, centered around the deploy-
darily, to prevent a militarily resurgent Japan,
ment of 100,000 military personnel throughout
Washington established a network of alliances,
the region, is both expensive and risky. The United
bases, and deployments throughout East Asia
States now is expected to dampen potential con-
after World War II. By the 1990s the Soviet Union
flicts that lack even a tangential link to America's
had imploded, China had become a reasonably
own security.
restrained international player, and other com
-
Washington should instead phase out its mili-
munist states had lost their ideological edge. At
tary presence in East Asia, transferring to its Cold
the same time, the noncommunist nations had
War era allies responsibility for dealing with local
leaped ahead economically. Despite such momen-
security problems. Washington should maintain
tous developments, however, U.S. policy remains
a mid-Pacific military presence and cooperate
fundamentally the same.
with friendly states but intervene directly only if a
The Pentagon's new report, United States
potential hegemon arises that cannot be other-
Security Strategy for the East AsiaPacific Region: 1998,
wise contained.
released last November, confirms that the Clinton
Some instability in the region is inevitable no
administration intends to perpetuate the policy of
matter what the U.S. role--as evidenced by the tur-
U.S. military preeminence in the region indefi-
bulence in Cambodia and Indonesia today. Acting
nitely. Indeed, Washington intends not only to
as the balancer of last resort rather than the med-
increase security ties with traditional military
dler of first resort, however, would make America
partners but also to extend them to such previ-
more secure by insulating it from such strategical-
ously irrelevant countries as Laos and Mongolia.
ly and economically marginal disorders.
The end of the Cold War has eliminated any
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Doug Bandow is a senior fellow at the Cato Institute. He is the author or editor of several books, including Tripwire: Korea and
U.S. Foreign Policy in a Changed World, and was a special assistant to President Reagan.