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impression left by Washington is that the

strategy report explains that America "must

United States would probably go to war if the

increasingly emphasize regional cooperation

PRC attacked Taiwan.28

with allies to address future challenges."

According to the Pentagon, "The United

Thailand

States views the cumulative effect of bilateral

U.S. security relationships extend deep into

and multilateral security relationships as

Southeast Asia. Contends the Pentagon, "Our

establishing a diverse and flexible framework

long-standing alliance with Thailand remains

for promoting common security in the Asia-

strong and serves a critical function in enhanc-

Pacific region into the next century." U.S. offi-

ing our strategic interests worldwide." DOD is

cials envision a very limited flexibility, howev-

not interested only in traditional defense

er, since the Pentagon emphasizes that

issues; it quotes the president as declaring,

Washington intends to participate in any

"Whether we are fighting drugs, combating

regional institution.32

AIDS, trying to pen bright new futures for our

Nonmilitary Concerns

children, or working to protect the planet we

share, Thailand and the United States are

The Pentagon also devotes substantial

making our partnership work for our peo-

attention to nonmilitary issues. In its report,

The world has

ple."29

formally titled The United States Security Strategy

changed, but

for the East Asia­Pacific Region, the Pentagon

Vietnam

covers environmental degradation, infectious

Washington's

diseases, drug trafficking, energy, and human-

Washington's most bitter recent strategic

vision has not.

itarian relief. The administration explicitly

setback was the failure of its intervention in

terms drug trafficking, terrorism, and envi-

Vietnam. Presumably, it is for that reason that

ronmental degradation "security interests."

Washington "has kept the initial state of the

Humanitarian operations, contends the

U.S.-Vietnamese security relationship pur-

administration, "may likewise serve important

posefully modest in pace and scope."30 Yet

U.S. security interests and values, including

DOD proclaims its commitment to even its

preservation of regional stability, and promo-

onetime archenemy; the Pentagon wishes to

tion of democracy and human rights."33 That

expand the relationship between the two mili-

taries and nations.

is a breathtakingly broad agenda for a report

supposedly devoted to security.

Miscellaneous

The administration reports that Wash-

Washington's Policy

ington maintains "active, albeit limited, mili-

Inertia

tary interaction" with Brunei. America's "bilat-

eral relationship with Malaysia has expanded

and matured over the past decade," and the

The world has changed, but Washington's

administration also intends to "look for ways

vision has not. If only American leadership

to expand our access to, and engagement with

prevented East Asia's domination by hege-

the Malaysian defense establishment." In addi-

monic communism in the past, only Amer-

tion, the administration plans "to maintain a

ican leadership can preserve East Asia's stabili-

cooperative bilateral defense relationship"

ty in the future. States DOD, "In contrast to

with Indonesia, which supports a "long-term

Cold War­era alliances, [the U.S. commit-

U.S. presence in the region."31

ments] are not directed at any third power but

serve the interests of all who benefit from

Multilateralism

regional stability and security." Washington's

outsized military presence is "a stabilizing

The administration extols the development

force in the midst of change." Indeed, main-

of "security pluralism." But the term has a nar-

taining such a structure "provides an opportu-

row, crabbed meaning to U.S. officials. The

6