Book Description

Summarizes the key judgments & recommendations of a Nat. Defense University book entitled ¿The U.S. & the Persian Gulf: Redesigning U.S. Forces for the Post-Containment Era.¿ Written in 2002, before the U.S. invasion of Iraq, it notes that with or without regime change in Iraq, the U.S. military posture toward the Persian Gulf will require significant adjustments over the next decade. The future of Iraq -- & the outcome of U.S. efforts to effect regime change & Baghdad¿s compliance with U.N. Security Council resolutions -- will be the key driver of the size & character of these changes. The U.S. will need to diversify its dependence on regional basing & forward presence, as well as reduce the visibility & predictability of its forward-deployed forces.