ABSTRACT
This chapter explores the most serious risks of United States (US) dependence on south-central Africa for a large share of its cobalt supplies and the costs of cobalt supply disruptions should they occur. Dependence on south-central Africa for more than one-half of its cobalt needs exposes the US to certain serious risks. US dependence on south-central Africa for its cobalt supplies also provides certain options to the Soviet Union. The risks of dependence on foreign sources of cobalt also may include more subtle implications for national security. If Soviet leaders ever decided to take advantage of the Western dependence on southern Africa for critical minerals, it would probably occur only at a crucial moment in East-West relations. If there were a major conventional war between East and West, the dependence of the Western nations on south-central Africa for cobalt supplies would provide important options for Soviet planners.
