ABSTRACT
The course of US involvement in Central America over the last century has frequently been steered toward military intervention based on loosely described security interests and vague threats. Although the Central American imbroglio appears to have no easily discernable political solutions, it is possible to establish a fairly clear idea of the security interests involved and the forces threatening to those interests. US strategic interests in Central America revolve around the security of the strategic southern flank—the Caribbean Basin. Soviet behavior in the region indicates the Soviet Union is seeking targets of opportunity within this area, and if this pattern continues, adverse regional developments could erode the security posture of the United States. Debate over an appropriate Central American policy has become polarized over differing perceptions of the roots of the current crisis. Some say the causes are indigenous, others claim they were imposed from the outside.
