ABSTRACT
This introduction presents an overview of the key concepts discussed in the subsequent chapters of this book. The book explains the process through which regional as well as project-specific decisions concerning Security Assistance Funds were made in Southern Africa, and demonstrates that the character of the Security Assistance program was determined by diplomatic rather than developmental criteria. It describes the theme of divergent diplomatic/strategic and developmental/humanitarian goals in aid programs from 1946 to 1979. In contrast, refugee, disaster and commerical programs are found to have clearer mandates, to conflict less with diplomatic policy or to be inappropriate for use in diplomacy and to have stronger constituencies. The book presents the participants in United States (US) foreign programming decisions. It identifies for each foreign program the primary orientations of major actors at three levels: that of the programming agency, the coordinating body. The book explores the composition of the obligations of the US Government in the region.
