ABSTRACT
The region is ethnically diverse, contains nations of vastly different size and economic development, and has no particular historical justification. United States (US) interests in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) region are substantial and fairly direct. ASEAN as a group is our fourth largest trading partner, and it generally plays a singularly constructive role in North-South discussions and the international economic arena. An important event in determining US policy toward South Asia was the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan, which brought into question the rationales of all parties involved in the region. The Middle East, broadly defined, extends as far as Morocco and Pakistan, and Turkey and the Sudan. The US had good reason for establishing itself in the region. The Soviet Union cannot realistically expect to support a series of clients in Central America given the situation's economic and military realities.
