ABSTRACT
Despite the success of the arms control agreements between East and West in the 1960s and 1970s (see §24.2-3), conflicts arose in the second half of the 1970s that would develop into serious confrontations in the 1980s. The UN and other international organizations were closely involved, but could exert little influence as from 1981 they were faced with a US government led by President Ronald Reagan, who played a personal role in these conflicts, and from 1979 with the invasion of Afghanistan by the Soviet Union. Despite peaceful coexistence and détente in the 1970s, the Cold War continued to influence the hostilities. The most important centres of conflict were in Central America (Nicaragua, El Salvador and Guatemala), Asia (East Timor, Cambodia and Afghanistan), the Middle East (the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and the war between Iraq and Iran) and Southern Africa (Angola).
