ABSTRACT
Strategically wise statesmen realize that nation-states are constantly reevaluating the equations of power in the cascade of never-ending strategic circumstances. This is especially true in the Middle East and South Asia where nation-states are locked in ceaseless regional struggles for power. They are constantly nurturing security relationships with other nation-states inside and outside the region – particularly with the United States, Russia, and China – to enhance their power and interests. But ultimately, the security of all nation-states rests on their own power. Nation-states must hedge against the all too real contingency that in the heat of the competition for power and interests they might abruptly lose their foreign security partners.
