ABSTRACT
The reaction of the Western alliance to the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan was, at the suggestion of the United States, divided into two stages. “Phase 1” concerned immediate steps—diplomatic and economic sanctions, motions of censure in the U.N., a boycott of the Olympic Games—that could be taken to express Western concern and exert pressure upon the Soviet government to withdraw its troops. “Phase 2” focused on military measures that could be pursued to adjust to the strategic implications of the presence of Soviet troops in Afghanistan and their consequent proximity to the Gulf. The primary focus of this chapter is the latter concern; namely, what steps NATO took to meet what it perceived as a new threat to its vital energy interests in the Persian Gulf. It is necessary to begin with the response in the diplomatic realm, for the behavior of NATO members during the first phase provides valuable insight into the political dynamics behind the reaction within the alliance to a crisis occurring outside the European theater.
