ABSTRACT
The traditional environment in which national security policy is honed and in which threats to that security are mounted has not changed markedly in the last decade. The Middle East, for instance, continues to be the most troublesome, unstable part of the world, with the rise of the Islamic State (IS) and interrelated terrorism as major threats. In addition, residual, if declining, dependence on Persian Gulf petroleum will
ensure that American interests remain sufficiently engaged to prevent total American disengagement, although changes in national resource policy discussed in this chapter will reduce the problem markedly.
