ABSTRACT
The role of Third World security commitments in the restoration of American power appears in administration thinking on several levels. First, alliances are seen in their traditional role as a tool that can aggregate the military power of the free world for deterrence or defense. The Ronald Reagan administration has also been far more vigorous than its predecessor in using security assistance to cement Third World defense ties. Beginning in the late 1970s and continuing into the early 1980s, Thailand, Indonesia, Malaysia, and Singapore have dramatically increased their defense spending and intensified their bilateral military cooperation; today they exchange intelligence, patrol jointly against insurgencies, and regularly exercise their naval forces. The administration has also attempted to support local defense groupings closer to home. It is true, of course, that many of the Carter/Reagan commitments came into existence neither for perimeter military containment nor to aggregate power for deterrence and defense.
