ABSTRACT
This chapter aims to identity the main elements of the American Administration's rethinking about US defense policy. The Bush Administration was extremely cautious in its first reactions to the changes in the Soviet Union and in Europe. The new defense framework will encompass significant reductions in American forces overall, especially those deployed in Western Europe. The hope for a transition to a new strategy and a new defense policy might be dashed by several developments. The Gulf crisis has reinforced a number of trends in the post-cold war strategy of the United States. This crisis has entered the American debate about security policy precisely at a time when fundamental choices are in the process of being made in the United States. The new strategy and strategic conditions will emphasize lighter and more mobile forces. The Americans are in the throes of accepting a tous azimuths military policy for themselves in the new strategic environment of the twenty-first century.
