Third World Conflict and American Response in the Post-Cold War World

: The author of this report looks at the ways in which the end of the cold war affects the pattern of violent conflict in the international system. Based on this examination, he suggests that the focus of national security attention in the new international order is likely to shift to the Third World. Instability and war have always been a prominent feature of that part of the world, but he argues the end of the cold war will help change both the nature of that pattern and how the United States may respond to Third World conflicts. He concludes with some suggestions about how the Army might be affected by this change and how it can maximize its utility in the new environment.