US Strategic Interests in South Asia

Abstract

The literature on US strategic interests in South Asia is relatively thin compared with other parts of the world, in particular the regions immediately to the east and west.1 The reason is not far to seek: US strategic interests in South Asia are of a low order, challenged only by central Africa for last place in the list of American concerns. The United States is not and, for the foreseeable future, cannot be militarily threatened from South Asia. The region is not particularly useful as a base of operations for the US to use against its principal rivals. South Asia is of virtually no importance to it economically. The litany is familiar and has never been seriously challenged.2KeywordsUnited StatesNational SecurityNuclear WeaponIndian Ocean RegionStrategic InterestThese keywords were added by machine and not by the authors. This process is experimental and the keywords may be updated as the learning algorithm improves.