Importance of a U.S. Security Strategy in the Caspian Black Sea Region

摘要

The Caspian Black Sea Region is located at the strategically important intersection of the Balkans, the Middle East, Europe and Asia. It boasts sizable energy reserves and offers considerable opportunities for international commerce. Long left to the Soviet Union and the Russian Federation to provide stability to the region, Washington has neglected to develop a definitive regional security strategy. Since the end of the Cold War, this region has been anything but a scene of peace and tranquility. The Soviet Union's collapse created a security vacuum in the region which the U.S. ignored. The events of September 11, 2001, and more recently the 2008 Russian invasion of Georgia, exposed seams in American diplomatic and military power in the region and has necessitated a relook at U.S. security policy there. The destabilizing threats in this region are numerous and affect energy transportation, criminal enterprise and national sovereignty. Developing a security strategy based on all elements of U.S. national power will provide the pillars of lasting stability required for the region.