Imagine that you are a senior National Security Council official. You have been asked to provide the president with an assessment of the following scenario.
The United States has long had a supportive relationship with the country of Westria. Westria is a prosperous democracy and a major producer of advanced electronics equipment, including computer chips.
Osterreich, Westria’s neighbor, has contentious relations with the United States and is named as a “strategic rival” in the most recent U.S. National Security Strategy. Further, Osterreich views Westria as a rogue province, as it was once a part of Osterreich’s territory. The leaders of Osterreich have often expressed the view that Westria should become “part of the fatherland” once more.
Both the United States and Osterreich have formidable conventional militaries and large arsenals of nuclear weapons. Westria does not, although it has a respectable military. The United States has not extended a formal alliance treaty to Westria, but it is widely believed that the United States would come to Westria’s defense if attacked.
Westria will soon hold elections in which there will be a close race between anti- and pro-Osterreich parties. Over the past week, Osterreich has begun to mobilize troops in districts bordering Westria. Its leaders and state-controlled media have begun to talk about the “inevitability of reunification”. The Westrian government has contacted the United States to ask for additional reassurances regarding is security. The crisis comes as the president is preparing to meet with the chancellor of Osterreich at a summit regarding economic and environmental cooperation.
Agencies in the U.S. government have proposed three options for a U.S. response:
- Option 1: Do nothing but reassure the Westrians privately that the U.S. remains committed to their security as it has before.
- Option 2: Have U.S. government officials publicly assert Westria’s right to sovereignty and free elections, and move small detachments of U.S. forces to Westrian territory to carry out joint training exercises with the Westrian military.
- Option 3: Deploy substantial U.S. forces to Westria, have strategic (nuclear) bombers like B-52s carry out simulated bombing runs near Osterreich, cancel the U.S.-Osterreich summit, and have U.S. government officials publicly assert that the United States will always come to Westria’s aid.
Drawing on your recent studies of international affairs (specifically, the material covered in weeks 2-6), write a 250 to 400 word memorandum in which you clearly state which option you recommend and explain why it is superior to the other two options. Under no circumstances can it be longer than 450 words. You may also recommend an option that the president reject.
As an NSC staffer, domestic politics is not within your purview; the president is interested only in your assessment of international affairs. Do not comment on U.S. domestic political divisions.
I attached all of the material needed to answer this question, plus the grading criteria and a copy of the instructions as well. IMPORTANT!! Please do use all of the readings and the material provided, don’t write from your own knowledge or opinion, it all has to be directly related to the material. Please. Also, the grading criteria is very clear therefore easy to follow and achieve an A grade. Thank you so much!