Since the fall of Saigon in April, 1975, the United States has been attempting to define a new security role for itself in Southeast Asia. Our ejection from the Indochina peninsula terminated a quarter-century of confused and distorted perceptions of American priorities and interests in the region, so it is natural that it is followed by a period of reevaluation and adjustment. Nevertheless, there has been a clear lack of urgency in defining a new role for ourselves in the area, and the reasons for the delay are not hard to find