Map 8. 2005 Many new issues confront the current international system, but chief among these issues continues to be the global response to terrorism. New alliance ties among themajor states have focused on military cooperation against insurgencies and terrorist groups (Alliance nos. 5.1450 and 5.1455), while states like Syria and Iran (Allianceno. 5.1454) have allied in the hopes of thwarting direct attacks. Still dominant, however, is the overarching role played by regional organizations such as the Organiza-tion of American States (Alliance nos. 4.1289 and 4.1333), the European Union (supported by Alliance no. 4.1339), and the African Union (Alliance no. 4.1371). Theseorganizations provide a forum for regional dialogue in times of crisis while they also support the institutions necessary for facilitating active cooperation and coordina-tion on key regional issues. These large, regional pacts and their constancy through major changes in the international system remain the real story of alliance making atthe beginning of the twenty-first century.
To view this image, please refer to the print version of this book