"This study addresses the potential contribution of confidence- and security-building measures (CSBMs) toward their goal of building confidence and security in Europe. First, the report surveys and discusses various publicly stated U.S. or NATO objectives for CSBMs, distilling these to three core objectives: inhibiting the threatened use of force for political intimidation, reducing misunderstanding/miscalculation, and making surprise attack less likely. It then describes the original NATO package of CSBMs, which consisted of six measures presented in January 1984 at the Conference on Disarmament in Europe (CDE) in Stockholm, analyzing and evaluating that package in the context of U.S./NATO objectives for CSBMs. Finally, it identifies several potential options available to the West for the future development of CSBM packages within the CDE. The study includes a brief summary of the main elements in both the original NATO package and the concluding document (reproduced in an appendix) of the Stockholm conference."--Rand abstracts.

Confidence-Building Measures (CBMs) - often seen as the fastest growing sector on the post-Cold War diplomatic agenda - are increasingly viewed by the international community as useful instruments for addressing a range of security and diplomatic issues. Rethinking Confidence-Building Measures warns against an uncritical pursuit of CBMs, arguing that the idea has been oversold. The author asserts that obstacles to meaningful agreements are much more important than usually acknowledged, and the political and military ramifications have been generally ignored. She concludes that the same effort, painstaking negotiation, and possibilities for failure are inherent in CBMs as in the wide array of other potential solutions for managing interstate security relations, but with far fewer substantial results.