AN ESSAY ON U.S. FOREIGN POLICY IN SOUTH EAST ASIA: IMPLICATIONS FOR CURRENT REGIONAL ISSUES INTRODUCTION 1. Southeast Asia is a region with different political regimes that comprised of eleven countries. It has always been of significant geo-strategic importance with its sea frontiers across important sea routes involving the oil rich Indian Ocean region related to the strategically important Asia Pacific region. Southeast Asia is becoming increasingly importance in today’s globalised world both