Deterrence provides the safest mean for worldwide stability and peace. It prevents a potential conflict from taking place by convincing the enemy state of the disastrous consequences of its act if it decides to proceed with an offensive attack, or any other undesirable action. This tactic is successful because it is rational that no state wants the costs to outweigh the gains in any conflict. Furthermore, the deterrent state will adopt the necessary measures for deterrence to work because if this is not the case, the situation will most likely turn into compellence, which requires a much greater effort to resolve.
             Deterrence is "the persuasion of one's opponent that the costs and/or risks of a given course of action he might take outweigh its benefits."1 The actions that a state may take in order for another one to intervene and use deterrence as a way to stop the former vary, but the most common refer to territorial expansion, such as Iraqi's invasion of Kuwait, or offensive attacks, such as the Cold War. If deterrence is successful, then the aggressive state will change its mind about the action it was about to take without any force being employed by either side. The key factor, which allows deterrence to work, is the psychological influence on the offensive state. It is crucial that the threat imposed onto it will be taken seriously and made believable.2 It is of secondary importance the intention of the imposing state of actually carrying out its threat in case the target dismisses the risk and proceeds with the action it wants to take.
             Deterrence failed in the case of Iraqui's invasion of Kuwait. The United States –UAE "tanker exercise" did not discourage the first from occupying the latter.3 Such an example shows that deterrence will not always work unless there is a serious disadvantage imposed and the threat is credible. Some states may be reluctant to believe that t...