Statement: Western nations are withdrawing from United Nations peacekeeping missions in areas outside their strategic interest. Conclusions: I. Western nations are primarily acting out of personal safety concerns. II. Their deployments are driven more by self-interest than by resolving the distressed country’s problems.
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Aif only conclusion I follows
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Bif only conclusion II follows
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Cif either I or II follows
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Dif neither I nor II follows
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ENone of these
Answer
Correct Answer: if only conclusion II follows
Explanation
Introduction / Context:The statement identifies the criterion for withdrawal: the missions are outside the countries’ “strategic interest.” That phrase signals policy choices driven by national objectives, not necessarily by frontline safety conditions or altruistic motives.
Given Data / Assumptions:
- Withdrawals occur when a theater is outside strategic interest.
- No explicit mention is made of troop safety, threat levels, or casualty risks.
- “Strategic interest” denotes self-regarding national calculations.
Concept / Approach:We must test which conclusion necessarily follows. If actions correlate with self-interest (strategic interest), it is reasonable that deployments are guided more by national aims than by the host country’s needs. However, claiming safety as the main reason introduces a different, unstated rationale.
Step-by-Step Solution:1) Conclusion I (safety caution): The text does not mention safety; a theater can be safe yet outside strategic interest, or dangerous yet strategically vital. Hence I does not follow.2) Conclusion II (self-interest motive): Because the stated decision rule is alignment with “strategic interest,” self-interest is explicitly foregrounded as the driver for staying or leaving. Thus II follows.
Verification / Alternative check:If the statement had said “they withdrew due to escalating risks,” safety would be implicated. Instead, “outside strategic interest” grounds the decision in national self-interest.
Why Other Options Are Wrong:“Either” or “Neither” misread the explicit rationale given; “Only I” invents a safety premise.
Common Pitfalls:Conflating strategic interest (policy calculus) with troop safety (operational risk) and assuming they always coincide.
Final Answer:if only conclusion II follows