“A History of US Foreign Policy in the
Middle East since World War II”
David B. Crist, Ph.D.
South Georgia History Project,
Valdosta, Georgia 2005
There are three kinds of men: The ones that learn
by reading. The few who learn by observation. The
rest of them have to pee on the electric fence for
themselves.
- Will Rogers
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What is the Middle East?
• Middle East?
Near East?
Levant?
• US
Government’s
term:
Southwest
Asia?
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US Department of Defense:
Central Command
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US Department of State:
Bureau of Near Eastern Affairs
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U.S. “holy trinity” of Interests in
the Middle East
All are
Interrelated
• Access to Oil
– Saudi Arabia
• Containment:
– External: Soviet Expansion/Communism
– Regional: Local Hegemony/ “Radical”
Islam
• Support for Israel
The overriding American objective in the
Middle East has always been to achieve
stability
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Oil
• 1908: First oil discovered in SW Persia by
Great Britain
• US had only slight economic interest until
1930s
• 1938: Beginning of the “special
relationship” with Saudi Arabia
• World War II: “The Great Divide”
– 1944 ARAMCO
• 1973 Arab-Israeli War and Oil Embargo
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Soviet Containment
• 1946 Iran crisis/Truman Doctrine
• 1950s Baghdad Pact and “collective
security”
• 1967 British decision to withdraw military
from east of Aden
• 1970s Twin pillar strategy—Iran and Saudi
Arabia
– 1979 Iranian Revolution
US often caught between needs of containment
and local nationalism
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Israel
• 1948: Israeli Independence
– DoD/State opposition
• 1967: War
– US becomes major arms supplier
• 1970s: Increasingly seen as a key Cold War
ally
• 1978: Camp David Accords
– Middle East Peace Process
• 1980s: Viewed through the Cold War prism
– Lebanon and Palestinian uprising
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Reagan/Bush “41”
• Reagan
– Split between State and DoD on Lebanon/Israel
– Iran Iraq War (Containment of Iran)
– 1987: Naval Escort of Kuwait tankers
– Counter Soviets and Iran/Continue flow of oil/US
military force in the Persian Gulf
– Establishes US Central Command
• Bush 41
– 1991: Desert Storm
• US Hegemony
• Madrid/Oslo Peace Process
• Lack of Cease fire leads to 10-year conflict with
Iraq
• Rise of Al Qaeda
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1990s: Clinton
• Faced with obstinate Iraq and Middle East Peace
– Focused on Middle East Peace as first priority
• Oslo Peace Process/Wye River/Camp David
• Iraq Policy
– Moved from indifference to Regime Change
• Iraqi provocations
• No Fly Zones
• UN Weapon Inspectors
• Duel Containment Strategy
– Iraq and Iran
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Bush “43”
• Pre 9/11: No Consensus on Iraq or Middle
East
– Sanction Fatigue and Smart Sanctions
– OSD more hawkish (1998 AEI Letter)
• 9/11 Critical Turning Point
– Afghanistan
– Can’t continue business as usual
• UBL and Islamic “Extremism”
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Operation Iraqi Freedom
• Why Iraq?:
– Middle East Peace Process
• Road to Jerusalem goes through
Baghdad
– Coercive Diplomacy
– Eliminate Iraq threat
• WMD
• Threats to its neighbors
• Tyranny towards its own people
• Ties to terrorists
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The War
• War began 19 March 2003
• Baghdad captured three weeks later
• Military plan centered on Baghdad
– Speed
– Get Saddam
– Expected WMD
• Few US casualties
• Extensive looting throughout Baghdad
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