Why is the Middle East in constant conflict
- lack of democracy
- foreign intervention
Explain European involvement in the Middle East
- 18th/19th century, Britain France and Russia competed fo influence in the ME
- British succeeded in Egypt.
What was Britain’s ME policy?
- protecting India by controlling water acces
- oil acces
- controlling territories of ottoman empire
Describe the fall of the Ottoman Empire
- pre WWI, Hussein was promised by McMahon that in return for the Arab revolt against the Ottomans, the british would help establish an independent Arab state
Consequences of the ME post WWI division
- Instability
- created borders in the me did not correspond with actual tribal or ethnic distinctions
- Lebanon was seen as a haven for religious Maronite Christians, later leading to a civil war
- sizeable Jewish community, resulting in a bad civil war. - Encouraged military coups
- rise of Arab dictators
- deeply rooted conflicting identities in the population
Why was the Middle East geostrategically important?
- Sits at the juncture o f three continents
- Natural Resources
- border the Med sea and Persian Gulf
- close proximity to the Soviet Union
What is the realist explanation for ME policy?
US maximizing interests and powers
What is the marxist explanation for ME policy?
economic gain
Constructivist ME policy?
Democratization, manifest destiny
What was US fp in the middle east during the Cold war?
resisting Soviet influence and containing Soviet success
Explain Israel’s special relationship with the US
US provides Israel with $3 bil in military aid per yr, and has used its veto power 44 times in defense of Israel at UN Security Council. Israel was a primary tool to contain Soviet Influence
Modern US objectives in ME
- conserving global leadership
- controlling the flow of oil from the region
- preserving rule of allied governments in the region
- weakening rogue states
- combatting terrorism
Islamic Militant Groups
- serve as both a tool ad threat for the US
- doubtful that the groups will ever be successfully contained
- ## spread instability throughout the region, huge impact on Europe
