Ever since the United States ended the Second World War in 1945 every administration has found itself involved more and more in the affairs of the Middle East. Over the decades this engagement in the orient has changed due to the new realities of the post-World War era and the evolving relations between the USA and Arab nations. Today in 2004, no other foreign policy matter could be more crucial than the issue of United States foreign policy toward the Middle East. After the horrific and tragic terrorist attacks in New York and Washington on September 11th, 2001 the relevance of the issue gained a dramatic new dimension. For decades the US-Arab relation has been the focus of recent scholars, especially the never-ending Israel-Palestinian conflict has had its share of the research that has been conducted. In the first years of the twenty-first century the urgent need to comprehend US-Arab relations is understandably dominant.
In the immediate aftermath of the September 11 attacks a wave of historical and scientific works were published. Most of the historians were still in shock from the events that had occurred and therefore not willing to reflect upon past experiences with Middle Eastern nations. But eventually the pressing question arose that puzzled so many minds: Why do they hate us? A project by many respectable scholars involved a website devoted to the American values where they posted several essays in trying to answer that question. By raising it, they automatically came across the path of self-definition and self-defense. As the Bush Administration articulated its first response to the attacks of 9/11 with the retaliatory strike against Afghanistan, the scholars of www.americanvalues.org defended the action by publishing a kind of declaration of self-defense in order to protect the values of America and the values of the free world. In it, they clearly distanced themselves and America from barbaric terrorist attacks and declared that they were meant to destroy American values which led them to answer the next fundamental question: Who are we then?
In the end, this proclamation served as a reassurance of the existing belief of what the USA is NOT according to the scholars, which is totalitarian, oppressive, hegemonic and barbaric.
Inhaltsverzeichnis (Table of Contents)
- Origins of US Foreign Policy towards the Middle East
- The Middle East as Terra Incognita
- US Policymakers and the Discovery of Oil
- The Cold War Setting and Arab Nationalism
- Orientalism and the Racial Hierarchy
- The Impact of the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict
- Truman and the Recognition of Israel
- Domestic Pressure and Political Reasons
- The Cold War Setting and the Containment of the Soviet Union
- Arrogance and Missionary Belief in the USA
- Interests on Both Sides of the US-Arab Relation
- Truman and the Importance of Oil
Zielsetzung und Themenschwerpunkte (Objectives and Key Themes)
This essay examines the origins of US foreign policy towards the Middle East since 1945, exploring the factors that shaped American attitudes and actions in the region. The focus is on understanding the historical context and key developments that led to the increasingly significant role of the Middle East in US foreign policy.
- The evolving relationship between the USA and Arab nations
- The role of oil and energy resources in shaping US interests
- The influence of the Cold War and Soviet containment on US policy
- The impact of ideology, particularly Orientalism and racial hierarchies
- The significance of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and its impact on US-Arab relations
Zusammenfassung der Kapitel (Chapter Summaries)
- Origins of US Foreign Policy towards the Middle East: This chapter sets the stage for the essay by outlining the initial lack of significant US involvement in the Middle East prior to World War II. It discusses the minimal cultural and religious presence of Americans in the region and the prevailing perception of the Middle East as a European sphere of influence. It highlights the limited US engagement in the region before the discovery of oil resources and the collapse of the Ottoman Empire.
- The Middle East as Terra Incognita: This section further explores the lack of substantial US involvement in the Middle East before 1939. It emphasizes the limited understanding of the region among Americans and the dominant cultural and religious nature of US presence. It highlights the absence of political ambitions or strategic concerns, which would later become crucial to US foreign policy towards the Middle East.
- US Policymakers and the Discovery of Oil: This chapter analyzes the impact of World War II on US foreign policy priorities. It discusses the recognition of the vital role of petroleum in modern warfare and the growing US dependence on foreign oil resources. It highlights the emergence of a corporatist approach towards US-Arab relations, with the involvement of private oil corporations in safeguarding national interests. The chapter also emphasizes the importance of the Cold War setting, with the growing threat of Arab nationalism and Soviet influence in the region.
- The Cold War Setting and Arab Nationalism: This section delves into the role of Cold War dynamics in shaping US foreign policy towards the Middle East. It discusses the growing concerns of US policymakers about the potential alliance of Arab nationalists with Soviet ideology and the threat posed by nationalist sentiments in the region. It highlights the importance of containing Soviet influence and preventing its spread into the Middle East. This chapter also examines the Eisenhower administration's perception of Arab nationalism as a possible manifestation of communist-initiated revolutions.
- Orientalism and the Racial Hierarchy: This chapter explores the influence of ideology, specifically Orientalism and racial hierarchies, on US foreign policy towards the Middle East. It discusses the prevailing belief in a racial hierarchy, with the US and Western Europe considered "civilized" powers and the Middle East, along with Asia, Latin America, and Africa, viewed as "underdeveloped" or "primitive." The chapter explores how this belief shaped US attitudes and actions, contributing to the perpetuation of cultural stereotypes and prejudices against Arabs and Muslims.
Schlüsselwörter (Keywords)
This preview examines key concepts related to US foreign policy in the Middle East, including the Cold War, oil resources, Arab nationalism, Orientalism, racial hierarchy, the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, and the changing dynamics of US-Arab relations.
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- Michael Schmid (Author), 2004, Origins of US Foreign Policy towards the Middle East, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/66515