US Involvement in the Middle East

            The United States’ involvement in the Middle East and the efforts made there have remained consistent throughout the past century: primarily its interests in foreign oil and continued promotion and protection of democracy. Unfortunately, American involvement in the issues present in the region has caused even more instability as new governments have failed and militant groups forcefully assume power.

Though uninterested at first in European affairs within the region following World War I and the dissolution of the Ottoman Empire, the United States shifted its focus from Latin America and joined the United Kingdom in dividing up the oil present there. The Middle East produces thirty percent of the globe’s oil, playing a major role in not only the United States’ economy, but the global economy as a whole. Though the stability of foreign oil is not as important to the United States today as it has been in the past, US interests were heavily geared towards protecting their stakes in the oil in the Middle East.

The United States became involved in Middle Eastern affairs to aid in the formation of the Jewish State of Israel and promoting peace between Israel and the Palestinians. Continuing today, Israel has received the unwavering support of the United States both economically and militarily. The formation of the Jewish state of Israel in 1948 was a result of the United States backing the Jewish population persecuted so severely during the Second World War, as well as the necessity to defend Israel as it is surrounded by enemies, hostile dictatorships in the Middle East. Today the tension between Israel and the Palestinians has diminished and they’ve gradually focused less and less on peace promotion.

The United States has long focused its efforts on combatting the spread of communism. Following World War II, and throughout the Cold War era, the administrations have focused on giving military aid to the Middle Eastern states threatened by communism. We have supported proxy states in defending the Middle East, to replace US force, from the communist Soviet Union, and stopping Soviet expansion/containing the Soviets in Afghanistan.

The actions the United States has taken in the Middle East seem to be impulsive and only provide solutions for the short term. For example, the United States supported proxy states to replace their own force in the region, but that would later backfire as they were supporting a terrorist group that would cause great trouble for the United States in the years to come. Following the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, the United States invaded Afghanistan and Iraq in an attempt to spread democracy to fight terror, using military force if needed.

The majority of the United States’ dealings within the Middle East have typically involved conflict, and the current atmosphere in the Middle East proves that the United States has left instability in its wake of impulsiveness and its attempted spread of democracy. The governments they have attempted to create and support have failed and ended up preventing any progress combatting terrorism. Spreading democracy is less of a concern now as combatting terrorist groups is of our nation’s main concern.