Current US foreign policy in the Middle East must be understood in an historical context. To fully understand what is going on in this dangerous part of the world, one must understand the role that American domestic politics plays in forming American international policies. Christian and Jewish worshipers, who are supportive of Israel, exert a powerful political influence, turning this into a big issue in American politics.
If there was just one single cause of all this trouble, it might be easy to find solutions. Instead, there are many causes that fuels the eternal conflicts in the mid-east. Some experts speculate that if the giant petroleum reserves did not exist, this region would be ignored by history. For some reason, with oil or without oil, the mid-east just seems to attract trouble.
One of the main sources of conflict is the century old differences between the Sunni and Shia branches of Islam. The riff between these two branches can be compared to the struggle between the Catholic church and Protestants. The actual problem is political and cultural differences not religious dogma.
Since 1948, when Israel became a Jewish state, there has been an entrenched battle between the Palestinian people and Israel. Little progress has been made toward a long lasting resolution. Evangelical Christians and American Jews have formed a powerful lobbying interest group that yields influence on Congress.
Since the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001, the United States has been fighting a war on terrorism around the globe. The attacks of 9/11 have had a powerful effect on American international policies. While the United States has destroyed the leadership of al-Qaeda, there are still threats from radical Islamic revolutionary forces. The governments of Egypt and Libya have been overthrown. Islamic extremists can potentially replace governments that, even though authoritarian and corrupt, were friendly to the United States.
The American invasion of Iraq is a very controversial decision. To many analysts and historians, the invasion did not make any sense. The war itself was poorly planned. While the initial take down of the Iraqi government was not difficult, the later administration of the Iraq, after the fall of Saddam Hussein, was a disaster according to the opinions of many experts.
The civil war currently taking place in Syria is a prime example of the dilemma policy makers face. Syria is ruled by a brutal leader who has used poison gas on its citizens. The rebels, however, are Islamic extremists who want to attack American. If we arm the rebels, they may use the weapons we give them to attack us. The Russians, who are our rivals, support the current Syrian government. Some experts are saying the best course of action is for the United States to simply stay out of this war.
No matter what someone's political views are, everyone agrees that there are no quick fixes for the complex and dangerous problems driving current US foreign policy in the Middle East. It seems that all the choices are bad so we have to choose the least worse options. Unfortunately, the mid-east will continue to be a region torn apart by war long into the future.
If there was just one single cause of all this trouble, it might be easy to find solutions. Instead, there are many causes that fuels the eternal conflicts in the mid-east. Some experts speculate that if the giant petroleum reserves did not exist, this region would be ignored by history. For some reason, with oil or without oil, the mid-east just seems to attract trouble.
One of the main sources of conflict is the century old differences between the Sunni and Shia branches of Islam. The riff between these two branches can be compared to the struggle between the Catholic church and Protestants. The actual problem is political and cultural differences not religious dogma.
Since 1948, when Israel became a Jewish state, there has been an entrenched battle between the Palestinian people and Israel. Little progress has been made toward a long lasting resolution. Evangelical Christians and American Jews have formed a powerful lobbying interest group that yields influence on Congress.
Since the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001, the United States has been fighting a war on terrorism around the globe. The attacks of 9/11 have had a powerful effect on American international policies. While the United States has destroyed the leadership of al-Qaeda, there are still threats from radical Islamic revolutionary forces. The governments of Egypt and Libya have been overthrown. Islamic extremists can potentially replace governments that, even though authoritarian and corrupt, were friendly to the United States.
The American invasion of Iraq is a very controversial decision. To many analysts and historians, the invasion did not make any sense. The war itself was poorly planned. While the initial take down of the Iraqi government was not difficult, the later administration of the Iraq, after the fall of Saddam Hussein, was a disaster according to the opinions of many experts.
The civil war currently taking place in Syria is a prime example of the dilemma policy makers face. Syria is ruled by a brutal leader who has used poison gas on its citizens. The rebels, however, are Islamic extremists who want to attack American. If we arm the rebels, they may use the weapons we give them to attack us. The Russians, who are our rivals, support the current Syrian government. Some experts are saying the best course of action is for the United States to simply stay out of this war.
No matter what someone's political views are, everyone agrees that there are no quick fixes for the complex and dangerous problems driving current US foreign policy in the Middle East. It seems that all the choices are bad so we have to choose the least worse options. Unfortunately, the mid-east will continue to be a region torn apart by war long into the future.
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