DOMESTIC INFLUENCES ON U.S. FOREIGN POLICY IN THE MIDDLE EAST. THE VIEW FROM WASHINGTON,
Abstract
The prospect for the 1970's is that American policy in the Middle East will be the product of many forces, among which domestic factors will not necessarily by the primary ones. The most pervasive domestic fact of life may be the post-Vietnam syndrome and the concentration on domestic issues, leaving relatively few resources available for heavy foreign involvments.ements. The role of specific interest groups, such as the pro-Israeli organizations and the oil companies, is likely to decline in influence over day-to-day policy. Policy-makers in the 1970's will find their actions toward Arabs and Israelis primarily constrained by the intractability of the dispute. Likewise, they will face problems of formulating and implementing policy simply by the nature and complexity of the foreign policy process. For the 1970's developments in Soviet Middle Eastern policy and in the military capabilities of the Arab states will have a greater impact on U.S. foreign policy than will domestic factors. (Author)
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Apr 01, 1970
- Accession Number
- AD0705095
Entities
People
- William B. Quandt
Organizations
- RAND Corporation