Reimagining U.S. Strategy in the Middle East: Sustainable Partnerships, Strategic Investments
Abstract
With the start of a new administration in the United States, the coming months might offer an opportune moment for Washington to rethink some of the fundamental premises underlying American policymaking in the Middle East and review how the United States engages the Middle East, andperhaps more fundamentallyfor what purpose. Such a review is long overdue. Past U.S. engagement in the Middle East has predominantly focused on opposing threats, from the Soviet Union during the Cold War to terrorist networks after September 11, 2001. For the past 40 years, countering Iranian influence has been among the more enduring tenets of U.S. policy. But what might a U.S. regional strategy look like if confronting such threats as Iran were no longer the primary organizing principle? What if our policies were devised to advance a long-term vision of what we are for, not just what we are against? This report, produced by a team of RAND Corporation subject-matter experts, addresses that question by analyzing long-standing American interests and relationships with central partners and then considering an alternative framework in which the Iranian challenge is just one among several factors the United States should take into account. The research assesses the advantages and trade-offs of a reimagined regional strategy where strategic goals link to a broader understanding of stability that prioritizes reduced conflict, better governance, and greater growth and development.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Jan 01, 2021
- Accession Number
- AD1123969
Entities
People
- Ashley L. Rhoades
- Dalia D. Kaye
- Jeffrey Martini
- Linda Robinson
- Nathan Vest
Organizations
- RAND Corporation