Perspectives on the Islamic Middle East

Abstract

United States experience in the Middle East has incorporated three considerations: security against Soviet expansionism; a fair and peaceful solution to the Arab-Israeli conflict; and free-market access to oil sources. United States attempts to insure influence in the Persian Gulf area, in particular, has been marked by haphazard successes and staggering failures. Successive American administrations have struggled with threats to U.S. vital interests in the region, resulting in the Truman, Eisenhower, Nixon, Carter and Reagan foreign policy doctrines. Each policy pronouncement incorporated different approaches to similar and recurring problems. All failed to recognize the unique and pervasive religious and societal aspects of Islamic Middle East culture. The military defeat of Iraq's military by the U.S.-led coalition offers a signal opportunity to redress the unbalanced and uninformed American view of Islam, Arabism and Middle East societal culture.

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
May 01, 1991
Accession Number
ADA252180

Entities

People

  • Patrick O. Adams

Organizations

  • Air War College

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Biomedical
  • Energy and Power Technologies
  • Weapons Technologies

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Air Force
  • Commerce
  • Doctrine
  • Families (Human)
  • Governments
  • Intergovernmental Organizations
  • International Law
  • Law
  • National Governments
  • National Politics
  • Organizational Structure
  • Political Systems
  • Students
  • United States Central Command
  • United States Government
  • Vietnam War
  • War Colleges

Fields of Study

  • Political science

Readers

  • East Asian Political and Security Studies within the Soviet Union
  • Military History of the United States in the 20th Century.
  • Political Violence and Terrorism Studies.