Since the breakup of the Soviet Union, Russia has also become a major distributor world of oil, in addition to the Middle East. Although its policies can no longer be predicted as reliably as during the Cold War, its interests are not always commensurate with any one actor, and it is now a volatile presence in international affairs that the United States must take into consideration when making policies. The United States still has an economic interest in maintaining friendly ties with nations that produce oil, even Arab states, and as its strategic interest is less clearly defined, as it is no longer in opposition to a single power seeking to extend its sphere of influence. As the region no longer is a mere playing ground for the two major superpowers to dominate, the factionalism that was already endemic to the region has become even more pronounced. This factionalism has been the cause of civil wars, the rise of terrorism, and a more complicated relationship for the United States and even friendly Arab nations.
The end of the Cold War reduced Israel's strategic importance for the United States, as a buffer to the Soviet sphere of influence. Temporarily, it could be argued, the United States' attempt to curry favor with Saudi Arabia, in the region had increased, although the United States had long attempted to establish improved ties with the Middle East in the form of nations such as the Shah's Iran. The United States has supported Israel for humanitarian reasons as well as strategic reasons, as noted by President Harry Truman in the aftermath of World War II. The presence of the Jewish community within the United States has been a primary reason for the nation's support for Israel, in combination with Israel's democratic, participatory...
On the economic strategy, MEPI has sponsored commercial law programs, development of infrastructures for information technology, and debt reform in Morocco, Tunisia, and Algeria. One of the most notable strategies of the Middle East Partnership Initiative is its ongoing shift of resources to the less offensive path of economic developments that are regime-led. This is a shift from the program's traditional strategy of democracy promotion and involvement with local voluntary
By the middle of the nineteenth century, the balance of economic strength had shifted entirely to western Europe and especially to Britain and France, which were then passing into the second stage of the industrial revolution that Turkey had hardly begun. The European powers would use their political and economic power to force the empire to allow its economy to be incorporated into the nineteenth-century liberal capitalist system. Free
Their primary operations revolve around programs of exchange and dialogues, but also the offering of support for various endeavors aimed at increasing social and economic stability for the Egyptian population (HANDS Website, 2006). The institution was founded in 1988 and has since offered its support to more than 30 local organizations that were struggling to improve the quality of life for the native population. Aside the moral and economic help,
Middle East Violence Three major sources of violence in the Middle East are religion, nationalism and ideology. Each source contributes to some extent to the violence, depending on the conflict. Some conflicts are largely religious in nature, such as the Shiite uprising in the Sadaa region of Yemen (McGregor, 2005). Others are rooted in nationalism, such as the conflict between Kurds and Turks in southeastern Turkey (Haney, 1999). Most conflicts blend
Middle East In addition to the tendency towards violence in their political systems, Middle Eastern countries are known for their basic lack of stable and democratic regimes. Although many attempts have been made to bring democracy to these nations by means of negotiation or even violence, little has been accomplished by these attempts. At the basis of this phenomenon is a social and political development that spans over centuries. This includes
Middle East Academics, policy makers, and other specialists, let alone the general public, have a tendency to perceive the Middle East as a monolith. The truth, however, shows that it is a region filled with contrasts, extremes, and diversities. This is depicted in the extreme differences in neighboring countries with same religion, culture, dress and language, yet lifestyles, radically different. This paper addresses one such difference between two kingdoms, both belonging
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