International Difficulties in the Middle East

 
 
 
Introduction .............................................. 2

II. "Winds of Change" in the Middle East ...................... 3

III. New Threats and Challenges to USCENTCOM's Mission ...... 11

IV. Adequacy of the Current Military Strategy, Joint Doctrine,

and U.S. Force Structure ................................ 15

V. Recommendations .......................................... 18

VI. Notes ................................................... 20

VII. Bibliography ........................................... 22

The Middle East has long been the site of international difficulties. In the past, U.S. involvement in the region was related mainly to the protection of oil interests and the maintenance of relations with Israel. Although these concerns are still enduring, there are also many changes taking place in the Middle East environment. These changes will have a strong impact on the future role of the U.S. military in the area.

The breakdown of the Soviet Union and the subsequent ending of the Cold War have resulted in the Middle East no longer being a center for superpower conflict. However, although the threat of Soviet expansionism has been eliminated, there continues to be a problem in terms of Iran and Iraq seeking control over the oil supplies of their neighboring countries. The situation in Iraq has been particularly troublesome in recent years. For example, the nation launched an aggressive attack on Kuwait in lat



the Middle East whenever its security is threatened. Furthermore, as claimed by Secretary of State Warren M. Christopher, America's unilateral strike showed that the U.S. will, if necessary, "proceed alone where its vital interests are at stake." The United States' role in the Middle East is based in part on the assumption that America is a world leader, as well as a defender of democratic values. In this regard, it is interesting to note that many positive changes have been occurring in the Middle East region lately. For example, Lebanon, Jordan, Kuwait, and Yemen have all recently made democratic reforms in their political systems. These changes will surely help to increase stability in the area. In fact, Jordan's King Hussein argued for democratization of his country on the basis that it is "the only answer to ensuring political stability." In Lebanon, the 1992 elections were the first parliamentary elections held in the nation in two decades. This is another change which will help increase stability in the Middle East; however, Lebanon will need to develop strong military forces in order to protect its new, fragile democracy. The United States can help the Lebanese government meet this need by providing it with trai

 
 
 
Common Topics
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Click Here to Get Instant Access to over 32,000 Professionally Written Papers!!!
 
 

RELATED ESSAYS
 
 
  Negative Aspects of Jerusalem as an International City .... a city under some form of international control has .... Arab-Israeli conflict in the Middle East have floundered .... But the difficulties of settling this issue have ....

On the Front Lines .... book On the Front Lines, Michael Emery discusses the difficulties American foreign correspondents faced in trying to factually report international news in the ....

Difficulty Confronting the Egyptian Economy .... Its cotton industry is also experiencing difficulties because of a decline in quality .... real wages in Egypt rise and fall sharply with the international oil prices ....

Foreign Direct Investment In today's global market, foreign di .... face when they take on international marketing, and .... While supporting the Middle East peace process, the Saudi .... is tackling its budget difficulties and moving in ....

Telecommunications in Saudi Arabia .... for authorities in the Middle East and elsewhere .... to become an important international power, rather .... Difficulties With Problem Resolution Although the problem ....

 
 
 
Members  
 
 
Username
Password
 
Forgot password or username?
 
 
 
Sign Up  
 
 
 
 
 
Saved Papers  
 
 
Save your papers so you can locate them quickly!
 
 
 
Testimonials  
 
"Thank you for making such a high quality site! Your papers are the best I have seen around"
Debbie B.
 
"Your site was very helpful and gave me the details I needed in order to complete my essay!!!"
Mike F.
 
"This site is an excellent vehicle for quick referrences. Thanks a bunch!"
Carla T.
 
"Great site, I got a lot of new ideas I would have never thought of before."
Nate A.
 
"I love this site!!!"
Marie H.
 
 
 
 
Copyright © 2007 - 2010 Lots of Essays. All Rights Reserved.