Crisis in Iran & American Foreign Policy

The events that occurred in Iran in 1978 and 1979 demanded a complete reappraisal of American foreign policy for the Middle East. Under the Shah, Iran had formed one of the cornerstones of American policy in the region. Open warfare broke out between Iran and Iraq in September 1980, and that conflict caused more shifts in American foreign policy toward the Middle East. The continuing ArabIsraeli dispute, an enduring and deepening American dependence on Middle Eastern energy sources, and a growing concern with international political terrorism, much of which originated in Middle Eastern countries further complicated to development and application of American foreign policy in the Middle East. On 2 August 1990, Iraq invaded the State of Kuwait. This date proved to be another watershed in American foreign policy development in the Middle East.

To many observers, American foreign policy toward the Middle East in the period between the proclaiming of an Islamic republic in Iran in 1979 and Iraq's invasion of Kuwai

esence of Palestinians became a reality in Lebanon, the Phalangists relied every more heavily on their independent militia (Deeb, 1980). 2. The National Liberal Party. The National Liberals were the chief allies of the Phalangists in the Lebanese Front (Deeb, 1980). Where the Phalange attracted lower and middle class Christians, the National Liberals attracted upper class Christians (Rabinovich, 1985). The National Liberals supported, to an extent, a form of Arab nationalism. Their preference was for the conservative, monarchist type of regimes found in Jordan and Iraq (Rabinovich, 1985). The Baathist coup in Iraq was truly frightening to the National Liberals. The fall of the monarchist government in Iraq quelled PanArab support of any kind among the National Liberals (Rabinovich, 1985). 3. The Suleiman Faranjiyya Camp. The Suleiman Camp was centered in the Zugharta region of the country, and they have always been willing to resort to violence to promote or protect their positions (Ma'luf, Farhat, 1972). The camp had a longstanding feud with Lebanon's Sunnis. The camp, however, had a strong relationship with Syria (Iyad, 1978). The camp formed its own militia in 1969, following a conflict with Palestinian organizati