counter a perceived Soviet threat, following the loss of Iran as such an American asset on 1 April 1979; a need to preserve American access to Middle East crude petroleum supplies, on which the American economy and military capacity were sorely dependent; and a determination to combat international terrorism) in the conduct of foreign policy in the Middle East from 1 April 1979 to 2 August 1990?
2. Was American foreign policy in the Middle East during the relevant period often inconsistent in application because actions taken in pursuit of the goals related to one of the three imperatives conflicted with the attainment of the goals related to one or both of the other imperatives?
Major Issues and Assumptions Affecting American Foreign Policy Toward the Middle East
The combined effects of three issues caused the Middle East to be of crucial importance to the United States during the 1979 1990 period. These issues were (1) energy supplies, (2) support for the state of Israel, and (3) terrorism.
Overall, the United States produced (during the 1979 1990 period) energy in an amount equivalent to 83.7 percent of its
total energy consumption (Energy Information Administration, 1990). Aggregate measures, however, did not reflect the mismatch between the country's energy production mix, and the energy consumption mix required to support its economic and military needs. As a result of the mismatch between the energy production mix and the energy consumption mix in the United States, the country's net energy imports were far greater than the aggregate data indicated would be the case. Thus, rather than importing 16.3 percent of the energy it consumed, the country imported 21.9 percent of the energy it consumed, at a time (the fall of 1990) when there existed no national emergency to cause an escalation in energy demand. An outbreak of hostilities between American and Iraqui forces, however, would quickly result in a demand...