War and Peace in the Middle East A Critique of American Policy Written by: Avi Shlaim Powerpoint by: Eric Paradis World Civ., F Period

Shlaim’s Thesis Middle Eastern problems were caused by the neglect of controlling powers and super powers to take into account the regional interests of local inhabitants. Simplified: external ruling powers caused the many problems and prolonged them while in the Middle East

Middle Eastern problems were caused by the neglect of controlling powers and super powers to take into account the regional interests of local inhabitants.

Simplified: external ruling powers caused the many problems and prolonged them while in the Middle East

Argument Divided into four parts, times, empires Ottoman European (mainly British / French) Superpower (America and the Soviet Union) American

Divided into four parts, times, empires

Ottoman

European (mainly British / French)

Superpower (America and the Soviet Union)

American

Ottoman Empire Ruled the Arab lands from 1516 to 1918 dynastic, Islamic, and multiethnic empire Ottoman government respected distinctive laws and customs of the locals allows people to maintain regional control and order late 18th century: internal decline, empire begins to fall apart

Ruled the Arab lands from 1516 to 1918

dynastic, Islamic, and multiethnic empire

Ottoman government respected distinctive laws and customs of the locals

allows people to maintain regional control and order

late 18th century: internal decline, empire begins to fall apart

European Contol European power increase coincides with that of the Ottoman decline Ottoman loses control completely roughly at the end of WWI and European powers keep control until 1956 Western powers create a new political and territorial order state lines are drawn up with boundaries and rulers are appointed

European power increase coincides with that of the Ottoman decline

Ottoman loses control completely roughly at the end of WWI and European powers keep control until 1956

Western powers create a new political and territorial order

state lines are drawn up with boundaries and rulers are appointed

Main Problems Britain made promises to countries to gain support for the war to France: divide the land between the Med and Persian Gulf into two “spheres of influence” promised Hussein support of Arab independence if they took up arms against the Turks most importantly they promised a homeland to Jews in Palestine during the Balfour Declaration Sir Anthony Parsons “Palestine problem as the single most terrible and enduring part of the British legacy in the Middle East”

Britain made promises to countries to gain support for the war

to France: divide the land between the Med and Persian Gulf into two “spheres of influence”

promised Hussein support of Arab independence if they took up arms against the Turks

most importantly they promised a homeland to Jews in Palestine during the Balfour Declaration

Sir Anthony Parsons “Palestine problem as the single most terrible and enduring part of the British legacy in the Middle East”

Israeli-Arab Conflict Territorial quarrels Six wars in postwar Middle East 1948 Palestine War 1956 Suez War June 1967 Six-Day War 1969-70 War of Attrition October 1973 Yom Kippur War 1982 Lebanon War

Territorial quarrels

Six wars in postwar Middle East

1948 Palestine War

1956 Suez War

June 1967 Six-Day War

1969-70 War of Attrition

October 1973 Yom Kippur War

1982 Lebanon War

Super Power Control Period following the decline of western control was actually a time of local independence Following this the superpowers did not actually try to take political control or occupy the states more indirect form of control: providing economic and military aid and making alliances

Period following the decline of western control was actually a time of local independence

Following this the superpowers did not actually try to take political control or occupy the states

more indirect form of control: providing economic and military aid and making alliances

American Control Gained complete control and emerged as the dominant global power after the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991 Main course of action was to keep the “status quo” try to keep the many warring and conflicting nations under control

Gained complete control and emerged as the dominant global power after the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991

Main course of action was to keep the “status quo”

try to keep the many warring and conflicting nations under control

Shlaim’s Critiques (not specific to American time of control) Says that America mistook forms of nationalism as Soviet attempts for Communist expansion “the Middle East policy was largely an extension of it’s Cold War strategy” America’s main concern was control of the oil, not letting others get a “choke hold” Placed Israel in front of other nations

Says that America mistook forms of nationalism as Soviet attempts for Communist expansion

“the Middle East policy was largely an extension of it’s Cold War strategy”

America’s main concern was control of the oil, not letting others get a “choke hold”

Placed Israel in front of other nations

Critiques cont. America backs Israel despite actions during Lebanon war (critique of Reagan administration) Israel was “not a bastion of stability but a source of regional turmoil and violence” which Shlaim says is a “serious viability” America contributes to the destruction of Lebanese state and collapse of regional order America’s uncritical support of Israeli security (as defined by the Israeli govt.)

America backs Israel despite actions during Lebanon war (critique of Reagan administration)

Israel was “not a bastion of stability but a source of regional turmoil and violence” which Shlaim says is a “serious viability”

America contributes to the destruction of Lebanese state and collapse of regional order

America’s uncritical support of Israeli security (as defined by the Israeli govt.)

Gulf Critiques America’s policy in the Gulf: “bolster independence, security, and stability of oil producing states” and “contain the spread of Soviet military power and influence” everything else was secondary Shah regime collapses, loses links with Iranian military, world economy shocked as oil goes from $13 to 39$/barrel

America’s policy in the Gulf: “bolster independence, security, and stability of oil producing states” and “contain the spread of Soviet military power and influence” everything else was secondary

Shah regime collapses, loses links with Iranian military, world economy shocked as oil goes from $13 to 39$/barrel

Iran-Iraq War Shlaim says that Reagan unnecessarily prolonged the war in the end both sides felt cheated with the results: Iraq felt like they could have taken out the Khomeini regime if allowed to, Iran felt that without American intervention (hadit been a fair fight) they could have destroyed Saddam’s regime “ the hostility between Iran and Iraq, and Iran and America, was as great, if not greater, at the end of the eight-year was as it had been at the beginning”

Shlaim says that Reagan unnecessarily prolonged the war

in the end both sides felt cheated with the results: Iraq felt like they could have taken out the Khomeini regime if allowed to, Iran felt that without American intervention (hadit been a fair fight) they could have destroyed Saddam’s regime

“ the hostility between Iran and Iraq, and Iran and America, was as great, if not greater, at the end of the eight-year was as it had been at the beginning”

Desert Shield / Storm Conflict itself was due to the British territorial flaws, Saddam claimed that Kuwait was a creation of British imperialism Bush overrides the advice of his military advisers and secretary of state, instead he approves the air strike and steers the country towards war

Conflict itself was due to the British territorial flaws, Saddam claimed that Kuwait was a creation of British imperialism

Bush overrides the advice of his military advisers and secretary of state, instead he approves the air strike and steers the country towards war

Desert cont. Iraqi forces are successfully pushed out Bush then “snapped defeat from the jaws of victory” leaves Saddam in power instead of overthrow and continues persecuting his people

Iraqi forces are successfully pushed out

Bush then “snapped defeat from the jaws of victory”

leaves Saddam in power instead of overthrow and continues persecuting his people

Conclusion Shlaim says that over time, controlling powers only prolonged and intensified the conflicts and wars going on in the Middle East. Even though there were times of good results, the overall aftermath of the greater powers after the collapse of the Ottomans was neither positive or helpful and the powers (British, French, American) are to blame.

Shlaim says that over time, controlling powers only prolonged and intensified the conflicts and wars going on in the Middle East. Even though there were times of good results, the overall aftermath of the greater powers after the collapse of the Ottomans was neither positive or helpful and the powers (British, French, American) are to blame.