The United States and Persian Gulf Security: The Foundations of the War on Terror (Durham Middle East Monographs)

The international relations of the Persian Gulf have long been dominated by power politics. Its unrivalled energy resources have historically made this geopolitical arena a vital national security interest for the United States. Historically, Persian Gulf security became synonymous with the maintenance of the political status quo, but with the onset of the War on Terror, US foreign policy has shifted in priority towards combatting the root causes of Islamic extremism. The age-old policy of maintaining stability to ensure a free and secure flow of energy is now recognized as having fuelled Islamic extremism. The new strategic objective for the United States is to see a complete overhaul of the political systems within the region and to develop a culture of political participation to achieve regional security and ensure US homeland security. It is a new agenda wholly in keeping with the messianic Wilsonian values that have long been part of US foreign policy. The purpose of this book is to offer a detailed analysis of US foreign policy towards Iran and Iraq since the onset of the post-Cold War era and to chart its developments and changes right through to the contemporary period of the War on Terror epitomized by the Presidency of George W. Bush. It also provides a detailed examination of US foreign policy towards political Islam to show why and how US strategic interests have so fundamentally changed since the trauma of the 9/11 attacks. Written in a clear and accessible style, the book is sure to prove invaluable for students, policymakers, and the general reader interested in the politics and security of this highly important but volatile region of the Middle East. The international relations of the Persian Gulf have long been dominated by power politics. Its unrivaled energy resources have historically made this geopolitical arena a vital national security interest for the United States. Historically, Persian Gulf security became synonymous with the maintenance of the political status quo, but with the onset of the war on terror, US foreign policy has shifted in priority towards combatting the root causes of Islamic extremism. The age-old policy of maintaining stability to ensure a free and secure flow of energy is now recognized as having fuelled Islamic extremism. The new strategic objective for the United States is to see a complete overhaul of the political systems within the region and to develop a culture of political participation to achieve regional security and ensure US homeland security. It is a new agenda wholly in keeping with the messianic Wilsonian values that have long been part of US foreign policy. This book offers a detailed analysis of US foreign policy towards Iran and Iraq since the onset of the post-Cold War era and charts its developments and changes right through to the contemporary period of the war on terror epitomized by the presidency of George W. Bush. It also provides a detailed examination of US foreign policy towards political Islam to show why and how US strategic interests have so fundamentally changed since the trauma of the 9/11 attacks. 0863723217......Page 1 Contents......Page 6 1. Introduction......Page 8 Part 1: Setting the Context of Change in US Foreign Policy......Page 18 2. The Architecture of US Foreign Policy under Bill Clinton and George W. Bush......Page 20 3. The Emergence of the War on Terror: Political Islam and Grand Strategy......Page 62 Part 2: The United States and the Persian Gulf in the Post-Cold War Era......Page 98 4. The Clinton Years and Iran: Containment and Engagement......Page 100 5. The Clinton Years and Iraq: Strategic Regime Change......Page 130 Part 3: The United States and the Persian Gulf in the War on Terror......Page 168 6. Iraq and the War on Terror: Untangling Tactical and Strategic Policy......Page 170 7. Iran: Proliferation, Preventative Use of Force and Regime Change......Page 196 8. Conclusion......Page 210 Bibliography......Page 216 B......Page 240 C......Page 241 G......Page 242 I......Page 243 K......Page 244 N......Page 245 R......Page 246 S......Page 247 V......Page 248 Z......Page 249 "The purpose of this book is to offer a detailed analysis of US foreign policy towards Iran and Iraq since the onset of the post-Cold War era and to chart its developments and changes right through to the contemporary period of the War on Terror epitomized by the Presidency of George W. Bush. It also provides a detailed examination of US foreign policy towards political Islam to show why and how US strategic interests have so fundamentally changed since the trauma of the 9/11 attacks. The book is sure to prove invaluable for students, policymakers, and the general reader interested in the politics and security of this highly important but volatile region of the Middle East."--Jacket Offers an analysis of US foreign policy towards Iran and Iraq since the end of Cold War. This title charts its developments and changes right through to the contemporary period of the War on Terror epitomized by the Presidency of George W Bush. It also provides an examination of US foreign policy towards political Islam.