The United States' Cold War Strategy in the Middle East: Countering Soviet Influence
TITLE
‘The United States’ involvement in the Middle East during the Cold War was mainly to prevent Soviet influence in the region.
ESSAY
The statement that "The United States’ involvement in the Middle East during the Cold War was mainly to prevent Soviet influence in the region" is a complex view that requires thorough evaluation. While it is true that the US's overriding concern during the Cold War period was to deny Soviet access to the Middle East and contain Soviet influence in the region, there were multiple other factors at play in shaping US policy in the Middle East.
One significant aspect of US involvement in the Middle East during the Cold War was the strategic importance of the region. The US wanted to maintain access to facilities and resources in the Middle East, such as waterways like the Persian Gulf and the Suez Canal, as well as the region's vast oil reserves. These economic and strategic interests played a crucial role in shaping US policy in the region. It was in the US interest to promote peace and stability in the Middle East to ensure the flow of resources and protect its strategic assets.
Furthermore, the US aimed to contain Soviet expansion not only in the Middle East but globally. The US perceived Soviet influence in the Middle East as a threat to its broader containment strategy. By promoting peace, stability, and US-friendly governments in the region, the US sought to limit Soviet opportunities to expand its sphere of influence.
However, despite these intentions, US efforts in the Middle East during the Cold War were not always successful. The US faced challenges in enlisting regional partners, promoting peace and stability, and countering Soviet influence effectively. The Soviet Union exploited divisions and conflicts in the Middle East, such as the Arab-Israeli conflict, to increase its influence in the region.
Moreover, the US's close relationship with Israel, while aimed at containing Soviet influence, also created tensions with Arab states and undermined US efforts to appear impartial in the region. The US-Israel alliance strained relations with Arab countries and led to Arab distrust of US motives in the region.
In conclusion, while the prevention of Soviet influence was a significant factor driving US involvement in the Middle East during the Cold War, it was not the only consideration. Economic interests, strategic concerns, and the broader goal of containing Soviet expansion all played crucial roles in shaping US policy in the region. The complex interplay of these factors highlights the multifaceted nature of US involvement in the Middle East during the Cold War and the challenges it faced in pursuing its objectives in the region.
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The United States’ involvement in the Middle East during the Cold War was mainly to prevent Soviet influence in the region. Evaluate this view.
The US’ overriding concern was to deny Soviets access to Middle Eastern territory and, through the policy of containment, inhibit the expansion of the Soviet sphere of influence. However, it also wanted to maintain access to facilities and resources in the Middle East including waterways like the Persian Gulf and the Suez Canal as well as the region’s vast oil reserves. It therefore aimed to promote peace and stability and to contain Soviet expansion.
The belief was that the Soviets would take advantage of unstable states and it would prefer the status quo. During the first two post-war decades, the US made little progress. The 1950 Tripartite Declaration seeking to promote peace and stability achieved little. The Baghdad Pact, a defensive organisation for promoting shared political, military, and economic goals, was also ineffective.
The Soviet Union exploited Arab nationalism in both Egypt and Syria as well as the Arab-Israel enmity, supplying arms to both and supported Nasser in the Suez Crisis. This led to Soviet acquisition of naval and air facilities enabling them to begin a naval build-up in the area and to limit the US influence The US responded in 1957 with the Eisenhower Doctrine; a country could request American economic and military aid if it was facing armed aggression from another state.
In the early 1960s, Kennedy tried to repair US relations with the Arab states by approaching Nasser and by reaffirming continuing support in Saudi Arabia and Jordan. His aim was to contain the communist threat and to secure the neutrality of the Arab world. In contrast, the Soviet Union sympathised with the Arab position. By the 1960s, the US relationship with the Middle East had deteriorated. It had made little progress in promoting peace and stability and enlisting regional partners to strengthen its position in the Cold War.
It decided to take a new proactive stance through a commitment to Israel. Despite this strong support for Israel, the policy on the Arab-Israeli conflict was subordinated to building a more active system of containment and appearing impartial. However, the relationship with Israel damaged that image, and led to Arab distrust. The US felt that they had ‘lost’ Egypt to the Soviets, who were supplying Nasser with military aid; they reacted by selling defensive weapons to Israel in 1962 and offensive weapons in 1966.
In 1967 the US tacitly consented to an Israeli military assault on Egypt to deal with Nasser's blockade of the Straits of Tiran; it shipped military equipment and ammunition to Israel. The US showed that the benefits of close ties with Israel were usually considered more important than strained relations with the Arabs. In September 1970, civil war broke out in Jordan between the PLO and King Hussein. Unable to send troops, Nixon alerted the Israelis to be ready to act if necessary. The troops did mobilise, but war was averted as the PLO backed down. The partnership with Israel had been reaffirmed.
US commitment to the stalemate in the Middle East was a temporary solution to the goals of peace and Soviet containment. The Yom Kippur War 1973 and the ensuing oil embargo scared the US and forced them to reconsider the stalemate policy and the Israeli alliance. In September 1978, Sadat visited Jerusalem and the peace process in the Middle East began. The Israeli Prime Minister was willing to return the occupied territories in Sinai in exchange for peace. It was a good first step towards real peace, which became a realistic possibility with the decline of the Soviet Union and the Cold War in the 1980s.