There is no more pressing issue for America than current US foreign policy in the Middle East. This part of the world has been a source of conflict for centuries. The issues are complex and difficult. Unlike domestic policy issues, there are no clear partisan divisions. However, the fear of terrorism is sometimes used as a political wedge issue.
If there was just one single cause of all this trouble, it might be easy to find solutions. Instead, there are many causes that fuels the eternal conflicts in the mid-east. Some experts speculate that if the giant petroleum reserves did not exist, this region would be ignored by history. For some reason, with oil or without oil, the mid-east just seems to attract trouble.
One of the main sources of conflict is the century old differences between the Sunni and Shia branches of Islam. The riff between these two branches can be compared to the struggle between the Catholic church and Protestants. The actual problem is political and cultural differences not religious dogma.
Since 1948, when Israel became a Jewish state, there has been an entrenched battle between the Palestinian people and Israel. Little progress has been made toward a long lasting resolution. Evangelical Christians and American Jews have formed a powerful lobbying interest group that yields influence on Congress.
Since the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001, the United States has been fighting a war on terrorism around the globe. The attacks of 9/11 have had a powerful effect on American international policies. While the United States has destroyed the leadership of al-Qaeda, there are still threats from radical Islamic revolutionary forces. The governments of Egypt and Libya have been overthrown. Islamic extremists can potentially replace governments that, even though authoritarian and corrupt, were friendly to the United States.
The American invasion of Iraq is a very controversial decision. To many analysts and historians, the invasion did not make any sense. The war itself was poorly planned. While the initial take down of the Iraqi government was not difficult, the later administration of the Iraq, after the fall of Saddam Hussein, was a disaster according to the opinions of many experts.
The war in Iraq changed the power of balance between Iraq and Iran, who are traditionally bitter rivals. The United States has had difficult relations with Iran since the hostage crisis during the Carter administration. While a terrible dictator was removed from power in Iraq, Iran was elevated in power in the region. History will have to judge the long term effects of intervening in Iraq, but at this point it seems that the war in Iraq was a mistake.
No matter what someone's political views are, everyone agrees that there are no quick fixes for the complex and dangerous problems driving current US foreign policy in the Middle East. It seems that all the choices are bad so we have to choose the least worse options. Unfortunately, the mid-east will continue to be a region torn apart by war long into the future.
If there was just one single cause of all this trouble, it might be easy to find solutions. Instead, there are many causes that fuels the eternal conflicts in the mid-east. Some experts speculate that if the giant petroleum reserves did not exist, this region would be ignored by history. For some reason, with oil or without oil, the mid-east just seems to attract trouble.
One of the main sources of conflict is the century old differences between the Sunni and Shia branches of Islam. The riff between these two branches can be compared to the struggle between the Catholic church and Protestants. The actual problem is political and cultural differences not religious dogma.
Since 1948, when Israel became a Jewish state, there has been an entrenched battle between the Palestinian people and Israel. Little progress has been made toward a long lasting resolution. Evangelical Christians and American Jews have formed a powerful lobbying interest group that yields influence on Congress.
Since the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001, the United States has been fighting a war on terrorism around the globe. The attacks of 9/11 have had a powerful effect on American international policies. While the United States has destroyed the leadership of al-Qaeda, there are still threats from radical Islamic revolutionary forces. The governments of Egypt and Libya have been overthrown. Islamic extremists can potentially replace governments that, even though authoritarian and corrupt, were friendly to the United States.
The American invasion of Iraq is a very controversial decision. To many analysts and historians, the invasion did not make any sense. The war itself was poorly planned. While the initial take down of the Iraqi government was not difficult, the later administration of the Iraq, after the fall of Saddam Hussein, was a disaster according to the opinions of many experts.
The war in Iraq changed the power of balance between Iraq and Iran, who are traditionally bitter rivals. The United States has had difficult relations with Iran since the hostage crisis during the Carter administration. While a terrible dictator was removed from power in Iraq, Iran was elevated in power in the region. History will have to judge the long term effects of intervening in Iraq, but at this point it seems that the war in Iraq was a mistake.
No matter what someone's political views are, everyone agrees that there are no quick fixes for the complex and dangerous problems driving current US foreign policy in the Middle East. It seems that all the choices are bad so we have to choose the least worse options. Unfortunately, the mid-east will continue to be a region torn apart by war long into the future.
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