The Shifting Sands: A History of American Policy in The Middle East

The United States has had a significant presence in the middle east since the early 20th century with the event of the first world war for both economic and political purposes. The hot bed of activity and conflict that was created by colonization, constant war and the remaining influence of ancient empires is now seething with revolution and the flood of new ideas. Since those very early days of the U.S. presence and influence in the middle east countries like Egypt, Libya and Tunisia are starting to desire for freedom.  Libya is waging an all out war on Ghadafi.  Tunisia has little more than two months until its first democratic election.  Egypt has thrown off the dictatorial Mubarak. There have been radical changes in that region over the past century and it leaves us wondering what is going to happen next.
     In 1919 the League of Nations was formed at the urging of then, American President Woodrow Wilson in the wake of the first world war. Soon after its formation the League dissected the lands of the fallen Ottoman empire, who was defeated as one of the Axis powers in world war 1, into new colonial territories for the Western powers on the winning side of the war. This partition of the fallen Ottoman empire lead to the creation of States like Palestine, Jordan, Syria and Lebanon and set the stage for the events and regimes that we see in our world today.
     Moving forward to the advent of the Cold War after the political map of the Middle East became much more similar to the one that we see in modern times the United States took many different military actions to influence the newly created states of the region. In 1953 the newly created Central Intelligence Agency launched the first of many operations in the middle east. This action was titled operation ajax and was meant to deter the spread of Communism to Iran and aid the Anglo-Iranian oil company in maintaining a high profit margin. The then newly elected and first ever democratic prime minister of Iran, Mohammad Mossadegh, wanted to nationalize the oil industry of Iran to stop foreign exploitation of Persian resources. This worried the Anglo Iranian oil company who then lobbied with both the British and American governments to stop that from happening. In response the CIA and British intelligence staged a coup that took months of preparation and propaganda production to succeed. Finally, after the coup, the CIA installed the once exiled Shah of Iran who then proceeded to lead a campaign of autocracy and terror against his own people until the 1979 Islamic revolution. 
     A decade later in Iraq the CIA planned but failed to eliminate the leader of Iraq general Abd al-Karim Qasim who five years earlier had over thrown the pro western monarch of Iraq. Luckily for the CIA the general was killed soon after the failed coup by a firing squad of the opposing Baath party. The United States then befriended the new regime of Iraq hoping to gain an anti soviet ally. The new Baath party leader of Iraq, Salam Arif died in 1966 when his brother a non Baath party member succeeded him. This new leader of Iraq was considering making oil pipeline deals with both the French and Soviet governments until the CIA gave support to the Baath party to stage a coup against the current regime, on the condition that the Baath party would give the oil in the northern part of the country to United States. This coup brought Hassan al-Bakr to power with the future Iraqi leader Sadam Hussein as a prominent lieutenant. 
     By the time the Cold War finished the United States had staged several other coups against Middle Eastern regimes that were unfavorable to the United States and installed pro western regimes who often turned out to be dictators. So where does this leave the United States? In the spur of the moment fueled by fear of falling behind in the Cold War the United States destroyed the bright hopes of many nations and in some cases started the wheels in motion for genocide. Because of U.S. interference Iran did not become a democracy, Iraq had Saddam Hussein come to power and many other countries were left bloodied and weaker than ever. These nations now left unstable and weak are unable to provide for themselves and many of them that are not under the rule of dictators live in lawless squalor and harbor the terror cells that the U.S. wants to be destroyed. Most of the ones that are controlled by dictators are now erupting in chaos and revolution with angry rebels firing off guns in the streets. Even worse, those nations still held in the iron grip of tyrants are some of the United States most valuable assets. Saudi Arabia, the oil baron of the world imposes radical Islam on its own people and has secret police, known as the Mabahith, patrol the streets and search for anyone who might think of opposing the regime. Before the Egyptian regime was over thrown and the Libyan regime jeopardized the United States rendition many of its covert prisoners over to these countries where they would be interrogated by means outlawed by the Geneva Conventions. 
     The United States has been playing a very risky game working with these nations in the middle east for the past century and attempting to manipulate every aspect of their workings for our own purposes. Now the board is coming apart and the rules of the game being rewritten. The United States needs to reevaluate its policy in the Middle East to be one that openly supports democracy and freedom of speech. We cannot hope to ever have true allies in the region if we do not extend the hand of friendship with legitimately good intentions.