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First used by the British military command during World War 11, the term Middle East is generally used to describe the region in south western Asia and northeastern Africa. Although the term is relatively new, the Middle East itself has been home to some of the world's oldest civilizations. Their ideas and institutions have spread all over the world, earning the Middle East the name "Cradle of Civilization."
Although this distinction suggests a certain degree of uniformity, the Middle East has been host to a myriad of peoples, ideas, and institutions. Governments arose as early as 3000 BC in the first states of Egypt and Summer. Despite significant defenses, invaders would dethrone these institutions and create their own, marking a trend which would characterize the Middle East until the modem day. Over time, the Middle East and its peoples have been dominated and influenced by many rules, including the Persian, Roman, Byzantine, Islam, and Ottoman empires. In addition to direct foreign control, the Middle East has constantly been subject to outside pressures and influences.
Amidst the political chaos, many religions and cultures developed and thrived in the Middle East. The three great monotheistic religions: Judaism, Christianity, and Islam formed there, and dominate religion and culture in the Middle East today. The great majority of the people in the Middle East are Muslim- however, Judaism and Christianity both retain very strong followings. This division is deceptive, though, because both Christianity and Islam are divided into sects, all of which are represented in the Middle East and provide for still greater religious diversity and complexity.
This incredible variety and historical instability has yielded a very diverse population, which is entirely contrary to the modem western stereotype. This variety is largely responsible for the incessant turmoil and volatility which has characterized the Middle East in the 20th century. Another major reason has been the continued interference and influence of outside powers on Middle Eastern affairs. This paper focuses on the United States as an outside power in the Middle East in the latter half of the 20"' century. It will examine the changing US policy and its effects in the region over that period. Finally, this paper will speculate on the future of the Middle East and propose recommendations for future US foreign policy.
Unfortunately, in examining US relations with the Middle East, the Middle East cannot be treated entirely as a whole. Since the end of colonialism in the 1950s and 1960s, the Middle East has divided into different states with different peoples, resources, histories, and agendas. The result is a region with very complex innerstate relations, interstate relations, and international relations. These relations and their long history play an integral role in policy making. Therefore, in order to understand US foreign affairs with the Middle East, we need background information on each of the countries. Before it looks at US policy, this paper will first provide a very brief description of the basic character and history of the countries most relevant to this discussion of US foreign policy.
