The roots of regional ambitions

Abstract

The Persian Gulf area is vital to U.S. national interests because oil is essential to America's economy. Sixty percent of the world's oil production comes from the Persian Gulf, and the United States consumes 10 percent of this oil. A series of potential threats in the region could draw the world into confrontation. Inter-Arab politics and the Arab-Israeli conflict are two major threats that jeopardize U.S. national objectives and continue to reduce the possibility of regional stability in the Middle East. These threats are core issues in the Baathi ideology in Iraq. The Iraqi Arab Baath Socialist Party's programs and ideology provide a source of energy to Inter-Arab politics and the Arab-Israeli conflict. Although the United States may be capable of ousting Saddam Hussein with help from its regional allies, the analysis provided in this thesis indicates that without fundamental changes in the Iraqi Baath regime, the 1990 Gulf War is unlikely to be the last conflict between Iraq and its neighboring Gulf States.