Power of Place Middle East Conflict Notes

     To understand the Middle East anger and resistance, one has to go back to 1914 and the break up of the Ottoman Empire (Turkey). In WWI the Ottomans allied with Germany, and they lost the war. Great Britain seized control.  France and England carved up the territory. These were colonies, not nation-states, meaning that they were controlled by these European powers. Eventually the region gained independence, but the dictators who were in power were heavily supported by European powers. Oil wealth from these colonies was not distributed equally, creating a society of haves and have nots. Corrupt dictators controlled the distribution. Some was given to the people, but a lot of the oil was sold cheaply to Europe and the US to fuel its industry. Through the years, the US supported these corrupt dictators, because the US needed their help in keeping the oil flowing from the Middle East to the US. Many people, especially those who didn't receive any wealth from oil exports, grew increasingly angry. This was made worse by the US having military bases stationed in various areas of the Middle East, some of which is considered sacred Islamic land.

     One of the dictators that the US supported was Saddam Hussein.  Eventually the relationship between Hussein and the US soured. One reason was because Saddam was a repressive dictator. He was a Sunni and most of the population was Shia, who wanted him out of power.  When the US invaded Iraq, many in the Middle East looked at it as a kind of neo-colonialism where our only interest was in obtaining cheap oil to keep our economy going.  Therefore, even more terrorists were created who looked upon the US as continuing their exploitation in the Middle East.

     There is also the problem of Israel, which was created after WWII as a way to give the Jews a safe homeland. Both the Palestinians and Jews have historically claimed the same land for centuries. Today, the Palestinians, who are mostly Islamic Arabs, feel that the Jews have taken over land that they feel belongs to them. Israel has continued to build Jewish settlements on that land. In retaliation, some Palestinians have bombed Israeli busses, cafes, and shopping centers. Remember that Israel is an ally to the US for several reasons: (a) The US helped create Israel so Jews would have a homeland, and subsequently many American Jews live in Israel; (b) the US has a large Jewish population; (c) the US has military bases in Israel. The conflict continues today despite several presidents trying to achieve a peaceful resolution.