America's Strategic Imperative

The U.S. presence in the Middle East stretches back to the closing days of World War II when then-President Roosevelt first met King Saud aboard a U.S. warship in the Suez Canal. Through the ensuing thirty years, the U.S. sought to maintain Middle East oil access and contain the Soviet Union by seeking Persian Gulf allies. This mutually beneficial relationship was forever altered in the aftermath of the Yom Kippur War and the subsequent oil embargo. The 1973-1974 oil embargo and its far-reaching economic impact sharply focused the strategic importance of the Middle East and elevated oil access to the level of a U.S. core national interest. Saddam Hussein's 1990 invasion of Kuwait ushered in a new chapter of U.S. history in the Middle East. Since the invasion of Kuwait, the U.S. has fought three Middle East and Central Asian wars to ensure U.S. energy security. As America s efforts in Iraq and Afghanistan enter their fourth year, the final outcome is anything but clear. Given the determination of a motivated and patient foe in the face of American arms, we must consider the long-term prospects of our military and diplomatic strategy and the likelihood that it will help the U.S. achieve its energy security objectives. Imported oil dependence has become the proverbial elephant in the foreign policy living room; an over-riding strategic consideration in a multitude of issues. In the short-term, U.S. strategic options are driven by the imperative to achieve a favorable outcome in Iraq, Afghanistan, and on other Global War on Terror battlefields; thus it is not the intent of this paper to address the immediate strategic situation.