| U.S. armed forces, business interests, and American civilians in the Middle East are at continued risk from terrorist attacks. Previous research by Nye and Hoffman, as well as data from Memorial Institute for the Prevention of Terrorism, pointed to a gap in the literature on the possible link between the presence of U.S. armed forces in the region and those terrorist acts. The purpose of this study was to gauge the U.S. government's strategies to mitigate these attacks. The primary research question asked whether the presence of U.S. armed forces in the Middle East contributes to the upsurge of terrorism that threatens U.S. military holdings and personnel in the region. This qualitative research used content analysis of interviews with 11 experts from academia, the Department of Defense, Department of State, and non-government intelligence community. Transcripts were analyzed using coding and memoing, revealing themes that illustrated a link between U.S. armed forces in the Middle East and terrorist attacks, drone strikes that kill civilians, and America's inconsistent dealings with Muslim countries. Findings also showed interviewees' beliefs that removal of U.S. forces from the Middle East could jeopardize U.S. interests in the region. Interviewees also expressed concern about the U.S. government's non-negotiable alliance with Israel and the ramifications of that relationship in light of the Arab Spring. The implications for positive social change are U.S. government recognition of newly emerged Arab governments, regardless of the form of government, which may lead to peaceful coexistence and, ultimately, increased security of U.S. citizens and interests in the Middle East. |
