Oil and American foreign policy in the Persian Gulf (1947-1991)

From 1947 to 1991, during the Cold War years, American policy in the Persian Gulf followed the pattern and style of American policy in other parts of the world. It was based on containing the spread of Soviet influence.; The concept of the American national interest is central to an understanding of American policy. Fundamentally it includes three elements; security, economics and ideology. The core of American policy in the Gulf was to insure the stability of the area and to protect the steady flow of oil to western markets. These were pragmatic considerations that satisfied the security and the economic needs of the U.S. The ideological components of American policy in the Middle East were reflected in American support for the security of Israel.; The backbone of American policy in the Persian Gulf had been formed by three presidential declarations: Truman Declaration (1947), Eisenhower Doctrine (1957), and Carter Doctrine (1980). The American position with respect to the Arab-Israeli conflict was stated in the 1967 Johnson Declaration which was later incorporated into UN Resolution 242 and 338.; American involvement in the Persian Gulf correlates to increased American dependence on imported oil. It can be divided into three energy periods: 1947-1969--energy self sufficiency, 1970-1986--the energy crisis, and 1987-1991--Persian Gulf oil dependence. As American oil import dependence on the Gulf increased the importance of Saudi Arabia also grew. The protection of the Kingdom became the central American policy objective in the Gulf.; In the Post Cold War American policy in the Middle East is expected to be guided by the same principles. The U.S. will continue to guarantee the stability and security of Gulf states and to insure the security of Israel.; An exciting challenge for American policy makers in the Post Cold War will be to forge an alliance between Israel and Saudi Arabia. Establishing friendly relations between the two countries will substantially reduce American policy conflicts in the Middle East and contribute greatly to the military stability of the area.