The Nixon And Ford Administrations' Oil Policy In The Middle East

This paper mainly discussed how the United States adjusted its foreign policy to control the Middle East oil again when the American oil corporation withdrew from the Middle East oil upper reaches during the Nixon and Ford administrations and the relations between the oil and the national economy ,diplomacy as well as the politics and so on.The paper is divided into four parts.In Part One,I would like to review the oil relation between the United States and the Middle East before Nixon assumes the reins of government.Before Nixon assumes the reins of government,"Seven Sisters"controled the international oil market.American established the oil dominance in Middle East by which relied on the five American oil coporations of the"Seven Sisters".The United States not only supported the oil corportion to fight for the oil renting right of Middle East oil-production countries with Britain and France,but also helped that the American oil corporation can safeguard the stability of oil renting right in Middle East.Part Two discussed the American oil policy in the Middle East in the beginning of the Nixon administration.In the beginning of Nixon administration ,American maily relied on the"twin pillar policy"to control the Gulf oil .But the United States was partrial to Israel,which forced the oil-production countries in the Arabic world to use"oil weapon"and resulted in the first oil crisis finally.Part Three discussed that Nixon and Ford administrations adjusted its oil policy in Middle East.After the first oil crisis,American administration implemented oil policy in the Middle East directly when the oil corporation withdrew from the oil upper reaches in the Middle East.In a word,American developed the carrot and the stick strategy to control the Middle East oil again.On the one hand,in order to relax the nervous relations between American and the Arabian oil-production countries, American reconcile the conflict between Arabia and Israel ,and negotiate special relations with the oil-production coutries in the Middle East. On the other hand,American organized the IEA to rival with the OPEC.Part Four analyzed the effects and restrictions of the American new oil policy in the Middle East after the first oil crisis.After the oil crisis,the new oil policy in the Middle East which adjusted by the Nixon and Ford administrations was followed by the successors,and gained good effect finally.But the restrictions which the new oil policy owned self influenced implementation of the policies.