The United States and the Middle East are at a crossroads. Despite a reduced presence in the Middle East, the U.S. still has significant national interests there and the area is a key arena for global power politics. Can the U.S. continue to defend its interests in the Middle East and globally with a lower level of military and political involvement, or should it recommit to a leading role in the region?
Browse our Great Decisions topic resources and share your own with [email protected].
GlobalTrends_2040-compressed.pdf
Global Trends 2040 – A More Contested World (National Intelligence Council)NATIONAL-DEFENSE-STRATEGY-2022.pdf
The National Defense Strategy (NDS) of the United StatesSTATEMENT-OF-GENERAL-MICHAEL.pdf
U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) Posture StatementsBiden-Harris-Administrations-National-Security-Strategy-10.2022.pdf
National Security Strategy (NSS)The Pentagon Papers, officially titled "Report of the Office of the Secretary of Defense Vietnam Task Force", was commissioned by Secretary of Defense Robert McNamara in 1967. In June of 1971, small portions of the report were leaked to the press and widely distributed. On the 40th anniversary of the leak to the press, the National Archives, along with the Kennedy, Johnson, and Nixon Presidential Libraries, has released the complete report.
National Archives: The Pentagon PapersA growing number of primary source materials relating to U.S. foreign relations are available online. The Office of the State Department Historian maintains this list as a resource for the public and will continue to update it as more resources are made available.
Foreign Relations of the United States (FRUS)USIP offers a wide range of reports, publications, and multimedia content on conflict resolution, peace-building, and U.S. foreign policy in the Middle East. It is particularly useful for research on diplomatic solutions and peace processes in the region.
United States Institute of Peace (USIP) LibraryMEI is a think tank focusing on Middle East policy and U.S. relations with the region. Their online library offers publications, policy papers, and scholarly articles on political realignments, regional conflicts, and the global power balance.
The Middle East Institute (MEI) LibraryThis collection includes a broad sampling of articles from the National Intelligence Daily—the CIA's principal form of current intelligence analysis at the time.
CIA Freedom of Information Act Electronic Reading RoomThe Wilson Center Digital Archive is a resource where students, researchers, and specialists can access once-secret documents from governments and organizations all over the world.
Wilson Center Digital ArchiveThe Digital National Security Archive describes itself as the most comprehensive collection available of significant primary documents central to U.S. foreign and military policy since 1945. Collections cover the most critical world events, countries, and U.S. policy decisions from post-World War II through the 21st century, providing unparalleled access to the defining international strategies of our time with more than 150,000 indexed, declassified government documents; many are published now for the first time.
Digital National Security Archive (DNSA): Middle East Collections
Syrians have for a century welcomed over a million refugees from Armenia, Palestine, Iraq and other countries around the region. Now, thanks to a civil war with no end in sight, they are on track to become the source of the world’s largest refugee population.
Great Decisions: Syria: The World’s Largest Refugee Crisis – Full EpisodeFrom the conflicts in Iraq and Syria to the tension between Iran and Saudi Arabia, the struggle between Sunni and Shi‘a groups for hegemony is tearing apart the region and shows no signs of abating. But for all the religious discourse permeating the conflict, much of its roots are political, not religious.
Great Decisions: The Great Divide: Sunni vs. Shi’a – Full EpisodeU.S. troops have been in Afghanistan for over 15 years—making it the longest war in American history. As Washington and NATO pivot away from Afghanistan by reducing troop numbers, the ability of the government and security forces to maintain stability will be tested.
Great Decisions: Afghanistan (Full episode)Policymakers are reevaluating long-held assumptions about American engagement in the Persian Gulf. Great Decisions asks whether the United States remains the dominant power in a changing region in this full episode.
Great Decisions: Persian Gulf Security
Reuters reported first Abu Dhabi Bank (FAB) is in advanced talks to acquire Turkish conglomerate Koc Group’s 61.2% stake in Istanbul-based lender Yapi Kredi for about $8 billion. Shares in Yapi Kredi soared 10% after the news emerged, while Koc Holding jumped more than 9%, both touching record highs. FAB shares slipped slightly. The post […]
Reuters exclusively reported that the International Monetary Fund has resolved key issues with Egyptian authorities in a review of its $3 billion loan program and should finalize an augmented financing package within weeks. The post IMF’s Georgieva sees completion of Egypt loan reviews in ‘weeks’ appeared first on Reuters News Agency.
Reuters exclusively reported that Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates’ national oil companies plan to extract lithium from brine in their oilfields, in line with efforts to diversify their economies and profit from the shift to electric vehicles. The post Gulf oil giants Saudi Aramco, Adnoc set sights on lithium appeared first on Reuters […]
Reuters exclusively reported that Qatar’s sovereign wealth fund has agreed to buy a 10% stake in China’s second-largest mutual fund company, underscoring Beijing’s increasing ties with the Middle East amid rising tensions with the West. The post Qatar sovereign fund agrees to buy 10% stake in China asset manager appeared first on Reuters News Agency.
The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) is the United Nations body for assessing the science related to climate change
Advanced technologies are critical to stopping climate change—and the drive to develop and scale them is accelerating. Here are five themes that could attract $2 trillion of annual investment by 2025.
Power, Faith, and Fantasytells the remarkable story of America's 230-year relationship with the Middle East. Read more
In A Peace to End All Peace, David Fromkin reveals how and why the Allies drew lines on an empty map that remade the geography and politics of the Middle East. PDF Read more
Maps can be a powerful tool for understanding the world, particularly the Middle East, a place in many ways shaped by changing political borders and demographics. Here are 40 maps crucial for understanding the Middle East — its history, its present, and some of the most important stories in the region today. Read more
A perceptive and provocative history of Henry Kissinger's diplomatic negotiations in the Middle East that illuminates the unique challenges and barriers Kissinger and his successors have faced in their attempts to broker peace between Israel and its Arab neighbors. PDF Read more
Share your thoughts on this topic with [email protected]
Leave your thoughts on this topic by leaving a comment...