Nowhere in the world today is there such a convergence of global interests. No area is quite as central to the continued economic health and stability of the world. Our ties with the rest of the world are based upon interest. There are no sentiments.
Common interests link countries together.
The importance of the Persian Gulf and Southwest Asia for American foreign and national security policy was established clearly by the Arab oil embargo and production cutbacks of 1973 and accentuated by the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan in 1979 and the Iran-Iraq war. As a result of these events, substantial American human and material resources were devoted to security problems in the Gulf. The readings are designed to expose you to various facets of the security problem and different views on how to address it. Topic Objectives . Assess the central dimensions of U.S. security policy in the Persian Gulf region Appreciate the central role in American interests of access to petroleum from the Gulf Examine the threats to petroleum access, WMD proliferation risks, and dangers of inter-regional conflict Issues for Consideration .