Chartered Portfolio Manager- Week 9 Discussion Post and Student Responses - Assignment Example

How has oil affected the domestic and international politics of the Middle East? By Introduction Oil mined in the Middle East has enchanted domestic, global capital and global powers since the beginning of the twentieth century. Its allure has been more significant to the United States of America. The interest of America as a country towards oils in some of the countries in the middle east such as Iraq and Saudi Arabia begun most likely in the 1930s when the geologists that were working for the standard oil in California identifies a lot of oil in Saudi Arabia.

Enchantment changed into obsession following the discovery. The paper aims at discussing how oils has affected domestic and global politics of the Middle East (Bouillon, 2013).How has oil affected the domestic and international politics of the Middle East?Following the Second World War, it was clear that oil was a coveted industrial commodity. The most celebrated and visible event in history took place when the United States president, Franklin Roosevelt met the founding monarch of Saudi Arabia.

The meeting between the two world leaders linked American national security and Middle East oil. It also gave birth to one of the most significant strategic relationship that was forged in the 20th century with Saudis meant to supply cheap oil to the world markets with an aim of acquiring American protection. Over the course of the 20th century, preserving the security of Saudi Arabia as well as that of other countries such as Iraq were among the main political and economic concerns of countries such as the united states of America (Bouillon, 2013).

The presence of oil in the Middle East countries and the struggle to control the commodity was fraught with peril and always proved costly in terms of treasure and blood. Oil has continued to flow into the global markets even though with a lot of difficulties emanating both internally and externally. Since the end of the 1970s, most of the countries in the Middle East including Iraq have experienced permanent war and revolution as a result of the commodity. In Iraq for example under the regime of Saddam Hussein, was rocked by domestic war that resulted to loss of lives.

Even though security is measured by absence of war, most of the countries in the Middle East have encountered threats of domestic and international war as a result of supply of oil. The United States led inversion of Iraq in the year 2003 and the conflicts experienced in most of the countries in the region have represented both the international and domestic politics affecting the region. The American military invasion of the country represented only a stage of the US militarism in the Middle East.

While more considerable in duration, scale and devastation as compared to the previous military misadventure in the Middle East, The Iraq war was as a result of numerous years of policy and strategic thinking about oil. The act of terrorism on the US soil only accelerated the urge for war (Bouillon, 2013). The United States may not be the only country in the world that was interested in the Middle East war. British, for example, landed a force near Basra in 1914 with an intention of securing and expanding their own oil supply in the region.

British were able to capture Baghdad by 1918 and ensconced themselves with various allies in the region. The invasion of America in the later years developed a new pattern of war and militarism. The United States, unlike its predecessors did not wage wars out of ambition and old fashion imperial calculations. American oil wars have not targeted freedom or liberation as well as establishing direct control over the oil fields. It has always been about protection of friendly producers of oil such as Saudi Arabia.

The militarism pattern that begum in Persian Gulf countries such as Iraq in the 1970s has partially been the result of the US support for militarization of vulnerable and brutal authoritarian regimes. The decision to develop a geopolitical military order and massive weapon sales to oil autocrats resulted in a fragile balance of power among the neighboring countries in the region. Since the 1970s, countries that produce oil in the Middle East have faced repeat external and internal threats that include invasion, domestic unrest, civil and regional war as well as imminent prospects and threats of turmoil.

The instability experienced in most of the counties such as Syria and Iraq has had much to do with internal political challenges (Bouillon, 2013). However, some of the internal conflicts were mostly motivated by external intervention. Consequently, the militarization that started under the watch of the United States of America accelerated and exacerbated those uncertainties and helped to further destabilize oil producing regions and states. Conclusion The effects of oil on domestic and international conflicts in the Middle East are unquestionable.

Some countries in the region such as Syria and Iraq are currently in war as a result of power struggle. The conflict has continued to increase as a result of intervention by external powers aimed at safeguarding oil and protection of friendly producers of oils. Some leaders in the region have faced a lot of criticism as a result of their failure to cooperate with countries such as the United States of America. Oil in the region has led to power struggles with an intention of controlling the commodity among the two tribes in Iraq.

The conflict among the tribes has resulted to revolution and the emergence of terror groups. International politics has involved countries such as the US with interests on oil (Bouillon, 2013). The paper therefore aimed at discussing how oils has affected domestic and global politics of the Middle East. The most celebrated and visible event in history took place when the United States president, Franklin Roosevelt met the founding monarch of Saudi Arabia. Even though security is measured by absence of war, most of the countries in the Middle East have encountered threats of domestic and international war as a result of supply of oil.

ReferenceBouillon, M. 2013. The Middle East: Fragility and Crisis. SSRN Journal. doi:10.2139/ssrn.2356710