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Since the 19th century the Gulf region has been an area of intense interest, having been influenced first by the British and more recently by the Americans. This book charts the changing security and political priorities of these two powers and how they have shaped the region. Adopting a narrative approach, the author provides background history on British involvement from the 19th century and a detailed analysis of the years after the Second World War, when oil supply became more critical. He covers the growth of US influence and the British withdrawal, and follows more recent changes as the US built up its military presence following Desert Storm and the invasion of Iraq. Looking at the three enduring missions fulfilled by the British - maintaining interstate order, protecting the free flow of commerce, which later included petroleum; and keeping out other Great Powers – the book demonstrates how these had by 1991 been assumed almost entirely by the American leaders. A comprehensive and thorough look at the history of the Gulf and the contemporary issues affecting the region, this will be essential reading for students of Middle East history, military history and diplomatic history. Visit the author's website at www.thepoliticsandsecurityofthegulf.com 1. Great Britain’s Legacy in the Persian Gulf 2. World War II and the Arrival of the Americans 3. The Early Cold War, the Loss of India, and Nasser's Revolt Against the British, 1946-1958 4. The British Position in the Gulf under Assault 5. America Watches as the British Birth a New Gulf Order, 1968-1971 6. The Chaotic Interregnum: America Cries Enough, 1972-1991 7. Pax Americana - Bellum Americanum, 1991-present. Conclusion Jeffrey R. Macris is a Permanent Military Professor at the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis, where he teaches Middle Eastern history and military history. A resident of the Persian Gulf for nearly three years, he has worked with military officers from most of the Arab states of the Gulf. Reviews and further information on the title and the author can be found on the books website at: www.thepoliticsandsecurityofthegulf.com \"This comprehensive work presents and in-depth analysis of how British since the 19 th century, and more recently the United States, have influenced and shaped the politics and security of the Persian Gulf region… This is a truly remarkable book of major importance that crosses several disciplines. It is a must-read for those interested in Middle East history, strategic studies, military history, and American British diplomatic history.\" – Dr. Shaheen Ayubi, professor of Political Science, Rutgers University \"A superb political-military study of the Persian Gulf region that provides a sophisticated analysis of British interests, past and present, and how the United States inherited its current security role driven largely by Britain's withdrawal \"East of Suez\" and U.S. Cold War fears. It is a legacy, as Dr. Macris cogently points out in his conclusion, that the United States will continue to find difficult to discharge in the 21st century as guardian of global public goods.\" -- Frank L. Jones, Professor of Security Studies, U.S. Army War College “Jeffrey Macris, has written a first-rate, timely and much-needed account of the handover of responsibility for the security of the Gulf from Britain to the United States during the past four decades. Let us hope that American and British policymakers will read it in order to avoid the mistakes of the past.” -- Dr. Saul Kelly, Defence Studies Department, King's College, London, UK Joint Services Command and Staff College “Prof. Macris's work is an outstanding contribution to our understanding of the critically important Gulf region. His extensive research provides the reader with a well-written, balanced view of the roles of both of London and Washington in this area of the world.” -- Miriam Joyce, Ph.D., Professor of History, Purdue University Calumet More reviews and further information on the title and the author can be found on the books website at: www.thepoliticsandsecurityofthegulf.com

Insecure Gulf examines how the concept of Arabian/Persian Gulf 'security' is evolving in response to new challenges that are increasingly non-military and longer-term. Food, water and energy security, managing and mitigating the impact of environmental degradation and climate change, addressing demographic pressures and the youth bulge and reformulating structural economic deficiencies, in addition to dealing with the fallout from progressive state failure in Yemen, require a broad, global and multi-dimensional approach to Gulf security. While 'traditional' threats from Iraq, Iran, nuclear proliferation and trans-national terrorism remain robust, these new challenges to Gulf security have the potential to strike at the heart of the social contract and redistributive mechanisms that bind state and society in the Arab oil monarchies. Insecure Gulf explores the relationship between 'traditional' and 'new' security challenges and situates them within the changing political economy of the GCC states as they move toward post-oil structures of governance. It describes how regimes are anticipating and reacting to the shifting security paradigm, and contextualizes these changes within the broader political, economic, social and demographic framework. It also argues that a holistic approach to security is necessary for regimes to renew their sources of legitimacy in a globalizing world.

For much of the contemporary history of the Middle East, the Persian Gulf has stood at the center of the region’s strategic significance. At the same time, the Gulf has been wracked by political instability and tension. As far back as the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, Britain zeroed in on the Persian Gulf as a critical passageway to its crown jewel, India, and entered into protectorate agreements with local ruling families, thus bestowing on them international legitimacy and, eventually, the resources and support necessary to ascend to kingships. Today, the region is undergoing profound changes that range from rapid economic and infrastructural development to tumultuous social and cultural transformations. Far from eroding the area’s political significance, these changes have only accentuated rivalries and tensions and have brought to the forefront new challenges to international security and stability. Together, the essays in this volume present a comprehensive, detailed, and accessible account of the international politics of the region. Focusing on the key factors that give the Persian Gulf its strategic significance, contributors look at the influence of vast deposits of oil and natural gas on international politics, the impact of the competing centers of power of Iran and Saudi Arabia, the nature of relationships among countries within the Persian Gulf, and the evolving interaction between Islam and politics. Throughout the collection, issues of internal and international security are shown to be central. Drawing on the comprehensive knowledge and experience of experts in the region, The International Politics of the Persian Gulf shines a bright light on this area, offering insights and thoughtful analyses on the critical importance of this troubled region to global politics..

The Persian Gulf, important because of its vast energy resources, emerged into the limelight of geopolitics at the time of the British Labour government's policy of withdrawal from East of Suez in 1968. Before 1968 it had been recognised that the Gulf lay in the legitimate sphere of influence of Britain, while the United States exerted its influence in the two pivotal littoral states of Iran and Saudi Arabia. The Soviets had been gaining influence in Iraq ever since the overthrow of the monarchy in 1958 and the Chinese were also fishing for influence by their support of the Popular Front for the Liberation of the Arabian Gulf. This book examines the political axes of the various super-powers with Iran and the Persian Gulf and discusses the implications of these problems for the issue of security in the region.

The United States must determine how best to promote long-term security and stability in the Persian Gulf region while seeking to reduce the risks and costs imposed by its role as a permanent regional power. The author analyzes Iraq's future, the role of Iran, asymmetric threats, regional reassurance, regional tensions, and the roles of other external actors. He then sets out criteria and requirements for a new regional security structure.