Historical Dictionary of United States-Middle East Relations (Historical Dictionaries of U.S. Diplomacy)

the long version

"The current state of affairs between the United States and the Middle East is probably the most volatile and absorbing relationship the United States is involved in today. Prior to 1941, however, the United States preferred to limit its involvement with the Middle East to launching ministries of evangelism and social welfare across the region and investing in the pumping, refining, and transportation of oil to Western markets. It was not until World War II and the Cold War, when the threat of losing control of the region and therefore losing natural resources, military bases, and lines of communication arose, that U.S. officials were motivated to take a greater interest. Since then, escalating violence in the area has led to an increase in U.S. involvement, which in most cases has been far from positive: the Iran hostage crisis of 1979-1981, the Persian Gulf War of 1990-1991, and the U.S. invasion and occupation of Iraq in 2003." "Historical Dictionary of United States-Middle East Relations is an essential tool for understanding how diplomatic relations deteriorated to this point. It concentrates on the history of diplomatic relations between the United States and the Middle East from the onset of the Cold War to the present through a chronology, an introduction, a bibliography, an appendix, photographs, and hundreds of cross-referenced dictionary entries on the countries involved, significant events, major crises, important figures, controversial issues, and doctrines and policies."--BOOK JACKET.