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| US dominance in Middle East has ended: Haas |
| 2006-10-31 |
| The age of US dominance in the Middle East has ended and a new era in the modern history of the region has begun, one in which Washington will have to rely more on diplomacy than military might to influence events, according to Richard N Haas, president of the Council on Foreign Relations. Writing in the current issue of Foreign Affairs, he argues, “Visions of a new, Europe-like region - peaceful, prosperous, democratic - will not be realised. Much more likely is the emergence of a new Middle East that will cause great harm to itself, the United States, and the world.” Shaping the new Middle East from the outside will be exceedingly difficult, but that, along with managing a dynamic Asia, will be the primary challenge of US foreign policy for decades to come. Haas believes that the Bush administration’s decision to attack Iraq in 2003 and its conduct of the operation and resulting occupation was one of the factors that ushered in a new era in the region. One casualty of the war has been a Sunni-dominated Iraq, which was strong enough and motivated enough to balance Shiite Iran. Sunni-Shiite tensions, dormant for a while, have come to the surface in Iraq and throughout the region. Terrorists have gained a base in Iraq and developed there a new set of techniques to export. Throughout much of the region, democracy has become associated with the loss of public order and the end of Sunni primacy. Anti-American sentiment has been reinforced. And by tying down a huge portion of the US military, the war has reduced US leverage worldwide. |
| Posted by:Fred |
| #12 This is absurd. We have projected power in the region. I agree that the situation in Iraq has caused a perception problem, but we have the ability to prevent anybody from driving or flying in that part of the world should we need to take the gloves off. If you don't agree, try this thought experiment: Iran sends its ground forces to attack us in Iraq and its Navy into the Arabian Sea to attack our carrier battle groups. What chain of events can happen in response that do not end with "the US wins?" |
| Posted by: JAB 2006-10-31 21:11 |
| #11 Things are gonna change someday and then you'll really need me. You'll see. Mr. J. Striped Pantsington III |
| Posted by: Parabellum 2006-10-31 16:50 |
| #10 Well, yes, Raj. Notice how the one thing all Arabs truly fear is a strongly worded letter from the United Nations, signed by Hans Blix. |
| Posted by: Swamp Blondie 2006-10-31 12:33 |
| #9 Lol, Mitch! |
| Posted by: .com 2006-10-31 11:20 |
| #8 Hardware merchant warns of incipient outbreak of nails. Carefully does not mention sale on hammers. Panic at 11. |
| Posted by: Mitch H. 2006-10-31 10:53 |
| #7 ...one in which Washington will have to rely more on diplomacy than military might to influence events Diplomacy, you see, having worked so well in the past... |
| Posted by: Raj 2006-10-31 07:42 |
| #6 Well, it is kinda hard to dominate radioactive rubble, isn't it? |
| Posted by: DarthVader 2006-10-31 05:49 |
| #5 Once again, my old friend Osama's several attempts to UNILATERALLY attack America during the Dems sacred anti-Repub Repub years of Darth Stainious/Saint Bill has nothing to do wid anything, exclusive of Osama also liking Whitney Huston. FOREIGN AFFAIRS > IOW, as wid failed and failing SECULAR SOCIALISM, the burden is ultimately on the USA-West-Capitalism to SAVE AND "JUSTIFY" RADICAL ISLAM AFORE THE FORMER EITHER SURRENDERS TO THE LATTER SAME, ANDOR IS DESTROYED BY THE LATTER SAME. |
| Posted by: JosephMendiola 2006-10-31 03:47 |
| #4 Haas my aass! Funny how there think-tanking bigwigs go tangentially and they won't recognize reality if it was bitting them into their aass. I guess they operated within their superficial constructs for so long that they developed a form of autism--recognizing only patterns that fit their artifice. |
| Posted by: twobyfour 2006-10-31 02:21 |
| #3 Haas thinks Iran was "balanced" before 2003? |
| Posted by: Anguper Hupomosing9418 2006-10-31 02:09 |
| #2 US dominance in Middle East has ended: Haas The balmy sunny weather patterns for mainland USA are a thing of the past; dark stormy, moist, and misty patterns will replace them for the foreseeable future. wear rubbers, take bumbershoots |
| Posted by: RD 2006-10-31 00:36 |
| #1 CFR types tend to enjoy Saudi money and hang out in Davos and their journal sucks so the hell with them. |
| Posted by: 3dc 2006-10-31 00:29 |