Gulf WarsOil & accumulation

The 1990-91 Gulf War invoked the Carter Doctrine: An attempt by any outside force to gain control of the Persian Gulf region will be regarded as an assault on the vital interests of the United States of America, and such an assault will be repelled by any means necessary, including military force.”

In 1990, the Central Command was sent to Saudi Arabia to protect its oil and to push

Iraq out of Kuwait

The concern was less the supply of oil than its price

But wars appear to drive up oil prices, not maintain or reduce them!

Why, then, the invasion of Iraq in 2003?

After the collapse of the USSR, the Pentagon began to cast about for a new strategy/policy

Like NSC-68, this was initially discarded, but it became the basis for the proposals of the Project for the New American Century (PNAC)

PNAC proposed a military buildup to deter the emergence of “peer competitors” (i.e., China)

“[What we require is] a military that is strong and ready to meetboth present and future challenges; a foreign policy that boldly andpurposefully promotes American principles abroad; and nationalleadership that accepts the United States’ global responsibilities.

PNAC’s founding principles

PNAC also urged the overthrow of Saddam Hussein…

The Clinton Administration stuck with a “two-war strategy” and ad hoc military actions: Bosnia, Serbia, Iraq

The 2000 election involved a focus on U.S. global strategy: more multilateralism (Gore) or more unilateralism (Bush)?

The Republican coalition in 2002 consisted of

• Cultural conservatives who wished to see the restoration of “family values” and more intervention into certain private matters

• The Christian Right, which also sought value restoration as well as the Christian Millennium, due to begin in the Middle East

• Advocates of the “Revolution in Military Affairs,” who wanted to restructure and retool the military so that it became even more dominant and less reliant on “boots on the ground”

• Neoconservatives, who wanted to disseminate democracy and capitalism, especially in the Middle East, in order to open markets, ensure access to oil, and defend Israel, and

• The many people who had grown tired of Bill Clinton.

War against Iraq would fulfill a number of this coalition’s wishes

It could provide a military foothold in the region, to ensure oil flows and deter Iran

It could lead to the spread of democracy & markets and offer new economic opportunities for the U.S.

It could fulfill some of the prophecies of the Revelation of St. John

It would allow the Pentagon to demonstrate application of the RMA, and get rid of the old-style generals & admirals

It could generate broad public support and offer social discipline

And it would get rid of Saddam Hussein

Launching such a war would prove extremely difficult without the proper provocation by Iraq

9/11 offered a window of opportunity

But a number of things went awry with the plan—including the war and the economy…