Part IV: In Search of the “Middle East”

This post will be based on:
Ch. 20 – The Shattered Belt
Ch. 21 – The Maghreb: Europe’s Southern Shore
Ch. 22 – Egypt: Between Bureaucrats and Theocrats
Ch. 23 – The Mashreq: Road Maps
Ch. 24 – The Former Iraq: Buffer, Black Hole, and Broken Boundary
Ch. 25 – Iran: Virtues and Vices
Ch. 26 – Gulf Streams
Conclusion: Arabian Sand Dunes From http://mabryonline.org/blogs/howard/archives/n_africa_mid_east_pol_95.jpg

The Middle East is an extremely important area to consider, especially when it comes to globalization. This area has natural resources, money, labour, and talent – therefore, the means to develop itself and bring it out of the second world and into the first. However, each of these countries has shaky government and religious disagreements.

Europe

The North African region of Maghreb is the backyard of the European superpower. A ironic problem, that provides control to the EU is that there is labour shortages paired with high unemployment rates of its people. Because the countries within this region cannot educate its youth for the jobs that are available, Europe, through the countries of Turkey and Ukraine, provide labour for its industries. This is another reason why Europe needs to expand. By Turkey and Ukraine providing Maghreb with labour, the EU is much more control with the affairs of these countries. “Europe can be far stricter with Maghreb governments ….forcing them to support entrepreneurs and do away with opaque investment laws” (p.178). Not only does the EU help with the market, I believe that it genuinely believes in helping its citizens. In Algeria, the EU is pressuring it to spend its energy revenues on agriculture and infrastructure when 97% of its profits are oil and gas, most of which go to the EU.

In Egypt, Europeans are even having greater influence than America. Europeans have models of government which the Arabs would like to emulate which gives the Europeans much respect in these countries. In Egypt, EU is guiding Arab democratization “toward decentralized parliamentary systems over the current presidential ones” (p.194), all while building Egyptian markets. Turkey drawing on Syrian flag - from www.thememriblog.org/image/1608.JPG

Turkey, is again a strategic country for the EU to incorporate because it places the EU in close contact with Syria, Iraq and Iran. The peacekeeping missions within the Mashreq area is mainly lead by the European Union, building transportation network guaranteeing pipelines from these nations to Turkey. This provides the EU with access to exports and markets. In the near collapse of Iraq, the Kurds, who already have their own government, will eventually form the state Kurdistan. Turkish companies are already building airports and roads for this new nation, in return for oil security to Turkey. Hence, another reason EU should integrate Turkey. At this rate of development, however, I’m not sure Turkey will need the EU as much as the EU needs Turkey in the future.

America

Similar to the previous section, America has once again infringed upon the sovereignty of another nation. In this case, the most important to note is Iraq. Ever since the American-led War on Terrorism, the US has proven themselves to be “a superpower whose intelligence does not match its aspirations”. Since the removal of Saddam Hussein, the politics within the Middle East has changed. The Kurds in the region are slowly going to form into the country of Kurdistan which poses a threat to the countries of Syria and Iran. The redrawing of the map will occur and competition arises for the US, Iran, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, and Syria to take what they can get. With these Middle East countries lobbying for land, the US government must be careful of which to be friendly with, who to ignore so that it can have as much influence in this nation as it can get, so that it won’t be overshadowed by the other superpowers. America already is not on friendly terms with Iran, a country with rich oil and gas reserves, a strong military and navy, and an advancing nuclear program. Only a couple days ago, the United States is criticising Iran’s nuclear program once again. According to Radio Free Europe News on Aug. 10, 2009, “Iran is rejecting foreign criticism of the mass trial of opposition protesters, saying the condemnations smack of intervention in its internal affairs” (http://www.rferl.org/content/Iran_Rejects_Criticism_As_US_Sets_Nuclear_Talks_Deadline/1796343.html). Iran doesn’t need the Americans anymore, and this is just creating hostility between them: “Telling us to give up our nuclear program is as insulting as saying we cannot order something in a restaurant which everyone else is having” (p.230). America just needs to get out of other people’s business! Iran and the US - from http://mabryonline.org/blogs/howard/archives/n_africa_mid_east_pol_95.jpg

China

Similar to the other sections, China is still implementing the same strategies in the Middle East which some of these countries are learning from: “Some of us Gulf businessmen are learning fast, working hard, and taking risks like the Asians” (p.243). The success of Dubai and the United Arab Emirates is due to taking risks. In 1985, Dubai “intentionally neglected taxes, visas, local ownership requirements, and other hassles on the premise that re-export aloe would bring in vast sums of cash” (p.244). China is gaining influence in the Middle East because the Chinese are buying as much as they can: “Chinese and Malaysian oil companies have also bid aggressively to ensure a global balance in Libya’s oil exports, and are willing to swallow less favourable terms including high revenue-sharing costs” (P.185), building good relations: “China has cancelled most African nations’ debts, provided soft loans, and increased imports from Africa by a factor of ten, moves that compete with and undermine Western aid policies that are increasingly perceived as ineffective” (p.189), building infrastructure: “Chinese engineering firms based in Jordan have (also) built four of its five new dams with remarkable efficiency” (p.212), offering low cost goods, and honour to the people: “where its diplomats show difference to local culture by learning Arabic and even taking Arabic names” (p.194).

However, China is not attempting to lift this area of the world out of poverty, but just trying to gain for its own selfish gain. Like in South America, China is providing steep competition to factories in these areas, limiting them to raw materials based economy.

Summary

This section of the book also talks about the history, political and religious struggles within the Middle East. The world needs to understand that if they want the governments to stabilize, the Middle East just needs to work out its own kinks: the EU and the United States “may decide to cut their losses and attempt to contain the region and allow an Arab-Islamist civil war to sap its virulent energies” (p. 253). Maybe the stabilization within these nations is not what the superpowers want. What if it makes the Middle East too powerful creating another superpower. With its wealth and resources, it can control the world through its oil. Right now, the primary concern for the superpowers is to not deal with internal struggles within these nations, but to secure themselves trade, and a relationship with them. If not now, it may be too late.

From http://www.emptyquarter.net/wp-content/uploads/2008/10/democracy-middle-east-cartoon.jpg