U.S. Strategic Interests in the Middle East and Implications for the Army

Regional instability and conflict have often frustrated U.S. aspirations to avoid the burdens of military operations in the Middle East in order to shift resources to other parts of the world. The U.S. Army should be prepared for its current involvement there to extend into the future. This perspective examines threats to U.S. interests in the Middle East and factors associated with success and failure in U.S. military interventions.