The Middle East has been a hot spot in international politics since the mid-20th century owing to its special geostrategic position and its abundant resources of oil and natural gas. These contributes have made it an ...The Middle East has been a hot spot in international politics since the mid-20th century owing to its special geostrategic position and its abundant resources of oil and natural gas. These contributes have made it an area of contention for any state with a global overview. During the Cold War,the sharp differences between two superpowers,the U.S. and the Soviet Union,could have brought the situation to the brink of a third world war. After the Cold War,the U.S. became the dominant power in the Middle East. The U.S. contained the recalcitrant regime of Saddam Hussein in Iraq and an Iran engaged in Islamic revolution. It also launched and propelled,though in vain,the Middle East peace process. After 9.11,under the banner of antiterrorism,the U.S waged a preemptive war against Iraq,overthrew the Saddam regime,and implemented in the Middle East a strategy of "democratic transformation". From that point,the Middle East entered an era of confusion.展开更多
文摘The Middle East has been a hot spot in international politics since the mid-20th century owing to its special geostrategic position and its abundant resources of oil and natural gas. These contributes have made it an area of contention for any state with a global overview. During the Cold War,the sharp differences between two superpowers,the U.S. and the Soviet Union,could have brought the situation to the brink of a third world war. After the Cold War,the U.S. became the dominant power in the Middle East. The U.S. contained the recalcitrant regime of Saddam Hussein in Iraq and an Iran engaged in Islamic revolution. It also launched and propelled,though in vain,the Middle East peace process. After 9.11,under the banner of antiterrorism,the U.S waged a preemptive war against Iraq,overthrew the Saddam regime,and implemented in the Middle East a strategy of "democratic transformation". From that point,the Middle East entered an era of confusion.