American Orientalism: The United States and the Middle East since 1945

Abstract

With the events of September 11th, America's relationship with the Middle East exploded to the forefront of the national consciousness. Looking back more than a half-century, Douglas Little offers a valuable, historical context for anyone seeking a better understanding of the relationship between the USA and the Middle East since 1945, focusing particularly on the complex, sometimes inconsistent attitudes and interests that have shaped US relations in the region. Little begins by exposing the persistence of orientalist stereotypes in American popular culture and then examines US policy towards the Middle East from many angles. Chapters focus on America's increasing dependence on petroleum; US-Israeli relations; the threat of communism; the rise of revolutionary nationalist movements in Egypt, Iran, Iraq, and Libya; the futility of US military and covert intervention; and the unsuccessful attempt to broker a peace-for-land settlement between the Israelis and the Palestinians. The overarching theme of the book is that a combination of American omnipotence and profound cultural misunderstanding ensured that the USA would encounter trouble in the Middle East after 1945 and that those forces continue to bedevil the relationship to the present day.