US Scenarios-Making Process: Promoting Democracy in the Greater Middle East

Abstract

The post-Cold War international order now revolves around a unilateral political and strategic structure marked by the existence of a single dominant power embodied by the United States, which drives it to dominate the world in pursuit of its vital interests. It has therefore become imperative to focus on its foreign policy. It is undeniable that American interests are inextricably bound up with the Middle East due to the region's crucial importance: strategic location, oil, and the existence of Israel. This reflects the various forms of U.S. political and strategic coordination with the countries of the Middle East, which have guided successive U.S. administrations with reference to the conditions of regional systems in the service of the main strategies through which America has sought to channel its foreign policy in pursuit of its ultimate goals and interests. Nevertheless, in post 09/11/2001, the US foreign policy has been crystallized considerably, particularly with regard to the Arab and Islamic world. After declaring its war on terrorism, America stressed the importance of democracy and human rights, and the need to promote them, drawing the conclusion that the political, economic and cultural situations of Arab and Islamic states were to blame for the rise of terrorism. The aim of this thesis is to highlight the American objectives behind the assertion of democracy promotion. We addressed the subject matter of the research in accordance with David Easton’s A System Analytical Approach because of its comprehensive analytical assessment of foreign policy, and its ability to incorporate all the variables that, eventually, result in making a particular decision. Our argument is that this policy is not intended to achieve global security and peace; rather, it is a scenario to justify its interventionism.