Troubled Waters: Future U.S. Security Assistance in the Persian Gulf

Whatever the outcome of the war in Iraq, the United States will substantially reduce its military commitment there at conflict’s end. In preparing for that day, policymakers must consider the future shape of American involvement in the wider Persian Gulf. Given its enormous influence on the global economy and its role as a base of support for some of the world’s most threatening radical Islamists, the region will remain vital to U.S. economic and physical security indefinitely—a fact made all the more evident by Iran’s quest to develop nuclear weapons.

In this timely monograph, Dr. Michael Knights offers a comprehensive survey of the factors that will shape the U.S. military’s Gulf presence over the next decade. American forces have long shouldered the burden of Gulf security because regional states have been unable to defend themselves against the threats posed by Iraq and Iran. By striking a better balance of effort with the Gulf monarchies and enabling them to handle new threats on their own, the United States can help ensure the region’s security for years to come.