Geopolitics of oil and Iraq crisis

Abstract

West Asia has been the focus of the international attention for a number of reasons. Historically it was a central meeting place of the three old world continents. More recently, it has become the world s premier geopolitical flash point for two major reasons: (I) the establishment of the state of Israel centrally in the Arab core of a region which is overwhelmingly Islamic, and (II) the realization by a few West Asian states that, between them, they possess the world s major reserves of petroleum. War and military forces have long affected the development and security of West Asian energy supplies. The Arab- Israeli wars of 1956 and 1967 each effected the flow of export to some degree. The October war of 1973 triggered an oil embargo that led to a drastic strategic reappraisal of importance of energy exports and imports. The Iran- Iraq war of 1980-1988 and the tanker war between U.S and Iran involved deliberate and systematic attempts to target energy production and exports capabilities in a prolong conflict. Iraq- Kuwait war of 1991 and Iraq war of 2003 further reduced Iraq oil production and exports capacities. The Iraq- Kuwait crisis of 1991 and Iraq war of 2003 were of very serious nature involving major powers of the West openly and influencing the whole world directly. These crises were full and total wars between highly industrialised and super militarized nations under the supreme command of the U.S led multinationals forces on one side and the determined emerging Iraq on the other. Iraq formerly part of the Ottoman Empire, became independent with a pro- British regime under King Faisal. After World War II the U.S worried about Soviet influence, try to make Iraq the anchor of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) like pro- Western alliance, the Baghdad pact. In 1958 the pro-Western government was over thrown by Abdul Karim Qasim.A republic was pro-claimed in 1958, but in actuality a series of military strong men have ruled the country since then.