CRS Issue Statement on the Middle East

CRS Issue Statement on the Middle East

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CRS Issue Statement on the Middle East
Jeremy M. Sharp, Coordinator
Specialist in Middle Eastern Affairs
Jim Zanotti
Analyst in Middle Eastern Affairs
Casey L. Addis
Analyst in Middle Eastern Affairs
Carol Migdalovitz
Specialist in Middle Eastern Affairs
Kenneth Katzman
Specialist in Middle Eastern Affairs
Christopher M. Blanchard
Analyst in Middle Eastern Affairs
Hussein D. Hassan
Information Research Specialist
February 23, 2010
Congressional Research Service
7-5700
www.crs.gov
IS40348
CRS Report for Congress
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repared for Members and Committees of Congress
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CRS Issue Statement on the Middle East

The Middle East, broadly defined as an area stretching from North Africa to the Persian Gulf,
presents an array of challenges to U.S. foreign policy. Although the United States maintains
strong relations with several key “moderate” Arab and non-Arab states such as Israel, Egypt,
Saudi Arabia, Jordan, and Turkey, other state and non-state actors, such as Iran, the Lebanese
Shiite group Hezbollah in Lebanon, and Hamas in the Palestinian territories, are aligned against
U.S. interests. Hezbollah and Hamas are both U.S. State Department-designated Foreign Terrorist
Organizations (FTOs) and have refused to renounce the use of violence against Israel. It is widely
believed that Iran continues to seek a nuclear weapons capability, a goal that, if achieved, would
have serious proliferation consequences throughout the region. Some observers fear that Israel
could preemptively strike Iran and therefore trigger a wider war. Iran also continues its strong ties
to Syria, complicating U.S. efforts to peel that Arab state away from its Persian ally.
For decades, the Israeli-Palestinian conflict has absorbed the energies of successive
Administrations and Members of Congress alike. With renewed U.S. efforts to revive Israeli-Arab
peacemaking now stalled, Congress may debate the extent of U.S. involvement in the latest peace
process. U.S. Middle East policy has always required policymakers to delicately balance the need
for a strong U.S. relationship with Israel with the need to secure vital oil resources in the Persian
Gulf and support moderate Arab regimes.
As U.S. troops gradually withdraw from Iraq by 2011, U.S.-Iraqi relations should continue to
“normalize,” though U.S. efforts to continue to help Iraq rebuild and attain some degree of self-
sufficiency may continue for years to come. In the meantime, Iraq has not rid itself of Al Qaeda-
inspired terrorism and remains plagued by age-old ethnic and sectarian cleavages that threaten to
destabilize the country should some conflagration occur.
Finally, as evident by the failed 2009 Christmas Day airline bombing, Al Qaeda and its regional
affiliates continue to plan attacks against U.S. interests abroad and against the U.S. homeland
itself. The Middle East is home to Al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM), located in Algeria,
Morocco, Tunisia, and the Sahel, Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP), located in Yemen
and Saudi Arabia, and Al Qaeda in Iraq (AQI). The central core of Al Qaeda is still believed to be
hiding in the Federally Administered Tribal Areas in Pakistan near the Afghanistan border.
Although the United States remains the world’s lone superpower, its ability to project power in
the Middle East has diminished over the last decade. The wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, the Abu
Ghraib scandal, the international backlash against detentions in Guantanamo Bay, failed U.S.
efforts to limit the influence of “radical” countries and non-state actors (such as Iran, Syria,
Hezbollah in Lebanon, and Hamas in the Palestinian territories), and the global financial crisis all
have combined to curb U.S. financial, military, and ideological influence in the broader Middle
East. Other foreign powers, notably Russia, China, and the European Union, have attempted to
fill the void. Moreover, regional actors themselves, such as Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and Turkey, have
taken more responsibility for resolving disputes rather than reflexively deferring to U.S.
diplomacy. Overall, it remains to be seen whether and where the Obama Administration and
Congress will seek to re-assert U.S. influence in the region.
Through the appropriations process, Congress provides U.S. foreign assistance to several large
Middle Eastern recipients. Policymakers have often employed foreign aid to achieve U.S.
regional objectives. Foreign aid has been used as leverage to encourage peace between Israel and
her Arab neighbors, while strengthening bilateral relationships between the United States and
Congressional Research Service
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CRS Issue Statement on the Middle East

Israel and between the United States and moderate Arab governments. Foreign aid has worked to
cement close military cooperation between the United States and governments in the region,
discouraging local states from engaging in uncontrollable arms races. The Middle East CLI team
will continue to provide analysis of the foreign operations appropriations process to Congress.
Congress also plays a major role in overseeing U.S. arms sales to Middle Eastern countries. By
law, Congress must be notified of any major government-to-government or commercially-
licensed arms sale. The 111th Congress may debate U.S. arms sale proposals to Saudi Arabia or
other Gulf states. The Middle East CLI team will continue to assist Congress in its oversight of
regional arms sales.
• If the Obama Administration continues the push for Middle East peace, how will
the 111th Congress respond in light of Palestinian divisions and Hamas’ control of
the Gaza Strip?
• Given the budget constraints facing the nation, how will the 111th Congress
continue to support an array of regional initiatives, such as foreign aid to key
strategic partners, democracy promotion, and development assistance?
• Despite U.S. and international sanctions, radical regimes, such as Iran and Syria,
continue to persist in pursuing policies counter to U.S. interests. What new tools,
if any, may Congress employ to change their behavior?
• To what extent does the United States remain vulnerable, at home and abroad, to
terrorist attacks from Al Qaeda-inspired groups? How will policymakers balance
counterterrorism strategies with diplomatic strategies for improving U.S. bilateral
relationships with Arab regimes?

Issue Team Members

Jeremy M. Sharp, Coordinator
Kenneth Katzman
Specialist in Middle Eastern Affairs
Specialist in Middle Eastern Affairs
jsharp@crs.loc.gov, 7-8687
kkatzman@crs.loc.gov, 7-7612
Jim Zanotti
Christopher M. Blanchard
Analyst in Middle Eastern Affairs
Analyst in Middle Eastern Affairs
jzanotti@crs.loc.gov, 7-1441
cblanchard@crs.loc.gov, 7-0428
Casey L. Addis
Hussein D. Hassan
Analyst in Middle Eastern Affairs
Information Research Specialist
caddis@crs.loc.gov, 7-0846
hhassan@crs.loc.gov, 7-2119
Carol Migdalovitz

Specialist in Middle Eastern Affairs
cmigdalovitz@crs.loc.gov, 7-2667

Congressional Research Service
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For detailed information select from the following topical links.

Middle East

Israeli-Palestinian Conflict

Israeli-Arab Negotiations: Background, Conflicts, and U.S. Policy

Israel and the Palestinians: Prospects for a Two-State Solution

The Palestinians: Background and U.S. Relations

Israel: Background and Relations with the United States

U.S. Assistance

U.S. Foreign Assistance to the Middle East: Historical Background, Recent Trends, and the FY2010
Request

U.S. Foreign Aid to Israel

U.S. Foreign Aid to the Palestinians

U.S. Security Assistance to the Palestinian Authority

Iraq

Iraq: Post-Saddam Governance and Security

Iraq: Regional Perspectives and U.S. Policy

Iraq: Oil and Gas Legislation, Revenue Sharing, and U.S. Policy

Iran

Iran: U.S. Concerns and Policy Responses

Iran: Regional Perspectives and U.S. Policy

Selected Countries

Algeria: Current Issues

Bahrain: Reform, Security, and U.S. Policy

Egypt: Background and U.S. Relations

Jordan: Background and U.S. Relations

Kuwait: Security, Reform, and U.S. Policy

Lebanon: Background and U.S. Relations

Libya: Background and U.S. Relations

Morocco: Current Issues

Oman: Reform, Security, and U.S. Policy

Qatar: Background and U.S. Relations

Saudi Arabia: Background and U.S. Relations

Syria: Background and U.S. Relations

Tunisia: Current Issues

The United Arab Emirates (UAE): Issues for U.S. Policy

The United Arab Emirates Nuclear Program and Proposed U.S. Nuclear Cooperation

Western Sahara: Status of Settlement Efforts

Yemen: Background and U.S. Relations

Religion and Culture

Islam: Sunnis and Shiites

Islamic Finance: Overview and Policy Concerns