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The United States and the Middle East INS 3310/INS 5322 Al Akhawayn University Fall 2014 Syllabus Building 8 Room 13 Instructor: Dr. T. Jeremy Gunn Office Hours: M/W 17:00-18:00; T/R 14:00-16:00; F 9:00-12:00 Office address: Building 7 Room 111 E-mail: J.Gunn@aui.ma Course background and intended learning outcomes This course is designed to promote critical thinking about the role that the United States has played in the Middle East, particularly since World War II. We will seek to overcome simplistic explanations and the stereotyping of peoples and policies by pursuing a more sophisticated and balanced understanding of the underlying issues. It is common for many – both in the “West” and in the “East” – to think of Middle Eastern conflicts as part of a larger “Clash of Civilizations” between “the East and West” or between “Muslims and Zionists.” Our goal will be to go beyond these limited narratives and try to understand the complexities of the conflicts. It is generally recognized that the United States government was largely uninvolved in the Middle East before World War II. Prior to 1942, with a few exceptions that will be discussed in class, the United States government played almost no diplomatic, military, or political role in the region. Early activities by American individuals and groups were principally in the fields of missionary work, education, charitable activities, trade, and business. Beginning in 1942, with the American-led “United Nations” invasion of French-occupied Morocco and Algeria and with the establishment of the “Persian Corridor” supply route that provided military and economic aid to the Soviet Union, the United States began to play a significant role in the region. It is only a slight exaggeration to say that the United States did not arrive in the Middle East until 1942 and that it never left afterwards. American foreign policy in the Middle East has largely been shaped by an interaction of 6 salient and interrelated factors: first, the rise of American power generally; second, the search for independence and autonomy among the peoples of the Middle East; third, the increasing strategic importance of petroleum to the American and world economies; fourth, the role of Israel; fifth, Cold War competition between the United States and the Soviet Union (1945-1989); and sixth, the rising importance of religion and Islamist movements – particularly after 1979. While these 6 factors may be the most salient, it should not be forgotten that the U.S. government has had many other important though less dramatic concerns in the region, including the (often inconsistent) promotion of economic development, trade, democracy, and human rights. For many people’s understanding of the role of the United States in the Middle East, the “elephant in the room” is Israel. Although the United States played a brief but significant role in the creation of the state of Israel in 1948, the United States was relatively uninvolved with Israel in the 1940s, 1950s, and even early 1960s. In 1956, when Britain, France, and Israel

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launched an ill-conceived invasion of Egypt (the “Suez Crisis”), the United States pushed back against its allies and essentially forced the three countries to withdraw. The United States began to provide limited military supplies to Israel only during the Kennedy administration (1961-1963), but it was not until later in the 1960s and 1970s that the U.S. government finally became a major supplier of military and economic aid to Israel. It is not possible to understand fully the relationship between the United States and Israel by beginning a study in 1948 (or later). Although the United States played virtually no role in the British seizure of Palestine from the Ottoman Empire in 1917 nor in the post-World War I creation of the “League of Nations mandates,” it is important to understand those developments in order to appreciate more completely the role today of the United States in Israel, Palestine, Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon, and Syria – and beyond. Accordingly, the early 20th century background of the Middle East will be examined in some depth early in the course, even though the United States itself played a very modest role during these critical formative years.

As surprising as it might seem, during most of the twentieth century the United States was the world’s leading oil exporter. The United States was the world’s most important oil producer during World Wars I and II and it was not until 1970 that it became a net importer. During the first third of the twentieth century, the “western” country that was most active in pursuing Middle Eastern oil was Great Britain, which dominated oil production in the region until at least 1960. Although private American oil companies had long pursued opportunities in the Middle East, it was the 1938 discovery of oil in Saudi Arabia by the American consortium “Casoc” (which evolved into what is today Aramco) that led to a major transformation of American interests in the Middle East. In 1945, the founder of the modern Saudi dynasty, King Abdul Aziz Ibn Saud, met with President Franklin Roosevelt (who died only weeks later) and formed an alliance.

For practical purposes, the 1945 understanding between President Roosevelt and King Abdul Aziz Ibn Saud has shaped the long-term relationship between the Saudi dynasty and the United States that, despite many significant disagreements, has been one of the long-term principal factors affecting Middle Eastern politics. Although it is an oversimplification, it may be said that this understanding provided that Saudi Arabia would make its oil reserves available to help stabilize international oil prices in exchange for the United States providing military security for the Saudi kingdom. The mixing of oil, politics, the military – and increasingly religion – will be an ongoing theme in the course.

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The person standing (and bending) at the left in the photo, Lt. Col. William A. Eddy, personifies several themes of early United States involvement in the Middle East. He was born in 1896 in Sidon in the Ottoman Empire (modern-day Lebanon). His parents were Christian missionaries. He grew up speaking Arabic. At the time of the U.S. invasion of Morocco (Operation Torch) in 1942, Eddy was an intelligence officer based in Tangier. At the time this photo was taken in 1945, he was the English-Arabic interpreter between President Franklin D. Roosevelt (far right) and King Abdul Aziz ibn Saud (second from right). Eddy later was instrumental in developing the CIA. Following his military and diplomatic service, Eddy worked for the oil company Aramco in Saudi Arabia, and opposed U.S. support for Israel and urged stronger U.S. ties with the Arab world.

With Israel and oil providing the background, the course will examine a series of events involving the United States in the Middle East after World War II: the American and British overthrow of the government of Iran’s Prime Minister Muhammad Mosaddeq in 1953, the Suez Crisis of 1956, the Eisenhower doctrine and the American “invasion” of Lebanon in 1958, the June 1967 and October 1973 wars involving Israel, the Nixon Doctrine, the Arab-Israeli “Peace Process,” the Israeli invasions of Lebanon, and the two American-led invasions of Iraq (1991 and 2003). The goal is to examine these issues with intelligence, fairness, and sophistication in order to understand what has happened as well as to be able to understand why there are obstacles to reaching long-lasting solutions.

Texts and learning materials Required texts:

Geoffrey Wawro, Quicksand: America’s Pursuit of Power in the Middle East (2010) T. Jeremy Gunn, ed., Course Pack for US and the Middle East (posted on Jenzabar)

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Chronology of the United States and the Middle East (posted on Jenzabar) Other readings (handouts or posted on Jenzabar)

Grading for undergraduates (who do not take term paper option): Attendance and compliance with class policies: 20% Short papers and quizzes: 30% Exams: - Mid-term 20% - Final 30% Possible bonus for effective class participation: 10% Grading for graduates (and undergraduates who choose term paper option): Attendance and compliance with class policies: 10% Short papers and quizzes: 20% Exams: - Mid-term 20% - Final 30% *Term paper (book analysis) 20% Possible bonus for effective class participation: 10% *For term paper (book analysis) grade: Strictly complying with deadlines: 10% Complying with Turabian** footnote format: 10% Bibliography 10% First draft book analysis 30% Final book analysis 40% ** Undergraduates may use either MLA or APA Strategies for Learning The resources for the class include readings, Internet research, class lectures, and discussions. Assignment sheets will be distributed during the semester that will identify the specific assignments. Students are expected to have completed the assigned readings before class in order to better participate in discussions and to understand the materials. Short quizzes may be given at any time. Students are actively encouraged to participate in class discussions, raise questions, offer different points of view, and challenge what is said. Organization and filing. It is recommended that you keep in one place (such as in a folder, binder, or notebook) your syllabus, assignment sheets, handouts, and class notes. How to study for this course. Every person has a different way of learning or studying strategies that are the most effective for her or him. If you already have an effective method – use it. If the proposals that are made below are not helpful, ignore them. Many people – including the person who is writing this sentence – often engage in “multi-tasking” while pretending to “study.” Rather than focusing on the immediate subject, they are simultaneously checking email, listening to a favorite piece of music, laughing at that ridiculous cat on YouTube, trying to find out what Amal Alamuddin will be wearing on her wedding day or wondering what was Lady Gaga’s latest outrageous outfit, and, most importantly, needing to know whether Barça won its match yesterday. While this scattered

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approach to “studying” may be a new norm, it’s not an effective way of learning material for an economics class, calculus, or history. For all practical purposes, and certainly for learning, the brain cannot do two things at a time. If you are paying attention to one thing you cannot be learning another. So . . . Recommendation 1: focus on one and only one thing at a time and turn off everything else (including your wandering mind). Take notes about what you are reading or watching. If you are watching a documentary for class, don’t simultaneously check your email. Unless you are super-intelligent, or you need to drown out disrupting noises (such as a snoring roommate), it’s probably best not to listen to music while working. (Hint: if you think you are super-intelligent, you may be deceiving yourself!) Recommendation 2: read the material before class and highlight the most important items. Recommendation 3: pay attention in class and take notes. Recommendation 4: review class notes (and correct them) and the readings as soon as you can after class is over. Recommendation 5: form a study group with 2-5 classmates and meet once a week to discuss what has been learned. Ask questions of each other. Challenge and correct each other. Talk about the material. Recommendation 6: read, think about, and follow recommendations 1-5. Seating chart. After the first couple of days of class, you will be asked to sign the seating chart and then to take the same chair for the remainder of the semester. So choose your seat well. If there is no one in sitting in your seat, you will be marked absent. Office hours. Students are encouraged to attend the instructor’s office hours at the posted times, whether to seek clarification about the subject, ask additional questions, or challenge what was said in class. Class policies

The most important class policy is to enjoy learning, to expand your knowledge of the modern middle east, and to have a good time while doing so. Asking questions during class and engaging in discussions is strongly encouraged and may even help you gain bonus points (see below). Students are expected to be present, to be on time, and to have prepared their assignments in advance of the class. The texts of the assigned readings should always be brought to class. (Hint: imagine how it would help to have it with you for an open-book quiz!) Please do not bring food and drink to our class. Okay, I will make an exception for water. If you are so hungry or thirsty that you cannot survive, then please don’t come to class and go to the lunchroom instead. If you eat in class, you will be marked as absent. The course will follow Al Akhawayn University honors and attendance policies as outlined in the Student Code of Conduct. The statements below are based on this guidance. Any changes in AUI policies will lead to changes in class policies. Dishonesty on exams or assignments will be dealt with strictly and will likely lead to your failing the course. If you are honest with yourselves and fair to your classmates, you will have no need to worry.

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Students are entitled to two (2) “unexcused absences” per semester without any grade reduction. All unexcused absences in excess of the two that are permitted will lead to a reduction of the grade. Attendance will be taken at the beginning of class. Three late marks will equal one unexcused absence. Five unexcused absences will result in a WF. If you are more than 5 minutes late to class it will be counted as one unexcused absence. A “good excuse” is not the same thing as an “excused absence” in AUI policies as outlined in the catalogue. Requests for “excused absences” must be made in advance and are given for either: (a) official AUI activities that have been approved, and (b) extended illnesses approved by the VPSA. An absence for medical reasons for a day or two is not an “excused absence,” with or without a doctor’s signature. A visit to your parents is a worthy activity, but it is not an “excused absence.” Going to a consulate for a visa is praiseworthy, but it is not an “excused absence.” Any request for an “excused absence” that is not covered by AUI policies will be counted as one late mark. Cell phones should be turned off. If your phone rings during class or if you text or read emails you will receive an unexcused absence. You are welcome to use laptops in class to take notes and do course-related work, but not for email exchanges, Facebook, or other distractions. Unless you have a medical emergency or have received advance permission, leaving the class before its end will constitute an unexcused absence. (Hint: use the restroom before and not during class. I’m really sorry that I need to say this, but experience has shown that some people cannot figure this out without being told.) If you leave the class during an exam, you will not be allowed to return. If you want to have a conversation with a classmate, that’s wonderful. Just make sure that it is before or after class – or that you are speaking to the entire class. If your talking to others is disruptive, you will receive an unexcused absence.

Spot quizzes, whether open book or closed book, may occur at any time.

Students are responsible for learning all the information that is conveyed in class whether or not they are in attendance. It is important to take good notes during lectures and class discussions. If the student is absent, it is her or his responsibility to obtain the information from other students.

Important Dates September 16 Graduate students: bibliography due October 14 Mid-term November 4 Graduate students: first draft term paper due November 6 Green March (no class) November 18 Morocco Independence Day (no class) December 2 Graduate students: final paper due (return first draft and rubric) December 13-18 Final exam week

The final exam date will be determined by AUI. Do not book non-refundable tickets for departures before December 18