The United States Role In The Cold War

The Middle East is an area of land and group of countries in Southwest Asia, Eastern Europe, and North Africa. The United States has had a complicated role in the region throughout the last century. Following World War I, U.S. President Wilson wanted to implement self-determination in the Middle East, but the United States Senate voted against it. As a result, Britain and France remained the strongest powers in the Middle East. After World War II, Britain could no longer afford to maintain its powerful position in the Middle East, so they urged the United States to take their place. The United States was in the middle of the Cold War at the time and used their new control over the Middle East to try to repress Soviet activities. Since
Conflict and war have consumed many countries. For Example, Iraq and Afghanistan have been occupied by U.S. troops since 2003. Terrorist groups like Al Qaeda and ISIS have gained power. Hostility towards the United States has been a powerful recruiting tool for terrorist groups seeking to harm the U.S. Promoting human rights and peace, instead of adding to the conflict, would help reduce hostility towards the U.S. and reduce the influence of terrorism. In December 2010, protests began against the Authoritarian government in Tunisia. They wanted more freedom, an end to corruption, and economic opportunity. The protests spread from Tunisia to more than a dozen countries. In some countries, the protests caused a positive change in government, but in others, the protests led to harsh repercussions from the government. In Syria, the protests led to a civil war that killed more than two hundred thousand people by the end of 2014. With United States support, they could hopefully avoid conflict and make a smoother transition to a more democratic government. The people of the Middle East want more respect for human rights and a say in the way their governments run. Until those needs are met, stability in the Middle East will be
In many countries in the Middle East, minorities and women are actively discriminated against by the government. For example, Israel has displaced and mistreated millions of Palestinians. The Israelis are not giving Palestinians the rights of self-governance and free movement and refuse to allow the nearly two million refugees they have displaced to return to their homes. The U.S. has allowed Israel to get away with their mistreatment of Palestinians for far too long. The United States has a lot of influence in Israel and should use that power to pressure Israel to give Palestinians an equal role in their society and put an end to the countless human rights violations against them. In places like Saudi Arabia, women are still not allowed to drive or have many of the rights that men have. The United States has been reluctant to criticize the Saudi Arabian government because they hold so much of the world’s oil supply, but the U.S. needs to start prioritizing human rights and equality over possible negative outcomes. To add a similar point, countries like Iran and Saudi Arabia strictly enforce Islamic law. While political Islam is not a problem in and of its self, the enforcement of it can lead to discrimination against religious minorities, women, and others that are not accepted by Islamic law. The United States needs to work towards human rights and equality in the