The Middle East: Some New Realities and Old Problems‪.‬

Introduction Since the tragedy of September 11, 2001 the United States has launched and prosecuted, on both military and civilian fronts, a war against terror in Afghanistan and in the Middle East. It also has embarked upon an explicit policy of regime change in Arab and Muslim Iraq. Meanwhile, within the larger context of U.S.-Middle East relations, a new endeavor took center stage when Secretary of State Colin Powell presented the U.S.-Middle East Partnership Initiative on December 12, 2002 pledging the United States to act "firmly on the side of change, of reform, and of a modern future for the Middle East." This plan squarely challenged the countries of the Arab and Muslim Middle East, while holding out the promise of financial aid from the U.S., to embrace American-style democracy, peace, and opportunities to engage in the global marketplace. (1) The rattling of sabers, it seems now, is accompanied by the extension of hands filled with dollars in order to propel Middle Eastern states forward into a rosy, modern future.