A política externa norte-americana para o Oriente Médio antes e após o 11 de setembro de 2001.

Abstract

This work examines the development of North-American foreign policy for the Middle East before and after the attacks of September 11th 2001. Foreign policy can be defined as a program created by government authorities whose goal is to achieve a certain result with other states. Understanding how foreign policy is formulated involves knowledge of the history of state that is studied and also the various events that move the action of international actors. Type of policy used is relevant and necessary in order to have a constant adaptation to these changes and to deal with their interests. The actions of a state can be explained through offensive realism that shows that since there is not a supranational organization which governs these actions, the key to survival is power. Moreover, the aggressive behavior of a state can be justified by the pursuit of power. The objectives of this study were to identify changes in USA foreign policy for the Middle East, particularly in Afghanistan and Iraq, from the beginning of the Cold War until the first decade after the attacks of September 11th 2001 in security and economic terms. It also sought to identify the ways of USA intervention in Middle East, its economic interests and greatest allies on this region. Finally, to identify changes in the national security of the United States after the attacks of September 11th. It was used the qualitative analytical method based on comprehension and historical development of USA foreign policy for the Middle East, and to establish a connection between the attacks as a motivating event of its change and/or evolution. There are North-American interests in the Middle East since the Cold War, representing the largest country's efforts to contain advance of the Soviet Union. These interests range from access to abundant oil reserves in the Gulf, to the defense of the State of Israel, the resolution of the Arab-Israeli conflict and the maintenance of a favorable situation for the USA state with the support of Arab states. The strategy of USA policy toward Middle East constitute in a vital question of maintaining a status quo that allows political and economic exploitation and trading affordable oil. The attacks of September 11th changed the focus of North-American foreign policy for the Middle East and led to wars and political crises. North-American interventions in the Middle East after the attacks can be justified, therefore, to maintain the position of greatest world power and to preserve the security of USA by dominating oil reserves, because if another nation were able to dominate them, it could face the USA hegemony by threatening to affect the position of world's greatest power and most desirable on the international scenario.