1.2 Background of the Study  2

 

1.2.1 The Importance of the Persian Gulf Geopolitics  3

 

1.2.2 U.S. attempts to build a security system for the Persian Gulf      8                                                                                                        8

 

1.2.3 Feature of the region after U.S. attack of Iraq  10

 

1.3 Problem statement 12

 

1.4 Research aims and Objectives  13

 

1.5 Research questions  14

 

1.6 Significance of the study  14

 

1.7 Scope and limitation of the study  18

 

1.8 Theoretical Framework  19

 

1.9 Definition of Terms  24

 

1.9.1 Regional security  24

 

1.9.2 Regional Security Complex (RSC) 25

 

1.9.3 Balance of Power 26

 

1.9.4 Persian Gulf  27

 

1.9.5 Arab Gulf  27

 

1.9.6 Unofficial policy  28

 

1.9.7 Regime  29

 

1.10 Methodology  29

 

1.10.1 Research data collection methods  30

 

1.10.2 Research Designs and Methods  31

 

1.10.3 Sources of available Data  31

 

1.10.4 Techniques for collecting and analyzing data  32

 

 

 

2        LITERATURE REVIEW    34

 

2.1 Introduction  34

 

2.2 Regional security  36

 

2.3 Evolving of the Persian Gulf Security Regimes  47

 

2.4 Alternative Security Frameworks for the Persian Gulf  56

 

2.5 Iran’s Persian Gulf policy  64

 

2.6 Conclusion  67

 

          3      THE EVOLUTION OF THE U.S. POLICIES TOWARDS IRAN 69

 

3.1 Introduction  69

 

3.2 Background  70

 

3.3 The Geography and Geopolitics of the Persian Gulf  71

 

3.3.1 The Persian Gulf Geographic Confines  73

 

3.3.2 Geopolitics of the Persian Gulf  75

 

3.3.3 Local Geography  76

 

3.3.4 Classification of the Persian Gulf states  79

 

3.4 Great Britain’s presence in the Persian Gulf  80

 

 

3.5 British withdrawal from Persian Gulf  81

 

3.5.1 The American reactions to British withdrawal 83

 

3.5.2 Regional states reactions regarding British withdrawal 84

 

3.6 American arrival in the Persian Gulf  85

 

3.6.1 American policy objectives in Iran  86

 

3.6.2 The U.S. interests in the Persian Gulf  88

 

3.6.3 Reasons of American indirect presence after Britain withdrawal 90

 

3.7 The policy of Twin pillar by Nixon administration  92

 

3.7.1 Areas of cooperation between Iran and US  99

 

3.7.2 US military assistance to Iran  101

 

3.8 Carter Doctrine  104

 

3.8.1 USCENTCOM in the Persian Gulf region  109

 

3.9 The policy of Dual containment (the policy of Clinton’s administration – Clinton’s Doctrine) 111

 

3.9.1 Basic codes of the dual containment policy  114

 

3.9.2 Factors of supporting Dual Containment Policy  115

 

3.9.3 Implementation of the Dual containment policy toward Iran  117

 

3.9.4 Implementation of the Dual containment policy toward Iraq  119

 

3.10 Establishment of the [Persian] Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) 121

 

3.10.1 Introduction  121

 

3.10.2 Previous Efforts for cooperation and alliance  121

 

3.10.3 Declared and undeclared objectives of the GCC   123

 

3.10.4 The main concerns of GCC states regarding the Islamic Republic of Iran  125

 

3.10.5 Interaction between the GCC states and the U.S. 127

 

3.10.7 Military abilities of the GCC state  130

 

3.10.8 A turning point at Doha summit 133

 

3.11 Conclusion  135

 

4   EVALUATION OF THE U.S. POLICIES IN PERSIAN GULF 136

 

4.1 Introduction  136

 

4.2 Evaluation of the “Twin Pillars Policy”  137

 

4.3 Evaluation of the “Carter Doctrine”  139

 

4.4 Evaluation of the Regan Doctrine  143

 

4.5 Evaluation of the “George Herbert Walker Bush” Policy  146

 

4.6 Evaluation of the “Dual Containment Policy”  149

 

4.6.1Evaluating the methods of containment 158

 

4.7 Evaluation of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) policy  159

 

4.8 evaluation of George W. Bush Policy  165

 

4.9 Islamic Republic of Iran’s Policies towards the United States  174

 

4.9.1 The Khatami phenomenon and Iran’s foreign policy  177

 

4.10 Conclusion  180

 

        5      FINDINGS AND DISCUSSIONS  182

 

5.1 Introduction  182

 

5.2 Securing the Persian Gulf as a neo-conservative thought 183

 

5.3 Schools of Thought about Iran  184

 

5.4 The Persian Gulf Remains as the World’s Energy Supply  185

 

5.5 Dilemmas in U.S.  Persian Gulf Policies  187

 

5.6 Regional Security Structures as Possible Options  192

 

5.6.1 Potential Models (samples) for the Persian Gulf  195

 

5.6.2   Parameters of Formulating a New Security Structure for the   Region                                                                                                         197

 

5.6.3 Essential pre-structure for Security building in the Persian Gulf region                                                                                                        198

 

5.7 Interaction of the GCC Regarding Iran  199

 

5.7.1 GCC and the Iran-Iraq War 203

 

5.7.2 The difficulties facing GCC states  204

 

5.7.3 The American Congress and weapons sales to the GCC 205

 

5.8 Sources of Conflict in the Persian Gulf Region: Penetration and Resistance                                                                                                         207

 

5.9 Oil is the main interest but not the unique interest 208

 

5.10 Major Problem Regarding the U.S. in the Persian Gulf  209

 

5.11 Conclusion  214

 

        6     SUMMARY, CONCLUSIONS, AND IMPLICATIONS  215

 

6.1 Introduction  215

 

6.2 Summary  215

 

6.3 Conclusion  219

 

6.3.1 GCC needs a new security arrangement 220

 

6.3.2 Mutual understanding of the U.S. and Iran  223

 

6.3.3 Disengaging from the region  225

 

6.3.4 The New Regional Security Arrangement 227

 

6.4 Implications (theory and practice) 232

 

6.5 Recommendation for future research  234

 

REFERENCES  236

 

BIODATA OF STUDENT   254

 

LIST OF PUBLICATIONS  255

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

LIST OF TABLES 

 

Table                                                                                                                                  Page

 

 1: World Conventional Oil Production                                                                                  6

 

 2: the United States oil imports                                                                                            76

 

 3: Past Challenges to U.S. Interests in the Gulf                                                                    89

 

 4:U.S. MilitaryAssistance to Iran, 1965-1973                                                                    101

 

 5: GNP & military expenditures of Iran (1968-1980)                                                        102

 

 6: NATO Contribution of Air forces in Desert Storm                                                        213

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

LIST OF FIGURES

 

Figure                                                                                                                                Page 

 

1: The Middle East & Persian Gulf region                                                                        2

 

                                                          5

 

3: Regional Security Complex Theory                                                                            23

 

4: Allied Participation in Coalition Operations                                                             213

 

5: Sorties Flown in Operation Allied Force and Operation Deliberate Force              214

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS

 

ASEAN: the Association of Southeast Asian Nation

 

ARF: ASEAN Regional Forum

 

BMDS: Ballistic Missile Defense System

 

CENTO: Central Treaty Organization

 

DOD: Department of Defense (America)

 

EIA: Energy Information Administration

 

G6: Group six including five permanent members of the United Nation’s Security Council (America, Russia China, Britain, France) plus Germany

 

GCC: Gulf Cooperation Council

 

GOIC: Gulf Organization for Industrial Consultancy

 

GRSF: [Persian] Gulf Regional Security Forum

 

I.R.IRAN: the Islamic Republic of Iran

 

IAEA: the International Atomic Energy Agency

 

ILSA: the Iran and Libya Sanctions Act of 1996

 

INP: Iran’s Nuclear Program

 

ICO: Islamic Conference Organization

 

ISA: Iran Sanctions Act

 

NAM:  Non Aligned Movement

 

NATO: North Atlantic Treaty Organization

 

NPT: treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons

 

NW:  Nuclear Weapon

 

OPEC: the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries

 

OSCE: the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe

 

PA: Palestinian Authority

 

PLO: Palestinian Liberation Organization

 

RDJTF: Rapid Deployment Joint Task Forces.

 

RSCT: Regional Security Complex Theory

 

UAE: United Arab Emirates

 

UN: the United Nations

 

UNSC: the United Nations Security Council