The Use of Mideast Oil Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

The Use of Mideast Oil - Essay Example The possession of oil production facilities and fields for future development determine the relationship that the developing nations form with the oil rich nations. Without oil, Iraq would have been one more unfortunate dictatorship in a world where oppression and exploitation is commonplace. However, the United States has taken a keen interest in seeing that Iraq is a democracy in an effort to keep the oil flowing. American taxpayers have been willing to funnel billions of dollars in aid and infrastructure into this Middle Eastern country. The potential oil that they can produce has formed the basis of our foreign policy in relation to Iraq. Even more astounding is the propensity that the US has for arming an oil rich nation with the latest high tech weaponry available. Saudi Arabia, which produces over 12 percent of the world's oil, can demand and receive huge allotments of fighter aircraft, missiles, and JDAMS, which are some of the world's most advanced 'smart bombs' (Strobel, 2007). The United Arab Emirates, a top ten producer of oil, has been supplied with similar weapons. These military aid packages are in return for the steady supply of crude oil. Because the State Department knows that these are politically risky and volatile nations, the US offers Israel upgraded military equipment to maintain a balance of power. By co