Crude Strategy: Rethinking the US Military Commitment to Defend Persian Gulf Oil

by Charles L. Glaser (Editor), Rosemary A. Kelanic (Editor), Salim Yaqub (Contribution by), Daniel Byman (Contribution by), Kenneth Vincent (Contribution by)

Overview

Policymakers and scholars have long assumed the US must maintain a military presence in the Middle East to protect access to Persian Gulf oil. Charles L. Glaser and Rosemary A. Kelanic reconsider this policy based on analyses from a multidisciplinary team of political scientists, historians, and economists.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781626163355
Publisher:	Georgetown University Press
Publication date:	08/12/2016
Edition description:	Reprint
Pages:	312
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 8.90(h) x 0.70(d)
Age Range:	18 Years

About the Author

Charles L. Glaser is a professor in the Elliott School of International Affairs and Department of Political Science at George Washington University as well as director of the Elliott School's Institute for Security and Conflict Studies. He is the author of several books, including Rational Theory of International Politics: The Logic of Competition and Cooperation.

Rosemary A. Kelanic is an assistant professor of political science at Williams College.

Table of Contents

Preface

Introduction Charles L. Glaser and Rosemary A. Kelanic

Part I: Background1. The United States and the Persian Gulf: 1941-Present Salim Yaqub2. Assessing Current U.S. Policies and Goals in the Persian Gulf Daniel Byman

Part II: Key Questions3. The Economic Costs of Persian Gulf Oil Supply Disruptions Kenneth R. Vincent4. Saudi Arabian Oil and U.S. Interests Thomas W. Lippman5. After America: The Flow of Persian Gulf Oil in the Absence of the U.S. Military ForceJoshua Rovner6. U.S. Spending on its Military Commitments to the Persian Gulf Eugene Gholz 7. Resilience by Other Means: The Potential Benefits of Alternative Government Investments in U.S. Energy SecurityJohn Duffield

Part III: Conclusions and Policy Options8. Should the United States Stay in the Gulf? Charles L. Glaser and Rosemary A. Kelanic 9. The Future of U.S. Force Posture in the Gulf: The Case for a Residual Forward Presence Caitlin Talmadge

About the ContributorsIndex

What People are Saying About This

Brenda Shaffer

This book makes a meaningful contribution to the ongoing debate on US policy in the Persian/Arab Gulf, as it challenges many of the cornerstones of US policy in the region. Among the book's authors are some of the leading thinkers on US strategy and Middle East policy

Michael Desch

Oil is one of the few natural resources the absence of which could constitute the achilles heel of great powers and an existential threat to the health of the global economy. Belief in petro-exceptionalism has led the United States to commit substantial military forces to the Persian Gulf. Glaser and Kelanic and their contributors judiciously weigh the threats to the continuing free flow of Persian Gulf oil and assess the various strategic options the United States has to respond to them. This volume will quickly become a vital intellectual resource on this important topic.

Andrew Ross

This outstanding volume is a must read on Persian Gulf security and economic issues and how to reset U.S. strategy for the Gulf. It also serves as a superb example of how the gap between theory and practice can be bridged and of the excellent analytical work that serious scholars can, and should, provide practitioners.

Jeff Colgan

How and to what extent should America militarily defend Persian Gulf oil? With uncommon clarity, this book lays bare the questions and assumptions that lie at the heart of this timely issue. The analysis is essential reading for anyone seeking to understand continued US military presence in the region.

Editorial Reviews

This book makes a meaningful contribution to the ongoing debate on US policy in the Persian/Arab Gulf, as it challenges many of the cornerstones of US policy in the region. Among the book's authors are some of the leading thinkers on US strategy and Middle East policy

Brenda Shaffer

How and to what extent should America militarily defend Persian Gulf oil? With uncommon clarity, this book lays bare the questions and assumptions that lie at the heart of this timely issue. The analysis is essential reading for anyone seeking to understand continued US military presence in the region.

Jeff Colgan

Oil is one of the few natural resources the absence of which could constitute the achilles heel of great powers and an existential threat to the health of the global economy. Belief in petro-exceptionalism has led the United States to commit substantial military forces to the Persian Gulf. Glaser and Kelanic and their contributors judiciously weigh the threats to the continuing free flow of Persian Gulf oil and assess the various strategic options the United States has to respond to them. This volume will quickly become a vital intellectual resource on this important topic.

Michael Desch

This outstanding volume is a must read on Persian Gulf security and economic issues and how to reset U.S. strategy for the Gulf. It also serves as a superb example of how the gap between theory and practice can be bridged and of the excellent analytical work that serious scholars can, and should, provide practitioners.

Andrew Ross

"How and to what extent should America militarily defend Persian Gulf oil? With uncommon clarity, this book lays bare the questions and assumptions that lie at the heart of this timely issue. The analysis is essential reading for anyone seeking to understand continued US military presence in the region." — Jeff Colgan, Assistant Professor of Political Science, Brown University

From the Publisher