The Suez Crisis, is it Really a Crisis?

After WWII, Britain and France have taken over the Middle East, specifically Jordan, Palestine, Iraq, Syria, Lebanon, and Egypt. Palestine had then become Israel, as Israel announced their independence in 1948 and has become a somewhat powerful force compared to other Arab countries militarily. As for Egypt, Egypt has become a base for Britain’s military and has become a very important resource for the British.

1956 is a year of revolution, a year of self-control for the Egyptians under the control of Gamal Abdel-Nasser. As for the British, it is a year of nuisance under the Prime Minister Eden. After the American’s decided to withdraw from the building of the Aswan dam, a highly prosperous dam for the Egyptians, Gamal Abdel Nasser nationalized the Suez Canal. This is one factor of how the relationship between the Middle East and US, changed. The US did not see anything beneficial in building the dam but it caused a domino effect of conflicts in the region. Britain and France then decided to attack Egypt using Israel’s force. This created a complicated net of relations between France and Britain, USA, Egypt, and Israel and arguably created what is now the current situation in the Middle East. In the end of the crisis, the US was disappointed from Britain for what they have done, increased the relationship between the US and Israel and decreased the relationship of the US with the Middle East due to Egypt.

Egypt, virtually victorious in this fight for identity and independence has now become socialist if not Communist in the eyes of Britain and the US. This allowed Israel to come up and become a close ally with the US.

Got Oil?

After WWI, the United States realized that the Middle East actually had a value. They were able to help the Gulf countries discover oil in their region. America then took their chance and was able to make good relations with the gulf countries especially Saudi Arabia. Saudi Arabia then made a company called Aramco which was specialized in extracting and exporting oil in the region. The other Gulf countries also made a big fortune from their discovery of petroleum.
The current situation now as time passed has developed into something I would call, a drying oasis. The oasis, or the oil, is the main resource the gulf countries depend on and virtually is the one of the other dew resources they have, making it, a desert. . The oasis is drying because the vacuum, otherwise known as the clients, is sucking the oil out. America is the main consumer of the oil that comes from the Middle East and a large part of its economy is dependent on the region. The recent ups and downs of the economy have affected the Middle East and have led to the rise of the price of the barrel of oil. Researches also say also because the demand went up, the price went up. These changes in the economy and the price of oil give a tug and war effect, where the price of oil goes back and forth, rising, then decreasing unexpectedly.
According to several documentaries on the oil in Saudi Arabia, Aramco is one of the most successful companies in the world. It has the ability to extract the most oil in a day in the world. Oil, being the “black gold” has given the advantage for the gulf countries to be able to control the economy of the world. Yet, they have not taken that chance. One of the kings of Saudi Arabia once decided to stop trading with the United States for various reasons and led to a halt in the world economy. Although America extracts a convincing quantity of oil, they cannot continue their trade without the Middle East.
Oil has given the Middle East the chance to give a word in the world and for it to succeed economically. Oil has been good news since the time it was discovered. But it has also led to different conflicts between the United States. For example, Iraq, many people believe that the US entered Iraq for the immense oil Iraq contains. These conflicts must be avoided because the Middle East, in my opinion has the ball in the court and can do what it pleases if done wisely and correctly.