Middle East
abraham2
Control for resources has been a historic source of conflict throughout the world. As a majority of oil reserves are located in the Middle East there is a great desire on a global scale to ensure the service of this indispensible yet finite resource to the behest of many differing interests. The positioning of oil products as a cornerstone of the post-industrial world has made the Middle East the epicenter of proxy wars, civil wars, occupation, and civilian strife and will continue to be so.
While the region only represents a small fraction of global landmass, the 2012 estimate of the underground reserves in the Middle East represent “about 49.3 percent” of global reserves as Cummings and Held note in their text Middle East Patterns (2014). This majority of global reserves make the region a focal point for the globalized world. This oil dependent world will find different nations engaged in ever increasing conflict as growing economies vie for influence in the petroleum gold mine that is the Middle East.
The Dependence of America on oil is well known, and is increasing. “A close examination of the US energy policy shows a steady rise in oil consumption (Bahgt, 2006).” Baght also notes that, “oil is the single largest fuel in the primary energy mix (Bahgt, 2006).” Rising Powers like China have traditionally imported most oil from Persian Gulf Nations, and the trend is likely to continue according to Cordesman’s Middle Eastern Energy after the Iraq War: Current and Projected Trends. With two of the worlds largest nations both vying for the same resource, conflict is inevitable. When there’s conflict is over a resource it typically takes place in the place that resource exists. That makes the Middle Eastern nations susceptible to foreign intervention.
Strife within the Middle East over control of oil resources can have a dramatic impact on global markets. “The introduction of an embargo on Tehran's oil exports and talk of a preemptive military strike on Iran sent prices soaring to a four-year high of $128 a barrel by March (Oil, 2012).” This volatile market is exploited on the global stage for strategic interests. With prices for gas in the US at record highs and strategic Middle Eastern oil fields being compromised by conflict, most notably by the Islamic State (BBC, 2014) as well as in Syria and Libya, there could be a potential for greater civil conflict as economic pressures increase, while simultaneously enriching those who control the oil production.
Most oil reserves that are known are located in the Middle East. There is great global interest in ensuring that oil production continues to flow to disparate industrialized economies. The wealth of oil resources will make Middle Eastern nations the target of any party with an ability to control this enormous economic interest. Industrialized countries are dependent on oil for their continued growth and ability to sustain large populations. Since this resource is a finite one, struggle for control of this region will continue plague the Middle East.
Sources Cited
Bahgat, G. (2006). The United States and the Middle East: interdependence not independence. OPEC Review: Energy Economics & Related Issues, 30(3), 187-201.
BBC (2014). Struggle for Iraq: In maps. Oil Source. http://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-27838034
Cordesman, A. H. (2003). Middle Eastern Energy after the Iraq War: Current and Projected Trends. Middle East Policy, 10(4), 126-147.
Cummings, J. Held, C. (2014). Middle East Patterns: Places, People, and Politics. Westview Press.
Oil volatility puts pressure on Gulf. (2012). MEED: Middle East Economic Digest, 56(24), 20-21. http://stats.lib.pdx.edu/proxy.php?url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=fxh&AN=77413450&site=ehost-live
Smith, D. (2008). The Stat of the Middle East: An Atlas of Conflict and Resolution. Myriad Edition.