United States foreign policy in
the Middle East has its roots as early as the Barbary Wars in the
first years of the U.S.'s existence, but became much more expansive after World War II
American policy during the Cold War tried
to prevent Soviet Union influence by supporting anti-communist regimes and backing
Israel against Soviet-sponsored Arab countries.
Why Saudi Arabia?
Saudi Arabia known as the country of birth of the Prophet
Muhammad as well as the growth and development of Islam, so that the flag there
are two sentences creed which means 'There is no god (worthy) to be worshiped
but Allah and Muhammad is his messenger'
Saudi Arabia
is located in between two continents, Europe and Africa. Geographically it
spread from the Red Sea and Alqaba Gulf in the West until the Arab Gulf in the
South, meanwhile in the North Saudi Arabia is near with the Jordan, Iraq, and
Kuwait. Saudi Arabia also located near the Yemen and Oman and in the East there
are Arab Gulf, United Emirate Arab, Qatar, and Bahrain. Saudi Arabia area has a
unfertile environment, contains of mountain, desert, and high terrain with a
hot climate every day.
Those
extreme conditions in above didn't make the Arab Saudi becoming an isolated area
from the world. The development of the oil industry since 1930s, making Saudi
Arabia as a recognizable country even though before the 1938 Saudi Arabia never
be noticed by the Europe and United States because there are still no good
resource from them. The gate of knowledge about Saudi Arabia starts after oil
was founded in there.(Simmons, 2005) In the 1938, oil become a main commodity that
makes a big change in the development of Saudi Arabia after their income from
the people's who are doing Haji. Saudi Arabia starts to become an oil producer
in 1930s. Every people in Saudi Arabia start to develop and change, and also
the economy of Saudi Arabia are going to develop at that time.
The US
starts to seek their oil exploration in the Middle East after there are a
founding of oil sources in Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, and Kuwait. Since 1933 the
“STANDARD OIL COMPANY” from California got the rights for oil exploration
contains a big area in the eastside of Saudi Arabia. (DR. Sidik Jatmika, 2014)
And then, US
and Saudi Arabia start to make cooperation in Oil Company or also known as
Arabian American Oil Company (ARAMCO). The production of oil conducted
continuously and because of that the society changed from the nomad system into
a modern who build a city. In it give a good benefit for Saudi Arabia.
US-Saudi
Arabia Relations
The United
States and Saudi Arabia have had full diplomatic relations since 1933. The two
nations have encountered obstacles in the path of a successful relationship
since it first began. The relationship reconstructed itself after each conflict
and become stronger in some cases. Saudi Arabia's unique role in the Arab and
Islamic worlds, its possession of the world's largest reserves of oil, and its
strategic location make its friendship important to the United States. The two
countries share common concerns and consult closely on regional security, oil
exports and imports, and sustainable development, including issues such as the
Middle East peace process and shared interests in the Persian Gulf. Saudi
Arabia is a strong partner in counterterrorism efforts, providing safeguard
both countries' national interests.
US-Assistance to Saudi Arabia
The US and
Saudi Arabia have a security relationship. The US Army Corps of Engineers play
a role in military and civilian construction activities in Saudi Arabia. The security
assistance program are: provide training and support in the use of weapons and
other security-related to the Saudi armed forces; assisting the modernization
of the Saudi Arabian National Guard; and to train and equip a Facility Security
Force, part of the Ministry of Interior. The US has sold Saudi Arabia military
aircraft, air defense weaponry, armored vehicles, and other equipment.
Bilateral Economic Relations
The US is
Saudi Arabia's largest trading partner, and Saudi Arabia is one of the largest
US export markets in the Middle East. The US and Saudi Arabia have signed a
Trade Investment Frameworks Agreement (TIFA). The reliable sources of oil,
particularly from Saudi Arabia, is important to the prosperity of the US as
well as Europe and Japan. Saudi Arabia is one of the leading sources of
imported oil for the US, providing more than one million barrels per day of the
oil to the US market.
Post 9/11 Relationship
Before the
9/11 incident, the US and is the proof of the success of US to control the
biggest oil sources in the Middle East. A that time also Saudi Arabia is known
as the West-pro and Anti-Soviet. It’s the proof how good their relationship at
that time. But, "The 9/11 incident change the relationship of both
countries" (Prof.Dr.Bambang Cipto, 2011) . Many people who
become the suspect in the incident causing US citizen suspecting Saudi Arabia.
The US government believe that Saudi Arabia support the financial of the
terrorist which is causing the diplomatic relationship of both countries
getting worse. In the recent years after the 9/11 the tension among them are
getting higher. One of the indicators is the plan to buy some arms from Russia.
The reason is because Saudi in really need for against the Iran while at that
time US didn’t sell the arms because there are still an Anti-Saudi in US.
But in 2010 King
Abdullah makes a visit to Washington and it is the process of to fix their
cracked diplomatic relationship since the 9/11 incident, the two countries are
talking many issues including the Iran’s Nuclear development and also the
probability of the arms buying by Saudi Arabia to the US.
In this case
Saudi Arabia is not only an oil supplier for the West. Saudi Arabia now becomes
the promising arms market for the West. It’s mean that, the West more dependent
to the Saudi Arabia in term of energy and their arms industry market. Because
of this also the Islamic world which is stated as the terrorist now it’s become
their important market.
Bibliography
Simmons,
Matthew R. (2005). Twilight In
The Desert: The Coming Oil Saudi Shock and The World
Economy.
New Jersey: John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
DR. Sidik Jatmika, M.
(2014). Pengantar Studi Kawasan Timur Tengah. Yogyakarta: Maharsa.
Prof.Dr.Bambang Cipto, M. (2011). Dunia Islam dan Masa Depan Hubungan
Internasional di Abad 21. Yogyakarta: LP3M UMY.
See also my friend's blog
"Untitled by Gifachri Bani A
Critical Review of United States Democracy Promotion on the Muslim World by Andi Muhammad Ibnu Aqil
US Strategy to Combat the Islamic State Organization in Iraq and Syria by Erlina Anhar
US-KSA Relationship: ARAMCO by Noviyanti Soleman
"Untitled" by Alviana Nabilah Z
"Untitled" by Yuni Indriyanti
See also my friend's blog
"Untitled by Gifachri Bani A
Critical Review of United States Democracy Promotion on the Muslim World by Andi Muhammad Ibnu Aqil
US Strategy to Combat the Islamic State Organization in Iraq and Syria by Erlina Anhar
US-KSA Relationship: ARAMCO by Noviyanti Soleman
"Untitled" by Alviana Nabilah Z
"Untitled" by Yuni Indriyanti
