The US and the New Middle East

The US and the New Middle East

2011, Politics  -  Playlist 35 Comments
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Ratings: 7.91/10 from 23 users.

The US and the New Middle EastIn the first of a two-part series, Fault Lines examines how the Obama administration is reacting to the enormous changes taking place across the Middle East.

The decision by the US to intervene in the Libyan conflict has a profound impact on the future of the country. But what are the driving forces behind America's decision to get involved?

White House officials claim that they acted to prevent a humanitarian disaster - but was such a disaster imminent and what were the other factors involved?

Did the US intervene to stabilise Libyan oil production for the global markets? Did the White House decide to depose Muammar Gaddafi to send a message to others in the region? And how does this open up the US to accusations of double standards in its foreign policy?

In the second part, Fault Lines travels to the Persian Gulf to look at US policy in the region, and to explore why the US has taken an interventionist policy in Libya, but not in Bahrain, where there has been a brutal crackdown on protesters. Why does the White House strongly back democracy in one Arab country, but not another?

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Andrew Blackadder
Andrew Blackadder
1 year ago

Hitlery Clinton committed an evil invasion of Libya and brought NATO into it and I dont know which country Libya invaded or attacked that caused NATO to bomb the living crap out of that Desert country as the people of Libya had free education, free Health treatment and each family was paid $5000 for each child born and the Clinton Cartel, plus Obummer, wanted Gaddifi gone because he said he wanted his Oil Money in Gold Bars and not US$ as he wanted an African Dinar Currency, like the Euro, and this would cause the USA to pay more for the Oil, Saddam wanted his Oil Money in Euro, and again the same reaction from the USA.
Uncle Sam needs to stay home and stop thinking he knows which country should be ruled by which people...Such arrogance.
President Trump made the USA Energy independent, Biden destroyed that, Trump said lets get out of these endless wars, Biden started a new one, Trump brokered Peace Deals with 6 islamic Nations and Israel but nobody wants him to get a Nobel Peace Prize but Obama received one because he is..... half Negro?....
The Left in the USA is now the War Mongering Party, the DemonRATS.

anna miller
anna miller
10 years ago

A much better documentary to watch is "The Secret of the Seven Sisters"
Most Americans are ignorant regarding the history of big oil.
This documentary is more propaganda from the United Church of Gov.Corp

Larry Edberg
Larry Edberg
11 years ago

Hey libya...how's obama;s hope and change working for you now?

tim1888
tim1888
11 years ago

they may have stopped a massacre in libya but they didn't stop the massacre's that happened in syria and are still happening in syria

ropativ
ropativ
11 years ago

typical middleeastern doco....US here, US there, US lying low, US standing out....it gets rather boring when the guy was even guessing things about this and that of US involvement.....

shit reporting.....got to know that all countries in the world want a slice of the pie...even Russia and China....but no, it's US here, US there....!

you people in the Middle East should start having some confidence and stop feeling inferior against the US....! There were other major powers involved....but no, it's US here, and US there....

I'm no American, but I get sick of your rhetoric...have some respect of yourselves and grow some balls....!

GetUpWithTheStormAndRun
GetUpWithTheStormAndRun
11 years ago

there can be no excuses, no justifications for the violations of human rights that are shown in this video. why are we letting these things happen? there must be something that we the people can do to help our fellows overseas. our protests are beaten and oppressed too (although not yet with open fire), but we need more than just support with our thoughts- we need to show solidarity with direct action.

AbdelZ
AbdelZ
12 years ago

Folks :

It is not about democracy , values, freedom, human rights .......it's almost all about power & world domination , almost all about economy, geo-politics & balance of power

So, do not let them fool you .

Jermaine Phillips
Jermaine Phillips
12 years ago

There is no way to justify intentional atrocity. There is also no way to balance peace without radical action. It is easy to wish for a perfect world, but it is hard to bring one into existence. The freedom to have these discussions, for example; this is something taken for granted. Without saying much more I would like you to weigh 3 factors in with this movie, keeping in mind the current realities of our economy:

-Libyan oil is easily refined, which dampens the cost of operating a refinery.
- "1954: Consortium of oil companies, including British Petroleum, Exxon, Socony, Texas Oil, Socal, Gulf, Royal Dutch/Shell Group, and CFP form the Iranian Oil Participants Ltd. (IOP) and negotiate agreement with Iranian government and for oil production in Iran"
-Our military is in the water around Libya, but dare not disturb the natural order of the kingdom.

panthera f
panthera f
12 years ago

What has the USA done in this world that was GOOD for the last 40 years besides raging wars all over the planet ?
Can't think of anything really. :-((

wald0
wald0
12 years ago

"Here the American government is admitting that their interests are more important then democracy and freedom, too bad they will never play those kinds of clips in the western media."

While it is true that the U.S. keeps up the pretense that they care more about freedom and democracy than thier own interests, I see no moral failing in admitting such is the case. No human should be asked to sacrifice things of comparative moral value in order to help others. If we as a country have interests connected to our survival, to our prosperity, we should not be asked to sacrifice them in order that we might help some other country to prosper or survive. If we can help them without sacrificing things of comparative moral value only then do we have a moral obligation to do so, in my opinion. Jumping in to help other countries claim their independence from some dictator or despot is more complicated than most people realize. You are usually seen as an agressor who is only there to promote your own interests and/or culture. Allies of the country in question may get angry as well, perhaps you have significant interests in those countries.

Syria is a good example. If we move in to help those people what happens to gas prices, they go through the roof. Right now we are in the middle of a very sensitive and desperately needed economic recovery, we can't afford such energy prices nor the finacial obligation of maintaining such an effort. Not to mention the fact that we are still mired down in the mess Bush created, invading both Afghanistan and Iraq. America cannot and should not be expected to police the world in the name of freedom or democracy, we tried it and it blew up in our face. Our values and culture are just that, OUR values and OUR culture- they will not work for everyone.

Chaz Ed
Chaz Ed
12 years ago

More spin!

phillip wong
phillip wong
12 years ago

The middle east are waiting for another massacre. If only they are more powerful,like say with the economic resource of a tiny little Korea, and the aid of India, then it might be good are ..

lakhotason
lakhotason
12 years ago

Or maybe they are admitting it isn't as simple as that.

gunk wretch
gunk wretch
12 years ago

Here the American government is admitting that their interests are more important then democracy and freedom, too bad they will never play those kinds of clips in the western media.

Pdizzo
Pdizzo
12 years ago

with nuclear they can build and power their own refineries

Fecioru Florin
Fecioru Florin
12 years ago

Looking more and more at how the world is, I`m getting really tired trying to understand how despicable and lowly this civilization is disposed to be and? to become . Humanity as it is now, truly seems to be a failed experiment.

ProudinUS
ProudinUS
12 years ago

Na, its a little more then just oil. If it was , the US wouldn't be there. We'd be in Venezuela or off the coast of Brazil maybe even Mexico. I believe the US is finding the Muslim world a major threat. The Muslim middle eastern people are highly intelligent and have pleanty enough balls to fight and put up a good war if only they would unite as one. But their religious differences will never allow them to do this.

drinker69
drinker69
12 years ago

There should be a lot of comments for this.

Aaylsworth
Aaylsworth
12 years ago

A good doc examining America's interests in the Middle East during the Arab Spring. What motivates their decisions to support the overthrow of some regimes and not others...