Running Head: COMMUNITY PROBLEM REPORT: MIDDLE EAST FOREIGN POLICY 1

Community Problem Report: Middle East Foreign Policy

Alan Peinado
RWS 1301
University of Texas at El Paso

Abstract
In this report, the entity of Middle East foreign policy will be discussed.
Various subjects such as ISIS, country borderlines and overall interaction in the
region will be observed. Articles from credited authors will also be used to help
describe opinions that are created by Middle East foreign policy allowing the reader
to form their own opinion. The author will then express their own personal view on
the subject of the report.

Running Head: COMMUNITY PROBLEM REPORT: MIDDLE EAST FOREIGN POLICY 3

Community Problem Report: Middle East Foreign Policy

In the Middle Eastern part of the Earth, exists a completely different world
from what we live in United States of America. They believe in different things and
have numerous of unique ways of going about things. In the United States, the
people closely look at these things. Much commotion is made of what happens in the
countries of that region. Things such as a violent political group known as ISIS,
borderlines of countries and general interactions are cause for the commotion that
many of thousands of Americans see on media every day. The U.S. is separated by
people who feel the government should have some type of interaction with that
region and its people and people who feel it is none of our business and things there
should be resolved and worked among those people themselves. There is much
detail needed to be expressed about the topic and the two resulting sides of
opinions.
The Islamic State of Iraq, better known as ISIS has ravaged the entire Middle
Eastern region of the world. According to Michael Gunter and Nahro Zagros in their
article How Formidable is ISIS the immediate origins of the Islamic State in Iraq and
Syria (ISIS) lie in the opportunity spaces provided by two bitter civil wars that
challenged the existing state system and the borders created by the Sykes-Picot
Agreement of World War I. (Gunter, Zagros, 2014) For many people, this is
extremely shocking as they had no idea that existed and leaves them with the

thought if they had been stopped earlier became they grew in power the world,
particularly, the Middle-east would not have to be facing them and the chaos they
bring in todays world. Gunter and Zagros also state that ISIS did not immediately
emerge as an existential threat. Initial battles took places against other al-Qaeda
offshoots including its official Syrian franchise, Jablat al-Nusra; more moderate
Islamic groups. (Gunter, Zagros, 2014) This describes how ISIS came to be in such
great power in the region. They would battle with other groups that reside in the
Middle East and in time became dominant over them and began taking over
territory which along, came money to help fund all actions of the political group. It is
lastly reported by Gunter and Zagros that mobility and deception have also enabled
ISIS to gain local superiority in spite of their relatively small numbers. Probes and
feints allow ISIS to judge its opposition, bypass strong defenses, and lure enemy
forces from the primary target. (Gunter, Zagros, 2014) This expresses how ISIS is
able to maneuver around obstacles that are laid out to specifically stop them. They
have outside sources and support them allow them to constantly do what it is that
they want to do. ISIS is a small group when looked at by the number of members but
they are able to accomplish objectives that are expected of much bigger groups due
to the resources that are available to them. The political group has caused such a
travesty that countries such as The United States are exacting war against them and
trying to save cities and towns that are under ISIS control. One case is described by
the article The Administration Goes All in on Kobani by Kate Brannen and Gopal
Ratnam. In the article, Brannen and Ratnam mention how while Pentagon officials
maintain that the town isn't strategically significant, the United States has invested

Running Head: COMMUNITY PROBLEM REPORT: MIDDLE EAST FOREIGN POLICY 5

so much in saving Kobani that its fall would hand the Islamic State a publicity win
and deal a symbolic blow to the U.S.-led war effort. (Brannen, Ratnam, 2014) The
U.S. is out to do what they can to stop ISIS but even they are having a struggle with
doing so.

(Graphic posted above shows territories with or under ISIS influence)

Another reason for commotion in the Middle East is the borderlines that are
placed there. It has been a source of conflict ever since the beginning as explained by
Mohammed Ayoob in his article What Is Wrong with the Arab World. In the article,
Ayoob states one has to go back about 100 years to identify what can be termed the
primary factor responsible for the conflicts in the Middle East today: the arbitrary
boundaries that created the modern states of Syria, Iraq, Lebanon, Jordan and
Palestine/Israel. These Sykes-Picot boundaries were drawn by the British and
French to divide the Arab parts of the Ottoman Empire largely for imperial

convenience. (Ayoob, 2014) These borders were not even placed by the Arabian
people themselves and this fact greatly contributes to the wars that occur between
groups in the Middle East over those very borderlines. That is a aspect that is greatly
misunderstood by people.
Although, the vast majority of people in the United States may feel as if they
must get the government to send forces to the Middle East to attempt to fix and find
solutions that reside in the region, there are those who feel the country should not
pursue such actions. This viewpoint can be represented by the article written by
Aaron David Miller titled Its Not Washingtons Fault. In the article Miller states that
even if the United States could fix the Palestinian issue and produce a two-state
solution, that accomplishment alone would not stabilize the angry, broken, and
dysfunctional Middle East. (Miller, 2014) Numerous of people feel The U.S. is
responsible for things that occur in the world and they instantly come to the
conclusion that the United States must find the solution to whatever the problem
may be when it is clear that the country can only so much for another region of the
world especially among the people which is also explained by Miller in his quote
much of the impasse lies in the fact that the gaps on the core issues (Jerusalem,
refugees, territory) are too wide and the mistrust between Israel and the
Palestinians is too deep. Some of the problems that occur in the region are due to a
long history among the indigenous people who live there. One can not simply expect
their country who is on the opposite side of the world and change things that have
become to be expected. (Miller, 2014)

Running Head: COMMUNITY PROBLEM REPORT: MIDDLE EAST FOREIGN POLICY 7

Both sides that are opinionated by Middle East foreign policy raise great
points. Regardless of which side one may be on, the commotion and tragedies
occurring in that world affect everyone in some way or another. Only time will tell if
things will find their solutions or not. One thing that cannot be argued that in that
region of the world exists a completely different world than the one lived in The
United States. In my own personal perspective, I feel the United States should only
get involved if absolutely need be. Things should be able to resolved among the
Middle East people themselves without outside help. If they can not be, I agree that
the United Stated should have forces in the Middle East region if and only if the
people of the Middle East desire the countries assistance.

Work Cited

Gunter, M., Zagros,N. (2014, October 21) How Formidable IS ISIS

Brannen, K., Ratnam G. (2014, October 21). The Administration Goes All in on
Kobani
Ayoob, M. (2014, October 9) What Is Wrong with the Arab World?
Miller, A. (2014, October 21). Its Not Washingtons Fault
Insitute for the Study of War.(2014).Isis activity,Retreieved November 9th 2014,
from http://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-27813239