Causes of the Middle East Instability Since the End of the Second World War - Essay Example

Firstly, the essay will discuss the fundamental concepts such as the working definition of the Middle East and the strategic importance of its geographical location.  The discussion shall proceed to the Israeli-Arab dispute and examine its origins and developments, and how these relate to the superpower intervention in the region, its advantages and disadvantages.  Thirdly, the role of oil exploration and exportation and the likely scenario in the economy shall be discussed.  Firstly, the essay will discuss the fundamental concepts such as the working definition of the Middle East and the strategic importance of its geographical location.

 The discussion shall proceed to the Israeli-Arab dispute and examine its origins and developments, and how these relate to the superpower intervention in the region, its advantages and disadvantages.  Thirdly, the role of oil exploration and exportation and the likely scenario in the economy shall be discussed.   A particularly sensitive discussion of terrorism follows, and the ties it holds to the region’s fundamentalist Islamic segment.  Part of the discussion shall be why terrorism should not be equated with Islam which decries the ends, means and methods taken by terrorists purportedly in the name of their faith.

 Finally, the essay winds up with a closer look at patterns of conflict among the Middle East countries, and prospects that loom large in its future.  The conclusion assesses whether or not stability is likely for the Middle East. Because of the breadth of the study in the sheer number of topics to be discussed, deeper treatments of their implications will not be attempted here. The aim of this paper is to provide a comprehensive picture of the Middle East, and how instability resulted from the developments in the past. 2. Definitions 2.

1 What is the Middle East The Middle East is aptly named, because it is situated where the great continents of Africa, Asia, and Europe converge. While the countries of the Middle East are considered part of Asia, there are many aspects of the varied cultures in this area that combine aspects of the cultures of the three continents that surround it. There are varied opinions concerning which countries comprise the modern definition of the Middle East. Armenia and Azerbaijan, for instance, have historically been counted as Middle East countries, but because of the several interim contemporary developments, they have been accorded greater recognition as European countries, since their economic and political trends are more closely aligned with the greater Europe.

The same is true for the former Russian republic of Georgia, and of Cyprus. On the other hand, there is some confusion as to whether Egypt should be counted among the