Skip to Main Content

Gulf Security and the U.S. Military: Regime Survival and the Politics of Basing

Online ISBN:
9780804795067
Print ISBN:
9780804794206
Publisher:
Stanford University Press
Book

Gulf Security and the U.S. Military: Regime Survival and the Politics of Basing

Geoffrey F. Gresh
Geoffrey F. Gresh
College of International Security Affairs
Find on
Published online:
21 January 2016
Published in print:
10 June 2015
Online ISBN:
9780804795067
Print ISBN:
9780804794206
Publisher:
Stanford University Press

Abstract

This book provides an in-depth and engaging history of the U.S. military in the Gulf and how local and regional events, from tribal politics and rising terrorism threats to neighboring rivalries and warfare, have affected a U.S. regional basing presence from the Second World War to the present. Though the spread of regional violence since 2011 has triggered questions about the future of the U.S. military basing presence, base politics dynamics are nothing new for either the U.S. military or the respective Gulf Arab host monarchies. External and internal security dynamics are the main drivers influencing Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) host nations either to accept or reject the U.S. military from local bases. Understanding the puzzle of how internal and external security concerns cause either a base eviction or a basing renegotiation also helps to explain the national security strategies and policies of the host GCC countries. When external security concerns outweigh perceptions of internal security, a Gulf Arab host nation is more likely to maintain a U.S. military basing presence. By comparison, when internal security threats far outweigh external security considerations, a host Gulf Arab nation will be more likely to call for the U.S. military’s basing expulsion or the termination of any U.S. military basing lease. Basing access will be a core component of any future U.S. national security strategy and studying base politics from an historical perspective helps explain when and why basing access may succeed or go awry for future policymakers and regional scholars.

Contents
Close
This Feature Is Available To Subscribers Only

Sign In or Create an Account

Close

This PDF is available to Subscribers Only

View Article Abstract & Purchase Options

For full access to this pdf, sign in to an existing account, or purchase an annual subscription.

Close