Crude Strategy: Rethinking the US Military Commitment to Defend Persian Gulf Oil

Should the United States ask its military to guarantee the flow of oil from the Persian Gulf? If the US security commitment is in fact strategically sound, what posture should the military adopt to protect Persian Gulf oil? Charles L. Glaser and Rosemary A. Kelanic present a collection of new essays from a multidisciplinary team of political scientists, historians, and economists that provide answers to these questions. Contributors delve into a range of vital economic and security issues: the economic costs of a petroleum supply disruption, whether or not an American withdrawal increases the chances of oil-related turmoil, the internal stability of Saudi Arabia, budgetary costs of the forward deployment of US forces, and the possibility of blunting the effects of disruptions with investment in alternative energy resources. The result is a series of bold arguments toward a much-needed revision of US policy toward the Persian Gulf during an era of profound change in oil markets and the balance of power in the Middle East.

Table of Contents:
Preface Introduction Charles L. Glaser and Rosemary A. Kelanic Part I: Background1. The United States and the Persian Gulf: 1941-Present Salim Yaqub2. Assessing Current U.S. Policies and Goals in the Persian Gulf Daniel Byman Part II: Key Questions3. The Economic Costs of Persian Gulf Oil Supply Disruptions Kenneth R. Vincent4. Saudi Arabian Oil and U.S. Interests Thomas W. Lippman5. After America: The Flow of Persian Gulf Oil in the Absence of the U.S. Military ForceJoshua Rovner6. U.S. Spending on its Military Commitments to the Persian Gulf Eugene Gholz 7. Resilience by Other Means: The Potential Benefits of Alternative Government Investments in U.S. Energy SecurityJohn Duffield Part III: Conclusions and Policy Options8. Should the United States Stay in the Gulf? Charles L. Glaser and Rosemary A. Kelanic 9. The Future of U.S. Force Posture in the Gulf: The Case for a Residual Forward Presence Caitlin Talmadge About the ContributorsIndex

About the Author :
Charles L. Glaser is a professor in the Elliott School of International Affairs and Department of Political Science at George Washington University as well as director of the Elliott School's Institute for Security and Conflict Studies. He is the author of several books, including Rational Theory of International Politics: The Logic of Competition and Cooperation. Rosemary A. Kelanic is an assistant professor of political science at Williams College.

Review :

How and to what extent should America militarily defend Persian Gulf oil? With uncommon clarity, this book lays bare the questions and assumptions that lie at the heart of this timely issue. The analysis is essential reading for anyone seeking to understand continued US military presence in the region.

Oil is one of the few natural resources the absence of which could constitute the achilles heel of great powers and an existential threat to the health of the global economy. Belief in petro-exceptionalism has led the United States to commit substantial military forces to the Persian Gulf. Glaser and Kelanic and their contributors judiciously weigh the threats to the continuing free flow of Persian Gulf oil and assess the various strategic options the United States has to respond to them. This volume will quickly become a vital intellectual resource on this important topic.

This book makes a meaningful contribution to the ongoing debate on US policy in the Persian/Arab Gulf, as it challenges many of the cornerstones of US policy in the region. Among the book's authors are some of the leading thinkers on US strategy and Middle East policy

This outstanding volume is a must read on Persian Gulf security and economic issues and how to reset U.S. strategy for the Gulf. It also serves as a superb example of how the gap between theory and practice can be bridged and of the excellent analytical work that serious scholars can, and should, provide practitioners.