中图分类号：F907文献标识码：A文章编号：1003-2738（2012）01-0226-01 Abstract: From the two Gulf Wars to the War in Afghanistan and Iraq, then to the recent political turmoil in Middle East and North Africa, there is a shadow of the U.S. behind every major event in Greater Middle East. As an important part of the American global strategy, the Greater Middle East is the focus of U.S. dealing with international affairs. And the proposition of “Greater Middle East Plan” shows a new concept of American Middle East strategy, the importance of the new strategy goes without saying.
Key words: “Greater Middle East Plan”；“Constructivism”；“Obstacles and Prospects”
In 2004, the U.S. president George?W?Bush provides a democratic reform of Middle East named “Greater Middle East Initiative” in G8 Summit. Although the program, once disclosed, has many doubts, it still runs quietly.But recent democratic movements in Egypt, Libya, Syria, even Saudi Arabia re-arouse the attention of the world.
Outline of the “Greater Middle East Plan”
As we all known, the traditional “Middle East” mainly refers to the Middle and Near East area. But in recent years, the Western scholars propose a new concept of “Greater Middle East” based on the change of the international situation. In 1997, Zalmay?Khalilzad，a member of U.S. National Security Council, had clearly proposed the concept of “Greater Middle East” in his book. Although its scope still hasn`t a clear conclusion, the basic view considers that the Greater Middle East includes not only almost all of the 22 Arab League countries and Israel, Turkey and other countries, but also Iran, Pakistan, Afghanistan, and even the five central Asian countries[1].
After the Cold War, the interests of U.S. in this area have changed, thus the concept of “Greater Middle East” was brought by the transform of American national strategy. Especially after 9.11, U.S.A has accelerated the transform of strategy in this area. The main imagines of this plan include: 1. In culture. Spread the culture and lifestyle of western to this region to shape the “Literate Generation”; 2. In economy. Establish “Development Bank of Greater Middle East”, provide financial assistance to promote the development of western market economy in the area; 3. In politics. Subsidize and groom the parties tending to the western democratic ideas to participate in politics, promote free elections, in order to establish a democratic politics system in western mode. The substance of “Greater Middle East Plan” is carrying out democratic system reform, thus transform these countries into the “real” democratic countries, in order to protect American global interests.
Background and reasons of the “Greater Middle East Plan”
After the exhaustive disruption of CCCP, Russia could not carry on the mantle of CCCP. And the withdrawal of CCCP from the area has also caused the contradictions covered by the rivalry between the two camps rapidly appeared, the regional stability and American interests were seriously threatened. Meanwhile, these countries are extremely rich in oil resources, their oil reserves account for more than 2/3 of the world, 1/3 of American oil imports also come from this region[2]. Therefore, who controls the area, he controls the world oil. For these reasons, U.S. has to reconsider this region, and make a corresponding adjustment of its national strategy.
In the process of re-understanding the region, U.S. found that the countries of “Greater Middle East” have continuity in geography. Meanwhile, these countries have some common. Firstly, they all have seriously terrorism threatened. Secondly, most countries in the region are Arab countries or have direct interest relations with Arab countries, such as Israel. Thirdly, these countries widely belief Islam, so basically belong to a civilized system. At last, the countries in the region are common rich in oil resources. Accordingly, America could consider the countries in “Greater Middle East” as a whole to formulate strategic plan.
In the process of the Cold War, in order to fight with CCCP, America located its strategy of the region in democracy giving way to stabled. But as the end of the Cold War and the rise of the terrorism, American found that the appeasement caused the forces of Islamic extremism and terrorism strengthened, seriously affected the regional security even the world security[3]. Faced with the appearance of Iran`s nuclear issue and Osama bin Laden, America had to change the original strategy. The past realism policy which based on the interests failed to achieve American strategic target, this forced U.S.A to consider the relation with the region from a new point. Constructivism stresses the effects of subjective awareness, respects the concept of holism, and stresses the composition of the whole gradually formed by interaction, it believes the subjective awareness plays a decisive role to the objective things, and ethnic groups, nations, even the world are overalls which are gradually interactively composed under the effect of individual subjective awareness. Constructivism pays attention to the culture intension of international relation, as the carrier of the subjective awareness, the culture mode plays a decisive role in influencing human behavior. In the interaction between different civilization groups, the differences of the habits and the way of thinking will cause conflicts for sure, thereby the result of the construction will be unpredictable[4]. So the incompatible between the Islamic civilization system and the Western Christian civilization system will cause the conflicts between two civilizations for sure. Therefore, in order to solve the stabled problem in the region, the ideology of the region must be changed fundamentally. And the basis of Western civilization is freedom and democracy, thus the above problem would be solved by establishing democratic government in Western type. And this caused America must abandoned the appeasement strategy, and promote the democratic reform in the Greater Middle East region.
The obstructions of “Greater Middle East Plan”
Although the democratic reforms have appeared widely in the region now, the plan faced a lot of obstructions and doubts.
The “Greater Middle East Plan” should firstly face the complex national environment. There are more than thirty countries in the region, such as Arab League countries, five central Asia countries, and Iran, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Israel, Turkey, etc. In the region, there are both democratic regimes and monarchy regimes; both industrialized developed countries and poor countries in wars; both Islam which beliefs in Allah and Judaism. America couldn`t use an omnipotent strategy for all countries.
The religion, monarchs, tribal elders have extremely important positions in the authorities of the countries in the region. Especially the religion, any countries still implement theocracy system, the religion not only penetrates into all factions of people`s lives, and also deeply roots in the regimes of these countries. The religious leaders have supreme positions in their regimes, they have the power to control the country. Meanwhile, the monarchy is still existence in the region, the totalitarianism political system occupies an important position. Even the republic democratic countries also have some native and transitional, family politics, tribal elders have great power in the regime[5]. If these countries implement democratic politics should deprive the power of these people, therefore these leaders have strong senses of resistance for the reform.
In the region, the major religion is Islam, and the Islamic civilization is considered as the alien by the Western Christian civilization. There are both practical reasons and historical reasons. The Crusaders in history had brought great losses to both sides, and the extension of Europe in the18th century turned the region into its colony, all these reasons made the hatred between two religions` followers, and then transferred into the hostility between two civilizations. After the World War II, the Europe had withdrawn from the region generally, and the U.S. became the new representative of the Western in the area. And in solving the problem of Middle East peace, the behavior of the U.S. sided with Israel had caused the extremely discontented of Islamic world, people had transferred the hatred from the Western to America. And the abuses of prisoners by U.S. ARMY in Iraq War had further desecrated the dignity of Islam. Meanwhile, America considered the Islam as the hotbed and origin of terrorism, this further exacerbates the conflicts and hatred from the people in the region to U.S.
The doubts from U.S. domestic. After the World War II, “Middle East democratic exceptionalism” has made a great effect to the American scholars. Samuel?Huntington has pointed out: if the Islamic countries carry out the really democratic elections, the regimes of the countries would most likely to fall into the control of religious extremists[6]. Because in the religious countries the slogans and ideas of the religious extremists are more easily to be accepted by the ordinary people. So once carry out democratic elections, the fundamentalist extremists would win easily.
Outlook of the “Greater Middle East Plan”
Although the “Greater Middle East Plan” faces a lot of obstructions, and the future of the democratic reform of Greater Middle East is confusing, America wouldn`t give up the core strategy of Middle East democratic reform, the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq had explained the determination of U.S.. Though the directly armed interventions haven`t completely achieved the expected results, instead caused a lot of troubled problems to U.S., after the outgoing of George?W?Bush, Obama still strongly supported the military actions in Afghanistan and Iraq. We could find the determination level of U.S. to carry out the democratic reforms in the region from this. And recently, two totalitarian countries- Egypt and Libya have been overturned by the domestic oppositions, the famous leaders- Mubarak and Gaddafi have lost their powers, especially Gaddafi who was even killed. Meanwhile, Oman, Saudi Arab, Syria, the traditional countries have erupted Anti-government movements, noticeably, the Saudi Arab which is the most solid totalitarian country. So far, in the region, there are two countries have been overturned by American directly military actions, and two countries have been overturned by their domestic oppositions, four Arabic countries and two Central Asia countries have erupted Anti-government movements for democratic reform. There are more than ten countries have appeared democratic movements, even any of them have established the democratic governments, the democratic movement has became a trend in Greater Middle East. And behind these movements, we could always see the figure of America. The formulation of American “Greater Middle East Plan” is not lack of consideration and hasty, it is a mature strategy after having considered all parties` interests and seriously argumentation. From the government of Bush, the leaders of America have completely transformed their strategic thinking, and now American has believed the only way to solve the stabled problem of the region and fundamentally protect American interests is democracy. Therefore, no matter whether the “Greater Middle East Plan” could be canceled, the thinking to implement democratic reform in the region would not be abandoned.
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