The energy industry's role in influencing the United States foreign Literature review

The energy industry's role in influencing the United States foreign policy towards the Gulf region - Literature review Example However ,the organization points out that although the government may not eliminate the importation of oil, there are ways in which it can reduce cartel market control and reduce the demand for the product (www.fueleconomy.gov,2010).One of the solutions that the government has sought in reduce this problem is the passing of a legislation that will see the decrease on oil through increasing corporate average fuel economy (CAFE) standards on new cars. This will see a reduction in the consumption of oil by 25 billion gallons by 2030. The United States oil politics entails the need and importation of crude well plays a centre stage in the politics of the United States (Gendier, 2003). Even though the US only constitutes of 5% of the world population, it global oil consumption ids 25% greater than that of the European Union. To cushion the energy supply from experiencing rude shocks, the US has for along time developed diplomatic ties with its allies in the Middle East precisely Saudi Ara bia and Iraqi. According to Saudi Arabia, has 25 % of the world’s oil reserve and the US imports 13% of its oil imports from the country. Some of the initiatives taken by the US is to ensure that the Saudi Arabia government continues to price its oil in US dollars. The same ties have continued to exist in Iraqi in the context that it is protecting it from its enemies as well as protecting its energy. According to Gendzier (2003), the role of US in facilitating the acquisition of weapons is ignored or justified when it is in terms of Iraq-Iran war. However, there is little to talk about when it comes to the continuation of the US to remain in Iraq even after the war and the broader political agenda that has a hand in paying the US policy in the region. David and Schmitt (2002), indicates that the White House was reported to have â€Å"settled on a war plan for Iraq† this implied that the US had to take 200,000 to 250,00 troops by air ,water and land to the Iraq, the aut hors wonder why such an enormous move was justified. The US administration seldom acknowledge that the presence of its troops in the middle East is to protect the US oil companies and get access to the regions oil reserves (David and Schmitt, 2002). A report presented by the Institute for National Strategic Studies (INSS) clearly stated that the US military intervention in the gulf region was to protect its oil supply and protect US interests â€Å"â€Å"the US presence in the Gulf is primarily intended to maintain the flow of oil by preventing a hostile power from establishing hegemony over the region...† (INSS, 2002). The long distance between the US and the Middle East has not stopped it from being felt in almost every corner of the region. According to WGBH, Educational Foundation (2002), all through the 20th century, the US has had a long trail of intervention on diplomatic and war raged overture. Some of the interventions have been triggered by the long standing compet ition between the Soviet Union and The United States of America and the two have used the Middle East as a fighting ground. More so, the American economic interest on the Middle Eastern oil has also played an important role in the American Policy