Iraq and Afghanistan wars aimed at Middle East oil dominance over rivals

Evidence

The US wars in Afghanistan and Iraq were designed to accomplish both of the aforementioned aims: to put down potential threats and dissuade potential adversaries. The Bush regime had hoped that after Iraq, it would go on to carry out regime change in Iran and Syria. With the region under its control, the United States could then dictate terms to the other powers that rely on Middle East oil, particularly China. — Deepa Kumar, Islamophobia and the Politics of Empire, 417

Categorization

• XREF: The material-interest thread the reader seeks — oil and challenger suppression, not defensive security. — connects to: US Middle East alliances have repeatedly thwarted democracy — Green, Todd H, The Fear of Islam_ An Introduction to…, 297; US universities produced Middle East knowledge specifically to serve imperial needs. — Deepa Kumar, Islamophobia and the Politics of Empire, 139; US foreign policy has never genuinely pursued Middle East democracy — Deepa Kumar, Islamophobia and the Politics of Empire, 206 (+2 more)

Broader Connections

• The October War fundamentally altered the Middle East power dynamics. #complicates (0.45) — David Hirst, The Gun and the Olive Branch The Roots…, 1048