Islamist groups were judged purely by their utility to US oil and business interests
Evidence
US interventions in the region are related either directly or indirectly to the question of control over the flow of oil, the creation of opportunities for US businesses, and the advancement of US geopolitical interests. In this context, Islamist groups were cast as allies or enemies based on their degree of acquiescence to US aims. What shifted during this period was that non-state actors who resorted to terrorist tactics became a thorn in the side of the United States. — Deepa Kumar, Islamophobia and the Politics of Empire, 410
Categorization
- XREF: connects to: Islamist groups are labeled allies or terrorists based on US interests — Deepa Kumar, Islamophobia and the Politics of…, 400; US policy judged Islamist groups by oil access, not their record; US hostility to Islamism depended on whether it served US interests — Deepa Kumar, Islamophobia and the Politics of Empire, 233 (+5 more)
Broader Connections
- US policy judged Islamist groups by oil access, not their record
#corroborates(1.00) - US imperial interests, not Islamist actions, determine Islamist ally or enemy status
#corroborates(0.95) — Deepa Kumar, Islamophobia and the Politics of Empire, 278 - US policy treated Islam as good or bad depending on imperial alignment
#corroborates(0.95) — Deepa Kumar, Islamophobia and the Politics of Empire, 395 - US hostility to Islamism depended on whether it served US interests
#corroborates(0.92) — Deepa Kumar, Islamophobia and the Politics of Empire, 233 - The US alternately armed and opposed Islamist forces to preserve its regional domination.
#expands(0.80) — Deepa Kumar, Islamophobia and the Politics of Empire, 29 - US policy factions on Islamism differed in strategy, not hegemonic goals
#qualifies(0.80) — Deepa Kumar, Islamophobia and the Politics of Empire, 416 - Islam entered American awareness mainly through oil and terrorism news
#qualifies(0.75) — Edward W. Said, Covering Islam, 132