![]() ![]() And American traditions, as well, may be expected to alter the patterns of imperialism in the area. ![]() The peoples of the Middle East-Greeks, Turks, Arabs, or Jews-may indeed welcome the intervention of the United States-but they will no longer accept a position of mere dependency. To be sure, the British may well hope to play a part in determining American policy, and the Americans, faced suddenly with new responsibilities, may be inclined at first to follow the lead of their imperial predecessors. This does not mean that America must become the mere continuator of British policy. ![]() There seems little doubt that America’s role, whatever form it may take, must eventually be the primary one, for Britain’s retreat in Greece and Turkey is only a beginning, and where Britain pulls out, America will have to step in. On top of these “practical” considerations, there is the pressure of American public opinion and the humanitarian necessity to find some solution to the problem of displaced Jews in Europe.Īll these factors together will determine the role that America will choose to play in the Middle East. Besides, Palestine has explosive possibilities for the whole Middle East-and, last and not least important, it is a possible terminus for the Trans-Arabian pipeline. And for the first time, the United States must join in decisions on Palestine policy and take responsibility, now that this is a United Nations issue, not solely a concern of the British Mandatory. Palestine plays a major role in this more and more open struggle between the West and the Soviet Union. The Russians, beaten out of Azerbaijan only a few months ago, are trying to get into the Middle East through the front door. Britain’s plea to the United States came because she was unable to maintain her strategic positions in Greece and Egypt, and was alarmed for the safety of her oil interests in Iraq, Iran, and Palestine. So while Greek, Turkish, and Palestine political issues stand in the foreground, the struggle for oil goes on behind the scenes. It is also because the enormously rich American oil concessions in Saudi Arabia and elsewhere are held vital to American economic and military power, and must be protected. If Uncle Sam is now very much the man in the middle in the Middle East, it is not solely because Britain has cried out for help. ![]()
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