Strategic Partnership in the Middle East:
Respecting Our Arab Allies, Realism About Ourselves
Anthony H. Cordesman
October 9, 2014
It is easy to talk about a U.S. strategy based on strategic partnership and coalitions. It
is far more difficult, however, to make such efforts work. This is particularly true
when the U.S. fails to honestly address its own problems and mistakes, minimizes the
costs and risks involved, and exaggerates criticism of its allies. Strategic partnerships
need to be forged on the basis of an honest understanding of the differences between
the partners, respect, and mutual tolerance of their different needs and limitations.
Some of the recent U.S. criticism of its Arab allies is justified, but much of it is
exaggerated, makes sweeping generalizations, and ignores the differences between
the values, priorities, and strategic interests of the U.S. and each Arab ally. At the same
time, there is a false equity in U.S. criticism of allies like Bahrain, Egypt, Jordan, Kuwait,
Lebanon, Morocco, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the UAE – not to mention another key
regional ally, Turkey.
The worst mistakes in U.S. criticisms lie in implying that all allied states and Arabs are
alike, and every ally should share our values and strategic goals Our Arab allies tend
to make their worst errors in criticizing the United States in the form of conspiracy
theories, a lack of attention to facts and numbers, and unrealistic expectations about
the ability of the U.S. to solve their particular set of problems.
Both sides need more objectivity and transparency, more realism about the strengths
and limits of any alliance, and more understanding and acceptance of the real world
differences in their values and strategic interests.
An American can get very tired of the sillier Arab conspiracy theories; the notion that
the U.S. has the ability to wave a magic military wand, and that the U.S. has sinister
motives whenever it fails to do so. It is even easier to get tired of charges that the U.S.
is somehow the helpless captive of Israel or the persistent idea in the Gulf that the U.S.
is abandoning its Arab allies in favor of an alliance with Iran.
At the same time, Americans have their own conspiracy theories when they state that
every Arab state which has failed to come to grips with terrorism and extremism
supports Jihadist movements and Islamic extremism. Americans also need more
realism about the nature of strategic partnerships. Americans should not expect Arab
allies to change their regimes to become clones of the U.S., or to give up their values,
