After carefully examining and analyzing the article the author presents it as an assessment reflecting the future positions of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC). According to Katz (2017), the Gulf region has been an area experiencing power struggles. For instance, in the 19th and 20th centuries, the British controlled the region before being challenged by the Russian Empire and its successor Soviet Union, Germany, and the Ottoman Empire (Katz, 2017). Britain slowly gave its position in the Gulf to the United States (U.S.) after World War II and withdrew from the East of Suez in 1971 (Katz, 2017). The U.S. predominance in the area would, in turn be challenged by the Soviet Union and the revolutionary regimes in both Iraq and Iran.
The main focus of Katz (2017) is the role played by the United States in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) and its relationship with Obama. The most important point is that Katz (2017) expects this association will play a significant role in managing the world with the United States as the new partner. In the meantime, most GCC states had expressed concern about the operations of the Obama administration in Iran and Iraq (Katz, 2017). However, after its first intervention in Iraq, America seemed to dominate the Gulf region.
The next talk was whether President Bush’s administration would liberate Iraq in their move to use force against the country and organize a coalition of states. Some people supported the United States attacking Iraq, while others were against it. However, most people believed that withdrawing the United States fighters would toughen the Iranian grip on the region (Katz, 2017). As a result, Tehran would be pushed to a deal that does not benefit the Gulf Cooperation Council.
The major shortcoming of Katz (2017) article is that he did not consider different public interests in the GCC countries. For instance, at the start of the Cold War, there was tension because Gulf States feared the Soviet Union and Soviet-supported Marxist domestic opposition (Katz, 2017). On the other hand, the Arabs rulers became terrified of the frightening resistance of the Arab national patriots headed by Saudi Arabia and highly dependent on Turkey and the GCC. Nonetheless, the author focused on the role of Gulf Cooperation and its relationship with Obama administration.
Reference
Katz, M. N. (2017). The Gulf and the great powers: Evolving dynamics. Middle East Policy, 24(2), 102-109. Web.