Focus Group PersianGulf:
Smaller Gulf States

United Arab Emirates, Quatar, Oman, Bahrain, Kuwait.

More than 70% of the total world oil supply moves through the oil corridor(shaded area in above picture) around the PersianGulf. The two most dangerousperceived enemies of the West--Iraq and Iran--are in the exact center of it. Virtually the entire area is Islamic, and battles between the West and theIslamic world have been fought here since the Middle Ages. This thousand yearwar between the Islamic world and the West is common knowledge in the Mideastbut almost unknown in the West.  Right now this long struggle seems tobe centered in the Persian Gulf area.

This part of the world is incredibly sensitive.  Iran and Iraq fought awar which involved shipping of almost all the countries of the Persian Gulfarea.  The United States and its allies also foughtagainst Iraq in 1991 after Kuwait was invaded and occupied.  Iraq, Iran,and Saudi Arabia are the major countries of this region, but there are alsonumerous smaller nations: the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, Quatar, Bahrain, andOman.  These nations must navigate among the larger more powerfulforces in the area, and they needs be careful.

Questions to keep in mind:  How are these smallernations different or similar to Saudi Arabia, Iran, or Iraq?  What kind ofMuslims live there?  On what do their economies depend?  What weretheir stances during the Iraqi-U.S. war?  How do they feel towards theUnited States?  Why is the area important to the United Stateseconomically?  What effects might a closure of the Persian Gulf due to warhave on the U.S. and West European economies?

RESEARCH LINKS:

Start here and read everything at: Yahooabout your different countries.  Also check out all the links at UAE,Qatar, Oman,Bahrain, and Kuwaitsections.  The CIAWorld Factbook is a great place to begin your research -- start at thispage to look up the different countries.  Range far

andwide in search of information over the World Wide Web!  These are also goodgeneral links: Bahrain,Qatar, UAE,Oman,  and Kuwait.

Check out this excellent summation of the GulfWar that involved almost all the countries in the area, as is thisone.  And check outThe ArabPersepective on Suddam Hussein and how he and the conflict are viewed beneighboring countries.  Iraqand Islam, ContinuingStandoff in Iraq, Definace in theDesert.

Be sure and talk much about the Gulf War and the sensitivepolitics and economics of the Persian Gulf area.

September 5, 1996 -- Overa Barrel Two-thirds of the world's oil is in the Middle East. Though the USbuys relatively little, an interdependent world economy means the Iraqi conflictcould hurt us. A CharlesKrause backgrounder precedes a discussion with Elizabeth Farnsworth andstrategic experts.

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