A gripping analysis of the final 11 days of the Syrian conflict in December 2024. Bashar al-Assad’s Last Stand uncovers political shifts, battlefield realities, and the turning points that shaped the region’s future. A powerful, research-based account by Dr. Naim Tahir Baig.
#SyrianConflict #LastStand #MiddleEastHistory #WarAnalysis #DrNaimTahirBaig #NewBook #InternationalAffairs #PoliticalStudy #HistoricalEvents #BookLaunch
The Devastating Legacy of Western Interventions in the Middle East: From Oil to Wars
The Devastating Legacy of Western Interventions
The Thousand and One Nights, often known as the Arabian Nights, stands as a timeless emblem of the Middle East’s rich cultural heritage, a collection of folktales that weave together elements of adventure, romance, wisdom, and moral lessons drawn from the region’s diverse traditions during the Islamic Golden Age. Compiled in Arabic over centuries, these stories reflect a world where storytelling served not just as entertainment but as a means to preserve oral histories, ethical teachings, and societal norms across Persia, Arabia, India, and beyond.
Scholars note that the tales, with their intricate narratives framed by the clever Scheherazade, highlight the intellectual and artistic vibrancy of medieval Islamic societies, where philosophy, science, and literature flourished under caliphates that valued knowledge and cultural exchange. This era, unmarred by external dominations, represented a period of relative autonomy where Middle Eastern cultures developed intricate social structures, trade networks, and artistic expressions without the heavy hand of foreign interference.
Yet, this idyllic portrayal contrasts sharply with the historical trajectory that unfolded as Western powers began to cast their gaze eastward. The roots of modern Western involvement in the Middle East can be traced back to the decline of the Ottoman Empire in the 19th century, often dubbed the “Sick Man of Europe,” which opened doors for European colonial ambitions.
Britain and France, in particular, vied for influence, carving up territories through agreements like the Sykes-Picot Accord of 1916, which secretly divided Ottoman lands into spheres of control, disregarding ethnic, religious, and cultural boundaries. This colonial partitioning sowed seeds of discord that would germinate into long-lasting conflicts, as artificial borders lumped together disparate groups, fueling sectarian tensions that persist to this day.
The discovery of oil in the early 20th century transformed the region from a strategic backwater into a prize of immense economic value. Western imperialism shifted gears, focusing on resource extraction under the guise of development and modernization. In Persia (modern-day Iran), the Anglo-Persian Oil Company, later British Petroleum, secured concessions that granted Britain control over vast oil reserves, leading to exploitative arrangements where local populations saw little benefit. Similarly, in Iraq and Saudi Arabia, American and British firms dominated the industry, with decisions often made in London or Washington rather than Baghdad or Riyadh
Historians argue that this “oil colonialism” was not merely economic but a form of neo-imperialism, where Western powers installed compliant rulers to ensure steady resource flows, often at the expense of indigenous governance and traditions. The curse of oil, as some scholars term it, brought wealth to a few elites but cursed the broader populace with instability, as foreign interests prioritized profits over people.
Post-World War II, the Cold War era amplified these interventions, with the United States emerging as the dominant Western player. Fearing Soviet influence, American policymakers viewed the Middle East through a lens of containment, leading to a series of covert and overt actions that destabilized the region. The 1953 CIA-orchestrated coup in Iran, Operation Ajax, overthrew Prime Minister Mohammad Mossadegh after he nationalized the oil industry, reinstalling the Shah as a pro-Western autocrat.
This event, driven by oil interests and anti-communist paranoia, set a precedent for U.S. meddling, fostering resentment that culminated in the 1979 Iranian Revolution. Similarly, in the broader Arab world, Washington’s support for authoritarian regimes in exchange for strategic alliances ignored calls for self-determination, perpetuating a cycle of repression.
The pretext of promoting democracy often masked these resource-driven agendas. Critics point out that Western rhetoric about spreading freedom and human rights has frequently been selective and hypocritical, applied only when it aligned with geopolitical goals. In the 1980s, the U.S. backed Saddam Hussein’s Iraq during its war with Iran, providing intelligence and weapons despite knowledge of chemical attacks on civilians, only to later invade Iraq under claims of weapons of mass destruction and democratic liberation.
The 2003 invasion of Iraq, justified as a mission to dismantle tyranny and install democracy, instead unleashed chaos, sectarian violence, and the rise of extremist groups like ISIS. Academic analyses reveal that such interventions have not only failed to foster stable democracies but have exacerbated instability, with U.S. policies contributing to the brittleness of regional governments.
The human toll of these wars has been staggering, transforming vibrant cities into rubble and displacing millions. In Iraq alone, the post-9/11 conflict led to an estimated 200,000 to 250,000 civilian deaths from direct violence, with indirect causes like disease and malnutrition pushing the total higher. Afghanistan’s two-decade war resulted in over 46,000 civilian fatalities, while Syria’s civil war, fueled by foreign interventions including Western support for opposition groups, has claimed more than 500,000 lives since 2011.
Urban offensives in cities like Mosul, Raqqa, and Aleppo have seen civilian death rates five times higher than in non-urban battles, with airstrikes and artillery devastating infrastructure and communities. The broader post-9/11 wars across Iraq, Afghanistan, Syria, Yemen, and Pakistan have contributed to approximately 4.5 million deaths, including indirect effects from destroyed healthcare systems and economic collapse.
Displacement has compounded this tragedy, creating one of the largest refugee crises in modern history. Over 38 million people have been forcibly displaced by these conflicts, with Syrians alone accounting for more than 6.7 million refugees and 6.6 million internally displaced. In Iraq, the invasion displaced millions, many fleeing to neighboring countries or Europe, straining resources and fostering social tensions. Afghanistan’s fall to the Taliban in 2021 triggered another wave, with over 3.5 million internally displaced by mid-2023. These figures underscore how wars, often initiated or prolonged by Western forces, have shattered families, erased cultural landmarks, and eroded the social fabric that once bound communities together.
Amid this devastation, it’s unsurprising that anti-Western sentiments have deepened, manifesting in various forms from political rhetoric to extremist ideologies. Historical grievances over colonialism, oil exploitation, and perceived hypocrisy in democracy promotion have fueled perceptions of the West as an aggressor rather than a liberator. Studies on the roots of terrorism in the region trace these feelings back to U.S. policies, such as unwavering support for Israel and alliances with repressive regimes, which alienate populations and provide fertile ground for radicalization.
While poverty and repression play roles, psychological analyses highlight how civilian casualties and cultural disruptions breed a sense of humiliation and desire for retribution. Groups like al-Qaeda and ISIS have exploited these narratives, framing their actions as defensive responses to Western imperialism, though scholars emphasize that terrorism often stems from local power struggles amplified by global dynamics.
Balanced perspectives acknowledge that not all Western engagements were purely exploitative; some aimed at countering genuine threats, like Soviet expansion or terrorism post-9/11. However, critiques from across the spectrum argue that the failure to address underlying issues—such as equitable resource sharing and genuine support for self-determination—has perpetuated cycles of violence. In Iran, the 1953 coup’s legacy lingers in distrust toward American overtures, while in the Arab world, the “democracy promotion” agenda is often seen as a veneer for regime change benefiting Western interests.
Today, as the Middle East grapples with reconstruction, the scars of intervention remain evident in ongoing conflicts in Yemen and Gaza, where foreign powers continue to play roles. The desire for accountability and justice among affected populations is palpable, though channeled through diplomacy, activism, and calls for reform rather than uniform calls for vengeance. Understanding this history is crucial for fostering dialogue and preventing future missteps, reminding us that cultural treasures like the Thousand and One Nights once symbolized a harmonious world now overshadowed by the consequences of external ambitions.
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The Devastating Legacy of Western Interventions in the Middle East: From Oil to Wars
Explore how Western interventions disrupted Middle Eastern traditions, leading to wars, displacements, and ongoing tensions. #MiddleEastHistory #WesternIntervention
https://dunapress.org/the-devastating-legacy-of-western-interventions/
The Devastating Legacy of Western Interventions: This article delves into the historical Western interventions in the Middle East, their motivations, devastating consequences, and the resulting anti-Western sentiments.
Beneath shadowed skies, a mother’s silent hope flickers—a secret smuggled through bitter walls. A commander’s heart clenches, torn between duty and mercy. A newborn cloaked in destiny, whispered into a shepherd’s arms, vanishing into a quiet exile.
FEATURED JOB: American Druze Foundation Fellowship at Georgetown University, Georgetown University -
District of Columbia
Komme endlich dazu, den offenen Brief von Rashid Khalidi an die Columbia zu lesen, an der er seit beinahe 25 Jahren Modern Midle East History gelehrt hat. Ich bekomme Magenkrämpfe beim Lesen.
Niemand soll im Nachinein sagen, man hätte nichts gewusst.
Hier der komplette offene Brief an die Hochschulleitung, erschienen beim Guardian.
#FreedomOfSpeech #MiddleEastHistory #ColumbiaUniversity
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2025/aug/01/columbia-historian-rashid-khalidi-open-letter
Palestine under British rule wasn’t neutral territory — it was engineered instability.
1920–1948 saw imperial agendas, demographic shifts, and broken promises.
The echoes are still deafening.
#Brewminate #MandatoryPalestine #MiddleEastHistory #BritishEmpire
https://brewminate.com/a-history-of-mandatory-palestine-1920-1948/
ANSA, and machine-translated from Italian: The Ambrosiana’s Treasure of Arabic Manuscripts Goes Digital. “A precious and rare Koran on parchment, oblong, in Sufi script dating back to the 8th-9th century with gold miniatures, but also a manuscript that brings together the four gospels copied in the monastery of Sant’Antonio in 1280 from a copy made from the original text by the translator Abu […]
https://rbfirehose.com/2025/03/06/ansa-the-ambrosianas-treasure-of-arabic-manuscripts-goes-digital/
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