It's in US "short-term" interests to keep a balance of power in the region--mainly between Iraq, Iran, and Saudi Arabia. If any party or country accumulates a significant amount of power over the others, it is in US interests to "rebalance" the region. A balance of power ensures relative stability and a safe, secure, steady supply of oil for all of us. The reason we overthrew Saddam was because he upset the balance of power by: 1. invading Iran in the 70's and 80's; and 2. invading Kuwait in 1990. Saddam had become over-ambitious and threatened to de-stabilize the region.

unbalanced = war; war = expenisve oil

Of course this whole US policy is very short-sighted. The US playing the role of Leviathan can only take us so far and fails to address the actual issues that divide people. We need to start addressing these issues if we hope for any long-term stability and peace.

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