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Show Hinckley Journal of Politics Autumn 1998 Dual Containment: Successes, Failures, and Prospects for Changes in Policy by David Walsh Abstract: In this article, David Walsh examines the policy of dual containment, which the United States has pursued in the Persian Gulf since 1993. This policy aims to isolate Iraq and Iran from the other countries of the region, as well as from the international political arena as a whole. This policy, however, has met with serious difficulties. Rifts over policies to be followed toward Iraq regarding United Nations sanctions have occurred between the United States and its allies, and a host of nations-including many of America's closest NATO allies and Japan-continue to enjoy lucrative trade relations with Iran, despite U.S. economic sanctions that are meant to discourage such trade. Walsh argues that the policy of dual containment must be changed to reflect genuine U.S. interests: the ouster of Saddam Hussein in Iraq and his replacement by a moderate, pragmatic government willing to work within the international community; and a modified form of containment toward Iran, akin to the detente policies pursued toward the Soviet Union during the 1970s, that will allow for cooperation with Iran on some issues of mutual interest. Walsh also cites other issues, such as the Middle East peace process and internal unrest within Gulf countries, in discussing this policy. Introduction In the Persian Gulf, the United States is faced with two significant regional powers, Iran and Iraq, whose interests are in conflict with its own. To prevent these countries from undermining the United States' interests, Washington has implemented a policy known as dual containment. In theory, dual containment will prevent Iraqi aggression in the area akin to its invasion of Kuwait in 1990, as well as its efforts to build an arsenal of nuclear, biological and chemical weapons that could threaten other Gulf nations. At the same time, dual containment seeks to prohibit Iranian expansion in the Gulf, including the destabilization of pro-American regimes in the region. Washington executes dual containment through the use of regional alliances, a direct American military presence, and economic sanctions leveled against Iraq and Iran. The results of this policy have been mixed. Dual containment has prevented Iraq from moving against its Gulf neighbors, and the governments of Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Qatar and Oman remain stable. Yet critics of dual containment believe that it lacks flexibility. They feel that the United States must pursue different aims in dealing with Iran and Iraq. The recent elections in David Walsh is a senior in Mass Communication at the University of Utah. He gained insight into the politics of the Middle East while serving as an intern at PaL-Tech in Washington, D.C. Iran, which have brought a moderate, reform-minded president into power, could lead to opportunities for better relations between Washington and Teheran. Iraq, on the other hand, remains firmly in the grip of Saddam Hussein. Rather than contain him, critics assert, the United States should do all it can to topple his regime. Furthermore, in viewing Islamic revolution as being centered in Iran, the United States is ignoring the problems of socioeconomic marginalization in many Gulf states, which 75 |