The influence of oil on the politics and the stability of the states in the Middle East

Résumé du document

As it is argued by Raymond Hinnenbush, "The core periphery struggle over oil has been a dominant theme in the region's politics from the overthrow of Iran's Mossadeq to the formation of the Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) to the second Gulf war." The discovery of oil in the Middle East in the 1950's has induced a shift in the development of the region and in the construction of the State. It has implied the development of an oil industry. Oil has turned into a "burning" issue since it has become the main source of energy scoring over coal or gas. Oil is a scarce resource that is found in the ground or under the sea, and that requires high technology and investments to extract and to refine. Therefore, though the sub-oil minerals are the property of the State, no country in the region had the ability to develop these resources.

Extraits

[...] In Iraq, the Ba'th regime (Sunni) crushed the Shi'a economic and socio-religious elites, ordering mass deportations, emprisonements and assassinations. Then oil-rich regimes have been able to buy domestic security by the distribution of some of the oil benefits, but after the financial crisis that occured in the 1980's they were not able any longer. It brought about riots and protests from the population. Therefore they adopted a “carrot and stick” policy toward the people, i.e. more repression and co-opting (Altunisik in Høiris and Yürürel, 1997:101). [...]

[...] When The United Stated started to fly arms to Israel, the Arab-oil producing states announced that they would reduce their oil production gradually until Israel had withdrawn from occupied territories and had recognized Palestinians. The Arab states -but Iran- put an embargo on the United States and any European country considered as pro-israel A pleague for the governance within the state 3 Corruption and rent seeking Oil revenues has encouraged rent seeking and corruption. Here the theory of rentier state is at stake again. [...]

[...] In crisis periods new tensions have appeared between both of them due to the effect of the decrease in oil rents. When oil rents decreased oil-rich countries decreased their aid to oil-poor countries. Oil-rich countries reduced the number of foreign workers and stopped immigration. It suscited the discontent of oil-poor countries and engendered tensions (Altunisik in Høiris and Yürürel, 1997:102). Oil ressources and revenue have given capabilities for oil-rich countries to support nationalist foreign policies aiming to challenge Western infringement. [...]

[...] (Stevens in Choueri, 2005:410). These revenues contributed to build the infrastructure of the national economies. According to Paul Stevens : “without oil revenues there woulb be very little by way of basic infrastructure” Oil revenues have offered financial support to develop the infrastructures of the countries in the industrial, military and economic fields. Then, they allowed the creation of a welfare state in the very interest of the population that is provided services, education, health, administration . etc. (Stevens in Choueiri, 2005:416). [...]

[...] States from the core powers, that could put an end to this practice, don't do it as they have great interests in their provision in oil. As an example, the Saddam Hussein's or the Saudi Arabian regimes are well known for their illegal practices and oppression of their population, but as they have provided western countries in oil, they have closed the eyes on these practices. Huge oil incomes has entrenched political regimes in the Middle East. Oil revenues has been considered as resources that could be used by governments to buy off opposition or to acquire the means to suppress it. [...]