The Journal of Foreign Policy

The Journal of Foreign Policy

The Effect of Intra-Regional Elements on US Military Withdrawal ‎from Iraq

Document Type : Research Paper

Abstract
The Middle East and its subsystems, in particular the Persian Gulf, have always been among the important sources of civilization in the world and are the most important regions from geocultural point of view. These inner characteristics and potentials are so influential that without consideration of the durable elements and realities of the region from one hand and its interactions with the world from other hand, the trend of trans-regional policy making and strategic decision making will face strong challenges and end up in deep tensions.
The present article aims to analyze the US aggression to Iraq in 2003 which was in the framework of domination over energy resources, and to understand the main causes of US withdrawal from Iraq in 2012, taking into account  major inborn elements and variables in the region.  It concludes that one of the major strategic concerns which significantly affected the US policy in Iraq related to parameters generally influenced by inner-regional elements against the West. It goes Further to elaborate on those parameters.