At the height of the
Cold War, the Soviet Union had military ties with Iraq, Libya, Syria, and South
Yemen. President Anwar Sadat expelled thousands of Soviet troops and military
advisers from Egypt in 1972 and turned to the United States for a strategic
alliance.
In 1979, the U.S.-brokered peace treaty between Egypt and
Israel was signed; it marked the first time that an Arab country had recognized
Israel. In addition, the United States had a network of security and military
ties throughout the Middle East that allowed it to emerge as the peace and
power broker in the region. Since the end of the Cold War, the United States
has maintained its status as the dominant great power.
The Obama administration, however, seeks to reverse decades
of U.S. diplomacy and security arrangements in the Middle East by simply
withdrawing. In doing so, it is creating a regional power vacuum that Russia
appears eager to fill.