The overwhelming U.S. military victory in the Gulf War has opened a Pandora's box of problems for the region. Long-term peace and stability will be much more difficult to achieve. Joel Beinin examines the turbulent and complex relationship the U.S. has had with the Mideast since the end of World War II. He discusses the origins of U.S. involvement in the area, the crucial politics of oil, the importance of the Islamic Revolution in Iran and its impact on U.S. policy and, perhaps most interestingly, why heretofore there has been very little information or curiosity about one of the world's most strategically vital regions. Interview.

Joel Beinin
Joel Beinin is Professor of Middle East History at Stanford University. He is editor of Middle East Report and author of several books on the Middle East.