ABSTRACT
The quotes above are as diametrically opposite as is possible. The first one foresees an end of the American era in West Asia. The second looks forward to American military bases as far as the Arctic circle, an era of cheap oil, an end to anti-Americanism and anti-Semitism, and a thorough overhauling of the socio-political system in West Asia – achieved through violent means used in a spirit of rage and revenge. The quotes are specific to the eight-year period of Bush Administration that has come to a close. The essay seeks to examine and assess American policy towards West
Asia in the post-Cold War period; mainly the Bush period. I see the Bush Administration policy as an attempt to recolonize the region and I propose to employ the term ‘re-colonization’ rather than ‘imperialism’ – an almost universally used term – to understand, explain and assess the American project.
