ABSTRACT
This chapter begins with an overview of the traditional mode of Soviet behavior in the Middle East as it evolved in the two decades between 1955 and 1975, with special reference to its difficult experience in Egypt and Iraq. It analyze the steps that the Soviets have taken over the past half-decade to ensure that their expulsion from Egypt would not be repeated elsewhere, and concludes with a discussion of the implications of this shift for the Western Alliance. Since 1975 a shift in Soviet Middle East policy has been evident, making use of local communist parties and direct force projection as a means of increasing Moscow's political control over the internal politics of its clients, and to ensure the greater permanence of its influence. In building a priviledged relationship with Iraq, the French have arguably performed a useful service for the USA and for the rest of the Atlantic Alliance.
