ABSTRACT
Nineteen ninety-one was one of the most momentous years in the eventful history of relations between the United States and the Middle East. The year began with the US-led coalition expelling Iraq from Kuwait in the January-February Gulf War. The US role in the region had been important for many decades, and 1991 marked an unprecedented peak in this role. Since the mid-1950s, the US had been engaged in a Cold War with the USSR, with significant consequences for regional politics. Much of US involvement in the ME had developed as a result of the Cold War. US priorities for the postwar period were named by Bush in his 6 March victory speech to a joint session of Congress. On 29 November 1990, the UN Security Council passed Resolution 678 demanding that Iraq withdraw from Kuwait or face war by 15 January 1991.
