ABSTRACT
Two broad interests have dominated Britain’s approach to the Middle East from the colonial era to the current day, and most likely they will continue to do so for decades to come: the control of oil and the desire for regional stability. However, cursory research into the contours of the United Kingdom’s foreign policy towards the region reveals a variety of other “interests” that either encourage, temper, or conflict with the two time-honored, overarching goals concerning oil and stability. If ensuring the free flow of oil and keeping regional instability to a minimum are Britain’s primary interests in the Middle East, where do other “interests”—such as generating political and economic reform in the region-fit into the grand scheme of UK foreign policy?
