HISTORICAL BACKGROUND Straddling the Tigris and Euphrates rivers and stretching from the Gulf to the Anti-Taurus Mountains, modern Iraq occupies roughly what was once ancient Mesopotamia, one of the cradles of human civilisation. In the Middle Ages Iraq was the centre of the Islamic Empire, with Baghdad the cultural and political capital of an area extending from Morocco to the Indian subcontinent. Mongol invasions in the 13th century saw its influence wane, and it played …showed first 75 words of 1629 total…

…showed last 75 words of 1629 total…any other country. These reserves can, therefore, become great strategic assets in the near future, and getting control of them can become crucial for a global hegemon like the USA. It is also notable that, apart from Iraq, the USA has friendly regimes in the other two Middle Eastern countries. Therefore, a regime more friendly than the current one in Iraq is definitely of strategic significance to the USA in the medium and long run.