02963cam a2200421 i 4500 rnd000000000047826 RAND 920212s1991 cau b 000 0 eng d 92140197 0833011650 RAND/R-4072-CENTCOM/JS (Sirsi) a189053 $20.00 CstmoR CstmoR ap----- UA995.P47 L47 1991 Lesser, Ian O., 1957- author. Oil, the Persian Gulf, and grand strategy : contemporary issues in historical perspective / Ian O. Lesser. Santa Monica, CA : RAND, 1991. xiii, 31 pages ; 23 cm text txt rdacontent computer c rdamedia unmediated n rdamedia online resource cr rdacarrier volume nc rdacarrier "National Defense Research Institute"--Cover. Includes bibliographical references. Two distinct and competing traditions, the autarkic-continental and the liberal-maritime, have played a key role in shaping grand strategy toward economically vital regions such as the Persian Gulf. These two traditions have historically differed in three main ways: how they view the overseas supply of resources (liability vs. asset), their preferred strategy of access to vital regions (continental vs. maritime), and their impetus for action (geopolitical vs. vital interests). The author reaches a number of conclusions with implications for U.S. policy: (1) effective strategy toward the Persian Gulf and its oil resources has always been developed in the context of broader, grand-strategic objectives; (2) resource-related needs and objectives have tended to be determined by broader strategic aims, not vice versa; (3) the coalition approach to Persian Gulf security that has characterized U.S. strategy since the Carter Administration is within the Anglo-American liberal-maritime tradition regarding access to economically vital areas; (4) the perception of the Persian Gulf as an area of vital interest has remained constant and is not simply the result of its oil production; and (5) the rise of powerful regional actors (e.g., Iran, Iraq) is new, but it does not mean that U.S. freedom of action will be constrained or that the need for military power will be reduced. Also available on the internet via WWW in PDF format. Description based on print version record. World politics 20th century. Persian Gulf Region Politics and government. Persian Gulf Region Strategic aspects. National Defense Research Institute (U.S.). International Security and Defense Strategy Program. Rand Corporation. United States. Central Command. United States. Joint Chiefs of Staff. Online Access http://www.rand.org/pubs/reports/R4072/ 599134 599134