Our country’s deep (and fitful) involvement in the Middle East traces to World War II, when the U.S. came to Britain’s assistance in North Africa, transported millions of tons of material across Iran in support of the Soviet Union, and protected the movement of critical oil across the Mediterranean Sea and through the Suez Canal. We emerged from the war with commitments to keep both the sources and flow of that oil secure.

Brian Steed, a military historian at the U.S. Army Command and General Staff College and a Middle East foreign area officer, discusses the evolution of America’s role as protector in the region—and its ramifications. His presentation is the second in a four-part series focusing on the Middle East.

Steed’s 26 years of active duty in the Army included service as a Jordanian Army officer as part of a military personnel exchange program and time as a liaison to the Israel Defense Force.

For presentation slides, click here.