How The U.S. Stole the Middle East

Summary

This video script explores the historical roots of U.S. involvement in the Middle East, starting from the 1930s with the California oil company's discovery of oil in Saudi Arabia. It details the establishment of American presence through alliances, military bases, and the influence of oil wealth. The narrative also touches on the complex geopolitical landscape, including the U.S. support for Israel, the Soviet Union's regional ambitions, and the rise of Osama bin Laden's al-Qaeda. The script sets the stage for a deeper dive into U.S. foreign policy and its lasting impact on the region.

Takeaways

• 🌍 The Middle East, seen by Europeans as the 'middle' of their 'east', is where civilization began, particularly in modern-day Iraq.
• 🏰 Over the years, borders in the Middle East have been redrawn multiple times by empires, and most recently by European powers like the British and French, often without considering local languages, ethnicities, or identities.
• 🇺🇸 The US presence in the Middle East started small but expanded significantly, driven by interests in oil and strategic alliances.
• 🚧 American oil companies, such as one based in California, began exploring for oil in the Middle East, leading to the establishment of American communities and military bases in the region.
• 🛣️ The US sought to protect its oil interests and influence in the Middle East, which sometimes meant supporting authoritarian regimes and engaging in covert operations.
• 🔥 The US's support for Israel in the region led to tensions and backlash from neighboring oil-producing countries, impacting US foreign policy.
• 👷‍♂️ The Bin Laden family's construction company played a significant role in building American oil facilities and military bases in Saudi Arabia.
• 🎯 Osama bin Laden, son of the construction magnate, became disillusioned with the US presence in the Middle East and his family's ties to it, leading him to form al-Qaeda.
• ✈️ The US military's response to Iraq's invasion of Kuwait solidified its military presence in the Middle East, further straining relations with those uncomfortable with Western influence.
• 🔄 The US's involvement in the Middle East has evolved from primarily oil interests to a complex entanglement of military, political, and strategic considerations.

Q & A

What is the significance of the Middle East in the context of civilization's origins?

The Middle East is significant as it is where civilization started, particularly in modern-day Iraq.

How did European powers influence the borders in the Middle East?

European powers like the French, British, and Russians redrew the borders in the Middle East without considering language, ethnicity, or regional identity, which has influenced the region's political structure to this day.

What was the role of oil in the US's initial interest in the Middle East?

Oil was a crucial factor in the US's interest in the Middle East, as it was a new and important substance that powered warfare and was in high demand.

Why did a California-based company decide to explore for oil in Saudi Arabia in the 1930s?

The company, despite the risks and the uncertainty of oil presence, decided to explore for oil in Saudi Arabia due to the potential of vast profits and the strategic importance of oil.

How did the discovery of oil in Saudi Arabia in 1938 impact US-Saudi relations?

The discovery of oil led to an influx of American oil executives, workers, and their families to the Middle East, establishing the first significant American presence in the region and fostering a relationship that would shape future US involvement in the area.

What was the stipulation by the Saudis when they allowed the US to set up a military base?

The Saudis allowed the US to set up a military base but with the condition that the US could not plant a flag on the base, instead, they could put a small plaque on the building.

Who was Muhammad, and how is he connected to the US presence in the Middle East?

Muhammad was a construction company owner who helped build the US oil city and military base in Saudi Arabia, and his son Osama bin Laden later became a significant figure in opposing US presence in the region.

What was the US's involvement in Iran during the 1950s?

The US, along with the British, orchestrated a coup to overthrow Iran's democratically elected leader due to concerns about his potential friendliness with the Soviet Union, and installed a more US-friendly dictator.

How did the US's support for Israel impact its relations with other Middle Eastern countries?

The US's strong support for Israel led to a backlash from other oil-producing countries in the Middle East, causing tension and potential threats to the US's interests in the region.

What was Osama bin Laden's response to the US and Saudi Arabia's growing relationship?

Osama bin Laden was deeply uncomfortable with the US presence in the Middle East and his family's support for it, leading him to dedicate his life to fighting back against superpowers, including the US and the Soviet Union, in the region.

Why did Osama bin Laden offer to defend Saudi Arabia against Iraq's invasion of Kuwait?

Bin Laden offered to defend Saudi Arabia as a way to gain favor with the royal family and to prevent further US military presence in the region, but his offer was rejected in favor of US military intervention.

Outlines

00:00

🌏 The Historical Context of the Middle East

The paragraph discusses the historical significance of the Middle East, recognized as the cradle of civilization, particularly in modern-day Iraq. It highlights how borders have been redrawn by empires over time, with the most recent changes made by European powers like the French, British, and Russians. These powers carved up the region without considering local identities or affiliations, leaving a lasting impact on the current borders. The narrative then shifts to the 1930s, setting the stage for the US's growing interest in the region, driven by the strategic importance of oil.

05:02

🏭 The Emergence of US Presence in the Middle East

This section details the US's initial foray into the Middle East in the 1930s, spurred by a California-based company's quest for oil. Despite the risks and the conservative stance of the Saudi royal family towards outsiders, the company was granted permission to explore for oil. The discovery of oil in 1938 marked the beginning of a significant American presence, with oil executives, workers, and their families establishing 'American colonies' in the region. These colonies, with their liberal practices, contrasted sharply with the conservative norms of Saudi Arabia, causing discontent among locals. The US government's proposal to build a military base to protect the oil interests further complicated the relationship, with the Saudis agreeing under the condition that no American flags be planted on their soil.

10:03

🏗️ The Bin Laden Family and US-Saudi Relations

The narrative introduces Muhammad, a construction magnate whose company benefited from the US presence in Saudi Arabia, building infrastructure for their oil operations and military base. His son, Osama, is highlighted as a key figure, growing up in an era where the US influence and the wealth from oil were causing tensions within the conservative Saudi society. The US's involvement in the region expanded beyond oil, with the Cold War bringing new strategic interests. The US's actions, such as the overthrow of Iran's democratically elected leader and support for Israel, further complicated its relationships within the Middle East, leading to a backlash from oil-producing countries.

15:06

🛡️ The Rise of Osama bin Laden and Al-Qaeda

This paragraph delves into Osama bin Laden's growing discomfort with the US presence in the Middle East and his family's support for it. Bin Laden's journey to Afghanistan to fight against the Soviet Union and his eventual return to Saudi Arabia to form Al-Qaeda is detailed. The group's mission was to protect Islam by violently opposing foreign superpowers in the region. Bin Laden's efforts to rally against the US and the Saudi government's close ties with the US led to his rejection by his own country. The paragraph also discusses the US's response to Iraq's invasion of Kuwait, which further solidified the US-Saudi alliance and increased the US military presence in the region, much to the chagrin of bin Laden.

20:06

🔥 The Impact of US Foreign Policy in the Middle East

The final paragraph reflects on the complex and enduring nature of US involvement in the Middle East, which has evolved beyond oil interests to become a fixture of US foreign and military policy. It acknowledges the upcoming exploration of specific case studies, such as Iraq, Afghanistan, Israel, and Iran, to further unpack the intricacies of this relationship. The paragraph concludes with a sponsorship message for Skillshare, an online learning platform, and a teaser for future content that will delve deeper into the US's presence in the Middle East.

Keywords

💡Middle East

The Middle East is a region that encompasses Western Asia and parts of North Africa. It is historically significant as the cradle of civilization and is central to the video's narrative due to its geopolitical importance and the historical events that have shaped its modern borders. The video discusses how European powers redrew the borders of this region without considering local languages, ethnicities, or regional identities, leading to the current geopolitical landscape.

💡Oil

Oil is a fossil fuel that has been a driving force behind the global economy and geopolitical strategies. In the context of the video, oil is portrayed as a catalyst for the US's interest and involvement in the Middle East, particularly in Saudi Arabia. The video describes how the quest for oil led to the establishment of American presence and influence in the region, starting with a California-based company's exploration efforts.

💡Superpowers

Superpowers refer to nations with immense economic, political, and military influence. The video discusses the US and the Soviet Union as superpowers whose actions and interests in the Middle East have had profound impacts. The US's involvement in the region is driven by access to oil and the strategic need to counter the Soviet Union's influence, exemplified by the support for Israel and opposition to Soviet-backed regimes.

💡Saudi Arabia

Saudi Arabia is a Middle Eastern country and the birthplace of Islam, home to its holiest sites, Mecca and Medina. The video highlights Saudi Arabia's pivotal role in the narrative due to its vast oil reserves and strategic alliances, particularly with the US. The relationship is complex, marked by economic benefits but also internal and regional tensions, as seen in the US's establishment of military bases and the subsequent backlash.

💡Osama bin Laden

Osama bin Laden is a central figure in the video, known as the founder of Al-Qaeda and the mastermind behind the September 11 attacks. His story is intertwined with the video's theme, illustrating the complex relationship between the US, Saudi Arabia, and the rise of extremist ideologies. The video discusses bin Laden's discomfort with Western influence in the Middle East and his subsequent actions against superpowers, including the US.

💡Al-Qaeda

Al-Qaeda is a terrorist organization founded by Osama bin Laden with the goal of combating what it perceives as the corrupting influence of Western countries in Muslim countries. The video connects Al-Qaeda's formation and objectives to the broader narrative of US involvement in the Middle East, highlighting how bin Laden's experiences and ideologies shaped the group's mission and tactics.

💡Saddam Hussein

Saddam Hussein was the President of Iraq from 1979 until 2003. The video mentions him in the context of Iraq's invasion of Kuwait, which led to a US-led coalition's military intervention. Saddam's actions and the subsequent Gulf War are significant to the video's narrative as they further illustrate the US's military and political entanglements in the region.

💡Iran

Iran is a Middle Eastern country that has had a tumultuous relationship with the US, marked by events such as the 1953 coup and the 1979 Iranian Revolution. The video touches upon Iran's role in the region, particularly its shift towards a religious government and its stance against the US, which is emblematic of the broader geopolitical dynamics and conflicts in the Middle East.

💡Israel

Israel is a Middle Eastern country established in 1948 and has been a key ally of the US. The video discusses the US's support for Israel, which has been a source of tension with other Middle Eastern countries. This support is indicative of the US's strategic interests in the region and its impact on regional dynamics and conflicts.

💡Afghanistan

Afghanistan is a country in South Asia that played a significant role in the video's narrative due to its conflict with the Soviet Union in the 1980s. The video describes how the US supported Afghan fighters, including Osama bin Laden, against Soviet forces, setting the stage for later events. This conflict is a critical part of understanding bin Laden's motivations and the origins of Al-Qaeda.

Highlights

The Middle East is considered the cradle of civilization, with modern-day Iraq being one of the starting points.

Borders in the Middle East have been redrawn multiple times by empires, most recently by European powers like the British and French.

European powers' division of the Middle East disregarded language, ethnicity, and regional identity, focusing on their own interests.

The U.S. started its presence in the Middle East in the 1930s with a focus on oil exploration, beginning with a company based in California.

The discovery of oil in Saudi Arabia in 1938 marked a significant moment for U.S. involvement in the region.

American oil workers and their families established a presence in the Middle East, creating 'little Americas' with practices contrary to local customs.

The U.S. government proposed a military base in Saudi Arabia to protect the oil interests, leading to the first U.S. military operation in the Middle East.

Saudi Arabia allowed the U.S. base with the condition that no American flag would be planted on their soil.

The U.S. involvement in the Middle East expanded beyond oil with the rise of the Soviet Union as a superpower, leading to covert actions and support for anti-communist forces.

The U.S. supported Israel, providing financial and military aid, which led to tensions with Arab neighbors and a backlash from oil-producing countries.

Osama bin Laden, son of a wealthy construction magnate, grew uncomfortable with the Western influence and U.S. presence in the Middle East.

Bin Laden's family's construction business played a role in building U.S. military infrastructure in Saudi Arabia.

Bin Laden's opposition to the U.S. presence led him to join the fight against the Soviet Union in Afghanistan, where he gained combat experience.

The U.S. supported Afghan fighters against the Soviet Union, inadvertently aiding the future enemy, Osama bin Laden.

After the Soviet withdrawal, bin Laden returned to Saudi Arabia and founded al-Qaeda, dedicated to combating superpowers in the Middle East.

The U.S. military's response to Iraq's invasion of Kuwait solidified their presence in the Middle East, further angering bin Laden.

Bin Laden's rejection by Saudi Arabia and the U.S. military's continued presence in the region fueled his determination to carry out attacks against the U.S.

The U.S. presence in the Middle East has become deeply entrenched, affecting foreign policy and military strategy.

Transcripts

the middle east

the part of asia that europeans see

as the middle of what they see as the

east

sort of arbitrary whatever we call it

the middle east this part of the world

is literally where civilization started

right here in modern-day iraq and over

the years the borders here have been

redrawn

many times as empires have ebbed and

flowed through this region

by the way i didn't make this time lapse

a very talented youtuber did

and he deserves a medal for it

or perhaps just a new patron thanks man

anyway the most recent

carving up of this region happened by

european powers

the french the british the russians i

mean are we surprised

no like of course of course it was the

british of course it was the french of

course it was europeans of course

the lines they drew didn't really take

into account language or ethnicity or

regional identity they just sort of

sliced it all up amongst themselves

and said these are our new regions of

power

in the middle east eventually those

european powers left but

the lines they drew stuck around and

became

the skeleton for what the borders look

like today

and this is where our story starts in

the 1930s

here in the modern middle east at this

point

across the ocean there was this growing

superpower that had spent the last

century moving west

taking over this whole continent and

beyond deep into the pacific ocean

we've talked about that a bit but things

were changing the world had just fought

a brutal world war that was fought with

new weapons

that were powered by this new important

substance

oil germany lost that war in part

because they didn't have

access to enough oil to keep up with

this new style of warfare

that relied a lot more on machines

the young superpower realized that

access to this stuff would determine

who would be powerful and who would not

so they stopped looking west for a

moment

and turned east with hopes of finding

the fuel they needed to build their

power

the us presence in the middle east

started with one little dot

right here but soon that dot would

expand into a sprawling network of

alliances

covert attacks flows of weapons money

and the building of innumerable bases

and eventually turning into full-on

ground wars

this is how the u.s stole the middle

east

ready and willing to employ all means

necessary

okay so it's the 1930s and the us

doesn't have a

significant presence in the middle east

at this point but that's about to change

because there's a company based in

california that wants to explore this

vast desert for oil

11 000 miles from san francisco

there lies a primeval desert a mass of

drifting

sand and sun-baked earth one-third the

size of the united states

this was sort of a risky decision for

the california company because first off

they had no idea if there was actually

any oil here

they knew it would mean sinking into the

desert the money of thousands of

stockholders

in a project that might well end in

complete loss

and second off this desert was a part of

a

very hardcore religious kingdom the fact

that mecca is the source and the shrine

of islam

gives saudi arabia a central place in

the islamic

and therefore the arab world that was

home to the holiest sites in islam

run by a dogmatic royal family that did

not like outsiders

especially non-believing westerners but

even still

the king of the desert kingdom

eventually gives the california company

permission to explore

almost a million square kilometers of

this desert looking for oil

and after a few years the bet paid off

and on march 3rd

1938 in this little patch of coastal

desert

they struck gold well actually they

struck oil but

it might as well have been gold

[Music]

so throughout the 30s and 40s american

oil executives workers and their

families started

flocking to the middle east establishing

the first significant

american presence in the region they set

up little cities around the oil

operation that were little slices of

america

full of the deepest sinful behavior

like allowing women to drive and the

consumption of alcohol

here is another american colony complete

with air-conditioned houses

two hospitals and an outdoor movie

theater

this is the sort of stuff that is very

off limits in saudi arabia it's

literally

illegal at this point so you have a lot

of saudis who are not happy about their

government letting the americans

in to behave however they want but the

oil kept

flowing and soon the u.s government goes

to the royal family and says

listen the oil is flowing better than

ever this is awesome

how about we build a little military

base attached to our little oil city

so that we can you know protect you and

protect us and protect the oil and stuff

and the saudis are like okay um having

the great satan come to our country for

oil is one thing

but letting them set up a full-on

military base on our soil

and especially when like everyone in our

country is not happy with their presence

in the first place

but said the royal family

all of this oil is really valuable and

it's really nice and we're getting super

rich

so they're like yeah sure set up the

base but there was one stipulation that

the saudis had for the americans

you are not allowed to literally plant a

flag

no flagpoles of the united states you

cannot put your flag anywhere on this

base

instead you can put a little plaque on

the side of the building so that your

flag is not literally on our soil and

that was the deal

and that's exactly what happened the u.s

sets up its first

military operation in the middle east in

the form of a landing strip that is

right next to this oil field

okay so all of this infrastructure that

the americans were building

required someone to build it they needed

a construction company

and there was one construction company

that the americans really liked that

helped them build their oil city and

their base

this company was founded and run by a

guy named muhammad now listen do you

think i'm really giving you the

backstory on the construction company

that built the air base in the oil city

just because that's interesting and i'd

like to talk about construction

no this is actually very relevant to the

story and you'll see why

very soon so the americans and the

saudis are having this forbidden

oil bromance and it's going really well

and they are just the oil is flowing

everyone's getting rich

and meanwhile the rest of the middle

east is looking at saudi arabia and

they're like

dude wtf why are you like in bed with

america and like why are you letting

them set

up a landing strip in your country and

the saudi royals are like

do you realize how rich we're getting

right now like if you were in our

position

you would do the same thing egypt okay

so it's the 1950s and

let's get back to muhammad the

construction guy his company

by this point is thriving the american

presence

in oil land is just exploding and he is

building

all of the stuff for it and so this guy

is just has a giant business

and he starts to have children well in

fact he had a lot of children

like 54 children because he had 22 wives

because

that is a thing in saudi arabia to this

day

anyway the point is one of muhammad's

sons is named

osama

i told you this was gonna be relevant

okay a reminder that saudi arabia is not

the entire middle east

so i'm gonna leave the osama bin laden

cliffhanger for a moment

to tell you what else was going on in

the middle east at this time remember

that it was the hunt for oil that

brought the us to saudi arabia

originally

but now in the 50s and 60s there was a

new reason

for the us to think about the middle

east and that reason is because there's

another big superpower

that has nuclear weapons called the

soviet union

who is coming into the region and saying

to everyone

come join team communism and the u.s is

like

hold my beer

[Music]

so in addition to oil the us is now

involved in trying to

not let the soviet union have any power

in this region

over in iran there was a democratically

elected leader that the u.s didn't like

they thought he was maybe a little too

friendly with the soviet union so they

worked together with the british

to literally overthrow the government of

iran

so that they could install a dictatorial

leader that was more friendly to the

united states

little side note here the airport that i

fly out of

here in dc is named after the guy who

like

gave the go-ahead for this coup in iran

john foster dulles

so i'm reminded of the whole iran thing

every time i fly so the u.s has its oil

thing it's now involved in

trying to prop up a dictator in iran

there's another big thing happening that

brings the us into the region

which is that the newly declared state

of israel

is starting to piss off its neighbors

and starting to look to the u.s

for support and the us gladly offers it

seeing israel as a friendly nation

in the region that could be a big

proponent of u.s interests so the u.s

starts to fund

israel with tons of money and fighter

jets and

all of these things to help them fight

their wars against their arab neighbors

there was a debate happening in the

united states on whether or not they

should actually do all of this to

support israel

so intensely because they knew if they

did they were going to piss off

all of the neighbors in the middle east

and all of the neighbors are the ones

who had the oil

in the end the us did decide to support

israel and

with that came a major backlash from all

of these oil producing countries in the

neighborhood

there's a crisis of such proportion that

we probably haven't even begun to grasp

it yet as far as the country is

concerned

scenes like this are becoming all too

common on both sides of the atlantic

but for america they are more ominous

they tell the arabs that their oil

weapon is wounding america the country

that supports and supplies their enemy

israel

eventually this backlash against

supporting israel kind of calmed down

there was some peace talks and anyway

let's get back to muhammad the

construction guy and his son osama

because this is where it really starts

to heat up

and it is this world of religious

authority and deeply rooted traditions

that has now been challenged by the

wealth of oil and the western invasion

it has brought

so it's now the 70s and mohammed bin

laden the construction guy

is now insanely rich his construction

company is giant

his 54 children are also rich and his

son

osama is growing up and he's in his 20s

and is looking around at all of this

stuff happening in

iran and in israel and is starting to

feel

really uncomfortable with the notion of

his family being so supportive of

american presence in the middle east

and his government this religious

kingdom home of mecca and medina

being so okay with the us so

embedded in the middle east at this

point these are ancient

holy lands why is my government

and my family supporting this great

satan superpower coming in

and becoming so involved in the middle

east so bin laden

sets out on a lifelong quest to fight

back

against these superpowers not just the

us but also the soviet union

invading the middle east he heads to

afghanistan

where the soviet union is invading

afghanistan trying to take it over

bin laden wants to fight back by the way

the same year

in iran that dictator that the u.s put

in

gets overthrown in a giant religious

revolution

that gets rid of the old dictator that

the u.s liked and puts in a religious

government headed by this guy ayatollah

khomeini

this new government takes a bunch of

americans hostage and

starts off hating the united states and

i mean can you blame them

if someone overthrew the person i

elected i would be pretty pissed too

so anyway back to bin laden he arrives

to afghanistan with a few things

number one a bunch of money remember his

family is like super rich

he also comes with construction

infrastructure because

he's like a construction guy like his

family knows construction and

infrastructure building

but most importantly he comes with an

obsessive

dedication to fighting back against any

superpower

that is invading the middle east so

osama joins in

with all of these rebel fighters who are

fighting back against the soviet union

and they fight a long brutal war by the

way the u.s was

secretly loving this loving that the

soviet union was getting like

beat back by these like rebel fighters

so they end up sending

loads of weapons and money and support

to these fighters

something that will come back to bite

them a few decades later

eventually osama and the afghan fighters

beat back the soviet union it was 10

brutal years of war

and by the end these fighters were

battle hardened

osama was now completely dedicated to

his cause

of fighting back against superpowers who

are coming into the middle east

so he returns back to saudi arabia where

he starts raising money

and awareness for his new group that he

started while he was in afghanistan

it's called al-qaeda and the mission of

the group is to protect

islam through violently striking back

against

big superpowers coming into the middle

east and saudi arabia is like

osama like do you have to do this dude

do you realize how rich we're getting

like saudi princes are living on yachts

in the south of france and like flying

in their private jets and they're like

dude chill like it's fine we get it we

don't like the united states but like

can you like maybe chill

our partnership with the united states

is actually turning out to be really

great and i know yeah they're really

into israel and they're really bad and

everything but like

they buy our oil and they give us

weapons and we're like

doing just fine over here osama doesn't

chill

and the saudi government eventually

takes away his passport not letting him

leave and told him to hush up with all

the anti-american holy war talk

so osama finds another plan to maybe win

back the heart of the royals

saudi arabia has a next door neighbor

named iraq who was run by

saddam hussein who osama sees as a

really bad muslim

totally secular and brutal and he's just

like not a good guy

saddam is also cashing in on the oil

boom he's building big palaces and

statues of himself all over the country

oh yeah and he also used the oil money

to build a giant army like

the fourth biggest in the world with

this massive army

saddam decided that he could maybe

multiply his oil reserves if he popped

down to invade this little tiny country

of kuwait

where there's also loads of oil this

sort of freaked the saudis out if saddam

with his giant army could grab kuwait

what would stop him from marching right

across this desert

into saudi arabia so there's this moment

that like

oh it's like the moment of infamy of

this whole thing where osama goes to the

saudis and he says

i volunteer as tribute he doesn't

actually say

i volunteer and tribute that was a

hunger game i believe we have a

volunteer

but he effectively says i have me and my

battle-hardened men

who like can go in and fight against

saddam and and

defend the kingdom and the saudis are

like um

no we're not gonna like let this ragtag

group

of like rebel fighters fight off the

fourth largest army in the world

and osama's like well we beat the

soviets like they're a big army with

nuclear weapons and everything

and the saudis are like yeah because you

hid in the hills in caves in afghanistan

prince sultan literally told bin laden

verbatim

quote there are no caves in kuwait

and then he asks them what will you do

when he lobs the missiles at you

with chemical and biological weapons

osama's response

we will fight them with our faith and

the saudis are like

um awkward

sorry dude like instead the king met

with somebody else that he thought would

make a much

better fit than bin laden and his faith

fighters

dick cheney had flown to saudi arabia

the day after

saddam had invaded kuwait at this point

the bromance between the u.s and saudi

arabia had cooled a little bit

as saudi had gotten more and more flack

for being in bed with the u.s

but even despite this he told cheney to

come with

as much force and as quickly as he could

[Music]

and that is exactly what dick cheney did

ready and willing to employ all means

necessary

the us went insane here

they recruited 37 other countries and

then they sent more firepower

in terms of ships and bombers and troops

and

all this stuff than you and i could ever

imagine it was

insanity and they totally crushed saddam

within a few weeks they had pushed it on

back

and completely won over the hearts of

the royals

the bromance is back in business so now

you have these

saudis that are beaming at the americans

for helping them fight off saddam

and you have a bunch of bases that the

u.s set up to

mount this attack way more than before

the us

came with all of this firepower and

manpower and bases and artillery

and then they just sort of never left

something that really pissed off

a lot of saudis who were very

uncomfortable with us presence to begin

with

but the guy who was most pissed off than

anyone in the middle east at this point

osama bin laden who had not only been

rejected by his own country

but then who got chosen instead but the

great satan the united states

a power that osama had built his entire

life

fighting against so osama bin laden

starts to double down

on his original mission he leaves saudi

arabia

and begins coordinating very precise

attacks that could really only be

coordinated by a guy who was good at

technical details of a construction

company

and who had lots of money to fund it he

carries out attacks against the united

states

all around the world and by the late 90s

he starts planning the attack that would

change our world forever

so this is just the first half of the

story

what happens next is something that

we're all kind of familiar with

in fact i think we're all still kind of

processing the us presence in the middle

east today

and how that all went down but it

deserves taking a look at

and i'm not going to do that right now i

want to make a separate video

for iraq and afghanistan and israel and

iran

and dive into each of these cases to

show how the u.s presence in the middle

east is not just about

oil in fact oil is becoming less and

less of a vital aspect of the u.s

presence as we

have alternative sources of this sort of

energy instead

our presence in the middle east has

become a fixture of how we think about

foreign policy and how we think about

the map

it's become so embedded in our military

doctrine and in our foreign policy

doctrine

that it's proving to be really hard to

think about how we could ever get out

[Music]

thank you everyone for watching this

video um man middle east

the middle east it's a complicated place

and this is just

a very broad overview and like i said i

want to go deeper into each of these

case studies because

there's so much more to cover with each

of these stories

anyway that is to come stay tuned for

that

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this video i will see you all in the

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see ya