1. Middle East and Cold War
Global Dependency on oil makes Middle East a focus for two superpowers during the cold war.
    - Need oil for industrialization
    - Investment
    - Financial Stability

2. Superpower Rivalry
- United States and Soviet Union recognized strategic importance of Middle East
    1.  Oil
    2.  Waterways - Suez Canal, Persian Gulf
-Competed for Power
    - Middle East countries remained non aligned - recieved aid from both sides
                - Economic
                - Arms
                - Increased tensions between other Middle East                              countries and peoples

3. Turkey 1. Soviet Union gave aid to communist rebels
2.  United States helpt resist Soviet Influence
        - Places strategic missiles in Turkey (1948)
3.  Turkey joins NATO
        - NATO air bases still present in Turkey

4. After Cold War
Many countries concerend with Weapons of Mass Destruction in Middle East
Iraq, Iran, Israel have worked to develop NUKES
Several countries have created biological weapons
         Creates a threat to other countries in the region

5. Extremism Concern of spread of NUKES tied to rise of EXTREMISM
    -- Differed from country to country and within each country
Concern of westernization of Islamic Societies
       -- opposed granting new rights to women
       -- infiltration of western clothing and media
What about internet access?  

6. OPEC Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries
1960- Iran, Iraq, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Venezuela form OPEC
    Later expenaded to 11 countries
goal to end power of western oil companies over oil prices
decide what price to sell oil and how much to produce

7. OPEC Actions Rise in Demand during 1970's = rise in OPEC power
Arab-Israeli war (1973)
OPEC stopped ME shipments to countries that supported Israel -- including USA
Set off global oil crisis
RESULT:   Prices go up.... surplus goes down

8. Global Effects
Developing nations ahd to cut social programs to buy OPEC oil
 Industrialized nations -- high oil = high inflation
ME nations had to import oil--
suffered hardships while OPEC neighbors grew rich
RESULT:
many  countries reduced their dependency on OPEC oil

9. Recent Trends oil prices have fallen (until 3 years ago)
Raise prices by cutting supply
OPEC doesn't want this
3.  OPEC is still important but less powerful
    - Some oil producing countries have not joined OPEC
                            -EX Mexico, Russia