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Trading places: America and Europe in the Middle East

For most of the past century in the Middle East, European powers like Britain and France were self-confident, interventionist, militaristic and prone to unilateral action. The Americans, on the other hand, were sympathetic to the locals, committed to compromise and strong supporters of international law and the United Nations. Now it's the other way around. As case studies from Iran, Iraq, Algeria and Egypt show, the two sides have effectively traded places, as a result of their changing roles in the international system. The fact that Americans are now walking in European footsteps does not mean that they will suffer the same fate as their predecessors. If America can avoid the temptation to act like an imperial power and legitimise its efforts by promoting democracy and winning international support, it might also be able to avoid the resentment and violent resistance that doomed the British and French.