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Why does enduring peace remain elusive in the Middle East? Why does the climate crisis worsen despite international pledges? Why does inequality widen across the Arab world and globally, even as economies expand? Why is the populist right surging worldwide? And what will happen as artificial intelligence and automation disrupt labor markets? Traditional explanations often miss the mark, addressing surface-level symptoms while overlooking deeper structural causes.
Like physicians treating a misdiagnosed disease, policymakers frequently exacerbate problems by failing to identify the core drivers shaping our era. At the heart of much global unrest lies the US’ covert interventions in the Arab and Islamic worlds, which have engineered instability and molded sociopolitical-economic frameworks that amplify these challenges. By exposing these underlying forces, we can move beyond palliatives to tackle root causes, paving the way for genuine transformation and a brighter future.
Since the mid-20th century, the Arab and Islamic worlds have endured a torrent of military coups that profoundly altered their political terrain, starting with the 1949 ousting of Syria’s democratically elected President Shukri Al-Quwatli and extending into today’s volatile landscape.
This article posits that the US played a pivotal role in engineering or endorsing these coups to further its geopolitical and economic agendas. Key drivers included eclipsing lingering British colonial sway, gaining mastery over vital resources like oil, fortifying Israel’s position as a strategic partner and coercing nations to influence global oil prices.
Since the mid-20th century, the Arab and Islamic worlds have endured a torrent of military coups
Dr. Turki Faisal Al-Rasheed
Grounded in seminal texts like James Barr’s “Lords of the Desert” and Lindsey A. O’Rourke’s “Covert Regime Change,” this examination critiques US interventionism as a primary instigator of prolonged regional strife. While recognizing the intricate Cold War context, I argue that these maneuvers favored immediate advantages over lasting peace, breeding authoritarian rule and deep-seated anti-American resentment. Nowhere is this more evident than in the US’ approach to the Israeli occupation of Palestine, where deliberate “anti-solution” policies sustain occupation to align with narrow interests.
After the Second World War, Britain’s imperial hold on the Middle East frayed amid rising Arab and Jewish nationalist fervor. As Barr elucidates, the US capitalized on this erosion, deploying diplomatic maneuvers, economic leverage and shadowy operations to displace British dominance. Declassified archives expose a fierce Anglo-American contest, with Washington zeroing in on energy infrastructure and defense pacts to cement its supremacy.
By the 1950s, America’s posture had evolved from anticolonial advocacy to a form of neo-imperialism, favoring military coups as efficient, low-profile substitutes for outright invasion. These upheavals propped up pliable governments, thwarting Soviet incursions while preserving oil rights and Israel’s defenses. This pivot framed nationalist figures as perils to US objectives, leading to alliances with military autocrats attuned to Western imperatives and laying the groundwork for generations of meddling.
The “era of coups” ignited in 1949, transforming militaries into instruments of foreign-orchestrated change. Drawing from historical evidence, I trace pivotal coups across three eras, spotlighting US complicity.
The early phase (1949-1960) honed America’s covert playbook. In Syria (1949), the CIA engineered Brig. Gen. Husni Al-Za’im's seizure of power from Al-Quwatli, driven by the president’s opposition to the Trans-Arabian Pipeline. Archival evidence verifies US backing, pioneering quick, discreet interventions to shield economic stakes.
Egypt’s 1952 revolution saw the Free Officers, under Gamal Abdel Nasser, depose King Farouk. Though rooted in domestic nationalism, CIA operatives like Miles Copeland offered crucial aid, viewing Nasser as a bulwark against communism until his pan-Arab ambitions clashed with US visions.
In Iran, the 1953 Operation Ajax, a joint CIA-MI6 venture, felled Prime Minister Mohammed Mossadegh after his nationalization of the oil industry jeopardized Western firms. Reinforcing Shah Mohammed Reza Pahlavi through bribes and disinformation, it ensured oil stability and curbed Soviet reach.
Sudan’s 1958 coup, led by Gen. Ibrahim Abboud, dovetailed with Western aims to fortify aligned regimes, though explicit US ties are murkier.
These events forged a template: neutralizing leaders who defied resource hegemony or anticommunist blocs.
In the middle phase (1961-1980), escalating Cold War tensions amplified US intrusions.
Iraq’s 1963 Baathist coup against Prime Minister Abdul-Karim Qasim received assistance from the CIA, as the US was alarmed by his Soviet ties and oil reforms. The agency supplied hit lists for communist eliminations, installing Abdul Salam Arif amid ongoing turmoil.
Algeria’s 1965 ousting of Ahmed Ben Bella by Houari Boumediene met with US approval for curbing socialist leanings.
Libya’s 1969 revolution, led by Muammar Qaddafi against King Idris, exploited the British retreat. Washington initially accommodated Qaddafi’s anticommunist bent but rifts opened later.
Sudan’s 1969 coup under Gaafar Nimeiry garnered partial Western endorsement to neutralize leftist threats.
This era underscored hegemonic impulses, recalibrating nations to American priorities.
The coups of the contemporary phase (1981–2025), saw a shift in focus, including to counterterrorism.
Tunisia’s 1987 “medical coup” by Zine El-Abidine Ben Ali against Habib Bourguiba drew US tacit consent for preserving order.
Sudan’s 1989 rise of Omar Bashir initially enjoyed American leniency, before terrorism-related sanctions were imposed.
The 2016 failed coup against Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan fueled unsubstantiated claims of US links via exiled cleric Fethullah Gulen.
Mali’s 2020-2021 coups, amid insurgent perils, bore the marks of US influence via training initiatives.
Since 1949, more than 50 coups have ravaged the region, with many of them linked to the US pursuits of anticommunism, resource safeguards or self-defined security.
Through institutionalized coups and clandestine operations, the US commandeered the Arab and Islamic spheres
Dr. Turki Faisal Al-Rasheed
As British power receded, America adopted covert overhauls, according to O’Rourke. Between 1947 and 1989, Washington launched 64 such efforts — encompassing coups, killings and vote tampering — categorized as offensive (to shatter rival coalitions), preventive (to block emerging dangers) or hegemonic (to impose obedience).
These ventures frequently boomeranged, entrenching dictatorships and fueling an anti-American backlash. In essence, this strategy eroded democratic institutions, favoring militarized oversight to dominate assets like oil and water and to shield Israel. Though security rationales held merit, America’s moves often elevated tactical and financial wins above regional prosperity.
America’s stance on the Israeli occupation of Palestine epitomizes an anti-solution paradigm, echoing Henry Kissinger’s ethos of managing rather than resolving disputes. From the Nixon-era sabotage of UN Security Council Resolution 242 in 1972, the US has dodged affirming Palestinian sovereignty, casting talks as endlessly debatable to tilt toward Israel. The Oslo Accords enabled Israeli gains without any concessions, sustaining strife for mutual US-Israeli benefits. The ongoing Gaza crisis underscores US endorsement of Israel’s tactics, including hints of ethnic displacement voiced by Israeli officials.
Yet, with more than 150 nations, including allies of the US like France and the UK, now recognizing Palestine, the US-Israeli grip on diplomacy is weakening. Washington’s UN veto power insulates Israel but erodes the US’ standing, as international sentiment pivots toward broader involvement. Tools like the “Uniting for Peace” resolution could sidestep vetoes, compelling change. This evolution, reminiscent of the Balfour Declaration’s enduring impact, unmasks the flaws in US-brokered “peace,” which is motivated more by strategy and economics than equity.
Through institutionalized coups and clandestine operations, the US commandeered the Arab and Islamic spheres, supplanting British remnants with methods that bred chronic discord. Since 1949, these interventions have chased fleeting victories, resource dominion, Israeli protection and ideological containment at the cost of enduring peace, spawning autocracy and animosity.
Nevertheless, harbingers of change abound: ’s Vision 2030, a multipolar world order and global pushes to internationalize the Palestinian question signal waning US hegemony. To transcend this shadow, we must confront intervention’s tolls and champion fair resolutions that honor regional autonomy and collective well-being over outdated imperial designs.
- Dr. Turki Faisal Al-Rasheed is an adjunct professor at the University of Arizona’s College of Agriculture, Life and Environmental Sciences, in the Department of Biosystems Engineering. He is the author of “Agricultural Development Strategies: The Saudi Experience.” X: @TurkiFRasheed