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Oil
and Terrorism in the New Gulf:
Framing U.S. Energy and Security Policies for the Gulf
of Guinea
by James JF Forest and Matthew V. Sousa
(Lanham, MD: Lexington
Books, 2006)
NEW: Read it online for free at Google Books
SUMMARY
U.S.
national security and energy security are inexorably
intertwined, particularly when considering the multiple
state and non-state actors who can wreak considerable
havoc on our economy based solely on our significant
dependence on foreign oil. Ensuring unfettered access
to Middle East oil has sustained U.S. economic growth,
but has also contributed to less desirable outcomes,
such as the spread of anti-U.S. sentiments which fuels
radical terrorism. Despite its oil wealth, the quality
of life in the Arab World is considered lower than in
many Latin American and East Asian developing countries.
The authors argue that lessons learned from our experience
in the Middle East should be applied to our burgeoning
energy security interests in Western and Sub-Saharan
Africa. Particularly, the Gulf of Guinea presents some
unique opportunities, quite distinct from the Middle
East. Oil is plentiful, the people are incredibly poor,
and state infrastructures are weak, but radical Islam
has only a limited influence in the region, and the
U.S. has good relations with many African nations. Overall,
this analysis suggests that we must adopt a long-term,
integrated approach to protecting our energy and national
security interests in West Africa.
REVIEWS
“James
J. F. Forest and Matthew V. Sousa focus on the nexus
of energy wealth and good governance, which is the key
to future economic development, stability, and prevention
of terrorism. They have done a terrific job highlighting
U.S. national security interests in the Gulf of Guinea-a
little understood region of tremendous oil wealth.”
— ARIEL COHEN, The Heritage Foundation
TABLE
OF CONTENTS
Preface
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Oil and Security: An Introduction
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A Region of Opportunities and Challenges
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A Region in Trouble
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The Emerging Terrorist Threat to West and Central
Africa
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A History of U.S. Foreign Policies in the Middle East
and the Old Gulf
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Contemporary U.S. Foreign Policies in the New Gulf
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A New Framework for 21st Century U.S.-Africa Policies
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Addressing the Security Challenges of the Gulf of
Guinea
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Facilitating Economic Development
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Democratization and Leadership for Good Governance
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The Policy Coordination Imperative
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Conclusion
Order
your copy using any of the following links:
Lexington
Books
Amazon.com
(via the Teaching Terror Bookstore page)
NEW: Read it online for free at Google Books
About
the Authors
James
J.F. Forest is director of terrorism studies and
associate professor at the U.S. Military Academy. Click
here for a bio.
Matthew
V. Sousa is currently serving as a Foreign Area
Officer in the U.S. Army, specializing in Sub-Saharan
Africa. Previously, he was an Assistant Professor in
the Department of Social Sciences at the U.S. Military
Academy, where he taught Politics and Development of
Sub-Saharan Africa and Comparative Politics. He served
the first half of his career as an Armored Cavalry Officer,
and has lived, worked, and traveled in twenty-one African
countries, and thirty others around the world. He received
his graduate degree in Public Administration and International
Development from Harvard University, and undergraduate
degree in Human/ Regional Geography from West Point.
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