Conflicts—The Evolution

Abstract

Since World War II, there have been numerous conflicts and a few devastating wars in the Persian Gulf; some have been intrastate and others interstate; some have been interconnected; some have involved foreign powers; and most, if not all, have bred and will continue to breed future conflicts and wars unless addressed at their core. In the previous chapters, we have listed and examined the major reasons that have been suggested for the emergence and reoccurrence of conflicts—sectarian and religious, ethnic and tribal, territorial (borders and access to shipping) and over resources (oil, natural gas, and water), governance and freedom, underdevelopment and deprivation, social and economic injustice, and the play of foreign interests. To address, reduce, reconcile, and end the disputes, conflicts, and wars that have plagued the region, the fuel that keeps them going must be identified and addressed.