Western interference in the Middle East started long ago and has continued right up to the present day, with no apparent end in sight. From the British occupation of Iraq following the First World War and the partition of Palestine and the creation of the state of Israel right up to the U.S-led invasion of Iraq in 2003 the Western powers have consistently altered the fates of the peoples of the Middle East. It is these injustices suffered by people in the Middle Eat that are the key focus of Robert Fisk's book 'The Great War for Civilisation'. The tome not only describes in detail Robert Fisk's experiences as a journalist in the region but also reflects his own opinions on injustices that have taken place in this troubled part of the world.
It is arguably this interference that has led to the widespread Arab anger that exists toward the West. This article uses Fisk's 'The Great War for Civilisation' as a basis for analyzing where this Arab angers stems from and how it is manifested. Exploring issues such as the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and the role the West and, in particular, the U.S has played in this conflict. Fisk explores the various peace negotiations that have taken place and the role of Yāsir cArafāt. He discusses the American bias toward Israel that has affected almost every peace negotiation and has been evident in the policies of the Bush presidency and states that this persistent U.S bias rules out any possibility of America acting as an independent neutral arbiter
Western weapon sales to the Middle East is another issue that Arabs find particularly infuriating about Western policy. Western companies' willingness to sell arms regardless of the consequences has had a profound effect on relations between the two sides and Fisk states that "the narrative of their use is almost as important as the political conflict between Israel and its enemies".
However, in the last five years the polemic that has dominated Arab-West relations has been the U.S-led invasion of Iraq and the consequences of this war. Fisk astutely points out how during the Iran-Iraq war the West sent support and weapons to the Saddām regime. However following the 1991 Gulf war there was a complete turnaround in policy and strict sanctions were imposed in an attempt to bring about the downfall of the Saddām regime. These sanctions continued right up to the launch of the U.S led invasion of Iraq in March 2003. Fisk researches in detail the massive media campaign that took place before the 2003 war and then focuses on the civilian casualties as a result of the war.
The reasons for the Arab anger toward the West are complex and multiple. In the eyes of many Arabs they probably boil down to oil and regional control and these are undoubtedly factors in the equation. But the view of the U.S as a modern day imperialist aggressor combined with its persistent bias toward Israel are both also contributing factors in the complex debate over why the Arabs are angry with the West.
