Carter Doctrine

The Carter Doctrine was a policy proclaimed by President of the United States Jimmy Carter in his State of the Union Address on 23 January 1980, which stated that the United States would use military force if necessary to defend its interests in the Persian Gulf region. The doctrine was a response to the 1979 invasion of Afghanistan by the Soviet Union, and was intended to deter the Soviet Union—the Cold War adversary of the United States—from seeking hegemony in the Gulf. After stating that Soviet troops in Afghanistan posed "a grave threat to the free movement of Middle East oil," Carter proclaimed:

Related Topics:
President of the United States - Jimmy Carter - State of the Union Address - 23 January - 1980 - Persian Gulf - 1979 - Invasion of Afghanistan - Soviet Union - Cold War - Hegemony

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:Let our position be absolutely clear: An attempt by any outside force to gain control of the Persian Gulf region will be regarded as an assault on the vital interests of the United States of America, and such an assault will be repelled by any means necessary, including military force. (full speech)

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A 1980 pledge by Secretary of State Edmund Muskie went even further, putting the gulf states on notice that the United States would not allow anyone to interfere with oil tanker traffic through the Strait of Hormuz. At the time, Carter's statement was widely considered to encompass the use of nuclear weapons in response to a Soviet advance into Iran. In February 1980, details of a Pentagon report emerged indicating that the United States might have to use tactical nuclear weapons in response to any Soviet military advance toward the Gulf.

Related Topics:
Edmund Muskie - Gulf states - Oil tanker - Strait of Hormuz - Nuclear weapons

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When the Carter Doctrine was announced, the United States did not have significant military capabilities in the region, and so the Carter administration began to build up the Rapid Deployment Force, which would eventually become CENTCOM. Carter's successor, President Ronald Reagan, extended the policy in 1981 with the Reagan Corollary to the Carter Doctrine, which proclaimed that the United States would intervene to protect Saudi Arabia, whose security was threatened after the outbreak of the Iran-Iraq War.

Related Topics:
Rapid Deployment Force - CENTCOM - Ronald Reagan - 1981 - Saudi Arabia - Iran-Iraq War

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William Perry, Secretary of Defense in the Clinton Administration, said in 1995 to the Council on Foreign Relations: "Roosevelt was the first U.S. president to declare that the United States has vital interests in the region."http://www.dod.gov/speeches/1995/s19950518-perry.html

Related Topics:
William Perry - Clinton Administration - Council on Foreign Relations - Roosevelt - Vital interest

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The strategic principles of the Carter Doctrine and the Reagan Corollary were reflected in the 1990 Persian Gulf War and the 2003 Iraq War.

Related Topics:
1990 - Persian Gulf War - 2003 - Iraq War

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