While I have numerous problems with this article, I will focus only on a few. To begin with, despite being an expert in the Middle East, Cordesman refers to the Persian Gulf as “the Gulf” almost one hundred times in this article. I understand that leaders in Saudi Arabia or other Arab nations may have the finances to purchase the expertise of individuals. Historical facts, however, are not for sale. The correct term for the body of water on the south of Iran, southeast of Iraq, east of Kuwait, northeast of Saudi Arabia, and north of Bahrain, Qatar, and the U.A.E. has always been the Persian Gulf. The Gulf of Oman will not be called the Gulf of India or the Gulf of Pakistan merely because India or Pakistan may be more wealthy, powerful, or prestigious. The Gulf of Mexico has not become the Gulf of America simply because the United States is a more militarily or economically powerful nation. The Persian Gulf will thus not become the Arabian Gulf or the Gulf merely because Arab leaders or those in their pockets refer to it with the wrong name. If I may suggest, the finances spent on lobbying individuals to refer to the Persian Gulf as the Arabian Gulf or the Gulf will be put to better use if they are spent on geography classes for those unfamiliar with the region and names in the Middle East.

While I am at it, I might as well take issue with the rest of the article. In my view, when developing his arguments, Cordesman is biased, is very selective in taking history into account, and when he does, he has a very short-term view of history. For instance, Cordesman begins the paper by stating “No one has ever been able to travel to the Gulf without discovering just how different the perspectives and values of the West and the Middle East can be.” First, I don’t believe that the values of the Middle East are homogenous. In fact, I would say that no one has ever been able to travel to the Persian Gulf without discovering just how different the perspectives and values of all the countries in the Middle East are not just from one another, but also within each individual country. Moreover, this difference in values and perspectives is no different than in the United States where the states in the Northeast, Midwest, South, and West all have varying identities and values. Finally, even if one was to conclude that the “Middle East” as a whole had certain identifiable values, I believe those values would be no different than the values of anywhere else. There are, undoubtedly, extremist and radical elements in the Middle East. Nonetheless, these elements are a minority. Just like any other people, the majority of the people of the Middle East are diverse, intelligent, and in the pursuit of happiness.