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Jordan Journal of Applied Science-Humanities Series

DOI

https://doi.org/10.35192/jjoas-h.v24i2.2

Abstract

This research aims to analyze the strategic objectives of the United States in Afghanistan and Iraq, particularly in the context of the U.S. campaign against terrorism, from the Cold War up to the U.S. invasion and occupation of Iraq in 2003. The study seeks to understand the nature of U.S. objectives during this period and how Washington capitalized on the events of September 11, 2001, to advance its strategic policies and goals. A key focus is on military positioning in geo-strategic areas, which are seen as central to global geopolitics, particularly in the Middle East and Central Asia, areas proximate to old adversaries like Russia, which, although economically weakened as the successor to the USSR, remains a military power, as well as potential future adversaries such as China. These regions could also become aligned with a group of Asian countries forming a strategic bloc that might challenge U.S. dominance. Subsequently, the U.S. developed a national strategy based on preventive and anticipatory wars, aiming to secure these strategic and vital areas proactively, before they fall under the influence or control of potential adversaries — who could pose significant threats to U.S. interests across important global regions.

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© 2025 by the author(s). This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the CC BY 4.0 Attribution license.