US Middle East policy during the Detente Period: Examples of Egypt and Syria (1970-1978)

The aim of this thesis is to examine the United States' détente era (1970-1978) policies towards Egypt and Syria in a historical context. The study focuses on explaining the post-1973 foreign policies of Egypt and Syria and their political divergence in the Arab-Israeli conflict. Furthermore, it seeks to understand the role of the U.S. détente era Middle East policy in this divergence. How can the different foreign policy goals pursued by Egypt and Syria, who shared a common fate during the decolonization period, were on the same side in the Arab-Israeli conflict, followed similar policies, and were allies of Soviet Russia, be explained after the 1973 Yom Kippur War/Ramadan War? What is the role of the U.S. détente era regional policy in the divergence of Egypt and Syria's foreign policies after the 1973 Arab-Israeli war? In other words, what role did this policy play in Egypt becoming an ally of the U.S. by making peace with Israel? Why did the U.S. policy towards Syria not yield the same result as Egypt? Why did Syria remain a Soviet ally? What did détente signify for Third World countries? In other words, how did the agreement between the Great Powers affect Third World countries that were their allies? These questions are the focus of this study. While traditional approaches emphasize individual cognitive, class-based, and structural explanations, this study argues that it would be beneficial to take a holistic approach by examining the relationships between the structures and actors that create certain determinants or determinative factors, rather than focusing solely on these factors when examining changes in actors' behaviours or reasons for sustaining certain behaviours. In this regard, adopting a historical methodology, the study aims to provide a comprehensive explanation by relying on primary sources and memoirs of individuals directly involved in policy-making during that period. Additionally, it seeks to explain the impact of U.S. and Soviet détente on the divergence in Egypt and Syria relations, which has been overlooked by the existing literature. Studies focusing on the 1970s Middle East do not address the influence of the changes brought about by détente in the international system on the behaviours of regional countries. Therefore, before delving into the 1970s Middle East and the U.S. regional policy during this period, it is necessary to highlight the changes brought about by détente. Understanding and explaining why the long-standing alliances between Sadat (Egypt) and Assad (Syria), their collaborations with the Soviets, and their opposition to the U.S. diverged in the 1970s can only be achieved by comprehending and incorporating détente, which corresponds to the 1970s. The divergence between Egypt and Syria and the developments during this period coincide with détente. Key Words: Détente, US's Middle East Policy, Middle East, Egypt and Syria