MIDDLE-EAST STABILITY - A VIEW FROM THE USA

For years to come, US success in forging a coalition of Arabs (especially Egypt and Saudi Arabia) to evict Iraq from Kuwait will continue to be regarded as a very major diplomatic and military achievement. Yet, while Egypt's return to its earlier role as a leader of the region and the withdrawal of the USSR from an active presence in the area were two factors which made the US role possible, along with the determination of the White House not to allow Israel to participate militarily, the greater probability is that little has changed fundamentally in the Gulf area. The overburden of history - including Islamic revivals and the never ending search for foreign patrons - will plague all Middle East interests.