The Gulf region has been vital to the interests of the United States and the industrial world for many years. The Gulf War of 1991 and the forward presence of U.S. military personnel and equipment in several of the Gulf countries demonstrate the Gulf's importance to U.S. policymakers and their commitment to its security and stability. The war on terrorism and its aftermath have further enhanced the need for U.S. engagement in a region that includes two of the "axis of evil" countries identified by President George W. Bush in his State of the Union address. The author of this monograph, Dr. Sami Hajjar, considers the critical questions of U.S. military presence in the Gulf, the challenges it faces, and the prospects that lay ahead. He relies, in his presentation and analysis, on a variety of regional sources including newspaper reports and personal interviews conducted in the United States and the Gulf region, as well as on government and academic sources.