ments ▁led ▁increased ▁U . S . ▁invol vement ▁in ▁Middle ▁East . ▁The ▁United ▁States ▁was ▁the ▁ult imate ▁gu ar ant or ▁of ▁the ▁region ' s ▁stability ▁as ▁well ▁as ▁the ▁dominant ▁force ▁in ▁the ▁oil ▁industry ▁after ▁the ▁ 1 9 5 0 s . ▁When ▁revolution s ▁brought ▁radical ▁anti - West ern ▁reg imes ▁to ▁power ▁in ▁Egypt ▁( 1 9 5 4 ), ▁Sy ria ▁( 1 9 6 3 ), ▁Ira q ▁( 1 9 6 8 ), ▁and ▁Lib ya ▁( 1 9 6 9 ), ▁the ▁Soviet ▁Union , ▁seeking ▁to ▁open ▁a ▁new ▁ar ena ▁of ▁the ▁Cold ▁War , ▁al lied ▁itself ▁with ▁Arab ▁social ist ▁r ul ers ▁like ▁Gam al ▁Ab del ▁N asser ▁in ▁Egypt ▁and ▁S add am ▁Hus sein ▁in ▁Ira q . ▁ ▁These ▁reg imes ▁gained ▁popular ▁support ▁with ▁promises ▁to ▁destroy ▁the ▁state ▁of ▁Israel , ▁defeat ▁the ▁United ▁States ▁and ▁other ▁" western ▁imperial ists ", ▁and ▁to ▁bring ▁prosper ity ▁to ▁the ▁Arab ▁masses . ▁When ▁the ▁Six - Day ▁War ▁of ▁ 1 9 6 7 ▁with ▁Israel ▁ended ▁in ▁a ▁decis ive ▁loss ▁for ▁the ▁Muslim ▁side , ▁many ▁viewed ▁defeat ▁as ▁the ▁failure ▁of ▁Arab ▁social ism . ▁This ▁represents ▁a ▁turning ▁point ▁when ▁" fund amental ▁and ▁milit ant ▁Islam ▁began ▁to ▁fill ▁the ▁political ▁vac u um ▁created ". ▁ ▁The ▁United ▁States , ▁in ▁response , ▁felt ▁obliged ▁to ▁defend ▁its ▁remaining ▁al lies ,