1 8 , ▁and ▁thus ▁in ▁a ▁sense ▁part ▁of ▁Ira q , ▁even ▁though ▁Ira q ▁had ▁recognized ▁its ▁independence ▁in ▁ 1 9 6 1 . ▁In ▁response , ▁the ▁United ▁States ▁formed ▁a ▁coal ition ▁of ▁al lies ▁with ▁Sa udi ▁Arab ia , ▁Egypt , ▁and ▁Sy ria , ▁gained ▁UN ▁appro val , ▁and ▁ev icted ▁Ira q ▁from ▁K uw ait ▁by ▁force ▁in ▁the ▁G ulf ▁War . ▁President ▁George ▁H .   W . ▁Bush ▁did ▁not , ▁however , ▁attempt ▁to ▁over throw ▁S add am ▁Hus sein , ▁which ▁the ▁United ▁States ▁later ▁came ▁to ▁regret . ▁The ▁G ulf ▁War ▁led ▁to ▁a ▁permanent ▁U . S . ▁military ▁presence ▁in ▁the ▁Pers ian ▁G ulf , ▁particularly ▁in ▁Sa udi ▁Arab ia , ▁which ▁off ended ▁many ▁Muslim s , ▁and ▁was ▁a ▁reason ▁often ▁c ited ▁by ▁Os ama ▁bin ▁L aden ▁as ▁just ification ▁for ▁the ▁September ▁ 1 1 ▁attacks . ▁▁ 1 9 9 0 s – present ▁ ▁The ▁world wide ▁change ▁of ▁govern ance ▁in ▁Eastern ▁Europe , ▁Latin ▁America , ▁East ▁Asia , ▁and ▁parts ▁of ▁Africa ▁following ▁the ▁dissol ution ▁of ▁the ▁Soviet ▁Union ▁did ▁not ▁occur ▁in ▁the ▁Middle ▁East . ▁In ▁the ▁whole ▁region , ▁only ▁Israel , ▁Turkey ▁and ▁to ▁some ▁extent ▁Leb anon ▁and ▁the ▁Palest in ian ▁territ ories ▁were ▁considered ▁to ▁be ▁dem oc ra cies . ▁Some ▁countries ▁had ▁legisl ative ▁bodies , ▁but ▁these ▁were