Resource Wars

From the oilfields of Saudi Arabia to the Nile delta, from the shipping lanes of the South China Sea to the pipelines of Central Asia, Resource Wars looks at the impact of intensified resource competition on the military policies of nations. Klare argues that in the early decades of the new millennium, wars will be fought not over ideology but natural commodities, as states battle to control dwindling precious supplies. The political divisions of the Cold War, Klare asserts, are giving way to a global scramble for essential materials, such as oil, timber, minerals, and water. And as armies throughout the world redefine resource security as their primary mission, widespread instability is bound to follow, especially in areas where mounting demand, due to population growth and industrialization, collides with long-standing territorial and religious disputes.

Drawing on a wealth of sources, including internal government documents and specialized industrial and military publications not available to the general reader, Klare provides the first analysis to make sense of the new convergence of seemingly disparate concerns—ecological, economic, and military. A much-needed assessment of a changed world, Resource Wars is a compelling look at the changing nature of warfare in an era of rampant globalization, heightened environmental stress, and intense economic competition.