Scholar Argues for Disbanding U.S. Fifth Fleet

Toby C. Jones argues in the Atlantic that the U.S. should disband the U.S. Fifth Fleet in Bahrain. The rationale for having a strong military presence in the Gulf dates back thirty years and has become outdated, he argues. With the Iraq war winding down, surplus oil flow and U.S. regional allies capable of maintaining domestic security, the basis of America’s Gulf strategy is dissipating. Moreover, Jones argues, continued American presence is offering inflated confidence to Sunni Arab allies who believe they crush internal democracy movements.