to control Mideast Oil. as China and the EU become more economically powerful, and thus more militarily powerful, the U.S. is doing as much as it can, while it still has superior military power, to gain control of crucial areas. if they control the Mideast, they can deny countries access to the oil if said countries do not comply with U.S. demands. it is a crucial region for capitalist world-power. they're planning to attack Iran now, and just like Iraq, they make assertions about weapons without any actual evidence.