美中東政策為美外交政策重心之一。今年初，美柯林頓新政府成立後，因人事重 新佈局，美中東政策出現變化之臆測。吾人以為，美中東政策係以美國家利益為主要考慮。 人事異動，固會造成美中東外交戰術某些調整，但基本的外交戰略，則不致全盤變更。因之 ，展望未來柯林頓新政府中東政策，應係延續柯林頓第一任期的原則與精神，亦即在維護美 在中東的地緣、政治、石油、貿易、軍事等利益，勢將繼續主導中東和平進程，貫澈以阿達 成全面和解的決心；並且排斥俄羅斯、西歐、日本介入中東事務；同時大力支持以色列、埃 及，軍力長期佈署波灣地區，安定中東；此外，尚須積極打擊區域強權及激進伊斯蘭勢力擴 張。

　　　　　In the 1996 Presidential Election, Bill Clinton was re-elected as the President of the United States. As the result of a changing of hands in the foreign policy-making departments in the second-term of the Clinton Administration, speculations abounded as to whether or not this would lead to a change in the U.S. foreign policy toward the Middle East. On the basis of a comprehensive analysis, we have come to the conclusion that certain tactical re-adjustments aside, the fundamental U.S. policy toward the Middle East would remain unchanged. Specifically, in order to maintain geo-political, political, military, trade and economic interests in the Middle East, foreign policy measures taken in the first term of the Clinton Administration would remain to be effective, e.g., to play a dominant role in the Middle East peace process, to attempt a comprehensive Arab-Israeli peace agreement, to prevent Russia, Western European countries and Japan from meddling in Midde Eastern affairs, to support Israel and Egypt, to deploy military forces in the Persian Gulf region as a stabilizing force in the Middle East, to fight against such regional powers as Iraq and Iran and to contain radical Islamic expansions.