Rachel Bronson discusses her new book, Thicker Than Oil, and how the U.S.-Saudi relationship has shaped U.S. policy in the Middle East.

Listen to Council Fellow Rachel Bronson discuss her new book Thicker than Oil: America's Uneasy Partnership with Saudi Arabia and how U.S.-Saudi relations have shaped U.S. policy in the Middle East.

Council Senior Fellow and Director for Middle East and Gulf Studies Rachel Bronson reveals why the U.S.-Saudi partnership became so intimate and how the countries' shared interests sowed the seeds of today's most pressing problem -- Islamic radicalism.

Rachel Bronson, CFR’s top Middle East expert and author of a new book on Saudi-American relations, Thicker Than Oil: America’s Uneasy Partnership With Saudi Arabia, says that she does not expect Saudi-American relations to approach the closeness of the Cold War years, when the two countries were allied against the spread of Communism. “We should expect it to be a rockier road, although I do expect the relationship to muddle through,” says Bronson, a senior fellow and director of Middle East and Gulf Studies at CFR.

Americans are increasingly worried about their dependence on foreign sources of energy. In Congress and state capitals, there are stirrings to boost efficiency and alternative fuel sources for both security and environmental reasons.

The first full history of the U.S. relationship with Saudi Arabia, revealing why the alliance was formed and what we stand to lose if it collapses.

This report asserts a U.S.-Russia "partnership" is the right long-term goal, but not a realistic prospect over the next few years. This report is also available in Russian.

President Bush stressed energy independence for Americans in his fifth State of the Union message. Citing an "addiction" to oil in the country, Bush called for developing energy alternatives to lessen dependence on the volatile Middle East. He also reasserted support for democratization in the region.

Chinese foreign policy is now driven by China's unprecendented need for resources. In exchange for access to oil and other raw materials to fuel its booming economy, Beijing has boosted its bilateral relations with resource-rich states, sometimes striking deals with rogue governments or treading on U.S. turf. Beijing's hunger may worry some in Washington, but it also creates new grounds for cooperation.

This MIT paper studies the future of nuclear power because the technology, despite the challenges it faces, is an important option for the United States and the world to meet future energy needs without emitting carbon dioxide (CO2) and other atmospheric pollutants.