The United States is planning a significant military presence of 13,500 troops in Kuwait to give it the flexibility to respond to sudden conflicts in the region as Iraq adjusts to the withdrawal of American combat forces. While this is happening, the world nervously eyes Iran. The latest developments inject even more uncertainty as the Middle East deals with the demands of the Arab Spring. The study by the Senate Foreign Relations Committee examined the U.S. relationship with the six nations of the Gulf Cooperation Council against a fast-moving backdrop.