Two Gulf wars and the continuing Arab-Israeli conflict have highlighted the salience of military factors in the Middle East. This book argues, however, that many of the most serious 'security' challenges to Arab states and societies are rooted not in external military threats but in the imperatives of socio-economic development. Contributors examine the regional security environment; the social and political impact of regional militarization; and underdevelopment as a source of regional insecurity.

This books explores Kuwaiti internal security challenges of terrorism, sabotage and subversion, and, using untapped Kuwaiti government sources, examines policy responses such as mass deportations and special security trials. The study details how turmoil in neighbouring states and religious tensions threaten Kuwait's environment.

This book presents an in-depth exploration of the impact of the Arab Uprisings on the relationship between constructions of (in)security, narratives of threat and patterns of socio-political change within the Middle East and North Africa region. It also offers insights into the study of regional security and the operation of threat perceptions.

This is an indispensable aid for those studying or teaching the foreign policies of the contemporary Middle East. Not only are the elements of foreign policy discussed and presented as a whole region, but the editors provide the established analytical framework by which each contributor, in their individual chapters, has analyzed and evaluated the foreign policies of nine Arab countries. Their framework perceives foreign policy in the context of its environment : domestic, regional and global. This edition has new material reflecting the earth-shaking events at the end of the Cold War and the continuation of violence and terrorism.

The Islamic world has a poor record in terms of modernization and democracy. However, the source of this situation is not religion, but factors including colonialism, international economic and trading systems, and the role of the military, among others. Recognizing these themes allows the consideration of possible remedies for change in the Muslim world. The Islamic world has a poor record in terms of modernization and democracy. However, the source of this situation is not religion—Islam—but rather factors including colonialism, international economic and trading systems, and the role of the military, among others. Recognizing these themes allows the consideration of possible remedies for change in the Muslim world. The distinguished scholars contributing to this volume identify key factors—some intrinsic to the Muslim world, and some external—that contribute to Islam's current predicament. Contrary to much prevailing thought and opinion, Islam is neither monolithic nor impervious to change. It is neither anti-democratic nor inherently anti-modernization. Islam itself, as this book shows, is not the root cause of the malaise of the Islamic world.

This timely study examines the forces at play in one of the world's most explosive nations, helping readers understand why Syria's popular uprising has been the most violent and hard-fought in the Middle East. In this insightful work, a noted expert goes behind the headlines to examine the complexities of Syrian politics and their impact on the modern world. Beginning with an overview of political and economic change after 1963 when the Ba'th Party came to power, the book focuses on developments in Syria since Bashar al-Assad assumed the presidency in 2000. It probes the evolution of the Islamist opposition and the course of the popular uprising that broke out in 2011 and explores Syria's multilayered relations with Israel, Turkey, Iran, Russia, and the United States. Readers will learn why rebellion in Syria has taken a much different path than movements that overturned autocratic regimes in Tunisia, Egypt, and Yemen. They will also come away with a more nuanced understanding of the pivotal role Syria plays in both the Arab-Israeli conflict and inter-Arab relations, as well as the confluence of domestic challenges and foreign threats that make Syria the most vulnerable state in the contemporary Middle East.

The second edition of the Historical Dictionary of the Gulf Arab States comes at a time when the world's attention is riveted on the Middle East. The small states covered in this volume_Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates (UAE)_possess about 20 percent of the world's total oil reserves. Beyond the strategic and economic importance conferred upon them by their vast oil reserves, the Gulf Arab states are worthy of attention for the inherent interest of their history and culture. No area of the world has yielded more revealing and exciting archaeological finds in the past few decades than these states. Investigations have brought to light extensive evidence of an important culture as old as Egypt of the Pharaohs or ancient Babylon, which was virtually unknown previously except through rare references in the records of other civilizations. This expanded second edition covers the history of the five countries through a chronology broken down by country, a list of acronyms and abbreviations, an introductory essay, a bibliography, and several hundred cross-referenced dictionary entries on important persons, places, and events of each country. Everything from the Abbasids to Zubarah is covered in this essential reference on this increasingly important region of the world.

Leading commentators on Europe and the Middle East explore many of the key issues which have informed the relationship between the two regions. Ranging from Europe's colonial legacies to an uncertain economic future in the region the book covers: * the Cold War and after * the profound influence of the US * the rise of political Islam * case studies including Europe and the Iranian revolution, France's experiences in Algeria, and Turkey's position between the two regions. The EU, it is argued, has more influence over economic strategies than security issues in the Middle East. These strategies have in turn promoted stability in the form of free trade zones, ensuring vital economic development between the Middle East and Europe.

This book takes a closer look at the relation between current issues and trends in higher education and scientific research in the Arab World and in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) states of Qatar and United Arab Emirates (UAE). This thoroughly researched text traces the development of higher education in the GCC area as it continues to be positioned in an intersection of international and local factors. The text further articulates the pivotal political and cultural influences that act as real and perceived barriers towards the advancement of key fields. The chapters analyze the current policy trends, structures, and coping alternatives in addressing higher education challenges, whilst also providing comparative first-hand texts with the other Arab states in the region. By drawing focus on the GCC area, the text identifies the crucial factors that hamper learning and research performance. The book serves as an invaluable discussion on the implications for policy makers and HEIs in relation to the eponymous regions and other Arab states in the GCC area. Enhancing understanding of the scope, scale, and complexity of higher education and scientific research in the GCC area, the book will be of interest to academics, researchers, and post-graduate students in the fields of educational policy, comparative and international education and higher education.

This study examines the sources, characteristics and implications of post-Khomeini Iran's foreign policy. It concentrates on two geographic 'zones of interest': one composed of the countries which surround Iran; the other comprised of Islamic governments and movements beyond Iran's borders. It argues that fears, not just ambitions, have yielded a policy increasingly co-operative (especially in the economic sphere) yet in some respects still confrontational.