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This course is about the international relations of the Middle East. Because foreign and security policy decisions are influenced and, in some cases, determined by domestic politics, the course will also touch on internal as well as external factors. The course will entail several disciplinary perspectives. The history of the region since World War I and the emergence of the modern Middle East, for example, is essential to an understanding of its international relations. Geography, especially involving the distribution of natural resources – e.g., fossil fuels and water – as well the influence of climatic variations are also key. The insights of political science are essential to a grasp of national decision making regarding the exercise of the instruments of power and the way the effects of these decisions play out in the short and long term. We will therefore be focusing on domestic politics; interstate dynamics; political economy; and the role of outside powers and the geopolitical context. The first half of the course, give or take, covers the period from WW I through the Arab Uprisings of the early 2010s. The second half consists of deep dives in the revolution in Egypt, NATO intervention in Libya, the civil war in Syria, the complex dynamics of US-Iran-Israel relations, and the Gaza War of 2023/4. We will also set aside time to discuss the burgeoning role of the oil exporting states of the Arabian peninsula. By the end of course, students will have a relatively detailed understanding of the chronology of developments in the international relations of the region and be able to explain how and why events and trends transpired in Middle East international relations.
The "Global War on Terror" grinds on after nearly a quarter of a century. It has had a profound effect on American culture and politics, foreign relations, and military and intelligence capacity. It has killed and displaced millions, primarily, but not exclusively, in the Middle East and South Asia. The cost to the treasury has been exceptionally heavy, perhaps as much as 6 trillion dollars.
In this course we will explore this phenomenal war, examining the reasons for its long duration, broad scope and heavy cost for the combatants and noncombatants who bore the brunt of the battle. With the advent of a new administration and apparent resurgence of the Islamic State in Syria, where the US still deploys two thousand troops, this course is exceptionally timely.