The Struggle to Reshape the Middle East in the 21st Century

The book examines the causes and consequences of regional turbulence in the Middle East following the 2003 Iraq war and the 2011 Arab uprisings. It contains detailed case studies based on original research and analysis by leading Middle East scholars, engaging with the Middle East domestic politics and Middle East international relations scholarship. The volume reinterprets Israel's role within the Middle East regional order, explores Turkey's foreign policy toward the Syria crisis, and examines Iranian national security thinking and policy toward the Syria crisis. It also critiques international and regional discourses justifying intervention in Yemen and assesses the consequences. The book provides the first analysis of foreign policy orientation of the new Salafi parties in the region.

Format: Hardback
Length: 336 pages
Publication date: 31 May 2023
Publisher: Edinburgh University Press

The book examines the causes and consequences of regional turbulence in the Middle East following the 2003 Iraq war and the 2011 Arab uprisings. The Middle East has experienced unprecedented levels of instability and violence during this period, including regime breakdown, heightened rivalry and competition, civil and proxy wars, cross-border military intervention, refugee flows, and the emergence of violent non-state actors.

Following a theoretical chapter analyzing the drivers of regional turbulence, leading Middle East scholars investigate the impact of turbulence on the politics of different states and actors in the region. Nine case studies analyze the effects of regional turbulence on the politics of key states in the Middle East, including Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Iraq, Syria, Lebanon, Jordan, Turkey, and Iran.

The case studies are based on original research and analysis by leading Middle East scholars and engage with the Middle East domestic politics and Middle East international relations scholarship. They critically examine US policy toward the Middle East under Obama and Trump, reinterpret Israel's role within the Middle East regional order, explore Turkey's foreign policy toward the Syria crisis, examine Iran's national security thinking and policy toward the Syria crisis, analyze increased regional rivalry on the Gulf Cooperation Council and relations between member states, critique international and regional discourses justifying intervention in Yemen and assess the consequences, and present original research based on interviews examining the role of regional actors in Egypt's failed democratization.

The book also re-evaluates the failure of al Qaeda in Iraq and Syria and provides the first analysis of the foreign policy orientation of the new Salafi parties in the region.

The volume concludes by examining the causes and consequences of regional turbulence in the Middle East and offering recommendations for policymakers and scholars seeking to understand and address the challenges of the region.

In conclusion, the book provides a comprehensive and critical analysis of the causes and consequences of regional turbulence in the Middle East following the 2003 Iraq war and the 2011 Arab uprisings. It is an essential read for policymakers, scholars, and anyone interested in understanding the complex and dynamic political landscape of the region.

Dimension: 234 x 156 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781399518222