The Regionalist Perspective a Thesis Submitted
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
Load more
Recommended publications
-
"Where There Is a Promise, There Is a Tragedy"
"Where there is a promise, there is a tragedy" Cross-border bombings and shellings of villages in the Kurdish region of Iraq by the nations of Turkey and Iran TABLE OF CONTENTS Page Christian Peacemaker Teams (CPT) – Iraq . 4 Introduction . 5 Part I Recent Turkish and Iranian Military Attacks into Iraq: December, 2007 – December 2009. ………………….. 7 Part II Violation of International Laws. 24 Part III A Brief History of Iraqi Kurdish/Turkish Relations. .. 31 Photographs of villagers of Zharawa . 41 APPENDICES Appendix 1 Glossary of abbreviations. 44 Appendix 2 Military Action Calendar (August, 2008 – June, 2009). 46 Appendix 3 Turkish bases in Iraq . 52 Appendix 4 Maps . 54 __________________ Cover Art from the Kurdish Textile Museum: a sample of Iraqi Kurdish textile weaving of the Keji design. The weaving, made of wool, contains a pre-historic symbol for peace and happiness. This piece is from a belt. The belt, traditionally made by young girls or their mothers, is used to tie the girl's dowry together. The title quotation for the report is from the grandfather of a Kurdish friend of CPT; it means that every time governments have promised something to the Kurds, a tragedy inevitably followed. - 2 - Dedication The authors wish to dedicate this report to the over 1 million displaced villagers that have entrusted us with their tears and sorrow, hopes and dreams and their desire to return to a life of dignity. During the 2 year period in which CPT collected the research for this report, we have come to love and respect these villagers. We recognize their tremendous determination and tenacity to preserve village life and their desire to be contributing members of Kurdish society within the KRG. -
Journal of Diplomacy
Seton Hall Journal of Diplomacy and International Relations 400 South Orange Avenue, McQuaid Hall, South Orange, NJ 07079 Tel: 973-275-2515 Fax: 973-275-2519 Email: [email protected] http://www.journalofdiplomacy.org Seton Hall Journal of Diplomacy and International Relations is the official semi- Editor-in-Chief annual publication of the Seton Hall School Dennis Meaney of Diplomacy and International Relations at Seton Hall University. The Journal provides Deputy Editor-in-Chief a unique forum for international leaders in Michael Curtin government, the private sector, academia, and nongovernmental organizations to Executive Editor analyze and comment on international Ruthly Cadestin affairs. Editorial Media Manager Indexing: The Journal is indexed by Sajedeh Goudarzi Columbia International Affairs Online, Public Affairs Information Service, Social Media Associates International Political Science Abstracts, Patricia Zanini Graca, Juan C Garcia, America: History and Life and Historical Abstracts: International Relations and Security Network, and Ulrich’s Periodical Senior Editors Directory. Zehra Khan, Kevin Hill, Chiazam T Onyenso Manuscripts: Address all submissions to the Editor-in-Chief. We accept both hard Associate Editors copies and electronic versions. Submissions Maliheh Bitaraf, Meagan Torello, Erick may not exceed 6,000 words in length and Agbleke, Oluwagbemiga D Oyeneye, Edder must follow the Chicago manual of style. A Zarate, Emanuel Hernandez, Katherine M Submission deadlines are posted on our Landes, Troy L Dorch, Kendra Brock, Alex website. Miller, Devynn N Nolan, Lynn Wassenaar, Morgan McMichen, Eleanor Baldenweck Back Issues: Available upon request. Faculty Adviser Dr. Ann Marie Murphy The opinions expressed in the Journal are those of the contributors and should not be construed as representing those of Seton Hall University, the Seton Hall School of Diplomacy and International Relations, or the editors of the Journal. -
The Iranian Leadership's Continuing Declarations of Intent to Destroy
The Iranian Leadership’s Continuing Declarations of Intent to Destroy Israel 2009-2012 Prof. Joshua Teitelbaum Lt. Col. (ret.) Michael Segall Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs המרכז הירושלמי לענייני ציבור ומדינה )ע"ר( © 2012 Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs 13 Tel Hai Street, Jerusalem, Israel Tel. 972-2-5619281 Fax. 972-2-5619112 Email: [email protected] Website: www.jcpa.org ISBN: 978-965-218-106-0 Production Coordinator: Tommy Berzi Graphic Design: Studio Rami & Jaki - www.ramijaki.co.il An updated version of “What Iranian Leaders Really Say about Doing Away with Israel: A Refutation of the Campaign to Excuse Ahmadinejad’s Incitement to Genocide”(November 2008) 2 The Iranian Leadership’s Continuing Declarations of Intent to Destroy Israel Preface In 2008, the Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs published an in-depth study of the Iranian leadership’s views on Israel and Jews.1 At the time, international attention had been focused on President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad’s October 2005 statement that Israel should be “wiped off the map.” A controversy arose at the time over whether he indeed made this remark or was mistranslated, as several academics and two members of the U.S. House of Representatives, Dennis Kucinich (D-Ohio) and Ron Paul (R-Texas), alleged. It was demonstrated that Ahmadinejad indeed called for the destruction of Israel and his words were not misrepresented. The previous study concluded with the observation by Michael Axworthy, who served as head of the Iran Section of Britain’s Foreign and Commonwealth Office from 1998 to 2000: “The formula had been used before by Khomeini and others, and had been translated by representatives of the Iranian regime as ‘wiped off the map.’ Some of the dispute that has arisen over what exactly Ahmadinejad meant by it has been rather bogus. -
Kurdistan Rising? Considerations for Kurds, Their Neighbors, and the Region
KURDISTAN RISING? CONSIDERATIONS FOR KURDS, THEIR NEIGHBORS, AND THE REGION Michael Rubin AMERICAN ENTERPRISE INSTITUTE Kurdistan Rising? Considerations for Kurds, Their Neighbors, and the Region Michael Rubin June 2016 American Enterprise Institute © 2016 by the American Enterprise Institute. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be used or reproduced in any man- ner whatsoever without permission in writing from the American Enterprise Institute except in the case of brief quotations embodied in news articles, critical articles, or reviews. The views expressed in the publications of the American Enterprise Institute are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the staff, advisory panels, officers, or trustees of AEI. American Enterprise Institute 1150 17th St. NW Washington, DC 20036 www.aei.org. Cover image: Grand Millennium Sualimani Hotel in Sulaymaniyah, Kurdistan, by Diyar Muhammed, Wikimedia Commons, Creative Commons. Contents Executive Summary 1 1. Who Are the Kurds? 5 2. Is This Kurdistan’s Moment? 19 3. What Do the Kurds Want? 27 4. What Form of Government Will Kurdistan Embrace? 56 5. Would Kurdistan Have a Viable Economy? 64 6. Would Kurdistan Be a State of Law? 91 7. What Services Would Kurdistan Provide Its Citizens? 101 8. Could Kurdistan Defend Itself Militarily and Diplomatically? 107 9. Does the United States Have a Coherent Kurdistan Policy? 119 Notes 125 Acknowledgments 137 About the Author 139 iii Executive Summary wo decades ago, most US officials would have been hard-pressed Tto place Kurdistan on a map, let alone consider Kurds as allies. Today, Kurds have largely won over Washington. -
Dialogue and Reconciliation from Bullets to Ballots
Dialogue and Reconciliation FROM BULLETS TO BALLOTS Sulaymaniyah Conference Iraqi Kurdistan December 2012 Content Participants 3 Dialogue and reconciliation 4 Reconciliation processes 4 Reconciliation as a process and a goal 6 How to use dialogue as a political tool 7 Challenges and difficulties with dialogue 9 The role of women in promoting dialogue and reconciliation 10 After the struggle - how to include citizens and society in the political agenda 11 How do you get different sides in the revolution to constructively work for the better of the whole country together? 12 The young generation - in what ways can they contribute the best to a nonviolent society? 13 Text and layout Otto Widmark Photos Hama Omer and on page 5 by Martin Karlsson. This publication has been produced with financial support from The Swedish Inter- national Development Agency (Sida). Sida is not liable for content, layout or opini- ons expressed in the brochure. The views expressed in this publication are those of the people speaking during the conference. They do not necessarily represent the opinions of the Social Democratic Party of Sweden and The Olof Palme International Center. 2 Participants ANC, South Africa Mr Molefe Samuel Tsele Akbayan, Philippines Mr Mario J. Aguja Mr Exuperio C. Lloren Fatah, Palestine Mr Mahmoud Allabadi Ms Heyam Saada Ms Myassar Abu Shawish Frelimo, Mozambique Ms Beleza Fernandes Zita Mr Adelino Zacarias Ivala MPLA, Angola Mr Joâo Baptista Domingos Ms Lizete Neto PUK, Iraqi Kurdistan Mr Rizgar Ali Mr Mala Bakhtiar Ms Jwan Ihsan Fawsi -
The View from Tehran
The View from Tehran Iranian Leaders’ Perspectives on the International Framework Agreement Centre for the New Middle East Policy Paper No. 3 (2015) Tom Wilson The Henry Jackson Society June 2015 THE VIEW FROM TEHRAN Summary • In the wake of the release of the negotiated framework agreement, Iranian leaders have categorically denied the validity of that agreement as presented in the US State Department fact sheet outlining what was agreed by the sides. All of the most critical components of the framework agreement have subsequently been challenged in the statements of Iranian officials. In addition to disputing that the fact sheet represents what was agreed at the Lausanne talks, Iran’s most senior figures have also claimed that the framework agreement is not in any way binding upon Iran. • It is apparent from the statements of the Iranian leadership that the regime regards the negotiations on the nuclear issue as a tactical step for advancing its national objectives, rather than as an opportunity for rapprochement with America and the West. In the regime’s narrative, Iranian negotiators have succeeded in forcing the international community to acquiesce and accept Iran’s nuclear programme. Indeed, Iranian leaders have presented their country’s gains in the negotiations as both a form of “resistance” against America, and as a victory over the West. • The view of the nuclear negotiations expressed by Iranian leaders fits into a wider pattern of hostility to the West, with the advancement of the nuclear programme being a core element of Iranian ascendancy. Rather than moderating anti-American and anti-Western rhetoric during the negotiations period, several Iranian figures – including Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei – have continued, and even intensified, their use of aggressively anti-American language. -
Iran's Human Rights Violators and Canada's Magnitsky Statutes
Briefing Book, January 2020 Iran’s Human Rights Violators and Canada’s Magnitsky Statutes A Canadian Primer The Canadian Coalition Against Terror (C-CAT) is a policy, research and advocacy group committed to developing innovative strategies in the battle against extremism and terrorism. C-CAT is comprised of terror victims, counterterrorism professionals, lawyers and others dedicated to building bridges between the private and public sectors in this effort. http://www.c-catcanada.org The contents of this briefing binder may be reproduced in whole or part with proper attribution to the original source(s) Dr. Ahmed Shaheed: (UN special rapporteur on freedom of religion or belief from 2011 to 2016) “Those who violate human rights in Iran are not fringe or renegade officials. Rather, they hold senior positions in the executive branch and the judiciary, where they continue to enjoy impunity. These officials control a vast infrastructure of repression that permeates the lives of Iranian citizens. …Defiance of these norms often comes at a terrible cost, with Iranians frequently facing unjust detention, torture, and even death.”1 Table of Contents 1. A Memo to the Reader---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------1 2. Canada-Iran Overview---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------3 > Canada-Iran-Relations Fact Sheet > Iran’s International Ranking as a Human Rights Violator > Iran’s International Ranking for Corruption 3. The Magnitsky Act and Iran --------------------------------------------------------------------------------8 -
Michael Gunter, the Doyen of Kurdish Political Studies in the United States
CURRICULUM VITAE Biographical Data NAME: Michael M. Gunter ADDRESS: 140 Mattson St. (home) Cookeville, Tennessee 38501 Phone: (931) 526-1473 Box 5052 (work) Department of Sociology & Political Science Tennessee Technological University Cookeville, Tennessee 38505 Phone: (931) 372-3180 Fax: (931) 372-6142/ Email: [email protected] DATE OF BIRTH: February 22, 1943; MARITAL STATUS: Married, two children Education B.A. Columbia University, 1964; Major: American History M.I.A. School of International Affairs, Columbia University, 1966; Area: Soviet Union Ph.D. Kent State University, 1972; Major: International Relations; Minors: Comparative Politics, American Politics. (Doctoral Dissertation: Ministates and the United Nations System) Teaching Experience Professor, Tennessee Technological University, 1981-present; Associate Professor 1976-1981; Assistant Professor 1972-1976 TTU Research Excellence Position, 2015- Outstanding Faculty Award in Research, 1995-96 Outstanding Faculty Award in Teaching, 1999-2000 American Political Science Association and Pi Sigma Alpha (The National Political Science Honor Society), Certificate for Outstanding Teaching in Political Science, 2000 College of Arts & Sciences Award for Research & Creative Activity, 2005 Ohio Valley Conference Excellence in Teaching Award, 2007 Marquis Who’s Who in America, 65th -72nd eds, (2011-0018); Albert Nelson Marquis Lifetime Achievement Award (2018) Marquis Who’s Who in American Politics 2014, 26th ed. Contemporary Authors, 2012 International Who’s Who, 73rd ed., 2013-2014 Distinguished -
The Middle East and Syria As a Case of Foreign Intervention Implications for the United States, the Syrian Kurds, and the Middle East After the Defeat of Daesh
JEMEAA - VIEW The Middle East and Syria as a Case of Foreign Intervention Implications for the United States, the Syrian Kurds, and the Middle East after the Defeat of Daesh DR. ANDRÉS DE CASTRO GARCÍA* (Arabic Proverb)** One of the key elements in the analysis of foreign realities is the acknowledg- ment of its foreign element. In a very recent publication,1 Dr. Irena Chiru, of the National Intelligence Academy of Romania, describes the importance of the cul- tural element in security- related research and the importance of understanding a country’s society and values. Western academics and practitioners must carefully study the Middle East, as a strategic area, to truly understand its history, its unique way of development, and forms of governance. This article intends to give a broad perspective of the Middle East—and Syria in particular—from a Western per- spective but with an approach qualified by a proper experience on the field and using Realism and Structural Realism. Introduction Since World War I, the West has focused on influencing and trying to change the main principles by which leadership is produced and maintained in the Middle East, disregarding the reality of the terrain and the past experiences of Western actors. But, more importantly, the West has forgotten, or has claimed to forget, the matters that peaked its interest in the region in the first place: availability and con- trol of mainly natural resources and the establishment of regional peace and stability. Much like the Soviet Union during the Cold War, Moscow and Beijing today are using the space left by Western neglect and lack of cultural awareness to en- hance Russian and Chinese power in the region. -
THE ISLAMIC REPUBLIC's ART of SURVIVAL
THE ISLAMIC REPUBLIC’S ART of SURVIVAL: Neutralizing Domestic and Foreign Threats Saeid Golkar Policy Focus 125 | June 2013 THE ISLAMIC REPUBLIC’S ART OF SURVIVAL: Neutralizing Domestic and Foreign Threats All rights reserved. Printed in the United States of America. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopy, recording, or any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher. © 2013 by The Washington Institute for Near East Policy Published in 2013 in the United States of America by The Washington Institute for Near East Policy, 1828 L Street NW, Suite 1050, Washington, DC 20036. Cover photo: Iranian soldiers shout anti-American slogans at a ceremony celebrating the 27th anniversary of the return from exile of Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, February 2006. (AP Photo/Hasan Sarbakhshian) Contents About the Author v Acknowledgments vii Executive Summary 1 Introduction 3 1 | Neutralizing Threats from Below 4 2 | Neutralizing Threats from Above 9 3 | Neutralizing External Threats 14 4 | Conclusion 16 Notes 17 About the Author SAEID GOLKAR is a fellow at the Roberta Buffett Center for International and Comparative Studies at Northwest- ern University. Previously, he served as a postdoctoral fellow at the Center on Democracy, Development, and the Rule of Law (CDDRL) at Stanford University. His research interests include the politics of authoritarian regimes, state control, and Middle Eastern politics; his most recent analysis has appeared in Politics, Religion & Ideology, Armed Forces & Society, Journal of the Middle East and Africa, Digest of Middle East Studies, and Middle East Quar- terly, among other publications. -
The Case of Iraqi Kurdistan and the PKK
Deconstructing Ethnic Conflict and Sovereignty in Explanatory International Relations: The Case of Iraqi Kurdistan and the PKK Submitted by Johannes Černy to the University of Exeter as a thesis for the degree of Doctor in Philosophy in Ethno-Political Studies in September 2014 This thesis is available for Library use on the understanding that it is copyright material and that no quotation from the thesis may be published without proper acknowledgement. I certify that all material in this thesis which is not my own work has been identified and that no material has previously been submitted and approved for the award of a degree by this or any other University. Signature: _____Johannes Cerny_____________________ 1 2 Abstract: This study is essentially a critique of how the three dominant paradigms of explanatory international relations theory – (neo-)realism, liberalism, and systemic constructivism – conceive of, analytically deal with, and explain ethnic conflict and sovereignty. By deconstructing their approaches to ethnic identity formation in general and ethnic conflict in particular it argues that all three paradigms, in their epistemologies, ontologies and methodologies through reification and by analytically equating ethnic groups with states, tend to essentialise and substantialise the ethnic lines of division and strategic essentialisms of ethnic and ethno-nationalist elites they set out to describe, and, all too often, even write them into existence. Particular attention, both at the theoretical and empirical level, will be given to the three explanatory frameworks explanatory IR has contributed to the study of ethnic conflict: the ‘ethnic security dilemma’, the ‘ethnic alliance model’, and, drawing on other disciplines, instrumentalist approaches. -
Major General Mohammad Bagheri: Chief of Staff of Iran's Armed Forces
Major General Mohammad Bagheri: Chief of Staff of Iran’s Armed Forces November 2020 1 Table of Contents Early Life and the Iran-Iraq War ............................................................................................................... 3 Reorganization, Positioning, and Firouzabadi’s Shadow ........................................................................... 4 Promotion as Chief of Staff of Iran’s Armed Forces .................................................................................. 7 Conclusion ............................................................................................................................................... 9 2 Major General Mohammad Hossein Bagheri Major General Mohammad Hossein Bagheri is the chief of staff of Iran’s Armed Forces. The chief of staff is considered the highest ranking military officer in the Islamic Republic and is responsible for the coordination and supervision of Iran’s regular army (Artesh) and the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). Bagheri ascended to this post through a storied family military history and quiet competence. His arrival at the helm of the Armed Forces General Staff (AFGS) also bolstered the IRGC’s role in Iran’s national command structure. Early Life and the Iran-Iraq War There are conflicting reports as to the year of Bagheri’s birth. Some sources, including the U.S. Treasury Department, say he was born in 1960 in Tehran. Others list the year as 1958. In addition to his military training, Bagheri received a conventional education as an engineering student and later earned a doctoral degree in political geography from Tarbiyat-e Modares University. Bagheri’s revolutionary activities date back to the founding of the Islamic Republic in 1979. He was one of the students who attacked and seized the U.S. embassy, and Iranian media indicates that he deployed to the battlefield one month after the Iran-Iraq War began. There isn’t an extensive record of his service in these early years.