DOCSLIB.ORG

Iran's Foreign Policy in Iraq and Syria After 2011 by Ezgi Uzun, Ph.D

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Iran's Foreign Policy in Iraq and Syria After 2011 by Ezgi Uzun, Ph.D GRF Young Academics Program brings together young GLOBAL RELATIONS FORUM YOUNG ACADEMICS PROGRAM academics who are currently pursuing or have recently ANALYSIS PAPER SERIES No.6 completed their doctoral studies. The goal of this program is to provide a forum for accomplished young academics to discuss and debate long-term policy challenges. The GRF Young Academics Program Publications consist of policy and analysis paper series written by the GRF’s Young Academics. Iran’s Foreign Policy in Iraq and Through this program, GRF is establishing an expanding Syria after 2011 network of young academics to enrich policy discussions in both the national and international spheres. For more information about Global Relations Forum (GRF) and GRF Young Academics Program, you can visit: EZGİ UZUN www.gif.org.tr Ph.D. in Political Science, Sabancı University Ezgi Uzun, currently an instructor at Sabancı University in Istanbul, studies Iran’s foreign policy and security culture. Her wider research interests include the role of religion in international politics, transnational religious networks, sectarianism, religious insurgencies, and popular mobilization forces in the Middle East with a geographical focus on Iran, Iraq, and Syria. Her doctoral dissertation examines Iran’s “Axis of Resistance” policy in the Middle East, with a specific focus on the Islamic Republic’s religious ideology and ties to transnational Shia networks in Iraq and Syria. Her previous research concentrated on Iran’s nuclear program and its ramifi cations for regional power transitions. She has co-authored two publications on nuclear politics, “Bureaucrats, Ayatollahs, and Persian Politics: Explaining the Shift in Iranian Foreign Policy” and “The Path to an Entrenching Alliance: Utilitarianism and Historical Institutionalism in Committing to NATO’s Missile Defense System.” She was a visiting scholar at the Arnold A. Saltzman Institute of War and Peace Studies at Columbia University in New York from March 2017 to January 2018, and her research there was funded by the Scientifi c and Research Council of Turkey (TÜBITAK). She received her master’s and Ph.D. degrees in Political Science from Sabancı University in 2011 and 2018 respectively. She holds a bachelor’s degree in Translation and Interpreting Studies from Boğaziçi University in Istanbul. Global Relations Forum Yapı Kredi Plaza D Blok Levent 34330 Istanbul, Turkey T: +90 212 339 71 51 F: +90 212 339 61 04 www.gif.org.tr GLOBAL RELATIONS FORUM YOUNG ACADEMICS PROGRAM ANALYSIS PAPER SERIES No.6 Iran’s Foreign Policy in Iraq and Syria after 2011 EZGİ UZUN Ph.D. in Political Science, Sabancı University Global Relations Forum Young Academics Program Analysis Paper Series No.6 Iran’s Foreign Policy in Iraq and Syria after 2011 January 2020 © 2020 Global Relations Forum. All rights reserved. The financial rights to and the right to publish, dapt,a disseminate and reproduce this report belong to Global Relations Forum. This report shall not be reproduced, disseminated, printed or stored in any retrieval system, either in part, in its entirety or condensed form, whether by photocopy, facsimile, electronic mail or any other means without written permission of the publisher. ISBN: 978-605-80796-6-3 Publisher Certificate No: 22780 Printed in Turkey Gren Agency, Istanbul. www.grenajans.com Design and Layout Wodern Web Developing & Design Services www.wodern.com GLOBAL RELATIONS FORUM Yapı Kredi Plaza D Blok Levent 34330 Istanbul, Turkey T: +90 212 339 71 51 F: +90 212 339 61 04 www.gif.org.tr | [email protected] This publication can be downloaded at gif.org.tr CONTENTS About GRF iv About the GRF Young Academics Program v About the Author vi Abstract viii 1. Introduction 1 2. Recent Transformations in the Middle East 6 3. The Islamic Republic’s Discourses on the Middle East 8 after 2011 3.1. Islamic Awakening 8 3.2. Popular Mobilization 11 3.3. Resistance 13 4. Popular Mobilization in Iraq and Syria in the Post-Arab 15 Spring Period 4.1. Shia Armed Groups in Iraq and Syria 16 4.2. The Creation of Paramilitary Organizations 18 4.2.1. Hashd al-Shaabi / Popular Mobilization 23 Forces (PMF) 4.2.2. National Defense Units (NDF) 22 5. Conclusion 25 References 28 GRF Young Academics Program Publications 32 iii ABOUT GRF Global Relations Forum (GRF), founded in 2009 with the support of prominent Turkish leaders in business, government, and academia, is an independent, nonprofit membership association providing a platform for engaging, informing, and stimulating its members and all interested individuals in all matters related to international affairs and global issues. GRF intends to advance a culture that rewards the fertile tension between passion for intellectual diversity and dedication to innovative and objective synthesis. It nurtures uninhibited curiosity, analytic inquiry, rational debate, and constructive demeanor as the elemental constituents in all its endeavors. It contributes to the shared understanding of and aspiration for humanity’s path to peace, prosperity, and progress as an accessible, inclusive, and fair process for all. iv GRF Young Academics Program | Analysis Paper Series No.6 ABOUT THE GRF YOUNG ACADEMICS PROGRAM Global Relations Forum community programs aim to advance a culture of intellectual diversity, rational and constructive debate, and analytic coherence. The GRF Young Academics Program is distinct among these community initiatives in that it serves an additional but equally important objective. Through this program, GRF is establishing an expanding network of young academics that contributes to policy discussions in both the national and international spheres. The program is designed to culminate in the publication of either a policy or an analysis paper authored by the young academic, which is then published as part of the Policy Paper Series or the Analysis Paper Series. The author benefits from the experience of GRF members in crafting her paper. However, the publication reflects the views of the young academic and not the institutional views of GRF or the individual positions of the commission members. This paper, entitled “Iran’s Foreign Policy in Iraq and Syria after 2011” is authored by Dr. Ezgi Uzun as part of the GRF Young Academics Program Policy Paper Series. GRF convened the following group of distinguished members to evaluate and guide Dr. Ezgi Uzun’s paper: Memduh Karakullukçu Vice Chairman, GRF Selim Karaosmanoğlı Ambassador (R) Mustafa Kibaroğlu Professor of International Relations, MEF University Sönmez Köksal Ambassador (R), Former Undersecretary of State in charge of Turkish National Intelligence Organization GRF is grateful to all members who participated in the evaluation commission for their invaluable insights and informed guidance, as well as for the time and effort they dedicated to the program. GLOBAL RELATIONS FORUM Iran’s Foreign Policy in Iraq and Syria after 2011 v ABOUT THE AUTHOR Ezgi Uzun, currently an instructor at Sabancı University in Istanbul, studies Iran’s foreign policy and security culture. Her wider research interests include the role of religion in international politics, transnational religious networks, sectarianism, religious insurgencies, and popular mobilization forces in the Middle East with a geographical focus on Iran, Iraq, and Syria. Her doctoral dissertation examines Iran’s “Axis of Resistance” policy in the Middle East, with a specific focus on the Islamic Republic’s religious ideology and ties to transnational Shia networks in Iraq and Syria. Her previous research concentrated on Iran’s nuclear program and its ramifications for regional power transitions. She has co-authored two publications on nuclear politics, “Bureaucrats, Ayatollahs, and Persian Politics: Explaining the Shift in Iranian Foreign Policy” and “The Path to an Entrenching Alliance: Utilitarianism and Historical Institutionalism in Committing to NATO’s Missile Defense System.” She was a visiting scholar at the Arnold A. Saltzman Institute of War and Peace Studies at Columbia University in New York from March 2017 to January 2018, and her research there was funded by the Scientific and Research Council of Turkey (TÜBITAK). She received her master’s and Ph.D. degrees in Political Science from Sabancı University in 2011 and 2018 respectively. She holds a bachelor’s degree in Translation and Interpreting Studies from Boğaziçi University in Istanbul. vi GRF Young Academics Program | Analysis Paper Series No.6 Global Relations Forum Young Academics Program Analysis Paper Series No.6 Iran’s Foreign Policy in Iraq and Syria after 2011 Ezgi Uzun Ph.D. in Political Science, Sabancı University [email protected] Iran’s Foreign Policy in Iraq and Syria after 2011 vii Abstract While scholars of Iran’s foreign policy interpret the nuclear deal as a move towards pragmatism under the administration of Hassan Rouhani, the strong ideological contours of Iran’s simultaneous political and military engagement with Shia political movements in the Middle East is relatively underscored. This study thus seeks to examine the Axis of Resistance – a dense Iran-led alliance network of state and non- state actors covering a wide range of Shia mobilization activities across the Middle East. The study first maps out Iran’s foreign policy discourses addressing the political transformations in the Middle East at three critical junctures: the Iraq War of 2003, the Syrian civil war of 2011, and the rise of ISIL in 2014. This is followed by an analysis of how these discourses are translated into policy strategies, with a focus on Iranian support for Shia militias across Iraq and Syria and the development of popular mobilization units like Hashd al-Shaabi. The study shows that the discursive and organizational institutionalization of ‘religion’ in foreign policy has the capacity to reshape the existing military orders and to challenge power balances across the Middle East. This research is based on two field trips conducted in Tehran in the summers of 2015 and 2016, as well as data retrieved from Persian news sources and Iranian policy elites’ official websites.
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Download Full Report
    How Iran exports its ideology “We shall export our revolution to the whole world. Until the cry ‘there is no god but God’ resounds over the whole world, there will be struggle.” – Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini December 2020 Table of Contents About the Author .................................................................................................................................... 4 Introduction ............................................................................................................................................ 4 Profiles of Institutions Spreading Iran’s Revolution Abroad ................................................................... 6 Universities ..............................................................................................................................6 Al-Mustafa International University ................................................................................................. 6 Islamic Azad University .................................................................................................................... 8 Charitable Organizations ........................................................................................................ 10 Imam Khomeini Relief Committee .................................................................................................. 10 Ahlul Bayt World Assembly ............................................................................................................ 12 Iran’s Media Empire ..............................................................................................................
    [Show full text]
  • See Full Document
    United Nations A/HRC/28/70 General Assembly Distr.: General 28 May 2015 Original: English Human Rights Council Twenty-eighth session Agenda item 4 Human rights situations that require the Council’s attention Report of the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the Islamic Republic of Iran, Ahmed Shaheed* ** Summary In the present report, submitted to the Human Rights Council pursuant to Council resolution 25/24, the Special Rapporteur highlights developments in the situation of human rights in the Islamic Republic of Iran since his fourth interim report, submitted to the General Assembly in October 2013 (A/68/503). He also examines ongoing concerns and emerging developments in the State’s human rights situation. Although the report is not exhaustive, it provides a picture of the prevailing situation as observed in the reports submitted to and examined by the Special Rapporteur. In particular, the Special Rapporteur analyses those reports in the light of the recommendations included in the report on the State’s second universal periodic review, the adoption of which is forthcoming. * Late submission. ** The annexes to the present report are circulated as received, in the language of submission only. GE.15-10586 (E) A/HRC/28/70 Contents Paragraphs Page I. Introduction ............................................................................................................. 1–5 3 II. Methodology ........................................................................................................... 6–7 4 III. Cooperation
    [Show full text]
  • KHERAD-DISSERTATION-2013.Pdf
    Copyright by Nastaran Narges Kherad 2013 The Dissertation Committee for Nastaran Narges Kherad Certifies that this is the approved version of the following dissertation: RE-EXAMINING THE WORKS OF AHMAD MAHMUD: A FICTIONAL DEPICTION OF THE IRANIAN NATION IN THE SECOND HALF OF THE 20TH CENTURY Committee: M.R. Ghanoonparvar, Supervisor Kamran Aghaie Kristen Brustad Elizabeth Richmond-Garza Faegheh Shirazi RE-EXAMINING THE WORKS OF AHMAD MAHMUD: A FICTIONAL DEPICTION OF THE IRANIAN NATION IN THE SECOND HALF OF THE 20TH CENTURY by Nastaran Narges Kherad, B.A.; M.A. Dissertation Presented to the Faculty of the Graduate School of The University of Texas at Austin in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy The University of Texas at Austin May 2013 Dedication Dedicated to my son, Manai Kherad-Aminpour, the joy of my life. May you grow with a passion for literature and poetry! And may you face life with an adventurous spirit and understanding of the diversity and complexity of humankind! Acknowledgements The completion of this dissertation could not have been possible without the ongoing support of my committee members. First and for most, I am grateful to Professor Ghanoonparvar, who believed in this project from the very beginning and encouraged me at every step of the way. I thank him for giving his time so generously whenever I needed and for reading, editing, and commenting on this dissertation, and also for sharing his tremendous knowledge of Persian literature. I am thankful to have the pleasure of knowing and working with Professor Kamaran Aghaei, whose seminars on religion I cherished the most.
    [Show full text]
  • Iran's Networks of Influence in the Middle East
    an strategic dossier IRAN’S NETWORKS OF INFLUENCE IN THE MIDDLE EAST published by The International Institute for Strategic Studies ARUNDEL HOUSE | 6 TEMPLE PLACE | LONDON | WC2R 2PG | UK 1 an strategic dossier IRAN’S NETWORKS OF INFLUENCE IN THE MIDDLE EAST The International Institute for Strategic Studies ARUNDEL HOUSE | 6 TEMPLE PLACE | LONDON | WC2R 2PG | UK DIRECTOR-GENERAL AND CHIEF EXECUTIVE Dr John Chipman This publication has been prepared by the Director-General and Chief Executive of the Institute and his staff. It incorporates commissioned contributions from recognised subject experts, which were reviewed by a range of experts in the field. The IISS would like to thank the various individuals who contributed their expertise to the compilation of this dossier. The responsibility for the contents is ours alone. The views expressed herein do not, and indeed cannot, represent a consensus of views among the worldwide membership of the Institute as a whole. First published November 2019 by the International Institute for Strategic Studies. © 2019 The International Institute for Strategic Studies cover images: Top: Background: A Lebanese Hizbullah fighter near Arsal, Lebanon, 26 July 2017 (Anwar Amro/AFP/ Getty Images); main images, top–bottom: Popular Mobilisation Units fighters launch missiles targeting the village of Salmani, south of Mosul, in Iraq’s Nineva province, 30 October 2016 (Ahmad Al-Rubaye/AFP/Getty Images); Major- General Qasem Soleimani, commander of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) attends a meeting between Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei (not pictured) and the IRGC in Tehran, 18 September 2016 (by Pool/Press Office of Iranian Supreme Leader/Anadolu Agency/Getty Images); Pro-government forces at a funeral ceremony at the Sayyida Zainab mosque in Damascus, Syria, 26 April 2017 (Louai Beshara/AFP/Getty Images) Printed and bound in the UK by Hobbs the Printers Ltd.
    [Show full text]
  • The Long Month of January: Intensification of Conflicts Between Different Projects in Iran and the Rise of the Global Confederation of Iranian Students (GCIS)
    Shiva Tabari February 2020 The Long month of January: intensification of conflicts between different projects in Iran and the Rise of the Global Confederation of Iranian Students (GCIS) There are moments in history, due to a myriad of events, shifts in the (e)motion of people, and simultaneity of social movements, that participants have a strange feeling of intensification of time. Any day endures as much as a week, every week appears as a month or so. It is unbelievable for people that this amount of change and events have happened only during a week or so. This amount of conflict and clash of ideas, bodies, projects should happen in several years or maybe more. Hence, if people in (so-called) Western countries like Australia, which have a relatively stable country, want to understand the everyday life of Iranians in January 2020 and learn from our experience, they have, first of all, to imagine themselves in a situation that all of the sad news they hear during some years, all of anger they feel due to misbehavior of their ruling class, all of their nightmares about another world war and losing their normal life, all their hopes and hopelessness, and also all of the social/political activities which they do during many years (demonstration, strike, signing a petition etc.), have been compacted and concentrated in a single month. I call it intensification of history. Possibly, an element of a revolutionary situation. I am sure that Iranian people had the same feeling during the September of 1941 when both the Allies and the Soviet Union invaded Iran, occupied Tehran and forcibly abdicated Reza Pahlavi and assigned his son (Mohammadreza), a puppet, as the King.
    [Show full text]
  • Shiism and Martyrdom: a Study of Istishhadi Phenomenon in Iran During the Iran-Iraq War, 1980-1988
    SHIISM AND MARTYRDOM: A STUDY OF ISTISHHADI PHENOMENON IN IRAN DURING THE IRAN-IRAQ WAR, 1980-1988 MEHDI SOLTANZADEH DEPARTMENT OF HISTORY FACULTY OF ARTS AND SOCIAL SCIENCES UNIVERSITY OF MALAYA KUALA LUMPUR 2013 UNIVERSITI MALAYA ORIGINAL LITERARY WORK DECLARATION Name of Candidate: Mehdi Soltanzadeh (I.C/Passport No: R19245432) Registration/Matric No: AHA060041 Name of Degree: Masters in Education Title of Project Paper/ Research Report/ Dissertation/ Thesis ("this Work"): Shiism and Martyrdom: A Study of Istishhadi Phenomenon in Iran During The Iran-Iraq War, 1980-1988 I do solemnly and sincerely declare that: (1) I am the sole author/write of this Work; (2) This Work is original; (3) Any use of any work in which copyright exists was done by the way of fair dealing and for permitted purpose and any excerpt or extract from, or reference to or reproduction of any copyright work has been disclosed expressly and sufficiently and the title of the Work and its authorship have been acknowledged in this Work; (4) I do not have any actual knowledge nor do I ought reasonably to know that the making of this work constitutes an infringement of any copyright work; (5) I hereby assign all and every rights in the copyright to this Work to the University of Malaya ("UM"), who henceforth shall be owner of the copyright in this Work and that any reproduction or use in any form or by any means whatsoever is prohibited without the written consent of UM having been first had and obtained; (6) I am fully aware that if in the course of making this Work I have infringed any copyright whether intentionally or otherwise, I may be subject to legal action or any other action as may be determined by UM.
    [Show full text]
  • Iran's Ideological Expansion
    Iran’s Ideological Expansion “We shall export our revolution to the whole world. Until the cry ‘there is no god but God’ resounds over the whole world, there will be struggle.” – Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini June 2018 Table of Contents About the Author ......................................................................................................................................... 4 Introduction .................................................................................................................................................. 4 Profiles of Institutions Spreading Iran’s Revolution Abroad ...................................................................... 6 Universities .............................................................................................................................................. 6 Al-Mustafa International University ..................................................................................................... 6 Islamic Azad University ......................................................................................................................... 8 Charitable Organizations ..................................................................................................................... 10 Imam Khomeini Relief Committee ...................................................................................................... 11 Ahlul Bayt World Assembly ................................................................................................................. 13 Iran’s
    [Show full text]
  • Iranian Militias in Iraq's Parliament: Political Outcomes and US Response
    MENU Policy Analysis / PolicyWatch 2979 Iranian Militias in Iraq's Parliament: Political Outcomes and U.S. Response by Phillip Smyth Jun 11, 2018 Also available in Arabic / Farsi ABOUT THE AUTHORS Phillip Smyth Phillip Smyth was a Soref Fellow at The Washington Institute from 2018-2021. Brief Analysis As Washington mulls sanctions on Asaib Ahl al-Haq and similar groups, it should mind the volatility of Baghdad’s near-term political situation and the questionable efficacy of ‘wing’ distinctions. mong the winners in Iraq’s May 12 parliamentary elections was Asaib Ahl al-Haq (AAH), the fastest-rising A faction in a powerful coalition of Iranian-allied Iraqi parties. In the days that followed, U.S. legislators passed an amended defense authorization bill that paved the way for the Treasury Department to impose heavy financial sanctions on the group and other accused Iranian proxies. Although this is the right step, any sanctions need to be carefully crafted and timed to avoid an anti-American backlash during Iraq’s already-chaotic government formation process. BREAKDOWN OF IRAN’S COALITION A AH is part of the Fatah (Conquest) Alliance, a coalition that won between forty and forty-seven seats last month, enough for second place among all contenders (pending the outcome of Iraq’s planned recount). AAH won at least thirteen of these seats, and perhaps as many as fifteen, or nearly 30 percent of the alliance’s total. Fatah is led by Hadi al-Ameri of the Badr Organization, arguably the oldest, largest, and most important of the Iraqi Shia groups ideologically, politically, and religiously subservient to Iran.
    [Show full text]
  • IRIS:KAS Report
    The Failure of Reconstruction in Mosul: Root Causes from 2003 to the Post-ISIS Period Zmkan Ali Saleem & Mac Skelton IRIS Policy Report 0 (Modified Reprint) The Failure of Reconstruction in Mosul: Root Causes from 2003 to the Post-ISIS Period **This reprint (released June 10, 2020) is a modified and updated excerpt of an October 2019 IRIS/KAS publication entitled “Mosul and Basra after the Protests: The Roots of Government Failure and Popular Discontent.”** The Institute of Regional and International Studies (IRIS) is a policy research center based at the American University of Iraq, Sulaimani (AUIS). Through multidisciplinary research, training programs, and policy forums, IRIS addresses the most complex issues facing Iraq and the Middle East. The Institute is funded through grants from donor institutions and countries. Recently IRIS has partnered with the United Nations Assistance Mission in Iraq, London School of Economics, the Konrad Adenauer Stiftung, & Chatham House on a variety of programs and research projects. The Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung (KAS) is a German political foundation whose civic education programs aim at promoting freedom and liberty, peace and justice. The KAS ` Syria/Iraq Office deals with the political and social situation in both countries, questions regarding the stability of the region, the refugee situation and security implications sdfgsdfg arising from the Syrian civil war and the emergence of the Islamic State. In addition to strengthening political dialogue within the region and between Europe and the Middle East, KAS work focuses on reconciliation and civil society support, good governance and rule of law, as well as research and analysis.
    [Show full text]
  • Yazdi, Iranian Foreign Minister Turned Dissident, Stood up for His Ideals
    September 17, 2017 15 News & Analysis Iran Obituary Yazdi, Iranian foreign minister turned dissident, stood up for his ideals Gareth Smyth As an activist outside Iran for 20 tinue the politics of Mohammed years before the revolution, Yazdi Mossadegh, the prime minister knew leading Iranian opposition ousted in 1953 by a US- and British- London figures such as philosopher Ali Sha- backed military coup after he na- riati and Mostafa Chamran, later tionalised Iran’s oil. hortly after the 1979 Irani- defence minister, before he became Like Mossadegh, Yazdi regard- an Revolution toppled the spokesman for Khomeini when he ed Washington’s role in 1953 as a shah of Iran, Syrian For- left Iraq in 1978 for a new base in departure from the principles on eign Minister Abdul Halim Neauphle-le-Château, just outside which the United States was found- Khaddam visited Tehran Paris. When the army refused to ed. Yazdi had emigrated to America Sand presented Iran’s new foreign quell demonstrations in Iran and in 1960, became a US citizen and minister, Ebrahim Yazdi, with a the shah fled, Yazdi returned home for much of the 1970s was a medi- pistol. Startled by the gift — and with Khomeini but would last less cal doctor in Houston. His approach perhaps by the Ba’athist mindset it than a year as revolutionary Iran’s was far more nuanced than slogans revealed — Yazdi placed it in a cup- first foreign minister. such as “Death to America” and he board and forgot about it. looked forward to a day when Teh- Years later, when Yazdi was a ran and Washington could enjoy re- leading dissident, security police lations based on respect.
    [Show full text]
  • Hayat Tahrir Al-Sham", Perspectives Onterrorism, Vol 6, No 11 (2017)
    Konrad English book 5.qxd 6/29/2018 10:22 AM Page 1 From Jabhat al-Nusra to Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham: Evolution, Approach and Future Aymen Jawad al-Tamimi Konrad English book 5.qxd 6/29/2018 10:22 AM Page 2 Konrad English book 5.qxd 6/29/2018 10:22 AM Page 3 Abstract: This paper focuses on the history and evolution of the group Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham, beginning from its formation as the al-Qaeda affiliate Jabhat al-Nusra, to Jabhat Fatah al- Sham and, finally, the present form of Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham. Based on testimonies from high-ranking operatives, the article discusses the complex relationship of Jabhat al-Nusra, Jabhat Fatah al-Sham and Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham to al-Qaeda during the transformation and rebranding process. In addition, the paper examines how Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham operates on the ground, including relations with other factions and the approach adopted towards governance. Finally, the paper sheds light on the current state and future of Hay'at Tahrir al- Sham in the Syrian insurgency. Despite Hay'at Tahrir al- Sham's pre-eminent position in the remaining insurgent-held territories, the success and future viability of this project are highly questionable, particularly in light of its commitment to form a unified front for the insurgency and to push for a polit- ical revolution inside Syria. Konrad English book 5.qxd 6/29/2018 10:22 AM Page 4 N.B.: The content of this publication does not necessarily reflect the official opin- ion of the Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung or the Al-Nahrain Center for Strategic Studies opinion.
    [Show full text]
  • IMG/Pdf/Jeffrey White If War Comes.Pdf> [Accessed 12 April 2012]
    This work is protected by copyright and other intellectual property rights and duplication or sale of all or part is not permitted, except that material may be duplicated by you for research, private study, criticism/review or educational purposes. Electronic or print copies are for your own personal, non- commercial use and shall not be passed to any other individual. No quotation may be published without proper acknowledgement. For any other use, or to quote extensively from the work, permission must be obtained from the copyright holder/s. An Exploration of the Security Dilemma in the Middle East: The Impact of the Transformative Power of Iran’s Foreign Policy ABDULLAH S F AL-MARZOUQ A thesis submitted in accordance with the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy Keele University School of Politics, International Relations and Philosophy October 2016 In the Name of Allah, the Magnificent, the Merciful DEDICATION To those who taught me the true meaning of love, patience and sacrifice: My parents; Sultan and Ruqayyah (of blessed memory) with deepest gratitude and eternal love to all my teachers, colleagues and friends throughout this journey of knowledge also dedicated to anyone interested in the subject. ii ACKNOWLEDGMENTS The thesis is the result of several years of hard and intensive work on examining foreign policy, regional and global security systems. First and foremost, I would like to express my gratitude and sincere thanks to my supervisor Professor Bulent Gokay, for his heartfelt encouragement, thoughtful guidance and unstinting support during the course of my studies at Keele University. I am very fortunate to have been given the opportunity to study under such a brilliant scholar who has made an unforgettable imprint on my academic development.
    [Show full text]