The 1967 Oil Embargo, the Arab Cold War, and the Creation of OAPEC Aaron Shaum [email protected]
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Rediscovering the Arab Dimension of Middle East Regional Politics
Review of International Studies page 1 of 22 2011 British International Studies Association doi:10.1017/S0260210511000283 The New Arab Cold War: rediscovering the Arab dimension of Middle East regional politics MORTEN VALBJØRN AND ANDRÉ BANK* Abstract. This article provides a conceptual lens for and a thick interpretation of the emergent regional constellation in the Middle East in the first decade of the 21st century. It starts out by challenging two prevalent claims about regional politics in the context of the 2006 Lebanon and 2008–09 Gaza Wars: Firstly, that regional politics is marked by a fundamental break from the ‘old Middle East’ and secondly, that it has become ‘post-Arab’ in the sense that Arab politics has ceased being distinctly Arab. Against this background, the article develops the understanding of a New Arab Cold War which accentuates the still important, but widely neglected Arab dimension in regional politics. By rediscovering the Arab Cold War of the 1950–60s and by drawing attention to the transformation of Arab nationalism and the importance of new trans-Arab media, the New Arab Cold War perspective aims at supplementing rather that supplanting the prominent moderate-radical, sectarian and Realist-Westphalian narratives. By highlighting dimensions of both continuity and change it does moreover provide some critical nuances to the frequent claims about the ‘newness’ of the ‘New Middle East’. In addition to this more Middle East-specific contribution, the article carries lessons for a number of more general debates in International Relations theory concerning the importance of (Arab-Islamist) non-state actors and competing identities in regional politics as well as the interplay between different forms of sovereignty. -
The Question of 'Race' in the Pre-Colonial Southern Sahara
The Question of ‘Race’ in the Pre-colonial Southern Sahara BRUCE S. HALL One of the principle issues that divide people in the southern margins of the Sahara Desert is the issue of ‘race.’ Each of the countries that share this region, from Mauritania to Sudan, has experienced civil violence with racial overtones since achieving independence from colonial rule in the 1950s and 1960s. Today’s crisis in Western Sudan is only the latest example. However, very little academic attention has been paid to the issue of ‘race’ in the region, in large part because southern Saharan racial discourses do not correspond directly to the idea of ‘race’ in the West. For the outsider, local racial distinctions are often difficult to discern because somatic difference is not the only, and certainly not the most important, basis for racial identities. In this article, I focus on the development of pre-colonial ideas about ‘race’ in the Hodh, Azawad, and Niger Bend, which today are in Northern Mali and Western Mauritania. The article examines the evolving relationship between North and West Africans along this Sahelian borderland using the writings of Arab travellers, local chroniclers, as well as several specific documents that address the issue of the legitimacy of enslavement of different West African groups. Using primarily the Arabic writings of the Kunta, a politically ascendant Arab group in the area, the paper explores the extent to which discourses of ‘race’ served growing nomadic power. My argument is that during the nineteenth century, honorable lineages and genealogies came to play an increasingly important role as ideological buttresses to struggles for power amongst nomadic groups and in legitimising domination over sedentary communities. -
Soft Power and Cross-Border Mobility in the Middle East
IPS0010.1177/0192512118759902International Political Science ReviewTsourapas 759902research-article2018 Article International Political Science Review 2018, Vol. 39(3) 400 –416 Authoritarian emigration states: © The Author(s) 2018 Reprints and permissions: Soft power and cross-border sagepub.co.uk/journalsPermissions.nav https://doi.org/10.1177/0192512118759902DOI: 10.1177/0192512118759902 mobility in the Middle East journals.sagepub.com/home/ips Gerasimos Tsourapas University of Birmingham, UK Abstract Can labor emigration form part of a state’s foreign policy goals? The relevant literature links emigration to states’ developmental needs, which does not explain why some states choose to economically subsidize their citizens’ emigration. This article explores for the first time the soft power importance of high-skilled emigration from authoritarian emigration states. It finds that the Egyptian state under Gamal Abdel Nasser employed labor emigration for two distinct purposes linked to broader soft power interests: first, as an instrument of cultural diplomacy to spread revolutionary ideals of Arab unity and anti-imperialism across the Middle East; second, as a tool for disseminating development aid, particularly in Yemen and sub-Saharan Africa. Drawing on Arabic and non-Arabic primary sources, the article identifies the interplay between foreign policy and cross-border mobility, while also sketching an evolving research agenda on authoritarian emigration states’ policy-making. Keywords Soft power, diasporas, Egypt, Middle East, authoritarianism, migration, case study, Arab–Israeli conflict Introduction Can labor emigration serve a state’s foreign policy goals? In particular, how do authoritarian states use labor emigration in their foreign policy-making? The emerging academic literature on the poli- tics of international migration has yet to fully explore this phenomenon as a separate field of inquiry. -
The Making of a Leftist Milieu: Anti-Colonialism, Anti-Fascism, and the Political Engagement of Intellectuals in Mandate Lebanon, 1920- 1948
THE MAKING OF A LEFTIST MILIEU: ANTI-COLONIALISM, ANTI-FASCISM, AND THE POLITICAL ENGAGEMENT OF INTELLECTUALS IN MANDATE LEBANON, 1920- 1948. A dissertation presented By Sana Tannoury Karam to The Department of History In partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy In the field of History Northeastern University Boston, Massachusetts December 2017 1 THE MAKING OF A LEFTIST MILIEU: ANTI-COLONIALISM, ANTI-FASCISM, AND THE POLITICAL ENGAGEMENT OF INTELLECTUALS IN MANDATE LEBANON, 1920- 1948. A dissertation presented By Sana Tannoury Karam ABSTRACT OF DISSERTATION Submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in History in the College of Social Sciences and Humanities of Northeastern University December 2017 2 This dissertation is an intellectual and cultural history of an invisible generation of leftists that were active in Lebanon, and more generally in the Levant, between the years 1920 and 1948. It chronicles the foundation and development of this intellectual milieu within the political Left, and how intellectuals interpreted leftist principles and struggled to maintain a fluid, ideologically non-rigid space, in which they incorporated an array of ideas and affinities, and formulated their own distinct worldviews. More broadly, this study is concerned with how intellectuals in the post-World War One period engaged with the political sphere and negotiated their presence within new structures of power. It explains the social, political, as well as personal contexts that prompted intellectuals embrace certain ideas. Using periodicals, personal papers, memoirs, and collections of primary material produced by this milieu, this dissertation argues that leftist intellectuals pushed to politicize the role and figure of the ‘intellectual’. -
Egypt in Transition the Third Republic
Egypt in Transition The Third Republic BY M. CHERIF BASSIOUNI n January 25, 2011, the Egyptian people took to the streets and in 18 days were able to bring down the 30-year corrupt dictatorial regime of Hosni Mubarak, using entirely Opeaceful means. That revolution set the Arab Republic of Egypt on a hopeful path to democracy. After Mubarak resigned, the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces (SCAF) became the custodian of the transition. In June of 2012, in Egypt’s first free and fair presidential election, Muslim Brotherhood candidate Mohammed Morsi was elected President. Slightly more than 50 percent of registered voters actually voted, and those voters gave Morsi a majority of just less than 52 percent. Having won by this slim margin, Morsi was sworn in as President on June 30, 2012, and thus the Second Republic came to be.1 He was removed by the military on July 3, 2013 and a temporary President, Adly Mansour, was appointed on July 4, 2013. Thus began the Third Republic. The Second Republic Five months later, Morsi declared his decisions beyond judicial review, and thus his authority unchallengeable. In December, 2012, he pushed a pro-Islamist constitution through a popular referendum; it passed but with less than 30 percent of the popular vote. There was no constitu- tional way to recall, impeach, or remove Morsi. The path to democracy was taking a turn towards theocratic autocracy. The serving People’s Assembly (Majliss al-Sha‘ab) had been elected under a law later declared unconstitutional. Over 60 percent of the members of the new parliament were Muslim Brotherhood (MB) and Salafists. -
From Cold War to Civil War: 75 Years of Russian-Syrian Relations — Aron Lund
7/2019 From Cold War to Civil War: 75 Years of Russian-Syrian Relations — Aron Lund PUBLISHED BY THE SWEDISH INSTITUTE OF INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS | UI.SE Abstract The Russian-Syrian relationship turns 75 in 2019. The Soviet Union had already emerged as Syria’s main military backer in the 1950s, well before the Baath Party coup of 1963, and it maintained a close if sometimes tense partnership with President Hafez al-Assad (1970–2000). However, ties loosened fast once the Cold War ended. It was only when both Moscow and Damascus separately began to drift back into conflict with the United States in the mid-00s that the relationship was revived. Since the start of the Syrian civil war in 2011, Russia has stood by Bashar al-Assad’s embattled regime against a host of foreign and domestic enemies, most notably through its aerial intervention of 2015. Buoyed by Russian and Iranian support, the Syrian president and his supporters now control most of the population and all the major cities, although the government struggles to keep afloat economically. About one-third of the country remains under the control of Turkish-backed Sunni factions or US-backed Kurds, but deals imposed by external actors, chief among them Russia, prevent either side from moving against the other. Unless or until the foreign actors pull out, Syria is likely to remain as a half-active, half-frozen conflict, with Russia operating as the chief arbiter of its internal tensions – or trying to. This report is a companion piece to UI Paper 2/2019, Russia in the Middle East, which looks at Russia’s involvement with the Middle East more generally and discusses the regional impact of the Syria intervention.1 The present paper seeks to focus on the Russian-Syrian relationship itself through a largely chronological description of its evolution up to the present day, with additional thematically organised material on Russia’s current role in Syria. -
Histories of Humanitarian Action in the Middle East and North Africa
HPG Working Paper Histories of humanitarian action in the Middle East and North Africa Edited by Eleanor Davey and Eva Svoboda September 2014 HPG Humanitarian Policy Group Acknowledgements The editors would like to thank all those who contributed to this publication and to the conference that its papers are drawn from. First and foremost, thanks are due to the speakers and authors – all those included in this collection, as well as Elcin Macar and Mohsen Ghafory-Ashtiani – whose expertise and enthusiasm have been fundamental. Anicée Van Engeland, Heba Morayef, Keith Watenpaugh and Moncef Kartas were members of the project steering committee and gave invaluable support and guidance for which HPG is very grateful. Background research was provided by Samir Naser and Tabitha Poulton. The conference would not have been possible without the support of the Arab Thought Forum (ATF) in Amman, in particular Dr Elsadig Elfaqih and Rana Arafat. It is also thanks to the ATF that the conference report was translated into Arabic. Scott Taylor’s help with regard to HRH Prince El Hassan Bin Talal’s speech was much appreciated. Last but not least, we would like to thank the scholars, practitioners and individuals who put the editors in touch with authors, and who provided valuable comments during the peer review process. Humanitarian Policy Group Overseas Development Institute 203 Blackfriars Road London SE1 8NJ United Kingdom Tel. +44 (0) 20 7922 0300 Fax. +44 (0) 20 7922 0399 E-mail: [email protected] Website: http://www.odi.org/hpg ISBN: 978 1 909464 86 5 © Overseas Development Institute, 2014 Readers are encouraged to quote or reproduce materials from this publication but, as copyright holders, ODI requests due acknowledgement and a copy of the publication. -
Mediation and Conflict Resolution in the Arab World: the Role of the Arab League
In: IFSH (ed.), OSCE Yearbook 2013, Baden-Baden 2014, pp. 299-310. Hesham Youssef Mediation and Conflict Resolution in the Arab World: The Role of the Arab League The Middle East has more than its fair share of global problems. In fact, the region sometimes seems to almost have a monopoly on major con- flicts, many of which have implications that go far beyond the region’s borders. Looking at the map of conflicts and crises in the Middle East can therefore be quite a frustrating experience. During the past three decades or so, the Arab World has suffered from two wars against Iraq (1991 and 2003), two wars against Gaza (2008- 2009 and 2012), two wars against Lebanon (1982 and 2006), prolonged intermittent political turmoil in Yemen, a civil war that led to the seces- sion of South Sudan in 2011, another civil war that started in 1991 and led to the failure of the state in Somalia, and a military coup in Mauritania (August 2008). Numerous countries in the region are currently facing daunting challenges of transition hopefully towards democracy and the rule of law. This started with the revolution in Tunisia (December 2010), then the Egyptian revolution (January 2011), which was followed by dramatic developments in Libya, Yemen, and Syria, with changes affect- ing the region and beyond. The objective of this article is to examine the role played by the Arab League in attempting to resolve or mediate a number of conflicts in the Arab world through addressing the following elements: - The legal provisions of the Arab League pertaining to mediation - The acceptance of a mediator by the parties concerned - How the Arab League has dealt with the perception of being biased - Addressing the wrong framing of a conflict - The time factor - Reaching and accepting compromises that conflict with the principles of the Arab League - The role of external powers - Reform of the Arab League and conflict resolution. -
UCLA Historical Journal
UCLA UCLA Historical Journal Title Strife Among Friends and Foes: The 1958 Anglo-American Military Interventions in the Middle East Permalink https://escholarship.org/uc/item/65h504r9 Journal UCLA Historical Journal, 17(0) ISSN 0276-864X Author Nadaner, Jeffrey M. Publication Date 1997 Peer reviewed eScholarship.org Powered by the California Digital Library University of California 82 UCLAHistoricalJournal Strife Among Friends and Foes: The 1958 Anglo-American Military Interventions in the Middle East Jeffrey M. Nadaner ^ m ^ wight D. Eisenhower found it much easier to stop the British, >* # J French and Israelis at Suez than to maintain a pro-Western order * -^ in the Middle East afterwards. In the two years following the Suez imbroglio, the Eisenhower administration determined that it was locked in a struggle for the Arab world with Egypt and its Soviet patron, and that the West was about to lose. Post- Suez tension came to a head on July 14, 1958, when the Hashemite monarchy of Iraq fell in a coup d'tat. Fearing the demise of other pro-Western regimes, Eisenhower sent the marines to Lebanon and agreed to the British dispatch of paratroopers to Jordan. The administration, however, lacked a coherent idea on how to use the troops or what to do next. Using recently declassified sources, this article shows that the elements comprising a strategy evolved only later, in the days and weeks ahead. The Eisenhower administration would, over the course of the 1958 crisis, attain a modestly deeper understanding than before of the forces ani- mating Middle Eastern politics. Equally significant, the administration would begin to prioritize among Western interests in the region and develop a more sophisticated approach than it had earlier of how best to secure them. -
Read Middle East Brief 140 (Pdf)
Crown Family Director Professor of the Practice in Politics Gary Samore Director for Research Charles (Corky) Goodman Professor The Great Thaw in Arab Domestic Politics of Middle East History Naghmeh Sohrabi David Siddhartha Patel Associate Director Kristina Cherniahivsky Associate Director for Research t has been a tumultuous decade in the Middle East since David Siddhartha Patel Ithe beginning of the Arab uprisings in 2010–2011. Bouts Myra and Robert Kraft Professor of Arab Politics of popular mobilization recur and echo across borders. Six Eva Bellin long-standing Arab rulers have fallen. Civil wars erupted Founding Director and continue in Libya, Syria, and Yemen. Regional and global Professor of Politics Shai Feldman powers jockey for influence, and, throughout the region, Henry J. Leir Professor of the states interfere in one another’s internal affairs. All this is Economics of the Middle East typically described as part of a regionwide revolutionary Nader Habibi hangover—the “post–Arab Spring period”—that will Renée and Lester Crown Professor of Modern Middle East Studies inevitably subside as the dust settles. Pascal Menoret This Brief argues that, on the contrary, the unrest of the past decade seems like Founding Senior Fellows Abdel Monem Said Aly an aberration only because, in several important ways, domestic political life Khalil Shikaki in Arab states was frozen from the late 1970s until the 2000s. It is that period Goldman Faculty Leave Fellow of authoritarian stability—when Arab leaders almost never fell—that was the Andrew March real anomaly. Before a huge increase in oil rents from 1973 to 1986 dramatically strengthened states and regimes, the domestic politics of the Arab Middle East Harold Grinspoon Junior Research Fellow Alex Boodrookas were just as tumultuous as they have been since 2011. -
Arab Cultural Awareness: 58 Factsheets
TRADOC DCSINT HANDBOOK NO. 2 ARAB CULTURAL AWARENESS: 58 FACTSHEETS OFFICE OF THE DEPUTY CHIEF OF STAFF FOR INTELLIGENCE US ARMY TRAINING AND DOCTRINE COMMAND FT. LEAVENWORTH, KANSAS JANUARY 2006 PURPOSE This handbook is designed to specifically provide the trainer a ‘hip pocket training’ resource. It is intended for informal squad or small group instruction. The goal is to provide soldiers with a basic overview of Arab culture. It must be emphasized that there is no “one” Arab culture or society. The Arab world is full of rich and diverse communities, groups and cultures. Differences exist not only among countries, but within countries as well. Caveat: It is impossible to talk about groups of people without generalizing. It then follows that it is hard to talk about the culture of a group without generalizing. This handbook attempts to be as accurate and specific as possible, but inevitably contains such generalizations. Treat these generalizations with caution and wariness. They do provide insight into a culture, but the accuracy and usefulness will depend on the context and specific circumstances. Comments or Suggestions: Please forward all comments, suggestions or questions to: ADCINT-Threats, 700 Scott Ave, Ft. Leavenworth, KS 66027 or email [email protected] or phone 913.684.7920/DSN 552-7920. ii WHERE IS THE ARAB WORLD? • The Arab world stretches from Morocco across Northern Africa to the Persian Gulf. The Arab world is more or less equal to the area known as the Middle East and North Africa (MENA). Although this excludes Somalia, Djibouti, and the Comoros Islands which are part of the Arab world. -
Nderbird Focus on the Americas an Assessment of the Grain Markets by 2 Thunderbird Alumni and Other Sources
THE nDERBIRD Focus on the Americas An assessment of the grain markets by 2 Thunderbird alumni and other sources. Special Report New York based group trains Mexico's 5 managers. Essay A Thunderbird Campus professor sees 6 German investments on the rise. News Items of interest on campus and in the 7 news. l.QuePasa? Alumni gatherings across the country and THE 8 THUnDERBIRD around the world. is the quarterly alumni publication of American Campus speakers Graduate School of International Management. Vistors to campus who have enhanced the 9 T -Bird experience. Profiles T -Birds volunteer in human resources 10 management. 11 Thunderbird Fund '79 Contacts Editor: Dawn Wardle-Corley Resource Person/Alumni Association Staff: Donna Cleland 12 roster. KeUyHodge Update Contributing Writers: Victoria Baird' 67 Class notes on T-Birds around the world. Theodore Troy '57 14 Professor Helmut Roessler Special Correspondent: Randi Steinberg Design: Pat Kenny Sincere thanks to: Steve Orr, '79, Tom Brennan, '79, Debasish Banerjee, '80, Professor Shoshana Tancer and Dr. Parry Dixon. Full cover: Harvesting wheat fields in Kansas. Courtesy of the Audiovisual Department of Farmland Industries, Inc. Center photographs: Left: Maturing wheat. Courtesy of the Audiovisual Department of Farmland Industries, Inc. Center: Crops from the Andes mountains in Peru which are believed to be ·the wild predecessors to the hybrid corn and potatoes we eat today. Photo by George B. Carver, '80. Right: North Dakota sunflowers. Photo by Mike Paulson. The theme for this issue of the Thunderbird Magazine is the Americas, both North and South. It is particularly fitting because as most of you know, American Graduate School of Interna tional Management started out 33 years ago as the American Institute of Foreign Trade and focused exclusively on Latin America.