Volume 12, No. 2 - June 2008, Total Circulation 25,000 Article 7 of 7 THE LEBANESE CIVIL WAR Tony Badran* Lebanon’s civil war was a complex, multisided battle whose implications still shape the country’s politics today. This article analyzes the forces involved domestically and the course of the war, drawing lessons that apply to the contemporary situation in Lebanon. Lebanon’s civil … [Read more...]
The Iran-Syria Alliance: The Economic Dimension
By June 6, 2020
Volume 12, No. 2 - June 2008, Total Circulation 25,000 Article 6 of 7 THE IRAN-SYRIA ALLIANCE: THE ECONOMIC DIMENSION Nimrod Raphaeli and Bianca Gersten* An examination of Syrian-Iranian economic relations reveals that, beyond their propaganda value, these relations are of small benefit to Syria and of negligible benefit to Iran. The alliance between the two countries is driven first and foremost by … [Read more...]
Japan’s Gulf Policy and Response to the Iraq War
By June 5, 2020
Volume 12, No. 2 - June 2008, Total Circulation 25,000 Article 5 of 7 JAPAN'S GULF POLICY AND RESPONSE TO THE IRAQ WAR Shirzad Azad* This article suggests that Japan's staunch support for the United States over the course of the Iraq War was substantially influenced by its foreign policy toward the Persian Gulf region in general and Saddam's Iraq in particular after the 1990-1991 crisis, as well as by … [Read more...]
Iran’s 2008 Parliamentary Elections: A Triumph of the System
By June 4, 2020
Over 24 million voters participated in the elections for the eighth Iranian parliament (Majlis), on March 14, 2008. Since the Islamic Revolution (1979), the Majlis has been one of the major pillars in Iranian politics. Under Iran's system of clerical rule, ultimate power lies not with the Majlis or even the president, but with Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamene'i. While the Majlis has little influence on strategic policy making in Iran--especially with regard to foreign policy--it still … [Read more...]
Saudi Arabia’s Agricultural Project: From Dust to Dust
By June 3, 2020
Volume 12, No. 2 - June 2008, Total Circulation 25,000 Article 3 of 7 SAUDI ARABIA'S AGRICULTURAL PROJECT: FROM DUST TO DUST Elie Elhadj* Arid conditions have always prevented the development of any sizeable settled agricultural communities in the Arabian Desert. This article examines the events that led to and the lessons that may be drawn from a failed, politically determined economic and ecological … [Read more...]
Iraq’s Future: The War and Beyond
By June 2, 2020
Volume 12, No. 2 - June 2008, Total Circulation 25,000 Article 2 of 7 IRAQ'S FUTURE: THE WAR AND BEYOND Panel Discussion* On March 27, 2008, the U.S. Department of State's International Information Programs in Washington D.C., the Public Affairs Office at the U.S. Embassy in Israel, and the Global Research in International Affairs (GLORIA) Center jointly held an international videoconference seminar … [Read more...]
Islamist Political Activism in Jordan: Moderation, Militancy, and Democracy
By June 1, 2020
Volume 12, No. 2 - June 2008, Total Circulation 25,000 Article 1 of 7 ISLAMIST POLITICAL ACTIVISM IN JORDAN: MODERATION, MILITANCY, AND DEMOCRACY Curtis R. Ryan* While democracy has proven to be a fragile and elusive form of politics in the modern Arab world, Islamist movements have flourished--ranging from grass-roots pro-democracy activism to militant jihadism and terrorism. Whether Arab politics witnesses more … [Read more...]
