Search Result

Srl

Item

ID: 077236

Iraq and the limitations of American foreign policy in the Midd / MacQueen, Benjamin; Simpson, Kumuda

MacQueen, Benjamin	Journal Article
	0 Rating(s) & 0 Review(s)

Publication

2007.

Summary/Abstract

The Bush administration has manoeuvred itself into an exquisite dilemma. Iraq is by all reasonable assessments a foreign policy calamity and perceptions of American power and legitimacy are at an all time low. All the options available to the US in dealing with the situation carry significant costs. For the US to extricate itself from Iraq it must engage with regimes that it claims it has an existential and intractable conflict with, such as Iran and Syria. This is a direct outcome of the failure of the Bush administration to acknowledge the realities of the situation in Iraq and the complexities involved in solving this crisis. It also highlights a much greater problem with current US foreign policy towards the Middle East, namely an ignorance of the interconnected nature of conflicts and tensions in the region. Approaching Iran and Syria regarding the Iraqi crisis would signal a positive shift away from the current values-driven unilateralism towards a more realistic and flexible policy to further US national interests.

Key Words

United States ; United States - Foreign Policy -Middle East ; Middle East - Foreign Policy - United States ; Foreign Policy

In Basket

Export

ID: 139218

United States and Saudi Arabia through the Arab Uprisings / Baxter, Kylie; Simpson, Kumuda

Simpson, Kumuda	Article
	0 Rating(s) & 0 Review(s)

Summary/Abstract

The Arab Uprisings continue to re-shape the political environment of the Middle East. As the epicentres of Egypt, Iraq and Syria draw the bulk of international attention, the impact of the last four years has been felt in more subtle ways, with a reconfiguring of alliances and relationships throughout the region. This article reviews the relationship between Saudi Arabia and the United States. There is a special focus on the challenges faced in the period of the Arab Uprisings from 2010 to 2014, with reference to the role of an ascendant Iran and the emergence of the Islamic State. Through an exploration of the three traditional pillars of the Saudi–US relationship; oil, geostrategic considerations and security, the article charts the current state of the alliance and explores the likely future trajectory of this lynchpin relationship in modern Middle Eastern affairs.

Key Words

Middle East ; Saudi Arabia ; Arab Spring ; Arab Uprisings ; Political Development ; International Relations – IR ;
United States – US ; Lynchpin Relationship

Links

'Full Text'

In Basket

Export