Product Description: The repurcussions of the "Syrian crisis" of 1957, a covert attempt by the Eisenhower administration to overthrow what it perceived to be an emerging Soviet client state, almost precipitated a superpower confrontation and made obvious the pitfalls of a Middle East policy focused on the "Soviet threat"...read more

The important relationship between the United States and the Middle East has historically been examined from a one-dimensional perspective. This volume brings together noted scholars and diplomats from the Middle East, North America, and Europe to provide a comprehensive multidimensional and cross-cultural reassessment of American policy toward the region in the twentieth century, from the King-Crane Commission following World War I through the current Israeli-PLO peace accords.The book begins by examining the evolution of the U.S. role in the Middle East, from untested international actor to Cold War participant in the 1950s. The discussions explore how the perceived idealism of the Wilsonian approach gave way to economic diplomacy following World War II, which in turn was replaced by a more goal-oriented foreign policy commensurate with the onset of the Cold War. The second section analyzes the varied roles of the United States in the “peace process” in the aftermath of the 1967 Arab-Israeli War and discusses each role in relation to specific events and relationships that characterized the process.Contributors then turn to the 1990-1991 Gulf War, which helped bring about a new regional configuration and created an enhanced role for the United States. The final section offers a retrospective look at the Cold War era in the Middle East and at the new challenges and opportunities that lie ahead for American foreign policy. Among these are the transformation of the relationship between the United States and the Soviet Union/Russia, the effects of socioeconomic distress on many Arab states, and the corresponding rise of Islamist movements, which many view as inimical to U.S. foreign policy objectives.

Product Description: repercussions of the events of 1979 down to the present day. (view table of contents, read Amazon.com's description)

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Product Description: Whether filtered through the news, the film industry, or the classroom, the Arab-Israeli conflict has become a pervasive--and often misinterpreted--subject on our contemporary cultural landscape. In this compelling text, David W. Lesch, a widely respected scholar and commentator on modern Middle Eastern politics, presents the most balanced and accessible account of the conflict to date...read more