Strategic Interests in the Middle East

Jack Covarrubias is Visiting Professor of Political Science, University of Southern Mississippi, USA. Tom Lansford is Assistant Dean for the College of Arts and Letters, and Associate Professor of Political Science, at the University of Southern Mississippi in Long Beach, Mississippi, USA.

• Contents: Preface; Section I Europe and the US in the Middle East: Britain and the Middle East: in pursuit of eternal interests, Mark Sedgwick; Old interests, new purpose: French foreign policy in the Middle East, Daniel W. Kuthy; Germany and the Middle East: the construction of moral interests, Jack Covarrubias and Chris White; US-Russian competition in the Middle East: convergences and divergences in foreign security policy, Mira Duric and Tom Lansford. Section II The Far East and the US in the Middle East: China's Middle East policy since the post-Mao reform, Chunlong Lu and Jie Chen; Japan between the United States and the Middle East, George Ehrhardt; At the crossroads of foreign policy decisions: India in the Middle East, Anna Rulska and David Jackson. Section III The Middle East and the US: The United States and Israel: the implications of alignment, Daniel J. Graeber; Realpolitik and religion: the twin sources of Saudi Arabia's foreign policy, Evan Campbell and Steve A. Yetiv; The centrality of Egypt to the future of the greater Middle East, B.J. Jordan and Robert J. Pauly Jr; Iran and the Middle East: the pursuit of security and legitimacy in the American age, Vaughn P. Shannon. Section IV International Organizations and the US in the Middle East: NATO and the Middle East: the road to greater engagement, Chris Zambelis and Eva Svobodová Sigmon; The United States and the Arab League, Jack Kalpakian; The United States and the United Nations: partnership for peace?, Tom Lansford; Index.

'...a cohesive and seamless collection of readings from an array of scholars that examines both historical and emerging conditions, policies, and actors in the region and comes highly recommended. Strategic Interests in the Middle East manages to succinctly identify, explore, and explain the interactions with, and reactions to, U.S. foreign policy in the region by a number of nations in Europe, Asia, and the Middle East, and does so in an engagingly well written, balanced effort. The book is an ideal supplemental text for courses in international relations, international security studies, and U.S. foreign policy, and is suitable for upper-division undergraduates and graduate students.' Robert P. Watson, Florida Atlantic University, USA '...this book is timely. In a single volume, the editors provide a valid, readable, and up-to-date account of actors that have shaped the Middle East inclusive of states with long-standing cultural, historic, and colonial ties to the Middle East as well as emerging economic and military powers. Woven throughout the work is the underlying theme of security interdependence and economic stability. The chapters offer sophisticated, and often nuanced, interpretations of the relationships of these essential actors with the region, yet the writing is approachable to the lay reader and academic alike.' Joshua G. Behr, Old Dominion University, USA 'Overall, a timely look and useful for those interested in international relations, international security studies and US foreign policy. Recommended.' Choice