Vanishing West in the Middle East

Charles Thépaut is a visiting fellow at The Washington Institute for Near East Policy, and is a career diplomat who has worked on political issues across the Middle East and North Africa at the French Foreign Ministry, German Foreign Ministry, and European Commission. His book, Anatomy of the Arab World: From the Arab Spring to the American Pullback, was published (in French) in May 2020.

• Part I. U.S.-European Cooperation During the Unipolar Moment, 1990–2011Ch. 1. Imbalances, Capability Gaps, and the History of Burden SharingCh. 2. Transatlantic Policymaking in the Middle East, and the Lack of Space for CooperationCh. 3. The Frustrating Search for Shared Platforms to Advance Common InterestsPart II. The Arab Uprisings, U.S. Fatigue, and the Vanishing West, 2011–20Ch. 4. Obama-Era Rhetoric vs. RealityCh. 5. The Libya QuandaryCh. 6. Unfinished Defeat of the Islamic StateCh. 7. The JCPOA and Missed Opportunities to Pressure IranPart III. The Effects of a Fragmented Middle East on Transatlantic Cooperation Ch. 8. State Collapse, Resilience, and the Quest for DignityCh. 9. The Missing New Regional OrderCh. 10. Potential Impacts of the PandemicCh. 11. Regional Perceptions of the United States and EuropePart IV. Widening Gaps in the U.S.-European Approach Ch. 12. European Weakness, European Autonomy—and the European SouthCh. 13. The 2020 U.S. Vote and the Prospect of RecalibrationCh. 14. The State of Great Power CompetitionPart V. Reset: A New Chapter for the West in the Middle EastCh. 15. Transatlantic Partnership at a CrossroadsCh. 16. Avoiding the Temptation to Simply Restore Old DynamicsCh. 17. Europe as an Asset in Great Power PoliticsCh. 18. Priorities and Division of LaborCh. 19. Capabilities and Burden SharingCh. 20. Institutions and CoalitionsCh. 21. Toward a Greater Emphasis on Soft Power

After a decade over which the Middle East was profoundly shaken and transformed, over which US foreign policy toward this region went through various revisions, and over which the transatlantic bond risked serious erosion, this book offers serious answers to questions with a bearing on the future: Is there still one ‘West,’ at least in relation to an ‘East’? What remains of the strategic interest the Middle East represents for both America and Europe? Charles Thépaut’s unique position, as a French diplomat working on the Middle East from Washington DC, gives this work irreplaceable value.