This book emphasizes the vital links between international politics and strategy and provides a comprehensive analysis of strategic interests of the major international actors in the Middle East. It contends that the policies of the superpowers toward the Middle East are fragmented and unproductive.

"U.S. policy toward the Middle East has relied heavily on military instruments of power and has focused on regional threats--particularly the Iranian threat--with the goal of keeping partners on "our side." These long-standing policies have largely fallen short of meeting core U.S. interests and adapting to new regional realities and strategic imperatives. RAND researchers offer an alternative framework, suggesting that the U.S. strategic priority must center on reducing regional conflict and the drivers of conflict. This revised strategic approach puts a greater focus on addressing conflict and socioeconomic challenges that are creating unsustainable pressures on the region's states and immense suffering among its people. Researchers analyze how the tools of U.S. policy--political, security, economic, diplomatic, and informational instruments--would need to adjust to more effectively address such challenges in ways that are mindful of limited resources at home. Researchers also examine how the United States deals with both partners and adversaries in and outside the region and consider how to better leverage policies to the benefit of U.S. interests and the region. The researchers recommend specific actions organized into the following three pillars: (1) shifting resources from the current heavy reliance on military tools to a more balanced approach that prioritizes economic investments, governance, diplomacy, and programs focused on people; (2) favoring a long-term time horizon to reduce regional conflict and support growth and development, even at the cost of short-term risks; and (3) working multilaterally with global and regional partners to address key challenges." -- from the publisher.

Examining globalization in the Middle East, this book provides a much needed assessment of the impact of globalization in the âe~greaterâe(tm) Middle East, including North Africa, in the context of the powerful geopolitical forces at work in shaping the region today. Written by a well-known authority in this area, this book demonstrates that, unlike in other regions, such as East Asia, geopolitics has been a critical factor in driving globalization in the Middle East. The author argues that whereas elsewhere globalisation has opened up the economy, society, culture and attitudes to the environment; in the Middle East it has had the opposite effect, with poor state formation, little interregional trade, foreign and interregional investment, and reassertion of traditional identities. This book explores the impact of globalization on the polities, economies and social environment of the greater Middle East, in the context of the regionâe(tm)s position as the central site of global geopolitical competition at the start of the twenty-first century.

"The volume edited by Mark Tessler addresses a set of critical issues confronting all social scientists whose field of inquiry is extra-American. . . . Tessler and his contributors succeed admirably in their goal." —American Historical Review How should scholars construct knowledge about politics, economics, and international relations in major world regions? According to the contributors to this lively volume, the conflicting approaches of regional specialists and discipline-oriented social scientists must be combined to provide a firm foundation for studying the contemporary politics of the Middle East. Contributors are Lisa Anderson, Anne Banda, Laurie A. Brand, Laura Zittrain Eisenberg, John P. Entelis, Clement M. Henry, Magda Kandil, Baghat Korany, Jodi Nachtwey, Augustus Richard Norton, and Mark Tessler.

As a cultural centre for Islamic interests across the world and as a focus point for increasing levels of economic and security interdependence, the Middle East remains a stage on which international politics will be played for the foreseeable future. This comprehensive study looks at the important international and regional actors and their interaction with, and reaction to, US foreign policy toward the region. The volume elucidates the trends in great power interest and interaction in the Middle East and studies the impact of the United States as the region's foremost military power. It highlights the changing nature of actors' relationships with the US and each other as their interests and policies evolve in response to changes in the region. Scholars, graduate and undergraduate students and the interested public will find this volume a useful guide and an ideal companion work for courses on the Middle East, US foreign policy and international security issues.

Is there a new development paradigm? This volume brings together a number of studies on the major issues of adjustment as they apply to countries of the Middle East and North Africa (MENA). The authors draw on economic, political and institutional theory in order to appraise and compare the development models, identify the determinants of sustained growth, apply the new development concepts to the case of MENA countries, and suggest viable options to reduce the political and social constraints to reform. Four sets of issues are vividly highlighted throughout the book: the issue of integration into the global economy and the speed with which foreign trade should be liberalized; the issue of divestiture and the merits of following various privatization strategies; the issue of state intervention in the context of liberalization and private sector orientation; and the issue of democratization and the political economy of reform. Contributors: Fikret Adaman, Nazih Ayubi, Driss Ben Ali, Amar Bhattacharya, Ha-Joon Chang, Byron Gangnes, Giacomo Luciani, Seiji Naya, Jeffrey B. Nugent, John M. Page, Jr., Raed Safadi, Mona Said, Khaled Sakr, Murat Sertel.