Download or read book The Latest Developments in Saudi Arabia and Lebanon written by Subcommittee on Subcommittee on the Middle East and North Africa of the Committee on Foreign Affairs House of Representatives and published by Createspace Independent Publishing Platform. This book was released on 2018-02-26 with total page 80 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The first [issue] is stability in Lebanon. The capital of Lebanon, Beirut, was [once] known as the Paris of the Middle East. Tragically, a long civil war, sectarian strife, and proxy conflicts have changed its image. Lebanon remains an important country, though, and we should work to maintain the delicate power sharing that exists between Sunni Muslims, Shiite Muslims, and Maronite Christians, particular at a time when Lebanon has accepted more refugees per capita than any country in the world, due to the war in neighboring Syria. Iran has taken advantage of the chaos in Lebanon to exert its influence through its proxy, Shiite militia, Hezbollah. Over the past several years, Hezbollah has built up its military capacity and firmly entrenched itself in the Lebanese Government. In Hariri's resignation speech, he called Hezbollah the arm of Iran that has, "managed to impose a fait accompli in Lebanon using the force of its weapons." Hezbollah's capabilities now rival those of the national army, the Lebanese Armed Forces. A legitimate Lebanese Government cannot function effectively when it is in a constant power struggle to govern with a nonstate actor. Hezbollah is an Iranian-backed terrorist organization responsible for attacks around the globe and we should all be interested in marginalizing their influence. The second issue is Saudi stability. Our relationship with Saudi Arabia is vital to the Middle East as strategic partners who share common interests. But we have to be honest in assessing where those interests diverge. While the new crown prince has stated his commitment to reforms, progress on human rights has been slow and unacceptable practices against minority groups and women remain national policy. This administration's perceived carte blanche support for Saudi Arabia has empowered them to take additional steps like the public split from Qatar.
Download or read book Latest Developments in Saudi Arabia and Lebanon written by Elliott Abrams and published by . This book was released on 2022 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book The Latest Developments in Saudi Arabia and Lebanon written by United States. Congress. House. Committee on Foreign Affairs. Subcommittee on the Middle East and North Africa and published by . This book was released on 2018 with total page 75 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book Saudi Arabia in the New Middle East written by F Gregory Gause, III and published by Council on Foreign Relations. This book was released on 2014-05-14 with total page 64 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The United States'' relationship with Saudi Arabia has been one of the cornerstones of U.S. policy in the Middle East for decades. Despite their substantial differences in history, culture, and governance, the two countries have generally agreed on important political and economic issues and have often relied on each other to secure mutual aims. The 1990-91 Gulf War is perhaps the most obvious example, but their ongoing cooperation on maintaining regional stability, moderating the global oil market, and pursuing terrorists should not be downplayed. Yet for all the relationship''s importance, it is increasingly imperiled by mistrust and misunderstanding. One major question is Saudi Arabia''s stability. In this Council Special Report, sponsored by the Center for Preventive Action, F. Gregory Gause III first explores the foundations of Riyadh''s present stability and potential sources of future unrest. It is difficult not to notice that Saudi Arabia avoided significant upheaval during the political uprisings that swept the Middle East in 2011, despite sharing many of the social and economic problems of Egypt, Yemen, and Libya. But unlike their counterparts in Cairo, Sanaa, and Tripoli, Riyadh''s leadership was able to maintain order in large part by increasing public spending on housing and salaries, relying on loyal and well-equipped security forces, and utilizing its extensive patronage networks. The divisions within the political opposition also helped the government''s cause. This is not to say that Gause believes that the stability of the House of Saud is assured. He points out that the top heirs to the throne are elderly and the potential for disorderly squabbling may increase as a new generation enters the line of succession. Moreover, the population is growing quickly, and there is little reason to believe that oil will forever be able to buy social tranquility. Perhaps most important, Gause argues, the leadership''s response to the 2011 uprisings did little to forestall future crises; an opportunity for manageable political reform was mostly lost. Turning to the regional situation, Gause finds it no less complex. Saudi Arabia has wielded considerable influence with its neighbors through its vast oil reserves, its quiet financial and political support for allies, and the ideological influence of salafism, the austere interpretation of Islam that is perhaps Riyadh''s most controversial export. For all its wealth and religious influence, however, Saudi Arabia''s recent record has been less than successful. It was unable to counter Iranian influence in post-Saddam Iraq, it could not prevent Hezbollah taking power in Lebanon, and its ongoing efforts to reconcile Hamas and the Palestinian Authority have come to naught. The U.S.-Saudi relationship has, unsurprisingly, been affected by these and other challenges, including Saudi unhappiness with Washington''s decision to distance itself from Egyptian president Hosni Mubarak, the lack of progress on the Israeli-Palestinian peace process, and Iran. For its part, the United States is unhappy with the Saudi intervention in Bahrain and Saudi support for radical Islamists around the region and the world. The two traditional anchors of the U.S.-Saudi relationship-the Cold War and U.S. operation of Riyadh''s oil fields-are, Gause notes, no longer factors. It is no wonder, he contends, that the relationship is strained when problems are myriad and the old foundations of the informal alliance are gone. It would be far better, Gause argues, to acknowledge that the two countries can no longer expect to act in close concert under such conditions. He recommends that the United States reimagine the relationship as simply transactional, based on cooperation when interests-rather than habit-dictate. Prioritizing those interests will therefore be critical. Rather than pressuring Riyadh for domestic political reform, or asking it to reduce global oil prices, Gause recommends that the United States spend its political capital where it really matters: on maintaining regional security, dismantling terrorist networks, and preventing the proliferation of nuclear weapons. There have been few relationships more important to the United States than that with Saudi Arabia, and it is vital that, as it enters a new phase, the expectations and priorities of both countries are clear. In Saudi Arabia in the New Middle East, Gause effectively assesses the challenges and opportunities facing Saudi Arabia and makes a compelling argument for a more modest, businesslike relationship between Washington and Riyadh that better reflects modern realities. As the United States begins reassessing its commitments in the Greater Middle East, this report offers a clear vision for a more limited-but perhaps more appropriate and sustainable-future partnership.
Download or read book Black Wave written by Kim Ghattas and published by Henry Holt and Company. This book was released on 2020-01-28 with total page 278 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A New York Times Notable Book of 2020 “[A] sweeping and authoritative history" (The New York Times Book Review), Black Wave is an unprecedented and ambitious examination of how the modern Middle East unraveled and why it started with the pivotal year of 1979. Kim Ghattas seamlessly weaves together history, geopolitics, and culture to deliver a gripping read of the largely unexplored story of the rivalry between between Saudi Arabia and Iran, born from the sparks of the 1979 Iranian revolution and fueled by American policy. With vivid story-telling, extensive historical research and on-the-ground reporting, Ghattas dispels accepted truths about a region she calls home. She explores how Sunni Saudi Arabia and Shia Iran, once allies and twin pillars of US strategy in the region, became mortal enemies after 1979. She shows how they used and distorted religion in a competition that went well beyond geopolitics. Feeding intolerance, suppressing cultural expression, and encouraging sectarian violence from Egypt to Pakistan, the war for cultural supremacy led to Iran’s fatwa against author Salman Rushdie, the assassination of countless intellectuals, the birth of groups like Hezbollah in Lebanon, the September 11th terrorist attacks, and the rise of ISIS. Ghattas introduces us to a riveting cast of characters whose lives were upended by the geopolitical drama over four decades: from the Pakistani television anchor who defied her country’s dictator, to the Egyptian novelist thrown in jail for indecent writings all the way to the murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi in the Saudi consulate in Istanbul in 2018. Black Wave is both an intimate and sweeping history of the region and will significantly alter perceptions of the Middle East.
Download or read book Saudi Arabia written by and published by . This book was released on 1990 with total page 292 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book Developments in the Middle East written by and published by . This book was released on 1983-08 with total page 48 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book Lebanon Turkey Saudia Arabia and Jordan written by Selam T. Lauritsen and published by Nova Snova. This book was released on 2016 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book is a compilation of reports on Lebanon, Turkey, Saudi Arabia and Jordan.
Download or read book Syria and Saudi Arabia in Post Ta if Lebanon written by Kelly Alicia Stedem and published by . This book was released on 2011 with total page 182 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The tiny nation-state of Lebanon has been marred by political instability and violence over the past 35 years. Most scholars blame the consociational structure of the bureaucratic system as the main culprit for the precarious state of the republic. It is an understatement to say that the delicate power-sharing balance divided between the Christian and Muslim sects has been one of the most detrimental elements to government stability and socioeconomic development. Underneath these sectarian affiliations, however, lie numerous patronage systems all vying for power and control over the Lebanese system. These systems not only act to support their Lebanese sectarian leader, but many have reached across the border and found the open hands of foreign powers. The actions of these foreign entities have also constituted a divisive role in undermining the unification of the nation into a cohesive and functioning state, particularly during the post-civil war time period. The end of the 15 year civil war through the passage of the National Reconciliation Accord heralded in a sense of promise for a future free of war and political mismanagement through the abolition of the consociational system. This promise, however, has yet to be fulfilled. This thesis is an examination into the role and impact of Syrian and Saudi Arabian patronage ties in the Lebanese system. By looking at the states through the actions of their clients we can come to a better understanding of both why and how the goals of Ta'if have yet to be achieved and potentially come to understand the needs facing Lebanon's future.
Download or read book The Arab State and Neo Liberal Globalization written by Laura Guazzone and published by Garnet Publishing Ltd. This book was released on 2022-07-01 with total page 448 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Now available in paperback, this collection of essays offers an alternative approach to the study of today's Arab states by focusing on their participation in neo-liberal globalization rather than on authoritarianism or Islam. The effects of the restructuring of traditional state power engendered by globalization are analyzed separately, through updated empirical research into the political, economic, and security processes of each country considered. Egypt, Lebanon, Morocco, and Saudi Arabia are the case studies selected to represent different paths towards a shared model of a 'new' Arab state which, far from representing an exceptional case of resilience against global trends, may be seen in many instances as typifying their effects. The book offers both an overall conceptualization of change affecting the Arab states, domestically and internationally, and a series of in-depth case studies by country and functional areas. It is extremely timely when viewed within the context of the current political unrest and unprecedented change within the Middle East. This paperback edition includes a new preface which links the author's research to the current Arab Spring crisis.
Download or read book Saudi Arabia and the New Strategic Landscape written by Joshua Teitelbaum and published by Hoover Press. This book was released on 2013-09-01 with total page 96 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Joshua Teitelbaum evaluates Saudi foreign policy in the Persian Gulf and in the Arab-Israeli peace process and provides a shrewd assessment of the Saudi-U.S. relationship. He debunks the traditional view of Saudi foreign policy that emphasizes the Saudi concern with the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and explains how the true concern of Arabia's rulers is the ideological battle that has been opened up by Iran's push into Arab affairs.
Download or read book Salafism in Lebanon written by Zoltan Pall and published by Cambridge University Press. This book was released on 2018-04-05 with total page 265 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The past two decades have seen an increasing association between Lebanese Salafism and violence, with less attention being paid to Salafis who focus on peaceful proselytization. In reality, it is these Salafis whose influence has dramatically grown since the eruption of the Syrian conflict that profoundly affected Lebanon as well. Based on extensive fieldwork, Zoltan Pall offers insights into the dynamics of non-violent Lebanese Salafi groups and examines the importance of transnational links in shaping the trajectory of the movement. In particular, he shows how the internal transformation of Salafism in Kuwait, Qatar and Saudi Arabia led to the fragmentation of the Lebanese Salafi community. By analysing Salafism as a network, we see how the movement creates and mobilizes material and symbolic resources, and how it contributes to reshaping the structures of authority within the country's Sunni Muslim community.
Download or read book Saudi Arabia and Iran written by Simon Mabon and published by Bloomsbury Publishing. This book was released on 2018-11-29 with total page 318 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In the wake of the 1979 Iranian revolution, relations between states in the Middle East were reconfigured and reassessed overnight. Amongst the most-affected was the relationship between Iran and Saudi Arabia. The existence of a new regime in Tehran led to increasingly vitriolic confrontations between these two states, often manifesting themselves in the conflicts across the region, such as those in Lebanon and Iraq, and more recently in Bahrain and Syria. In this new and revised second edition, Simon Mabon examines the different identity groups within Saudi Arabia and Iran (made up of various religions, ethnicities and tribal groupings), proposing that internal insecurity has an enormous impact on the wider ideological and geopolitical competition between the two. With analysis of this heated and often uneasy relationship and its impact on the wider Middle East, this book is vital for those researching international relations and diplomacy in the region.
Download or read book Review of Recent Developments in the Middle East written by United States. Congress. House. Committee on International Relations. Subcommittee on Europe and the Middle East and published by . This book was released on 1977 with total page 132 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book Lebanon in Crisis written by M. Graeme Bannerman and published by Syracuse University Press. This book was released on 1979 with total page 350 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book will serve as a guide for those who wish to understand the Lebanese conflict-expert and general reader alike-and for those, as well, who would work to bring peace to that tormented land. From Palestinian, Syrian, and Israeli intervention to delicate inter-Arab relations, the Arab-Israeli conflict, and superpower involvement, sixteen experts analyze the motives and actions of the men and groups engaged in the bloody Lebanese hostilities. Tables, notes, and index included.
Download or read book The Secretary written by Kim Ghattas and published by Macmillan. This book was released on 2013-03-05 with total page 432 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The first inside account to be published about Hillary Clinton's time as secretary of state, anchored by Ghattas's own perspective and her quest to understand America's place in the world In November 2008, Hillary Clinton agreed to work for her former rival. As President Barack Obama's secretary of state, she set out to repair America's image around the world—and her own. For the following four years, BBC foreign correspondent Kim Ghattas had unparalleled access to Clinton and her entourage, and she weaves a fast-paced, gripping account of life on the road with Clinton in The Secretary. With the perspective of one who is both an insider and an outsider, Ghattas draws on extensive interviews with Clinton, administration officials, and players in Washington as well as overseas, to paint an intimate and candid portrait of one of the most powerful global politicians. Filled with fresh insights, The Secretary provides a captivating analysis of Clinton's brand of diplomacy and the Obama administration's efforts to redefine American power in the twenty-first century. Populated with a cast of real-life characters, The Secretary tells the story of Clinton's transformation from popular but polarizing politician to America's envoy to the world in compelling detail and with all the tension of high stakes diplomacy. From her evolving relationship with President Obama to the drama of WikiLeaks and the turmoil of the Arab Spring, we see Clinton cheerfully boarding her plane at 3 a.m. after no sleep, reading the riot act to the Chinese, and going through her diplomatic checklist before signing on to war in Libya—all the while trying to restore American leadership in a rapidly changing world. Viewed through Ghattas's vantage point as a half-Dutch, half-Lebanese citizen who grew up in the crossfire of the Lebanese civil war, The Secretary is also the author's own journey as she seeks to answer the questions that haunted her childhood. How powerful is America really? And, if it is in decline, who or what will replace it and what will it mean for America and the world?
Download or read book Lebanon written by Tobias Schwerna and published by Peter Lang. This book was released on 2010 with total page 172 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: As sectarian and political tensions rose after March of 2005, scholars and journalists began to speculate that Lebanon was heading back into civil war. Much academic literature, in fact showed that the probability of regressing into such a state was very high. Although tensions did escalate and violence broke out on a number of occasions (culminating in several days of fighting in May 2008) the Doha agreement provided a peaceful political solution to the country's crisis. This book offers an answer to the question of why no renewed civil war occurred in Lebanon as well as to the larger question of why civil wars do - or do not - break out. The author accomplishes this by developing and presenting a model of informal elite agreement, which he terms «consociational conflict».
