Anoushiravan Ehteshami

Neil Quilliam

Gawdat Bahgat

This book provides a detailed analysis of the complicated relations between Iran and its Arab neighbours. Arab perceptions of Iran, its regional policies and role in the Arab region, have never been more complicated than today. How is one to make sense of the increasingly complex and at times tense relationship between Iran and its Arab neighbours? Given the strategic significance of this sub-region and the importance of relations between its states to international security, this edited volume systematically accounts for each Arab neighbour’s perception, policies and approach towards the Islamic republic, for the first time providing a clear and detailed comparative analysis of these relationships. This book, bringing together a group of leading scholars of the region, not only provides a clear lens for the policy community through which to gauge the causes of change and the reasons for continuity in relations, but also offers an invaluable tool for scholars of the wider region and the growing community of researchers focusing on this sub-region.

Security and Bilateral Issues between Iran and its Arab Neighbours

The advent of the New World Order has challenged Syria's role in the Middle East. Traditionally viewed as a pariah state and a Soviet satellite, Syria's future looked uncertain as the balance of world power moved out of Soviet into US control, causing the withdrawal of Soviet support and threatening Syria's quest for regional hegemony. Syria, however, has been able to adapt to the transformation in the world order. Dr Quilliam maintains that Syrian foreign policy has been determined by both domestic politics and international political realities. He begins by defining Syria in terms of its domestic arena: its geography (both physical and political), natural resources, history, population and economy. He then discusses the governing system of the country, detailing the different political parties and how the system actually functions in Syria. Moving to the international political system, the author then expands upon the regional balance of power and Syria's relations with her neighbors. Following a rational policy, the Syrian state was compelled to realign itself with the US-led world order in an attempt to pursue regional hegemony. It was able to do this by joining the US-led coalition forces in the liberation of Kuwait in 1990/91 and was rewarded with a place in the postwar regional order and a central role in the Madrid Peace Conference. Syria and the New World Order is a clear and comprehensive account of Syria's adjustment to the realities of the day.

Neil Quilliam

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