MANOCHEHR DORRAJ, ED., Middle East at the Crossroads: The Changing Political Dynamics and the Foreign Policy Challenges (New York: University Press of America, 1999). Pp. 316

In: International journal of Middle East studies: IJMES, Band 33, Heft 3, S. 465-467

Abstract

Like a mega-earthquake, the end of the Cold War sent lasting shockwaves

throughout the international system. Outside the former communist bloc, the epicenter of this

earthquake, nowhere else were those tremors more dramatic in their impact than in the Middle

East—a region of long-standing geo-strategic standing and a legacy of incessant foreign

conquest and intervention. The end of the Cold War exposed clearly the structural weaknesses of

the region and drastically reduced its system immunities. As at previous turning points, the Middle

East faced formidable constraints as well as luring opportunities. Middle East at the

Crossroads is a collection of articles addressing the contours of this new environment and

its challenges for both Middle Eastern states and the major powers. It is a welcome addition and

an important contribution to Middle Eastern studies.