Suchergebnisse

This book analyzes the ways in which US policy toward Iraq was dictated by America's broader Cold War strategy between 1958 and 1975. While most historians have focused on 'hot' Cold War conflicts such as Cuba, Vietnam, and Afghanistan, few have recognized Iraq's significance as a Cold War battleground. This book argues that US decisions and actions were designed to deny the Soviet Union influence over Iraq and to create a strategic base in the oil-rich Gulf region. Using newly available primary sources and interviews, this book reveals new details on America's decision-making toward and actions against Iraq during the height of the Cold War and shows where Iraq fits into the broader historiography of the Cold War in the Middle East. Further, it raises important questions about widely held misperceptions of US-Iraqi relations, such as the CIA's alleged involvement in the 1963 Ba'thist coup and the theory that the US sold out the Kurds in 1975

On Tuesday, President Obama announced that after nearly two years of negotiations, the United Nations' P5+1 group had reached an agreement with Iran which limits the country's nuclear activity in exchange for the lifting of sanctions. Bryan R. Gibson argues that the deal is a win for the US, Iran and Israel. He writes that resolving the Iranian nuclear question aligns perfectly with America's strategic objectives for the region, and opens the door for cooperation with Iran on important regional issues. While Iranian leaders now face the challenge of selling deal to Iranian public as a victory, the deal will give the country desperately needed relief from sanctions, and the chance for new investment. For Israel, he writes, despite the concerns of the country's leaders, any reduction of the threat of an Iranian nuclear weapon corresponds to an improvement in its security.