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The Economic Cooperation Organization has been created by Iran, Turkey and Pakistan to improve the trade and economic exchanges between the participating states. After the demise of the Soviet Empire, the Central Asian Republics, Azerbaijan and Afghanistan have joined the Organization. The internal problems of the ten States members OJECO have been aggravated by foreign intervention, especially the Russian hegemony over the region. This interference complicates the integration process and jeopardizes the effectiveness of the Organization.

The literature on post-Cold-War international relations is surveyed. Renewed attention to ethnic & regional conflicts & to social & environmental problems is noted. Although theories of international relations are continually evolving, the persistent influence of the classic realist & idealist schools is evident; several examples are reviewed. Samuel Huntington (1996) & Fred Halliday (2002) are contrasted regarding Islam's apparent threat to the West. Several publications explore the international effects of globalization in its various manifestations. The high speed of change & the complexity of global problems require urgent continuing research. E. Taylor

A review essay on books by (1) Derek Da Cunha (Ed), Southeast Southeast Asian Perspectives on Security; (2) Peter Petri (Ed), Regional Cooperation Recovery; & (3) Anthony L. Smith, Strategic Centrality, Indonesia's ASEAN Enlargement. Impacts and Implications (all, Singapore: Instit Southeast Asian Studies, 2000) considers ASEAN's relative success with regional integration in the Third World. Originally composed five pro-US states in Asia (Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, & Thailand), ASEAN has more than doubled in size in recent years. Through stimulating trade among member nations, ASEAN promotes peace & regional stability. The effectiveness of its future role as an international power hinges on rapprochement with the People's Republic of China, Japan, Australia, & New Zealand, as well as dialogue with the Pacific Islands Regional Assoc. J. Sadler

If the number of annual international conferences on a subject is an indicator of its importance
for the academic and the political worlds, there is no doubt that security in the Persian Gulf region
is one of the most debated topics. The area has always been coveted by non-indigenous
adventurers. The Portuguese presence in the region was followed by a lasting British dominance,
which, in turn, would be dislodged by a new American military, political, cultural, and economic
leadership. This historical foreign intervention coupled with emerging political independent
entities—that is, states—has created a confrontational dynamic in the region based
on territorial lines of demarcation.