Middle East Affairs: Articles, Research & Analysis

[rootX]

I wanted to share some of very interesting articles I found today. Recently, I created an Asia-Pacific thread where aperion indicated interest in having a ME thread. Like Asia-Pacific or Progress in Afghanistan this thread will contains articles/research related to ME affairs but not focused on one particular ME conflict.

I am linking to few of the articles on some broad range of topics.

Looney, Robert. (2005). Why has the Middle East been so slow to Globalize? Review of Middle East Economics and Finance 3(3): 173-202.
http://www.relooney.info/SI_Governance/Governance-Economy_8.pdf

Noland, Marcus and Pack, Howard. (2004). Islam, Globalization, and Economic Performance in the Middle East. Institute for International Economics, International Economic Policy Briefs, Washington, DC.
http://www.iie.com/publications/pb/pb04-4.pdf

Marwan Muasher. (2011). Arab Myths and Realities. Carnegie Middle East Centre, Carnegie Endowment for International Peace [Online].
http://carnegie-mec.org/publications/?fa=42925&lang=en

Abed, George. (2003). Unfulfilled Promise. Finance and Development, IMF. Available at http://www.imf.org/external/pubs/ft/fandd/2003/03/abed.htm

Noland, Marcus and Pack, Howard. (2007). “Introduction.” In The Arab Economies in a Changing World, pp. 1 – 14. Washington, D.C.: Peterson Institute for International Economics.
http://www.piie.com/publications/chapters_preview/3931/01iie3931.pdf

Abed, George et. al. (2011). The Arab World in Transition: Assessing the Economic Impact. Institute of International Finance, IFF Regional Overview, 2 May 2011. http://www.iif.com/emr/resources+1200.php

Salem, Paul. (2011). ‘Arab Spring’ Has Yet to Alter Region’s Strategic Balance. Carnegie Middle East Centre, Carnegie Endowment for International Peace [Online].
http://carnegie-mec.org/publications/?fa=43907

Yousef, Tarik M. (2004). Development, Growth and Policy Reform in the Middle East and North Africa since 1950. Journal of Economic Perspectives, 18(3): 91 – 116.
http://faculty.nps.edu/relooney/JEP_ME_3.pdf

Beinin, Joel. (1999). The Working Class and Peasantry in the Middle East: From Economic Nationalism to Neoliberalism. Middle East Report (Spring 1999). Available http://acc.teachmideast.org/texts.php?module_id=4&reading_id=19

Alissa, Sufyan. The Challenge of Economic Reform in the Arab World: Toward More Productive Economies, No 1. Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, Carnegie Papers, No. 1 (May 2007). Available at http://www.carnegieendowment.org/files/cmec_1_econ_reform_final.pdf

Momani, Bessma. (2004). American Politicization of the International Monetary Fund. Review of International Political Economy, 11(15): 880 – 904. Available at http://politicalscience.uwaterloo.ca/~bmomani/RIPE- modified Article.pdf

Momani, Bessma, Pagliari, Stefano, Boussaid and Innis, Laura. (2008). The IMF and Monetary Reforms: Middle East Perspectives. CIGI Conference Report, Centre for International Governance Innovation. 10 March 2008. Available at http://edoc.bibliothek.uni-halle.de...ry Reforms.pdf;jsessionid=ctr55sn44pmp?hosts=

Hanieh, Adam. (2011). Egypt’s ‘Orderly Economic Transition’: Accelerated Structural Adjustment under a Democratic Veneer? Centre for Development Policy and Research, Development Viewpoint, No. 64, July 2011. Available at http://www.soas.ac.uk/cdpr/publications/dv/file69436.pdf

Galal, Ahmed and Hoekman, Bernard. (2003). Between Hope and Reality: An Overview of Arab Economic Integration, pp. 1 – 12. In Arab Economic Integration Between Hope and Reality Washington, D.C.: Brookings Press. 2003. Available at http://www.brookings.edu/press/books/chapter_1/arabeconomicintegration.pdf

Hertog, Steffen. (2007). The GCC and Arab Economic Integration: A New Paradigm. Middle East Policy 14(1): 52 – 68. Available at http://eprints.lse.ac.uk/29875/1/The_GCC_and_Arab_economic_integration_(LSERO).pdf

Nasser Saidi. “Arab Economic Integration: An Awakening to Remove Barriers to Prosperity,” 5 Economic Research Forum. Working Paper 0322, http://dubaifinancialcenter.com/dif...MICINTEGRATIONAWAKENINGTOREMOVEBARRIERSTO.pdf

al Khouri, Riad. (2008). EU and U.S. Free Trade Agreement in the Middle East and North Africa. Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, Carnegie Papers No. 8. (June 2008). Available at http://carnegieendowment.org/files/cmec8_al_khouri_final.pdf

Momani, Bessma. (2008). Reacting to Global Forces Economic and Political Integration of the Gulf Cooperation Council. Journal of the Gulf & Arabian Peninsula Studies, 38(128): 44 - 66. Available http://www.arts.uwaterloo.ca/~bmomani/JGAPS-%20GCC%20Paper.pdf

Noland, Marcus and Pack, Howard. (2007). “Global Engagement.” In The Arab Economies in a Changing World, pp. 209 – 236. Washington, D.C.: Peterson Institute for International Economics. Available at http://www.piie.com/publications/chapters_preview/3931/08iie3931.pdf

American University in Cairo. (2010). “The Euro-Mediterranean Partnership A Southern Perspective Toward Sustainable Growth and Development.” AUC Department of Economics, 23 December 2010. Available http://extranet.bca.le-public-syste...tributions/Euro_Mediterranean_Partnership.pdf

Antkiewicz, Agata and Momani, Bessma. (2009). Pursuing Geopolitical Stability through Interregional Trade: the EU's Motives for Negotiating with the Gulf Cooperation Council. Journal of European Integration. 31(2): 217–235. Available http://arts.uwaterloo.ca/~bmomani/documents/JEI-EUandGCC.pdf

Fulvio Attina. “The Euro-Med Partnership Assessed.” European Foreign Affairs Review. 2003. Available at: http://www.fscpo.unict.it/EuroMed/EMPefarde.pdf

Ross, Michael L. (2001). Does Oil Hinder Democracy? World Politics 53(3): 325-61. Available at http://www.maxwell.syr.edu/uploadedFiles/exed/sites/ldf/Academic/Ross%20-%20Does%20Oil%20Hinder%20Democracy.pdf

Saif, Ibrahim. (2009). The Oil Boom in the GCC Countries: 2002 – 2008: Old Challenges, Changing Dynamics. Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, Carnegie Papers No. 15, (March 2009). Available at http://www.carnegieendowment.org/files/cmec15_saif_final.pdf

Hertog, Steffen. (2007). “Shaping the Saudi State: Human Agency’s Shifting Role in the Rentier-State Formation.” International Journal of Middle East Studies, 39: 539 – 563. Available at http://eprints.lse.ac.uk/29872/1/Shaping_the_Saudi_state_(publisher).pdf

Momani, Bessma. (2009). The Oil-Producing Gulf States, the IMF and the International Financial Crisis. CIGI Policy Brief, No. 13. 1 March 2009. Available at http://www.cigionline.org/publications/2009/3/oil-producing-gulf-states-imf-and-international-financial-crisis


Richter, Thomas. (2010). When Do Autocracies Start to Liberalize Foreign Trade? Evidence from Four Cases in the Arab World. GIGA Research Unit: Institute of Middle East Studies, Working Paper No. 131. April 2010. Available http://repec.giga-hamburg.de/pdf/giga_10_wp131_richter.pdf

Sharaby, Linda. (2002). Israel's Economic Growth: Success Without Security. Middle East Review of International Affairs, 6(3). Available at http://meria.idc.ac.il/journal/2002/issue3/jv6n3a3.html

Looney, Robert. (2005). Profiles of Corruption in the Middle East. Journal of South Asian and Middle Eastern Studies 28(4): 1-20. Available at http://faculty.nps.edu/relooney/Rel_JSMES-05.pdf

Djavad, Salehi-Isfahani and Dhillon, Navtej. Stalled Youth Transitions in the Middle East: A Framework for Policy Reform. Wolfensohn Center for Development, Middle East Youth Initiative Working Paper (8 October 2008). Available at http://www.shababinclusion.org/content/document/detail/1166/

Moghadam, Valentine M. (2005). Women’s Economic Participation in the Middle East: What Difference Has the Neoliberal Policy Turn Made? Journal of Middle East Women’s Studies, 1(1): 110 – 146. Available at http://hevra.haifa.ac.il/~soc/lecturers/kraus/files/1991267110422.pdf

Alexander, Christopher. “Tunisia's protest wave: where it comes from and what it means,” Foreign Policy [Online]. Available at http://mideast.foreignpolicy.com/po...e_it_comes_from_and_what_it_means_for_ben_ali

Source: http://politicalscience.uwaterloo.ca/documents/490-002-outline-F2011.pdf

 

[Bobbywhy]

rootX, Thanks for starting a thread on Middle East Affairs, and especially for all the articles to read. I need some time to organize after studying from your list. I am an American and have lived and worked in the ME seven years; three in Iran, two in Turkey, and two in Egypt. As a result of these experiences I have some observations and comments to make.

Iran: Regarding the recent large explosion in Isfahan on 28 November and the explosion at the Malard missile base on 12 November: I speculate that it is possible that both these were caused by cruise missiles, and no one is willing to admit it-neither the Iranians nor the perpetrators.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/world...nian-leaders/2011/11/23/gIQA8IsSvN_story.html

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs...was-destroyed/2011/11/28/gIQA7KZW5N_blog.html

http://globalspin.blogs.time.com/20...s-time-followed-by-rockets-landing-in-israel/

 

[rootX]

Few other set of readings focused on Arab revolution and future of Arab countries.

Introduction and Overview
• Economist Intelligence Unit “Will the Arab Risings yield democracy, dictatorship or disorder?” http://www.eiu.com/public/topical_report.aspx?campaignid=arab_spring_tide_wp
• Khair El‐Din Haseeb. “On the Arab ‘Democratic Spring’: lessons derived” Contemporary Arab Affairs Vol. 4, Iss. 2, 2011 http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/pdf/10.1080/17550912.2011.577276
• Omar S. Dahi “Understanding the Political Economy of the Arab Revolts” Middle East Report 259 Volume: 41 Summer 2011.
• Khouri, Rami. 2007. “Missing the Epic Story of the Middle East.” Agence Global [Online]. Available at http://www.agenceglobal.com/article.asp?id=1335
• Beaumont, Peter. 2011. “Middle East protests: Is it time for the west to come clean?” The Guardian [Online]. Available at http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2011/feb/19/middle-east-protests-western-governments
• PeaceBuild. Between Revolution and Repression: Democratic Transitions in the Middle East and North Africa? Cairo and Ottawa June 2, 2011 http://peacebuild.ca/MENARoundtableJune2011modified.pdfInternational Pressure and Democracy Promotion in the Middle East
Readings:
• “Islam and democracy.” The Economist, January 12, 2008. Available at http://www.economist.com/node/10499167
• Alterman, Jon B. The Middle East Turns East. Center for Strategic and International Studies, Middle East Program (May 2011). Available at http://csis.org/files/publication/0511_MENC.pdf
• Ashton, Catherine. 2011. “The EU Wants ‘deep democracy’ to take root in Egypt and Tunisia.” The Guardian [Online]. Available at http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2011/feb/04/egypt-tunisia-eu-deep-democracy
• Istanbul Papers. Democracy and Human Development in the Broader Middle East: A Transatlantic Strategy for Partnership Istanbul Paper #1. The German Marshall Fund of the United States (June 25 – 27 2004). Available at http://www.americanprogress.org/kf/middleeastreport.pdf
• Gwertzman, Bernard. 2004. “Is US ‘Beacon of Hope’ or Enemy Number One.” Council on Foreign Relations. Available at http://www.cfr.org/publication.php?id=7464Democratization in the Middle East – Perspectives
• Lewis, Bernard. 2005. “Freedom and Justice in the Modern Middle East,” Foreign Affairs, 83(4). Available at http://trinity.ritterdosreis.br/phl5/images/CAN/SP/SP013836_36.pdf
• Brzezinski, Zbigniew. 2004. The Wrong Way to Sell Democracy to the Arab World. The New York Times [Online]. Available at http://www.nytimes.com/2004/03/08/opinion/the-wrong-way-to-sell-democracy-to-the-arab-world.html
• Lynch, Marc. Taking Arabs Seriously. Foreign Affairs (September/October 2003). Available at http://www.marclynch.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/Taking-Arabs-Seriously-Marc-Lynch.pdf
• Tessler, Mark and Amaney Jamal. 2008. Attitudes in the Arab World. Journal of Democracy 19(1): 97-110. Available at http://arabbarometer.org/reports/democbarometers.pdf

Protest Movements, Civil Society and Reform – Prospects for Democratization
• Hawthorne, Amy. Political Reform in the Arab World: A New Ferment? Carnegie Foundation. (October 2004). Available at http://www.carnegieendowment.org/files/CP_52 Hawthorne.pdf
• Ottaway, Marina and Hamzawy, Amr. Protest Movements and Political Change in the Arab World. Carnegie Foundation (January 28th, 2011). Available at http://carnegie.matrixgroup.net/files/OttawayHamzawy_Outlook_Jan11_ProtestMovements.pdf
• Critical Dialogue between Diverse Opposition Groups A project of Arab Reform Initiative July 2011. http://arab-reform.net/IMG/pdf/Critical_Dialogue_Summary_English_final.pdf
• Steavenson, Wendell. 2011. “Pessoptimism.” The New Yorker (Online). Available at http://www.newyorker.com/talk/comment/2011/03/14/110314taco_talk_steavenson

Tunisia Readings:
• Seyyed Mohaad Kazem Sajjadpour. 2011. “US, Crisis in Tunisia and Democracy in Middle East.” Iran Review [Online]. Available at http://www.iranreview.org/content/Documents/US_Crisis_in_Tunisia_and_Democracy_in_Middle_East.htm
• de Vasconcelos, Alvaro. “Tunisia: A Chance for Democracy.” European Union Institute for Security Studies (January 2011). Available at http://www.iss.europa.eu/uploads/media/Tunisia_-_A_chance_for_democracy.pdf
• Cassarino, Jean-Pierre. Confidence-building in Tunisia after the Popular Uprising: Strategies and Dilemmas of the Interim Government. The Istituto Affari Internazionali, IAI Working Papers (February 2011). Available at http://www.iai.it/pdf/DocIAI/iaiwp1104.pdf

Egypt Readings:
• Dworkin, Anthony, Korski, Daniel and Witney, Nick. “Egypt’s Hybrid Revolution: A Bolder EU Approach”. European Council on Foreign Relations Policy Brief (March 2011). Available at http://www.ecfr.eu/page/-/Egypt brief PDF 060511.pdf
Paciello, Maria Cristina. Egypt: Changes and Challenges of Political Transition. MEDPRO (Mediterranean Prospects), Working Paper (May 2011). Available at http://www.iai.it/pdf/mediterraneo/MedPro/MedPro-technical-paper_04.pdf
• Shapiro, Samantha M. 2009. Revolution, Facebook-Style. The New York Times (Online). Available at http://www.nytimes.com/2009/01/25/magazine/25bloggers-t.html?pagewanted=1
• Kinsmen, Jeremy. “Democracy Rising: Tunisia and Egypt, When Idealists Got It Right.” Policy Options (April 2011). Available at http://www.irpp.org/po/archive/apr11/kinsman.pdf Libya Readings:
• Stanley Kurtz “Assessing Libya” National Review Online http://www.nationalreview.com/corner/275181/assessing-libya-stanley-kurtz
• Fouad Ajami Wall Street Journal
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424053111903461304576524483022325092.html
• James Dobbins and Frederic Wehrey “Libyan Nation Building After Qaddafi” http://www.foreignaffairs.com/artic...y/libyan-nation-building-after-qaddafi?page=2
• Rami Khouri. “Libya’s lessons for the Arab world” http://www.dailystar.com.lb/Opinion...lessons-for-the-Arab-world.ashx#ixzz1Xx9Vk3uD The Daily Star :: Lebanon News
• Fred Kaplan. “It's Not What We Ought To Do, But What We Can Do” http://www.slate.com/id/2301934/Syria
• Momani, B. “Exit Strategy for Assad” Sept 2011. http://www.huffingtonpost.ca/bessma-momani/syria-assad_b_935217.html
• Momani, B. “Syrian Brutality: Unintended Consequence of Mubarak’s Trials” Trials August 2011. http://www.huffingtonpost.ca/bessma-momani/syria-arab-spring_b_921127.html
• Tony Badran. “Obama's Options in Damascus” August 2011. http://www.foreignaffairs.com/articles/68129/tony-badran/obamas-options-in-damascus
• James Zogby: Where Is the Arab World on Syria? August 2011 http://www.thenational.ae/thenationalconversation/comment/a-call-for-change-in-syria-that-the-arab-world-can-lead

Yemen
• Katz, M. 2010. Yemen: The Evolution of a Problem", Opinion Paper by EUISS http://www.iss.europa.eu/uploads/media/Yemen_evolution_of_a_problem.pdf
• James Spencer How Yemen's revolution was thwarted guardian.co.uk, Monday 29 August 2011 http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2011/aug/29/yemen-revolution-saleh-arab-spring
• Abubakr Al-Shamahi “Taking a chance on a democratic Yemen” Al-Jazeera Studies http://english.aljazeera.net/indepth/opinion/2011/08/2011847134790380.htmlLebanon and Jordan Readings:
• Cammett, Melani. 2009. “Democracy, Lebanese-Style.” Middle East Report Online [Online]. Available at http://www.merip.org/mero/mero081809
• Safa, Oussama. 2006. Lebanon Springs Forward. Journal of Democracy 17(1), 22-37. Available at http://www.journalofdemocracy.org/articles/gratis/Safa-17-1.pdf
• Fakhoury, Tamirace. 2011. Lebanon against the Backdrop of the 2011 Arab Uprisings: Which Revolution in Sight? New Global Studies, 5(1). See PDF.
• Marwan Muasher “A Decade Of Struggling Reform Efforts In Jordan The Resilience of the Rentier System http://carnegieendowment.org/files/jordan_reform.pdf
• Ryan, Curtis R. “Civil Society and Democratization in Jordan”. Knowledge Programme Civil Society in West Asia, Working Paper 7. Amsterdam Institute for Social Science Research (AISSR), University of Amsterdam, Department of Political Science (June 2010). Available at www.hivos.net/content/download/33084/212639/file/WP7Ryan.pdf Bahrain Readings:
•Fakhro, E.A. 2009. “The European Union and Islam: Democracy Promotion in Bahrain and the Arab World.” International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance. Available at http://www.idea.int/resources/analysis/upload/Fakhro_low_2.pdf
• Katzman, Kenneth. Bahrain: Reform, Security, and U.S. Policy. Congressional Research Service (April 2011). Available at http://www.fas.org/sgp/crs/mideast/95-1013.pdf
• Momani, B. “National Belonging not Bread” Huffington Post http://www.huffingtonpost.ca/bessma-momani/bahrain-protests_b_952259.htmlSOURCE: http://politicalscience.uwaterloo.ca/documents/PS685-2-1119.pdf

 

[rootX]

rootX, Thanks for starting a thread on Middle East Affairs, and especially for all the articles to read.

Np, they can take good 4 months to cover I also just started reading hoping to become bit more knowledgeable about ME affairs.

 

[Evo]

Thank you for all of your work rootx!

 

[turbo]

Thank you for all of your work rootx!

Yep! These resources will take a LONG time to get through.

It's so unfortunate that the broadcast networks can't be bothered to spend a bit of time every night to cover some subject (including foreign affairs), even for a half-hour or so. There has been a report recently (result of a survey) that claims that if you watch FOX, you are less-well-informed than a person who watches no news. I have to wonder if swearing off network news might smarten people up, as well.

 

[nobahar]

This is an amazing collection of articles. As a disclaimer, I haven't really looked at any of them yet. One caught my eye, however:

Democratization in the Middle East – Perspectives
...
• Brzezinski, Zbigniew. 2004. The Wrong Way to Sell Democracy to the Arab World. The New York Times [Online]. Available at http://www.nytimes.com/2004/03/08/opinion/the-wrong-way-to-sell-democracy-to-the-arab-world.html

I giggled at the 'considered' choice of the word "perspectives".
From the article above:
"The Bush administration deserves credit for its long-term commitment to democracy in the Middle East. But even a good idea can be spoiled by clumsy execution. Worse still, the idea can backfire -- particularly if people come to suspect that ulterior motives are at work."
Too funny.

On a more serious note, however, thanks for the sources, will make for interesting reading.
May I recommend the mainstream human rights organisations? I find them to be extremely informative and convey a much better understanding of the human aspect than other sources.
Amnesty International:
Here is the annual report for the middle east for 2011
http://www.amnesty.org/en/annual-report/2011/middle-east-north-africa
At the bottom of the page, you can read the reports for specific countries.

Human Rights Watch issues regular reports, which can be searched for by topic or region. Here's a link to the Middle East reports section:
http://www.hrw.org/publications/reports?topic=All&region=11

 

[Proton Soup]

one source I've become fond of for a different perspective is http://www.linktv.org/

they air an english version of aljazeera, news from the middle east and elsewhere on World Mosaic, and many interesting documentaries.

Current TV also has some interesting stuff on Vanguard, like America's Secret War With Iran
http://current.com/shows/vanguard/episodes/