West Asia After Washington

At the turn of the century Washington launched a series of invasions and proxy wars against all the independent peoples and states of the region, in the name of creating a ‘New Middle East’. That offensive involved mass propaganda and the use of large proxy-terrorist armies, especially sectarian Islamist groups armed and financed by Washington and its regional allies, especially Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Turkey and Israel. Resistance to that regional war led to the formation of a loose regional bloc, led by Iran, which is now forming more substantial relations with the wider counter-hegemonic blocs led by China and Russia, in particular the BRICS and the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO). West Asia After Washington addresses how, as Washington’s multiple wars for a subjugated ‘New Middle East’ fail, the global order is shifting against the North American giant. China is displacing the USA as the productive and economic center of the world and new global organizations are competing with those created by the Anglo-Americans. It is in this global context we must understand the future of the Arabic and Islamic countries of the Middle East, now often called West Asia in reflection of that new orientation. Among other things, this alliance is making real what North American intelligence has long feared and termed an ‘Iranian land-bridge’, extending to the Mediterranean in the west and as far as China in the east. That ‘land bridge’ between East Asia and Europe centers on Iran, the largest independent state of the region and is, from a Zionist perspective, thought to represent “the most serious long term existential threat to Israel” because it forms a united resistance front in support of the colonized Palestinian people. This book discusses the wars of hegemonic decline, the roots of Western fascism, Zionist cancel culture, the Kurdish card in Syria, the purging of Christians from the ‘New Middle East’, the betrayal of Yemen, and takes us inside Syrian Idlib. Then it looks into the near future, considering Washington’s strategic retreat, the legacy of murdered Iranian Commander Qassem Soleimani, and the possibilities of dismantling Apartheid Israel and the lifting of the siege on Syria and its recovery. The Iranian land bridge to China, Iran’s Resistance Economy, regional integration, and the challenge of multipolarity offer insight into the West Asian region after Washington.

For several centuries, international relations has been primarily the purview of nation-states. Key powers have included at various times Great Britain, France, Japan, China, Russia (then the U.S.S.R., and then Russia again), and the nation most influential in international relations for the past several decades has been the United States. But in a world growing smaller, with a globalizing system increasing in complexity by the day, the nation-state paradigm is not as dominant as it once was. In Asia in Washington, longtime Asia analyst Kent Calder examines the concept of "global city" in the context of international affairs. The term typically has been used in an economic context, referring to centers of international finance and commerce such as New York, Tokyo, and London. But Calder extends the concept to political centers as well—particularly in this case, Washington, D.C. Improved communications, enhanced transportation, greater economic integration and activity have created a new economic village, and global political cities are arising within the new structure—distinguished not by their CEOs or stock markets but by their influence over policy decisions, and their amassing of strategic intelligence on topics from national policy trends to geopolitical risk. Calder describes the rise of Washington, D.C., as perhaps the preeminent global political city—seat of the world's most powerful government, center of NGO and multilateral policy activity, the locale of institutions such as the World Bank and IMF, and home to numerous think tanks and universities. Within Washington, the role of Asia is especially relevant for several reasons. It represents the core of the non-Western industrialized world and the most challenge to Western dominance. It also raises the delicate issue of how race matters in international global governance—a factor crucially important during a time of globalization. And since Asia developed later than t

Contributed articles compiled in conjunction with Delhi Policy Group.

This book provides a comprehensive analysis of the complexities of change and continuity in West Asia, its society, religion and politics. An overview of the region’s political, social and economic characteristics brought into sharper relief with the on-going turmoil in the region constitutes the introduction of the book. While the subsequent two chapters, along with the introductory text, constitute the thematic overview and orientation of the book, the different chapters dedicated to specific countries explore the recent transformative developments in the region. These chapters chart the emergence of Islamist and post Islamist politics in Iran and Lebanon, elaborate upon the prevailing civil war conditions in Iraq, Syria, Yemen and Libya, examine the impact of the Arab uprisings that began in 2011 on Egypt, Jordan and the Arab Gulf countries, and explore the intricate interplay between Islam and democracy in the present-day politics of Turkey. While highlighting politics, the texts of the chapters also delve into history, religion and foreign policy. This book will be as useful for the students of West Asian affairs as it will be for policymakers and any interested reader. Please note: Taylor & Francis does not sell or distribute the Hardback in India, Pakistan, Nepal, Bhutan, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka

Since the collapse of the Soviet Union, the Arab world has undergone a series of radical transformations. One of the most significant is the resurgence of activist and puritanical forms of religion presenting as viable alternatives to existing social, cultural and political practices. The rise in sectarianism and violence in the name of religion has left scholars searching for adequate conceptual tools that might generate a clearer insight into these interconnected conflicts. In Striking from the Margins, leading authorities in their field propose new analytical frameworks to facilitate greater understanding of the fragmentation and devolution of the state in the Arab world. Challenging the revival of well-worn theories in cultural and post-colonial studies, they provide novel contributions on issues ranging from military formations, political violence in urban and rural settings, transregional war economies, the crystallisation of sect-based authorities and the restructuring of tribal networks. Placing much-needed emphasis on the re-emergence of religion, this timely and vital volume offers a new, critical approach to the study of the volatile and evolving cultural, social and political landscapes of the Middle East.

With the shift of global power from West to East, we have entered the era of an Asia-centred century. The rise of China and India, the recovery and resurgence of Russia on one side and Japan on the other, and the nature of the international order are leading to enormous changes. These transformational changes in the military, economic and political dynamics of Asia are accelerating with the passage of time. Historically, changes in the international order and equations of power among national have been almost inevitably accompanied by conflicts and wars. The challenge ahead of the international community in general and Asian countries in particular would be how to ensure that this is avoided, and competition, so necessary to shaping the future, is managed below the levels of armed conflict. This is crucial for most countries like India so that their comprehensive national development can progress without adverse developments. In order towork toward such goals, it is necessary to look at security and military-related issues as objectively as possible. This volume, a resource base for the professional and the general reader, is the sixth in the series of the annual publication of the Centre for Air Power Studies under this title, which aims to fill a critical information and knowledge gap in current strategic literature dealing with military strategy, defence politics and trends in military capabilities that impact countries in Asia. In particular, it covers some of the important areas that affect Asian countries, with a focus on China, India and Pakistan, to provide the requisite regional balance.

Papers presented at the International Conference on Changing Security Dynamics In West Asia : Implications for the Post -9/11 International Systemic, held at New Delhi during 30th January to 1st February 2006.

Contributed articles presented at the 15th Asian Security Conference on February 13-14, 2013 at IDSA, New Delhi.