Middle East

1. Know the deep-seated factors that made the Arab states vulnerable to popular anger.

Arab states became vulnerable due to:

• Neoliberalism

• Human Rights Revolution

• State Fragility

• Demographic Youth Bulge: High unemplyoment (e.g., 30.7% for tunisian youth)

• Rising Food Prices

2. Know what the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) is.

The GCC is a regional alliance formed in 1981, made up of Saudi Arabia, UAE, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, and Bahrain. It promotes political, economic, and security cooperation among the Gulf monarchies.

3. Know why the two-state solution failed between Israel and Palestine. What were the challenges facing the Oslo Accords?  

The Oslo Accords (1993–1995) failed due to:  

- Settlements: Continued Israeli expansion into the West Bank undermined Palestinian territorial viability.  

- Violence: Hamas suicide bombings and Israeli crackdowns. 

- Asymmetry: Israel retained control over borders, resources, and security.

- Internal Divisions: (PLO) and Hamas rivalry split Palestinian governance.

4. Know the seven goals of the United States in the Middle East during the Cold War, according to Gelvin.  

1. Prevent Soviet expansion.  

2. Ensure Western access to oil.  

3. Promote peaceful conflict resolution.  

4. Foster regional balance of power.  

5. Support pro-Western states.

6. Preserve Israel’s territorial integrity.  

7. Protect strategic sea lanes.

5. Know what the political and economic situation was like in Syria before the civil war in 2011.

• Politics: Dictatorship under Assad; no real freedom, widespread corruption, torture, and censorship.

• Economy: Slow growth, high unemployment, especially among youth. Crony capitalism benefited elites like Assad’s cousin Rami Makhlouf. A severe drought displaced over a million rural people.

6. Know what the Polisario Movement is.

Polisario movement was based in Western Sahara and declared the SADR in Western Sahara, seeking independence. They had tensions with Morocco but had a ceasefire in 1991.

7. Know the outcome of the civil war and the removal of Gaddafi in Libya.

• Gaddafi was overthrown and killed in 2011 during the Arab Spring, with NATO support.

• After his fall, Libya collapsed into chaos, with rival governments and militias fighting.

• Foreign powers like Turkey, Qatar, Egypt, and UAE backed different sides.

• The war caused major displacement and allowed ISIS to gain ground.

8. Know who the colonial powers were that controlled Libya, Tunisia, Morocco, and Algeria.

• Libya: Italy

• Tunisia, Algeria, Morocco: France

• Spain also controlled parts of northern Morocco.

9. Know the nature of Iranian political divisions.

Iran’s politics are divided between:

• Reformists: Want to open up the system and improve relations with the West.

• Conservatives: Want to keep strict Islamic rule and oppose the West.

• IRGC (Revolutionary Guards): A powerful military and economic force that supports the conservative system.

10. Know the participants of the invasion of Egypt in 1956 over the nationalization of the Suez Canal.  

Israel, Britain, and France invaded Egypt after Nasser nationalized the canal. The U.S. and USSR forced a withdrawal, marking the decline of British/French colonial influence.  

11. Know who Sayyid Qutb is.

Sayyid Qutb was an Egyptian Islamist thinker whose writings inspired groups like al-Qaeda. He believed that Muslim societies needed to return to pure Islamic rule and opposed Western influence and secular governments.

12. Know the outcome of the U.S. invasion on Sunnis and Shia in Iraq.

After the U.S. overthrew Saddam (a Sunni), power shifted to Shia parties, many linked to Iran.

• Sunnis were excluded from politics and the army (de-Ba’athification).

• This led to sectarian violence and helped create support for extremist groups like ISIS.

13. Know the outcome of neoliberal policies on the Middle Eastern states.

• Neoliberalism led to subsidy cuts, privatization, and job losses.

• Public services weakened.

• Created crony capitalism, where elites got rich while most people suffered.

• Helped spark protests and revolutions during the Arab Spring.

14. Know the structure of the Iranian military forces.  xs

- Regular Army: Handles conventional defense.  

- Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC): Founded in 1979, it has approximately 125,000 members and oversees policing the Persian Gulf, key economic sectors (e.g., oil, gas), and supports Shia militias abroad.  

- Basij Force: A 90,000-strong volunteer paramilitary group under IRGC control, tasked with suppressing domestic dissent.  

- Quds Force: A specialized unit of 2,000–5,000 personnel that supports Shia allies in Syria, Iraq, Lebanon, Bahrain,and Yemen, enabling Iran to project power regionally.  

15. Know the percentage of Jews living in Palestine at the end of the nineteenth century.

Less than 1% of the population in Palestine were Jewish by the late 1800s.

16. Know about the alliance between the Ba’athists and ISIS in Iraq.

After 2003, some former Ba’athist officers joined ISIS to fight the new Shia-led government.

• At first, they worked together.

• Later, ISIS turned on them because their ideologies were different.

17. Know why Turkey was strategically important to become a NATO member after the Second World War.

Turkey borders the Soviet Union and controls the Bosporus Strait, a key waterway. Its location made it an important ally to block Soviet influence during the Cold War.

18. Know the views of John Mearsheimer and Stephen Walt on the U.S. relations with Israel.

They argue that U.S. support for Israel is too strong and often harms U.S. interests in the region. They believe this support is driven more by domestic politics than strategic necessity.

19. Know which uprisings in the Middle East were sectarianized based on Gelvin.

• Syria: Assad (an Alawite) portrayed Sunni protestors as extremists.

• Bahrain: The Sunni monarchy framed Shi’a protests as Iranian-backed, making the conflict sectarian.

20. Know the percentage of the economy controlled by the military in Egypt.

Estimates say the Egyptian military controls between 20% and 40% of the country’s economy, including industries like construction, agriculture, and manufacturing.