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Copyright of International Relations / Uluslararasi Iliskiler is the property of International Relations Council and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

This article emphasizes four major transformations that World War I either initiated or accelerated in the Middle East: (1) foreign involvement; (2) the creation of the Middle Eastern state system; (3) the emergence of explicitly more nationalist politics; and (4) the rise of the Middle Eastern oil industry. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

In retracing in broad outline the historical trajectories of nationalism in three successive East Mediterranean contexts, each including the previous one, this essay seeks to marshal evidence in support of arguments on the continuing relevance of nationalism as a force shaping and therefore as a factor in understanding the contemporary world. It is also suggested, on the basis of the evidence discussed, that as a moral doctrine, nationalism remains dubious and can be a destructive ideology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses the question of whether the right to self-determination is applicable in the dispute over the territory of the Western Sahara. The argument put forward by nationalists and secessionists in the region which holds that self-determination provides clear guidance in the dispute is described. The possibility that the application of the right to self-determination regarding the debate over Western Sahara could set a precedent regarding the rights of Palestinians with regard to Israel or the rights of Kurds with regard to governments such as Turkey, Syria, and Iraq is also noted.

The imperial and post-colonial history of France has inspired an ever-growing body of literature in the last decade. Moving well beyond traditional political and economic narratives, these histories present a rich portrait of the policies, peoples, and perceptions that shaped the colonial and post-colonial experience in France and overseas. This article looks at how Arab communities and nations figure within the historiography on the period since the First World War. The first of three sections examines works devoted to culture and imperialism that span the twentieth century, with special emphasis on the differences between the scholarship emerging from French and Anglo-Saxon milieus. The second section looks at how recent histories have used the interwar years as a unit of analysis for understanding French colonialism in the Middle East and North Africa. Algeria, as the cornerstone of the empire and the theatre of the bloodiest colonial war for independence, forms the basis of the third section, which considers new conceptions of nationalism and decolonization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A combination of revolutionary ideology, trouble with neighbours and location in the Middle East, where regionalism is moribund, make the Islamic Republic of Iran an unlikely enthusiast for regional coalition-building. The impetus towards regionalism derives first and foremost from geopolitical considerations–the need to counter the US government's efforts to isolate Iran–but also from domestic dynamics; the regionalist discourse has lent an acceptable ideological colouring to an increasingly pragmatic foreign policy. Iran's neighbours, however, share neither its geopolitical predicament nor its ideological complexion, and the actual implementation of Tehran's regionalist agenda has been based on functional cooperation, rather than on geopolitics and ideology. Trade promotion and the development of transport infrastructure to link Central Asia and the Caspian to Turkey and the Persian Gulf have been the most appealing areas for northern neighbours, and dominate the agenda of the Economic Cooperation Organization, Iran's main vehicle for multilateral cooperaton with Central Asia and Azerbaijan. Tehran's 1992 proposal for a Caspian Sea Cooperation Organization has so far been stymied by the littoral states' well-publicized disagreements over the sea's legal status, though their numerous multilateral meetings and handful of agreements suggest that the idea has potential in the medium–term. Notwithstanding the meagre tangible results to date, Iran's tilt towards regionalism has had a positive impact. It has helped to rehabilitate the Islamic Republic in the eyes of its neighbours, contributed to the evolution of policy debate at home and prepared the ground for future multilateral cooperation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses the author's perspectives on the moral and ethical aspects of the war headed by the U.S. The author stresses that an individual's just war can be an act of terrorism or genocide on another. Moreover, he notes that those who do murderous activities justify their actions by invoking religion or nationalism. He believes that relativism has influenced American foreign policy. Thus, he points out that the greatest dilemma that needs to be addressed in discussing just and unjust wars is the nature of modern wars, which he emphasizes as the factors that need to be considered by the U.S. in building a national army to maintain peace in the Middle East.

The significance of legitimacy to regime maintenance has been much neglected in recent investigations of the Third World, particularly by behavioralists and rational choice theorists. I define legitimacy, discuss factors that may have contributed to this neglect, and explore the significance of nationalism and religion as major sources of legitimacy in the Middle East. Both a misunderstanding of the role of higher values and rationality in individuals' relationship to social systems and a faulty projection applied to the mainsprings of behavior in other cultures have distorted the perceptions of a number of Western analysts. The relationship between religion and nationalism is complex. Contrary to the common assumption in the West, Islam in general has generated fairly sophisticated constitutional theories. Islamic fundamentalism in particular has been a major source of innovation and adaptation—as well as of spiritual gratification—for the Muslim masses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article focuses on the Israel factor in the politics of Arab states in Middle East. According to the author, the challenge presented by Israel and Zionism have shaped the emergence of a specific Palestinian national identity. He added that the effective Israeli foreign policy toward the Palestinians and broad Arab Middle East which includes the growing popular appeal of Islamic radicalism, stronger demands for more meaningful participation and the wider yearning for material well-being and equity are being embedded in public attitudes toward the Jewish state. Moreover, the politicization and free elections has strengthened radical forces opposed to conciliation with Israel and the West.