The Origins of the Gulf Wars
Description:... An overview of the military and geostrategic history of the Persian Gulf states that focuses on the military backgrounds of the Iran-Iraq war and, to a lesser extent, the American-Iraq war. Introductory chapters briefly discuss the role of nationalism, Islam, oil, the politics of the Cold War, and the artificial (imposed by Europeans) borders of the region in fueling conflict. The recent histories and military policies of Iran, Iraq, and Saudi Arabia are then outlined. The five factors considered most significant in causing the wars are found to be an ideological background that justified militarization as a function of leadership, a surge of oil revenue capital fueling militarization, the willingness of the United States and the Soviet Union to supply weapons, continuing simmering conflicts involving the Israelis and the Kurds, and the use of militarization to control societal forces and counter elites that challenged the political system. Annotation copyrighted by Book News, Inc., Portland, OR
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