Eclipse of the Sunnis

Eclipse of the Sunnis PDF Author: Deborah Amos
Publisher: Public Affairs
ISBN: 158648950X
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 258

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Book Description
An eye-opening look at the displacement of Sunni power and culture throughout the Middle East by an award-winning NPR reporter

Eclipse of the Sunnis

Eclipse of the Sunnis PDF Author: Deborah Amos
Publisher: Public Affairs
ISBN: 158648950X
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 258

Get Book Here

Book Description
An eye-opening look at the displacement of Sunni power and culture throughout the Middle East by an award-winning NPR reporter

Sunnis and Shi'a

Sunnis and Shi'a PDF Author: Laurence Louër
Publisher: Princeton University Press
ISBN: 0691234507
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 236

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Book Description
A compelling history of the ancient schism that continues to divide the Islamic world When Muhammad died in 632 without a male heir, Sunnis contended that the choice of a successor should fall to his closest companions, but Shi'a believed that God had inspired the Prophet to appoint his cousin and son-in-law, Ali, as leader. So began a schism that is nearly as old as Islam itself. Laurence Louër tells the story of this ancient rivalry, taking readers from the last days of Muhammad to the political and doctrinal clashes of Sunnis and Shi'a today. In a sweeping historical narrative spanning the Islamic world, Louër shows how the Sunni-Shi'a divide was never just a dispute over succession—at issue are questions about the very nature of Islamic political authority. She challenges the widespread perception of Sunnis and Shi'a as bitter enemies who are perpetually at war with each other, demonstrating how they have coexisted peacefully at various periods throughout the history of Islam. Louër traces how sectarian tensions have been inflamed or calmed depending on the political contingencies of the moment, whether to consolidate the rule of elites, assert clerical control over the state, or defy the powers that be. Timely and provocative, Sunnis and Shi'a provides needed perspective on the historical roots of today's conflicts and reveals how both branches of Islam have influenced and emulated each other in unexpected ways. This compelling and accessible book also examines the diverse regional contexts of the Sunni-Shi'a divide, examining how it has shaped societies and politics in countries such as Iraq, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Iran, Yemen, and Lebanon.

Aftermath

Aftermath PDF Author: Jason S. Belcher
Publisher: Post Hill Press
ISBN: 1618688855
Category : Political Science
Languages : en
Pages : 160

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Book Description
Why have there been so many violent conflicts in 2014? Aftermath offers an insider’s view of how each conflict started, what it means, and the common thread driving increased warfare around the world. By giving voice to the experiences of a new generation of veterans Aftermath provides a novel framework for managing global affairs. Aftermath addresses the recent conflicts which have dominated the world stage: civil war in Ukraine, ISIS in Syria and Iraq, Boko Haram in Nigeria, drug wars in Mexico, violence in west Africa following an unprecedented outbreak of Ebola, global mass demonstrations and protests, troubling incidents with nuclear weapons, and war between Israel and HAMAS have dominated headlines. While our leaders seem unable to explain or to stop violent conflicts from spreading Aftermath provides fresh insights and solutions. The old frameworks of understanding global affairs are no longer adequate to manage international relations in the 21st century. Aftermath will shape the next generation of thinking on global affairs for elected officials, military planners, multi-national businesses, and students of current events.

Iraq and the Crimes of Aggressive War

Iraq and the Crimes of Aggressive War PDF Author: John Hagan
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
ISBN: 1316381315
Category : Law
Languages : en
Pages : 265

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Book Description
From the torture of detainees at Abu Ghraib to unnecessary military attacks on civilians, this book is an account of the violations of international criminal law committed during the United States invasion of Iraq. Taking stock of the entire war, it uniquely documents the overestimation of the successes and underestimation of the failings of the Surge and Awakening policies. The authors show how an initial cynical framing of the American war led to the creation of a new Shia-dominated Iraq state, which in turn provoked powerful feelings of legal cynicism among Iraqis, especially the Sunni. The predictable result was a resilient Sunni insurgency that re-emerged in the violent aftermath of the 2011 withdrawal. Examining more than a decade of evidence, this book makes a powerful case that the American war in Iraq constituted a criminal war of aggression.

Death, Dominance, and State-Building

Death, Dominance, and State-Building PDF Author: Roger D. Petersen
Publisher: Oxford University Press
ISBN: 0197760767
Category : Political Science
Languages : en
Pages : 593

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Book Description
The definitive work on the course, conduct, and aftermath of the Iraq war. In Death, Dominance, and State-Building, the eminent scholar of conflict Roger D. Petersen provides the first comprehensive analytic history of post-invasion Iraq. Although the war is almost universally derided as one of the biggest foreign policy blunders of the post-Cold War era, Petersen argues that the course and conduct of the conflict is poorly understood. He begins by outlining an accessible framework for analyzing complex, fluid, and violent internal conflicts. He then applies that framework to a variety of diverse case studies to break down the strategic interplay among the US military forces and Shia and Sunni insurgent organizations as it played out in Baghdad, Anbar, and Hawija. Highlighting the struggle for dominance between Shia and Sunni in Baghdad, Petersen offers a reconsideration of the Surge. He also addresses failures of state-building in Iraqi Kurdistan. Critically, he shows how the legacy of the US occupation and presence from 2003-2011 shaped Iraq's political and security contours from 2011-2023. Comprehensive, analytically sophisticated, and subtle, this book draws lessons relevant to future American military interventions from what most regard as the US's most disastrous foreign policy adventure since Vietnam. The US cannot simply wish away insurgencies, which are always going to occur. The question is what the US and other great powers might do about them in the future.

The Caliph and the Imam

The Caliph and the Imam PDF Author: Toby Matthiesen
Publisher: Oxford University Press
ISBN: 0198806558
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 961

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Book Description
The authoritative account of the sectarian division that for centuries has shaped events in the Middle East and the Islamic world. In 632, soon after the prophet Muhammad died, a struggle broke out among his followers as to who would succeed him. The majority argued that the new leader of Islam should be elected by the community's elite. Others believed only members of Muhammad's family could lead. This dispute over whoshould guide Muslims, the appointed Caliph or the bloodline Imam, marks the origin of the Sunni-Shii split in Islam. Toby Matthiesen explores this hugely significant division from its origins to thepresent day. Moving chronologically, his book sheds light on the many ways that it has shaped the Islamic world, outlining how over the centuries Sunnism and Shiism became Islams two main branches, particularly after the Muslim Empires embraced sectarian identity. It reveals how colonial rule institutionalised divisions between Sunnism and Shiism both on the Indian subcontinent and in the greater Middle East, giving rise to pan-Islamic resistance and Sunni and Shii revivalism. It then focuseson the fall-out from the 1979 revolution in Iran and the US-led military intervention in Iraq. As Matthiesen shows, however, though Sunnism and Shiism have had a long and antagonistic history, mostMuslims have led lives characterised by confessional ambiguity and peaceful co-existence. Tensions arise when sectarian identity becomes linked to politics. Based on a synthesis of decades of scholarship in numerous languages, The Caliph and the Imam will become the standard text for readers looking for a deeper understanding of contemporary sectarian conflict and its historical roots.

Counterinsurgency

Counterinsurgency PDF Author: Douglas Porch
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
ISBN: 1107244897
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 449

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Book Description
Counterinsurgency has staked its claim in the new century as the new American way of war. Yet, the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq have revived a historical debate about the costs - monetary, political and moral - of operations designed to eliminate insurgents and build nations. Today's counterinsurgency proponents point to 'small wars' past to support their view that the enemy is 'biddable' if the correct tactical formulas are applied. Douglas Porch's sweeping history of counterinsurgency campaigns carried out by the three 'providential nations' of France, Britain and the United States, ranging from nineteenth-century colonial conquests to General Petraeus' 'Surge' in Iraq, challenges the contemporary mythologising of counterinsurgency as a humane way of war. The reality, he reveals, is that 'hearts and minds' has never been a recipe for lasting stability and that past counterinsurgency campaigns have succeeded not through state-building but by shattering and dividing societies while unsettling civil-military relations.

Shifting Sands

Shifting Sands PDF Author: Joel S. Migdal
Publisher: Columbia University Press
ISBN: 0231166729
Category : Political Science
Languages : en
Pages : 424

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Book Description
Joel S. Migdal focuses on the approach U.S. officials adopted toward the Middle East after World War II, one that paid scant attention to tectonic shifts in the region. The United States did not restrict its strategic model to the Middle East—beginning with Harry S. Truman, American presidents applied a uniform strategy rooted in the country’s Cold War experience in Europe to regions across the globe, designed to project America into nearly every corner of the world while limiting costs and overreach. The approach was simple: find a local power that could play Great Britain’s role in Europe after the war, sharing the burden of exercising power, and establish a security alliance along the lines of NATO. Yet regional changes following the creation of Israel, the Free Officers Coup in Egypt, the rise of Arab nationalism from 1948 to 1952, and, later, the Iranian Revolution and the Egypt-Israel peace treaty in 1979 complicated this project. Migdal shows how insufficient attention to these key transformations led to a series of missteps and misconceptions in the twentieth century. With the Arab uprisings of 2009–2011 prompting another major shift, Migdal sees an opportunity for the United States to deploy a new, more workable strategy, and he concludes with a plan for gaining a stable foothold.

Iraqi Refugees in the United States

Iraqi Refugees in the United States PDF Author: Ken R. Crane
Publisher: NYU Press
ISBN: 1479873942
Category : Social Science
Languages : en
Pages : 205

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Book Description
How Iraqi refugees navigate life, belonging, and exclusion in America The US invasion of Iraq in 2003 caused the largest forced migration in the Middle East since 1948, with millions of people fleeing to Syria, Jordan, Turkey, Iran, European Union, Australia and the United States. In Iraqi Refugees in the United States, Ken R. Crane explores the uphill climb faced by Iraqi refugees who have sought belonging in a country engaged in an ongoing War on Terror. Drawing on numerous interviews and fieldwork, Crane explores the diverse experiences of a community of Iraqi refugees, showing how they have struggled to negotiate their place in the wake of mass displacement. He highlights the promise of belonging, as well as their many painful encounters with exclusion. Ultimately, Crane provides a window into the complexities of what “becoming American” means for Iraqi refugees, even as they are perceived by other Americans as “security threats.” As debates about immigration and refugee status continue to play out in headlines and the courts, Iraqi Refugees in the United States provides important insight into the global refugee crisis.

The New Threat

The New Threat PDF Author: Jason Burke
Publisher: The New Press
ISBN: 162097360X
Category : Political Science
Languages : en
Pages : 321

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Book Description
From Syria to Somalia, from Libya to Indonesia, from Yemen to the capitals of Europe, Islamic militancy appears stronger, more widespread, and more threatening than ever. In The New Threat prizewinning frontline reporter Jason Burke cuts through the mass of opinion and misinformation to explain the nature of the threat we now face. Shortlisted for the Orwell Prize, The New Threat offers insight into the rise of ISIS and other groups, such as Boko Haram, which together command significant military power, rule millions, and control extensive territories. Elsewhere, Al Qaeda remains potent and is rapidly evolving. As a new generation of Western extremists emerges—as seen by the horrifying attacks in Paris and Brussels as well as the "lone wolf" operatives in the United States—Burke argues it is imperative that we understand who these groups are and what they actually want.