The Lebanese civil strife of 1975 to 1990 traces its origin to the political system of the colonial period. The nation political system of consociationalism crumbled into the sectarian war in 1975. The Lebanese civil war had multidimensional facets; at one end, the war was between the Christian community and the Islamic community and at another end, the proximity of Lebanon to Israel and Syria influenced their involvement in the civil war. Some critics contend that the Lebanese civil war was part of greater Arab-Israeli conflict. The formation of the Arab league complicated the association of the Zionist nation with the Arab countries (Shiam). This aspect played critical role in defining the interests Israel and Syria in the Lebanese war.
In a bid to explain the role of Saddam Hussein in ending the Lebanese civil war that began in 1975 to 1990, this research will explore the role of Lebanese consociationalism political system, the external involvement and interest of nations such as Israel, Iran, and Syria. The interplay between power seekers permeated a room for the civil conflict as opposed to creating political stability in the country. Iraq, under the leadership of President Saddam sought to exercise greater control in the Middle East, an aspect that predisposed it to conflict with its neighbors (Burns 127). On the other end, the position of Arab nations against the Zionist nation influenced Israelis stand against the internal strife in Lebanon. To Israel, the instability in Lebanon was a great threat to its peace because of the infiltration of military invasion from the Lebanese border. Thus, at one end, Israel had to defend its territory by supporting the Maronite faction, which fought against the Shiite and the Palestine Liberation Organization, which were threat to Israel. President Saddam attempted to exert control in Middle East by weakening its arch rivals.
Mikaberidze argued that Lebanon at the time of independence from the French colonialist in 1943 formed unwritten pact among the major factions in the country (400). These factions were the Maronite Christian Community, Shiite Muslims, and Sunni Muslims. The Maronite Christians were the majority and had a greater political stake in running the affairs of this nation. The Lebanese Muslims were not happy with the unwritten pact which gave the Christian the chance to exercise political role in the nation. The representation of the Muslims and Christians in the central government was the contentious issue that plunged the country into civil war.
The Middle East has historically rebuked Western influence during their process of establishing independence. When Britain and France left the Middle East after World War II, the region saw an unprecedented opportunity to establish independent and self-sufficient states free from the Western influence they had felt for hundreds of years. In an attempt to promote nationalistic independence, the states of the region immediately formed the League of Arab States in 1945. The League recognized and promoted the autonomy of its members and collaborated in regional opposition against the West until 1948 when Israel declared independence. Israel represented then and now an intrusive Western presence in the Arab world. The ongoing Arab-Israeli conflict typifies this cultural antagonism. The Cold War refocused attention to the Middle East as a site of economic and strategic importance for both sides, yet the two hegemons of the Cold War now needed to recognize the sovereignty of the Middle Eastern states. With their statehood and power cemented, the Middle Easte...
Samii, Abbas William. "The Shah's Lebanon policy: the role of SAVAK." Middle Eastern Studies 33.1 (1997): 66+. World History in Context. Web. 19 May 2014.
The Middle East has since time immemorial been on the global scope because of its explosive disposition. The Arab Israeli conflict has not been an exception as it has stood out to be one of the major endless conflicts not only in the region but also in the world. Its impact continues to be felt all over the world while a satisfying solution still remains intangible. A lot has also been said and written on the conflict, both factual and fallacious with some allegations being obviously evocative. All these allegations offer an array of disparate views on the conflict. This essay presents an overview of some of the major literature on the controversial conflict by offering precise and clear insights into the cause, nature, evolution and future of the Israel Arab conflict.
To say the cause of political friction in the Middle East is due to religious differences is too simplistic as well as unduly inflammatory. Other things come into play, such as protection of US interests involving energy production, and even control of the water supply by Israel and its neighboring countries. However, to say the violence has nothing to do with religious differences denies the past 4,000 years of history.
Sixty-three percent of Iraq’s population is Shia Muslim, thirty-three percent is Sunni Muslim (Lunde, 2002). For the past five centuries the minority, Sunni Muslims, have held political power in Iraq. It was not until recently that the majority, the Shia Muslims, was able to experience political power. The tensions between Sunni and Shia in Iraq are not due to religious differences formed after Muhammad’s death 1,382 years ago and are not inevitable, as proven by the relationships between Sunni and Shia in other countries and in the past (Shuster, 2011). The state of unrest surrounding the Sunni and Shia Muslims of Iraq is due to politics, power, and privilege, caused by the change of attitude in Islamic leaders in government and the discrimination of the Shia by the Sunni minority. This has been partly due to the fact that early in their history Shias were not the majority and therefore lost political power. This unbalance and the differences between the two sects are most unstable and evident during times of political unrest (Hunter, n.d).
Since the inception of an Israeli nation-state in 1948, violence and conflict has played a major role in Israel’s brief history. In the Sixty-One year’s Israel has been a recognized nation-state, they have fought in 6 interstate wars, 2 civil wars, and over 144 dyadic militarized interstate disputes (MIDs) with some display of military force against other states (Maoz 5). Israel has been involved in constant conflict throughout the past half century. Israel’s tension against other states within the Middle East has spurred vast economic, social, and political unity that has fostered a sense of nationalism and unity in Israel not seen in most other states. Over the next several pages I will try and dissect the reasons for why the nation state of Israel has been emerged in constant conflict and how this conflict has helped foster national unity and identity among the people of Israel.
The French’s mandate over Syria after World Ware One had an irrevocable impact on the nations’s communal factions. The mandate lasted from 1920-1946 and they begun their rule with intentionally made sectarian divisions. They were made in order to prevent Arab nationalism and stifle national independence movements. The divisions were made my religious and national minority. Granting the minorities independent status locations where they make up the majority. For example, there was a large population of Alawites in the mountain range behind Latakia, the French declared them a separate state. The Druze were granted the right and ability to govern themselves in the city of Jabal, just south of Damascus. The one religious group that did not enjoy the effects of the French mandate were the Sunni Muslims. In Syrian history, the Sunnis were viewed as the elitist, being dominant in politics, officer corps, gendarme and the police force. With the imposed separation of communal factions, the Sunnis had less power and influence. The divide-and-rule strategy the French imposed eroded the relationships among Syria’s religious and ethnic groups, ties that would have been valuable later in Syrian politics. Further analyzing the major religious factions of Syria thorough depicts development of their bitter relationships (Fildis).
Iraq’s destabilization became prominent after American intervention removed Saddam Hussein from power. Since Hussein’s termination, the region of Iraq has been unable to piece together a government strong enough to maintain control over civilian behavior, social infrastructure, or the co-related increase in the influence of sectarian militias and terrorist groups in the region. Regardless of what was gained or lost by removing Hussein from power, the greater problems with the U.S.’s intervention arose from the proceedings of our continued occupation. Through removing many of the government functions that had existed under Hussein in a massive purge of individuals who had once associated themselves with Hussein’s Ba’athist party (a process
Syria is currently all over the news regarding what many have to come to see as a civil war. A term like civil war needs to identify the players and the reasons for the war. In this case the players are being identified as pro government or antigovernment with a Sunni or Shia overtone. Sunni and Shia are the two major sects of Islam and both have a historical based conflict going back to the death of the Prophet Muhammad and how Muslims should be governed. This conflict has caused tensions and violence to flare up throughout Islamic history. This conflict has carried into modern times and has becoming a rallying point for Muslim people calling for change with their government and across the Middle Eastern region. The Sunni Shia conflict is major division within Islam that has and continues to shape Islam and the Middle East.
Based on the constructivist view, the Civil War in Syria is initiated by the identity conflict between two groups which are the Assad’s regime and the rebel. Assad’s regime originates from minority Alawite, who made up 12 percent of the Syria population and also dominates most of the position in Syria government (citation). However, this identity conflict is not on religion based as the rebel’s side consists variation of group such as Sunni sect, Free Syrian Army (FSA) and other citizens. Besides, the Assad’s regimes as well consist of other society despite of the Alwite. Based on this condition, it is clearly portray that, even though a group is made up of multiple identities, they still can pursue t...
...most distressed by outcome of a war, could exercise only inadequate control on the issue of armed action against Iraq. Most of the regional actors discarded the U.S. policy towards Iraq with varying intensity as they feared insecurity after Iraq’s disintegration (Reuters, 2003) whereas; Jordan decided not to endanger its rewarding ties with Washington. Another key actor at this level is the Baathi party in Iraq which was based on tribal division, domestic oppression and economic enticement. Under Baathi regime military, bureaucracy and security services was divided into several competing institutions which reinforced Hussein’s dictatorship in Iraq. In the post war Iraq, the USA in collaboration with the Iraq National Congress and the Supreme Council of Islamic Revolution started to make Iraq a democracy that is similar to the American political culture and values.
On the Middle East 's history, religion often has close ties with politics. As a result, when the theocracy and monarchy two combined rise and fall of a nation, unity and religious solidarity will split. Coupled with the Middle East nation of many, there are many of them among the ethnic feud deep. The more prominent is the conflict between Arabs and Jews, Persians, Kurds between there are deep contradictions between the
Over the last three years, Lebanon has experienced a period of social turmoil and sectarian tensions (Preston, 2014). Since the civil War broke out in Syrian in the year 2011, Lebanon has had its great share of the skirmishes. The Syrian war has lead to a split between Shiites who throws their support behind the Syria government led by Assad and Sunni Muslims who renders their support to the Syrian rebels. This turmoil has lead to un...
In the fall of 1980, one of the largest and most destructive conflicts to occur from the end of the second world war started between Iran and Iraq. Lasting eight years, the war left approximately 1.5 million dead and around a million casualties with thousands of refugees fleeing both nations. This conflict's roots can be traced backed to conflicts that raged between the powers which controlled the Persian Iran and Arab Iraq regions (Bahadori, 2005). For centuries, the Persians and Arabs have been at war under the banners of opposing empires.. (Karsh, Geopolitical Determinism: The Origins of the Iran-Iraq War, 1990)
A key figure in the history of Iraq is a man named Saddam Hussein. Saddam Hussein was the president of Iraq from 1979 to 2003. Hussein’s rule over Iraq was filled with war and invasions. Two Iraq conflicts which are important to understanding the later Iraq invasion are the Iran-Iraq war and the invasion of Kuwait. Due to the fact that this research paper is primarily focused on the events of the Iraq invasion, this paper will only discuss the primary factors of the Iran-Iraq war and the invasion of Kuwait, which have a relevance to the events later to come in Iraq. The Iran-Iraq war took place in from 1980 to 1988. The primary factor important to this essay is Iraq’s use of chemical weapons against Iran’s forces. The primary factor which is