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 French had control of Syria and Lebanon. France had a direct rule, meaning that they sent officials and their army to govern their mandates. The Druze revolt caused the French to separate Lebanon into a country of their own. They appointed the government as people of different religious groups, Christian, Shi’a Muslims, and Sunni Muslims. During World War Two (WWII), Syria and Lebanon tried to gain independence. In 1946 Syria and Lebanon were free. During the time of the French Mandates they made many improvements towards the roads, education, agriculture, and health; which laid the groundwork for modern Syria and
The Nation of Israel was founded out of the eastern area of a British occupied (former Ottoman Empire) section of western Asia known as the “Mandate of Palestine”. There was an attempt in November of 1947 by the United Nations (UN) to partition the region into Arab and Israeli states with the Holy City Jerusalem as an international city. (United Nations, 1949) The Jews accepted this proposal while the Arab League and other groups did not. (Israel Ministry of Foreign Affairs, 2006). What followed was an Arab strike that became violent and sent the Jews on the defensive. They rebounded and brought the civil war to an end, expelling over 250,000 Arabs. The day before the British mandate was set to expire; the region was invaded by four Arab States starting the yearlong 1948 Arab–Israeli War. Ultimately a cease fire and truce was reached with the establishment of bo...
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.
In this paper, I intend to analyze Iraq war of 2003 from Realist and Marxist/ Critical perspectives. I intend to draw a conclusion as to which theoretical framework, in my opinion, is more suitable and provides for a rational understanding of the Iraq War. While drawing comparative analysis of two competing approaches, I do not intend to dismiss one theory in entirety in favour of another. However, I do intend to weigh on a golden balance, lacunas of both theories in order to conclude as to which theory in the end provides or intends to provide a watertight analysis of the Iraq war.
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 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...
The regime of Saddam Hussein began looking like a very promising presidency for the Iraqi people. His goal of absolute domination in the Arab region, turned him into a feared menace among his people. Saddam Hussein was born on April 28, 1937 in Tikrit, Iraq. Hussein’s father, whose occupation was a shepherd, vanished without a trace several months before Saddam was born and he never returned home to Saddam, his brother or his wife. A few months later and after the disappearance of Hussein’s father, his older brother died a terrible death caused by cancer. Saddam’s mother was unable to care for him due to the stress induced anxiety and depression caused by the death of her eldest son, and her missing husband. She was unable to care for Saddam, and at the age three he was sent to Baghdad to live with his uncle, Khairallah Talfah. Saddam would return to Al-Awja years later to live with his mother, but after suffering physical abuse from his stepfather, he fled to Baghdad once again. This influence from Saddam’s childhood made his policies very contradictory in more ways than one, his policies on oil, his abuse of power, and how he treated the people of Iraq could label him as a tyrant. He changed the way the world works today with his use of chemical weapons and abuse of oil.
Iraq’s history is one of both prosperity and violence, and dates back to the ancient civilizations of Mesopotamia. While dominated by a variety of civilizations, the region enjoyed a relatively stable society. Since the birth of Islam, the religion has been the dominant cultural belief of the region, and has made its way into the laws and ruling of the region. (InDepth Info, 2010)
The Syrian civil war, also known as the Syrian rebellion is a continuing fortified conflict in Syria between armies trustworthy to the Ba'ath government and those in the hunt for to overthrow it. The conflict began on 15 March 2011, with famous protests that grew countrywide by April 2011. These protests were part of the wider Middle Eastern protest movement known as the Arab Spring. Protesters demanded the resignation of President Bashar al-Assad, whose family has held the presidency in Syria since 1971, as well as the end of Ba'ath Party rule, which began in 1963.
The War of 1948, also known as the War of Independence, was fought between Israel and its Arab neighbors. The war began May 15, 1948 when units from the armies of Egypt, Syria, Lebanon, Jordan, and Iraq invaded Israel launching a war that lasted until December 1948.# The war resulted in the defeat of the Arab forces and the success of Israel as a newly established state. It is evident that the Arab forces were not successful in the first Arab-Israeli war because the Arab army lacked motivation, education, and proper equipment.# Despite the support from Arab states outside of Palestine, the Arabs were unable to gain enough strength to overcome the Israeli forces. In contrast, the Israeli army was able to succeed because they had unconditional support from the Jewish community, efficient infrastructures, and modern equipment. Israel also used significant strategies that proved lethal against the competing Arab forces. With the Arab communities unorganized attempt to go to war in 1948, it was inevitable that Israel would come out of the war as the victor.
Since March 2011, Syria had no longer experienced a situation called peace and harmony. Syrian’s daily life is filled with the events of killing, bombing and torturing of their brothers and sisters. This unresolved conflict began with a revolution to against the government for brook the promise to have betterment in political system (citation). However the government had responded by harsh action. Starting from this point, Syria had slide into Civil War. Based on the brief description about situation in Syria, I strongly believe that the best International Relation theory to describe this situation is constructivism. This is because the Civil War in Syria is socially constructed by some factors which will be discussed deeply in the next paragraph. In this essay, I will emphasize on the two factors that lead to Syria Civil War which are identity conflict in a state and the absence of shared norms of sovereignty; and provide a solution from constructivism perspective which is diplomacy negotiation and limitation to it.
The French ruled oppressively, splitting the country into regions along ethnic and religious lines in order to divide and conquer. It wasn’t until World War II did Syria gain independence. Syria was granted de jure independence in 1941. Then, in 1943, President Shukri al-Kuwatly took power. However, the last French solider did not leave until 1946.
...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.
The abrupt end of decade long dominating regime in three weeks had created a political vacuum, that is evident in shifting coalitions and divisions among religious groups, ethnic groups, regional groups and even classes (Barnett et al. 2003, 25). US did not realize, moreover, the depth of the hostility between Kurds and Arabs, Sunnis and Shiites, and the members of different tribes and local religious groups. Furthermore, to deal with destruction in Iraq new plan was decided by the US. The plan was to pull out all troops and hand over the responsi...
The Civil War between al-Amin and al-Ma mun arose dramatically because both brothers disagreed on several different issues that sparked into a series of actions that asserted al-Amin full sovereignty over the east and had brother al-Ma mun to govern of Khurasan. Al-Amin demanded tax revenues towards certain towns in Khurasan to be sent to Baghdad that recalled military contingents. This made al-Ma mun furious because it showed that he had no independence in other words no say towards issues. Al-Ma mun begin to style himself differently with political presumptuous by changing the sikka in the east with his new title and excluded the caliph’s name, this brought bigger problems to the country that showed two prideful young men were going to set the stage for war. Through the arguments of both brothers it is easy to say that they parted their own ways by disagreements of the caliphate ways which promoted two divisions of conflict that caused a war.