What Every American Should Know about the Middle EastThe What Every American Should Know series returns with a timely guide to the region Americans need to understand the most (and know the least) The latest edition of Melissa Rossi?s popular What Every American Should Know series gives a crash course on one of the most complex and important regions of the world. In this comprehensive and engaging reference book, Rossi offers a clear analysis of the issues playing out in the Middle East, delving into each country?s history, politics, economy, and religions. Having traveled through the area over the past year, she exposes firsthand the U.S.?s geopolitical moves and how our presence has affected the region?s economic and political development. Topics include: · Why Iran is viewed as a threat by most Middle East countries · What resource is more important than petroleum in regional power plays · What?s really behind the fighting between Sunni and Shia · How Saudi Arabia inadvertently feeds the violence in Iraq and beyond · How monarchies like those in Jordan and Qatar are more open and progressive than the so-called republics With answers that will surprise many Americans, and covering a vast history and cultural complexity that will fascinate any student of the world, What Every American Should Know About the Middle East is a must-read introduction to the most critical region of the twenty-first century. |
Contents
Misunderstanding the Middle East | 1 |
Jogging Through the Millennia | 25 |
Pulling the Pieces Together | 41 |
European Designs Hacking Up the Middle East | 67 |
Iraq Pardon Our Mess | 115 |
Iran Isnt the Party Over Yet? | 147 |
The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia Splitsville | 179 |
Kuwait Lines in the Sand | 211 |
Qatar Trail Blazing | 279 |
Bahrain A New Profile | 293 |
Oman Awake at Last | 303 |
Israel Fulfilling Prophecies | 321 |
Disappearing Act The Palestinian Territoriesthe West Bank and Gaza | 343 |
Lebanon The Cedar Devolution | 363 |
Syria Crumbling Support | 387 |
Jordan Stuck in the Middle | 407 |
Yemen In Another World | 237 |
The United Arab Emirates The Land of Possibilities | 257 |
Egypt Secret Society | 429 |
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Common terms and phrases
Abdullah al Qaeda American Arab arms attack Ayatollah Baghdad Bahrain began Beirut believed billion dollars bombs British Brits Bush caliphate called century Chalabi Christian clerics decades defense Druze Dubai Egypt Egyptian elections emir Faisal fighters fighting forces foreign Gaza Gulf Hamad Hamas Hariri Hezbollah holy hundred Hussein Iran Iran's Iranians Iraq Iraq's Iraqi Islamic Islamists Israel Israeli Jerusalem Jewish Jews Jordan Jordanian Khomeini killed King kingdom Kurds Kuwait land leaders Lebanese Lebanon live Middle East militants military militias Mohammed Mosque move mujahideen Muslim Brotherhood Nasser National neocons nuclear Oman Ottoman Palestine Palestinian territories parliament peace percent Persian President prime minister Prince Qaeda Qatar region religion religious rule rulers Saddam Saddam Hussein Saleh Saudi Arabia Sauds shah Sheik Shia Sunni Syria Tehran thousand United Wahhabi weapons West Bank who'd women Yemen Zarqawi Zionists