Middle East

December 2010
The Mideast After Iran Gets the Bomb
by Bruce Riedel
“Iran’s acquisition of a nuclear weapons capability . . . will be destabilizing and unsettling. But it will not transform the fundamental nature of the military balance of power in the region.”

December 2010
The Rise and Fall of Political Reform in the Arab World
by Marina Ottaway
“The lesson taught by Egypt and Iraq . . . is that real political reform only occurs when a new balance of power emerges in a country.”

December 2010
Israel’s Existential Predicament: Population, Territory, and Identity
by Sergio DellaPergola
“If one wants a country to be Jewish . . . a certain threshold of the population may actually need to be Jewish.”

December 2010
Iraq Struggles to Govern Itself
by Daniel Serwer
“‘Success’ in Baghdad may include a Shiite-dominated government relatively friendly to Tehran, an outcome that the Americans are still trying to avoid but that they may ultimately have to accept.”

December 2010
Fragile State: Yemen in Conflict
by Lucas Winter
“The Yemeni government . . . is attempting to assert direct control over an area that so far it has only been able to manage through a delicate balance of patronage networks.”

December 2010
Perspective: The Paradox of Visibility: Gay in the Middle East
by Brian Whitaker
In cultures that pretend homosexuality doesn’t exist, or view it as a Western perversion, gay men and lesbians are forced to lead furtive lives.

December 2010
Books: Muslims in the Melting Pot
by William W. Finan Jr.
A new book examines the role of Islam in America, where many citizens continue to view the religion through the prism of terrorism originating in the Middle East.

December 2010
The Month in Review
by the editors of Current History
An international chronology of events in October 2010, country by country, day by day

December 2010
2010 Current History Index
by the editors of Current History
An index of essays and authors appearing in Current History in 2010.

December 2010
Map of the Middle East
by the editors of Current History
Map of the Middle East

December 2009
The Middle East’s New Power Dynamics
by Anoushiravan Ehteshami
“Iran’s rise has alarmed Israel, Turkey, and the core Arab states in equal measure, encouraging a . . . reworking of the regional balance of power.”

December 2009
“Moderates” Redefined: How To Deal with Political Islam
by Emile Nakhleh
“It is imperative for the United States to engage mainstream Islamic political parties that are committed to gradual change through the ballot box.”

December 2009
Fixing the Mideast’s Economies
by Hossein Askari
“Petroleum revenues, which theoretically should have supported economic prosperity, have in practice fueled regional conflicts, supported corruption, [and] created economic injustice. . . .”

December 2009
Syria: The Change That Never Came
by Lindsay A. Gifford
“Assad planned when he took office to slowly implement economic reforms and eventually allow greater political freedom. That project has failed on both counts.”

December 2009
Behind Iran’s Crackdown, an Economic Coup
by Fariborz Ghadar
“A dramatic shift of economic power has taken place—away from traditional private sector groupings and toward select religious foundations and Revolutionary Guards entities.”

December 2009
Perspective: Is Iraq Back?
by Sam Parker
Iraq is evolving from a state in crisis into a sovereign nation with a broadly accepted political process and an independent role on the regional stage.

December 2009
Books: The Surge Was Hell
by Reviewer: William W. Finan Jr.
The impact on Iraq’s stability and security of the 2007 decision to send more US troops remains a matter of debate. A new book highlights the surge’s human costs.

December 2009
The Month in Review
by The Editors of Current History
An international chronology of events in October 2009, country by country, day by day.

December 2009
2009 Current History Index
by The Editors of Current History
January–December 2009 Volume 108, Numbers 714–722

December 2009
Map of The Middle East
by Editors of Current History
Map of The Middle East