1st Edition
Global and Regional Strategies in the Middle East In Pursuit of Hegemony
Global and Regional Strategies in the Middle East explores hegemony in the Middle East through understanding different dimensions of power politics and the consequences of the hegemonic ambitions of both global and regional powers.
The book adds new aspects to the extensive literature on grand strategies in the Middle East by exploring and evaluating competing strategies from an "insider" perspective. Firstly, it highlights the main determinants of Global powers' grand strategies, assesses the ones applied in the Middle East, and forecasts future strategies after the Ukraine war in alignment with other rival states' capabilities and goals. It then underlines regional dynamics and the hegemonic quest of regional powers and their power politics' determinants since the "War on terror", the Arab Spring and, more recently, the Russian intervention in Ukraine and the Israel–Gaza conflict. The book broadens readers' perspectives by clarifying the region's dynamics that shaped the global and regional power rivalries, where security concerns, economic interests, oil supplies, and hegemonic ambitions make it complicated for the US to keep influence and the total control it had during the late twentieth century.
This book will be of great interest to scholars and students of the MENA region, International Relations and Strategic Studies.
Introduction
Part I- The Theoretical and Historical Horizons of the Book
1. Navigating The Theoretical Framework
2. Conflict and Change: The Dynamics of Middle Eastern History
Part II - Global Powers’ Strategies in the Middle East
3. The US: Adjusting ‘Offshore Balancing’ Strategy in the Middle East
4. China: The Middle East's Game Changer
5. Russia’s Leadership Ambition in the Middle East
6. Europe’s Security and Diplomatic Dilemmas in the Middle East
Part III- Exploring the Regional Dynamics in The Middle East
7. Arab Spring: War of ‘All Against All’
8. Saudi Arabia: From ‘omnibalancing’ to ‘Middle Power’ Ambition
9. Israel’s Perpetual Search for Security
10. Rivalry over Small States: Lebanon Case
11. The ‘Cohabitation’ Theory
Conclusion: The Middle East’s Shifting Sands
Bibliography
Biography
Leila Nicolas is a professor of international affairs and international law at the Lebanese University and two institutions at the Lebanese Army (the Command and Staff College and the Center of Research and Strategic Studies). Her research expertise includes international relations, Great Powers politics and Grand Strategies, Security and Conflict, Transitional Justice, and MENA politics. She is co-founder of the NGO "Lebanese for democracy and good governance" (LEDGE), and has been a member of the Advisory board for the Enacting Global Transformation project. She is also a writer and commentator on several media outlets about Global affairs and MENA issues.
