1st Edition
US-Kuwaiti Relations, 1961-1992 An Uneasy Relationship
After being granted full independence in 1961, Kuwait began its tumultuous relationship with the US. This book sets out to investigate this alliance within the frameworks of a ‘small state’ and ‘influence’, and in particular under the US presidents Carter, Reagan, and Bush. The political, diplomatic and military aspects are examined which have both stalled and enhanced the bilateral relationship at different times and events.
The relationship between the two countries has not always been a straightforward one. Kuwait, overshadowed by its bigger neighbour Saudi Arabia, was regarded as a derivative interest by the US and its role within the region more often than not underestimated. Shedding new light on this key political alliance, the book details how this uneasy relationship evolved while Kuwait maintained its independent foreign policy, which contradicted US national interest. Illuminating and informative, it is essential reading for anyone with an interest in Middle East politics and international relations.
Biography
Dr. Chookiat Panaspornprasit is assistant professor of international relations in the Department of International Relations, Faculty of Political Science, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, Thailand. He is also currently the Deputy Director of the Institute of Security and International Studies (ISIS), Bangkok, Thailand.
'This book is required reading for any scholar of Middle East studies or student of American foreign policy interested in understanding the rise and expansion of the US-Kuwaiti relationship.' - Chris J. Dolan, Middle East Studies Bulletin, Volume 40 Number 2, December 2006
