1st Edition
The Iran-Iraq War New International Perspectives
This volume offers a wide-ranging examination of the Iran–Iraq War (1980–88), featuring fresh regional and international perspectives derived from recently available new archival material.
Three decades ago Iran and Iraq became embroiled in a devastating eight-year war which served to re-define the international relations of the Gulf region. The Iran–Iraq War stands as an anomaly in the Cold War era; it was the only significant conflict in which the interests of the United States and Soviet Union unwittingly aligned, with both superpowers ultimately supporting the Iraqi regime.
The Iran–Iraq War re-assesses not only the superpower role in the conflict but also the war’s regional and wider international dimensions by bringing to the fore fresh evidence and new perspectives from a variety of sources. It focuses on a number of themes including the economic dimensions of the war and the roles played by a variety of powers, including the Gulf States, Turkey, France, the Soviet Union and the United States. The contributions to the volume serve to underline that the Iran–Iraq war was a defining conflict, shaping the perspectives of the key protagonists for a generation to come.
This book will be of much interest to students of international and Cold War history, Middle Eastern politics, foreign policy, and International Relations in general.
1. Introduction, Nigel Ashton and Bryan Gibson Part I: Waging the War 2. Lessons Learned: Civil Military Relations during the Iran-Iraq War and its influence on the 1991 Gulf War and 2003 Iraq War, Ibrahim Al-Marashi 3. Saddam and the Iran-Iraq War: Rule from the Top, Williamson Murray and Kevin Woods 4. Mustazafin and Taghutti: Iran and the War, 1980-1988, Rob Johnson Part II: Economic Dimensions of the War 5. The True Role of Oil in the Outcome of the Iran-Iraq War: Some Important Lessons in Historical context, Farzin Nadimi 6. The Finances of War: Iraq, credit and conflict, September 1980 - August 1990, Glen Rangwala Part III: Regional Perspectives 7. The Gulf States and the Iran-Iraq War: Cooperation and Confusion, Kristian Coates-Ulrichsen 8. The Ostensible ‘Silent Victor’ – The Long-Term Impact of the Iran-Iraq War on Turkey’s Regional Position and Neighborly Relations, Elliot Hen-Tov Part IV: American Policy and the War 9. Reappraising the Carter Administration’s Response, Chris Emery 10. Changing American Perspectives on the Iraq- Iran War, Judith Yaphe 11. Critical Oral History: A New Approach to Examining the United States’ Role in the War, Malcolm Byrne Part V: International Perspectives on the War 12. France’s Discrete Involvement in the Iran-Iraq War, Pierre Razoux 13. The Soviet Union and the Iran-Iraq War, Artemy Kalinovsky
Biography
Nigel Ashton is Professor in International History at the London School of Economics and Political Science. He is author/editor of six books, including, most recently, King Hussein of Jordan: A Political Life (2008).
Bryan Gibson is a PhD Candidate in International History at the London School of Economics and Political Science. He is the author of Covert Relationship: American Foreign Policy, Intelligence, and the Iran–Iraq War, 1980–88 (2010).
