The Red Star and the Crescent provides an in-depth and multi-disciplinary analysis of the evolvin... more The Red Star and the Crescent provides an in-depth and multi-disciplinary analysis of the evolving relationship between China and the Middle East. Despite its increasing importance, very few studies have examined this dynamic, deepening, and multi-faceted nexus. James Reardon-Anderson has sought to fill this critical gap. The volume examines the ‘big picture’ of international relations, then zooms in on case studies and probes the underlying domestic factors on each side. Reardon-Anderson tackles topics as diverse as China’s security strategy in the Middle East, its military relations with the states of the region, its role in the Iran nuclear negotiations, the Uyghur question, and the significance and consequences of the Silk Road strategy.
By examining the system of authoritarianism in eight Arab republics, Joseph Sassoon portrays life... more By examining the system of authoritarianism in eight Arab republics, Joseph Sassoon portrays life under these regimes and explores the mechanisms underpinning their resilience. How did the leadership in these countries create such enduring systems? What was the economic system that prolonged the regimes' longevity, but simultaneously led to their collapse? Why did these seemingly stable regimes begin to falter? This book seeks to answer these questions by utilizing the Iraqi archives and memoirs of those who were embedded in these republics: political leaders, ministers, generals, security agency chiefs, party members, and business people. Taking a thematic approach, the book begins in 1952 with the Egyptian Revolution and ends with the Arab uprisings of 2011. It seeks to deepen our understanding of the authoritarianism and coercive systems that prevailed in these countries and the difficult process of transition from authoritarianism that began after 2011.
International Journal of Contemporary Iraqi Studies, 2018
This article presents rarely seen glimpses into life in the barracks of the Iraqi Army during the... more This article presents rarely seen glimpses into life in the barracks of the Iraqi Army during the Gulf War (1990–91). We analyse fifteen diaries of Iraqi soldiers found in the Kuwait Dataset of the Iraqi Ba'th Party Archives, which was first opened to researchers in July 2015. These diaries shed new light on the mind-sets, ideological frameworks, morale and daily lives of Iraqi rank-and-file soldiers. We ask the following questions: did Iraqi soldiers support the invasion and occupation of Kuwait and accept Saddam Hussein's rationales for the war? How did Iraqi soldiers view the United States and its coalition partners? These diaries also provide clues about why so many retreating soldiers rose up against Saddam in country-wide protests one week after Iraq's defeat in the war. Although diaries from the US Civil War and the First and Second World Wars have been thoroughly examined by historians and literary scholars, few diaries of soldiers from the modern Arab world have been studied. This article fills an important gap in knowledge about the experiences of soldiers in modern authoritarian regimes and about the Gulf War. (Preview Only)
Middle East Journal, forthcoming. Drawing on a new collection of Iraqi documents opened in July 2... more Middle East Journal, forthcoming. Drawing on a new collection of Iraqi documents opened in July 2015, this article provides unprecedented insights into the Iraqi occupation of Kuwait. Internal documents reveal how Saddam Hussein's regime perceived Kuwait; how violence, already a core philosophy of the Iraqi regime in dealing with internal opponents, became a hallmark of the seven-month occupation; how Kuwaiti civilians fared under the occupation; and the importance of the Kuwaiti resistance, which has been underestimated in most secondary sources. Audio recordings of Saddam Hussein's inner cabinet meetings reveal that displacing and dispossessing Kuwaitis was a major priority for Iraq, rather than integrating Kuwait as one of Iraq's provinces.
"Narratives of Coexistence and Pluralism in Northern Iraq” is a special issue edited by Alda Benj... more "Narratives of Coexistence and Pluralism in Northern Iraq” is a special issue edited by Alda Benjamen for the Journal of Contemporary Iraq & the Arab World (Volume 14, Issue 1-2). The issue includes articles by Orit Bashkin, Janet Klein, Joseph Sassoon and Michael Brill, Arbella Bet-Shlimon, Michael Sims, Annie Greene, and Alda Benjamen. It has contributions on the theme of knowledge production by Laurie Brand and Judith Tucker, Sara Farhan, and an interview with Bishop Najeeb Michaeel. The issue concludes with a review of Arbella Bet-Shlimon’s book on Kirkuk (City of Black Gold) by Camille Cole.
By focusing on political memoirs as an important source, the article
deals with the ruling party ... more By focusing on political memoirs as an important source, the article deals with the ruling party and governance in the Arab republics, whether they had a one-party system such as Iraq and Syria, or a multi-party system such as Egypt and Tunisia. However, one country among the republics, Libya, annulled political parties and parliament and created its own unique system of governance. Through memoirs of party members, parliamentary opponents, and ministers, the article analyses the substantial role of the ruling parties in perpetuating the regimes. While the triangular relationship between the leadership, the party, and the bureaucracy differed from one republic to another, the overall structure of governance did not vary widely, except in the case of Libya. I
This article focuses on the transition of Iraq after the collapse of Saddam Hussein's regime in 2... more This article focuses on the transition of Iraq after the collapse of Saddam Hussein's regime in 2003 as a result of the American-led invasion. Although the country's institutions were shattered, efforts to rebuild them and create a truly open and democratic society failed. Thus, regime change did not lead to changes in the fundamentals of Iraq's political economy. The article emphasizes how money was not the reason for lack of development; on the contrary, funds flooded the system, creating an all-encompassing corruption that seeped into every facet of life. The article discusses Prime Minister Hadi al-Abadi's reforms after eight years of new authori-tarianism in Iraq under Nuri al-Maliki (2006–2014). Iraq after the US-led invasion provides an interesting case for understanding post-authoritarian transitions. In 2003, the mechanisms of authoritarianism in Iraq were shattered: the ruling party, the army and the security services were all disbanded. There was, in essence, a tabula rasa that rarely exists when authoritarian regimes collapse. For example, in Eastern Europe, the Soviet Union or in Tunisia and Egypt after the Arab uprising, remnants of the old regimes remained. Yet, there were other forces that pushed Iraq back to authoritarianism and higher levels of corruption. Thus, Iraq is an interesting case study where a regime change did not lead to successful economic reform,
The Red Star and the Crescent provides an in-depth and multi-disciplinary analysis of the evolvin... more The Red Star and the Crescent provides an in-depth and multi-disciplinary analysis of the evolving relationship between China and the Middle East. Despite its increasing importance, very few studies have examined this dynamic, deepening, and multi-faceted nexus. James Reardon-Anderson has sought to fill this critical gap. The volume examines the ‘big picture’ of international relations, then zooms in on case studies and probes the underlying domestic factors on each side. Reardon-Anderson tackles topics as diverse as China’s security strategy in the Middle East, its military relations with the states of the region, its role in the Iran nuclear negotiations, the Uyghur question, and the significance and consequences of the Silk Road strategy.
By examining the system of authoritarianism in eight Arab republics, Joseph Sassoon portrays life... more By examining the system of authoritarianism in eight Arab republics, Joseph Sassoon portrays life under these regimes and explores the mechanisms underpinning their resilience. How did the leadership in these countries create such enduring systems? What was the economic system that prolonged the regimes' longevity, but simultaneously led to their collapse? Why did these seemingly stable regimes begin to falter? This book seeks to answer these questions by utilizing the Iraqi archives and memoirs of those who were embedded in these republics: political leaders, ministers, generals, security agency chiefs, party members, and business people. Taking a thematic approach, the book begins in 1952 with the Egyptian Revolution and ends with the Arab uprisings of 2011. It seeks to deepen our understanding of the authoritarianism and coercive systems that prevailed in these countries and the difficult process of transition from authoritarianism that began after 2011.
International Journal of Contemporary Iraqi Studies, 2018
This article presents rarely seen glimpses into life in the barracks of the Iraqi Army during the... more This article presents rarely seen glimpses into life in the barracks of the Iraqi Army during the Gulf War (1990–91). We analyse fifteen diaries of Iraqi soldiers found in the Kuwait Dataset of the Iraqi Ba'th Party Archives, which was first opened to researchers in July 2015. These diaries shed new light on the mind-sets, ideological frameworks, morale and daily lives of Iraqi rank-and-file soldiers. We ask the following questions: did Iraqi soldiers support the invasion and occupation of Kuwait and accept Saddam Hussein's rationales for the war? How did Iraqi soldiers view the United States and its coalition partners? These diaries also provide clues about why so many retreating soldiers rose up against Saddam in country-wide protests one week after Iraq's defeat in the war. Although diaries from the US Civil War and the First and Second World Wars have been thoroughly examined by historians and literary scholars, few diaries of soldiers from the modern Arab world have been studied. This article fills an important gap in knowledge about the experiences of soldiers in modern authoritarian regimes and about the Gulf War. (Preview Only)
Middle East Journal, forthcoming. Drawing on a new collection of Iraqi documents opened in July 2... more Middle East Journal, forthcoming. Drawing on a new collection of Iraqi documents opened in July 2015, this article provides unprecedented insights into the Iraqi occupation of Kuwait. Internal documents reveal how Saddam Hussein's regime perceived Kuwait; how violence, already a core philosophy of the Iraqi regime in dealing with internal opponents, became a hallmark of the seven-month occupation; how Kuwaiti civilians fared under the occupation; and the importance of the Kuwaiti resistance, which has been underestimated in most secondary sources. Audio recordings of Saddam Hussein's inner cabinet meetings reveal that displacing and dispossessing Kuwaitis was a major priority for Iraq, rather than integrating Kuwait as one of Iraq's provinces.
"Narratives of Coexistence and Pluralism in Northern Iraq” is a special issue edited by Alda Benj... more "Narratives of Coexistence and Pluralism in Northern Iraq” is a special issue edited by Alda Benjamen for the Journal of Contemporary Iraq & the Arab World (Volume 14, Issue 1-2). The issue includes articles by Orit Bashkin, Janet Klein, Joseph Sassoon and Michael Brill, Arbella Bet-Shlimon, Michael Sims, Annie Greene, and Alda Benjamen. It has contributions on the theme of knowledge production by Laurie Brand and Judith Tucker, Sara Farhan, and an interview with Bishop Najeeb Michaeel. The issue concludes with a review of Arbella Bet-Shlimon’s book on Kirkuk (City of Black Gold) by Camille Cole.
By focusing on political memoirs as an important source, the article
deals with the ruling party ... more By focusing on political memoirs as an important source, the article deals with the ruling party and governance in the Arab republics, whether they had a one-party system such as Iraq and Syria, or a multi-party system such as Egypt and Tunisia. However, one country among the republics, Libya, annulled political parties and parliament and created its own unique system of governance. Through memoirs of party members, parliamentary opponents, and ministers, the article analyses the substantial role of the ruling parties in perpetuating the regimes. While the triangular relationship between the leadership, the party, and the bureaucracy differed from one republic to another, the overall structure of governance did not vary widely, except in the case of Libya. I
This article focuses on the transition of Iraq after the collapse of Saddam Hussein's regime in 2... more This article focuses on the transition of Iraq after the collapse of Saddam Hussein's regime in 2003 as a result of the American-led invasion. Although the country's institutions were shattered, efforts to rebuild them and create a truly open and democratic society failed. Thus, regime change did not lead to changes in the fundamentals of Iraq's political economy. The article emphasizes how money was not the reason for lack of development; on the contrary, funds flooded the system, creating an all-encompassing corruption that seeped into every facet of life. The article discusses Prime Minister Hadi al-Abadi's reforms after eight years of new authori-tarianism in Iraq under Nuri al-Maliki (2006–2014). Iraq after the US-led invasion provides an interesting case for understanding post-authoritarian transitions. In 2003, the mechanisms of authoritarianism in Iraq were shattered: the ruling party, the army and the security services were all disbanded. There was, in essence, a tabula rasa that rarely exists when authoritarian regimes collapse. For example, in Eastern Europe, the Soviet Union or in Tunisia and Egypt after the Arab uprising, remnants of the old regimes remained. Yet, there were other forces that pushed Iraq back to authoritarianism and higher levels of corruption. Thus, Iraq is an interesting case study where a regime change did not lead to successful economic reform,
The Red Star and the Crescent provides an in-depth and multi-disciplinary analysis of the evolvin... more The Red Star and the Crescent provides an in-depth and multi-disciplinary analysis of the evolving relationship between China and the Middle East. Despite its increasing importance, very few studies have examined this dynamic, deepening, and multi-faceted nexus. James Reardon-Anderson has sought to fill this critical gap. The volume examines the ‘big picture’ of international relations, then zooms in on case studies and probes the underlying domestic factors on each side. Reardon-Anderson tackles topics as diverse as China’s security strategy in the Middle East, its military relations with the states of the region, its role in the Iran nuclear negotiations, the Uyghur question, and the significance and consequences of the Silk Road strategy.
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Papers by Joseph Sassoon
deals with the ruling party and governance in the Arab republics,
whether they had a one-party system such as Iraq and Syria, or a
multi-party system such as Egypt and Tunisia. However, one country
among the republics, Libya, annulled political parties and parliament
and created its own unique system of governance. Through memoirs
of party members, parliamentary opponents, and ministers, the article
analyses the substantial role of the ruling parties in perpetuating the
regimes. While the triangular relationship between the leadership,
the party, and the bureaucracy differed from one republic to another,
the overall structure of governance did not vary widely, except in the
case of Libya.
I
deals with the ruling party and governance in the Arab republics,
whether they had a one-party system such as Iraq and Syria, or a
multi-party system such as Egypt and Tunisia. However, one country
among the republics, Libya, annulled political parties and parliament
and created its own unique system of governance. Through memoirs
of party members, parliamentary opponents, and ministers, the article
analyses the substantial role of the ruling parties in perpetuating the
regimes. While the triangular relationship between the leadership,
the party, and the bureaucracy differed from one republic to another,
the overall structure of governance did not vary widely, except in the
case of Libya.
I