PL9354: Conflicts, rivalries and alliances in the "New Middle East"

School Politics and International Relations
Department Code LAWPL
Module Code PL9354
External Subject Code 100491
Number of Credits 20
Level L6
Language of Delivery English
Module Leader Dr Amal Saad
Semester Spring Semester
Academic Year 2022/3

Outline Description of Module

The Bush Administration’s invasion of Iraq in 2003 unleashed the “Greater Middle East” initiative which was later rebranded as the “New Middle East” in 2006. Secretary of State, Condoleeza Rice, who unveiled the project from Tel Aviv during Israel’s invasion of Lebanon, claimed that Lebanon’s “destruction” represented the “birth pangs of a new Middle East”, arguing that pressuring Israel into a cease-fire would get in the way of the creation of this project.

This module explores the central conflicts, rivalries and alliances in the region which have emerged since the inception of the “New Middle East” plan. The focus of the module will be on state and non-state actors involved in the region’s “hot” conflicts and the rivalries and alliances associated with them. Inter-state and intra-state conflicts between the US -Saudi-Israeli axis on the one hand, and the “Resistance Axis” led by Iran, and which includes Syria, Iraq’s PMU, Lebanon’s Hizbullah, Palestine’s Hamas and Yemen’s Houthis, on the other, will be examined in depth. A brief historical overview and context will be provided for each conflict flashpoint and its main players, while the alliances and rivalries which underpin these conflicts will be interrogated. Recurring themes include the conflict with Israel, the Palestinian cause, sectarianization, hybrid actors and warfare, and the war against Al-Qaeda, ISIS and other jihadis. The module will engage with Constructivist and Securitization theories and concepts, and critical approaches to the international relations of the Middle East, using a variety of academic sources as well as non-academic sources including reports published by think tanks, news media and NGOs.

On completion of the module a student should be able to

  • Identify the main players, conflicts and themes characterizing the “New Middle East” era
  • Recognize the underlying root causes of regional conflicts and evaluate conditions for their resolution
  • Acquire analytical tools to rethink conventional theories and approaches to studying Middle East conflicts and alliances
  • Critically engage with mainstream media and academic approaches to key Middle East actors and regional dynamics, i.e. challenging essentialist notions of sectarian identities
  • Apply Constructivist and Securitization theories and concepts to conflicts, rivalries and alliances in the Middle East and beyond

How the module will be delivered

The module will be delivered through a mix of large group and small group sessions, as well as online teaching and learning activities and materials – including, where relevant, asynchronous materials such as lecture recordings. Full details on the delivery mode of this module will be available on Learning Central at the start of the academic year – and may be, in part, determined by Welsh Government and Public Health Wales guidance relating to COVID-19.  

Skills that will be practised and developed

  • Drawing on historical, theoretical or conceptual texts to analyse a conflict or alliance
  • Critical thinking skills
  • Written and oral communication skills
  • Critical reading, listening and note-taking skills
  • Op-ed and discourse analysis of mainstream media and academic texts
  • Participation in small and large group discussions

How the module will be assessed

The module will be assessed by:

Op-ed portfolio (40 %)

Essay (60%)

Re-assessment: where required, students will repeat failed/absent assessments

Assessment Breakdown

Type % Title Duration(hrs)
Portfolio 40 Conflicts, Rivalries - Op-Ed Portfolio N/A
Written Assessment 60 Conflicts, Rivalries - Essay N/A

Syllabus content

I.THE MAIN REGIONAL POWERS LEADING THE CONFLICT

WEEK 1: Historical background: The US role in the region

WEEK 2: Historical background: Iran’s relationship with the US, Islamic Revolution of 1979, Iran’s strategic culture, sanctions on Iran, nuclear talks

II.Post-2003 REGIONAL CONFIGURATION

WEEK 3: The roots of sectarianization and the regional fault lines: US-Saudi-Israeli led Axis vs the “Resistance Axis”. Is the conflict primarily geopolitical or sectarian?

III. CONFLICT FLASHPOINTS AND THE RESISTANCE AXIS

WEEK 4: Syria

WEEK 5: Palestine/Hamas/Islamic Jihad

WEEK 6: Iraq/PMU

WEEK 7: Lebanon/Hizbullah

WEEK 8: Yemen/the Houthis

IV. US-ISRAEL-SAUDI AXIS

WEEK 9: Saudi Arabia, Wahhabism and the rise of MbS

WEEK 10: Israel’s role and the US role under Donald Trump


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