COLLEGE OF ARTS AND SCIENCES
A Course Title INS 415 War and Peace in the Middle East
& Number
B Pre/Co-requisite(s) POL 202
C Number of credits 3-0-3
D Faculty Name James Sater
E Term/ Year Spring 2015
F Sections
CRN Course Days Time Location
20347 INS415 MW 12:30-1:45 pm P 215
Location subject to change
G Instructor
Information Instructor Office Telephone Email
Sater P231 2815 jsater@aus.edu
Office Hours:
Sunday and Tuesday 11am-12pm
Or by appointment
Office Hours will be posted on the office door as well as on iLearn.
H Course
Examines inter-state conflict, and efforts to negotiate peace in the Middle East. Gives
Description from special attention to the interaction between the Arab-Israeli conflict, regional rivalries,
Catalog the policies of the main international powers, and domestic politics in shaping regional
dynamics. Some of the topics covered include the Arab-Israeli Wars, the different Gulf
Wars and the Arab-Israeli peace process.
I Course Learning Upon completion of the course, students will be able to:
Outcomes Analyse at least two Middle East conflicts.
Use adequate sources in argumentation.
Develop an interest in questions related to these conflicts.
Orally present different arguments and evaluate them critically.
J Textbook and Three books have been ordered and are available in the bookshop. Louise Fawsett:
other Instructional International Relations of the Middle East; Baxter and Akberzadeh: US Foreign Policy in
Material and the Middle East. The Roots of Anti-Americanism, and Sater: Morocco: Challenges to
Resources Tradition and Modernity. Other complementary readings are available on either ilearn,
as an internet link, or have been put on reserve in the library (see course outline).
Where multiple readings occur for one particular section, students are expected to
have read the reading that is marked with *** .
K Teaching and
Learning Course requirements
Methodologies
1. Submit one written research paper during the course of the semester on a topic
different from the presentation.
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2. Sit three short-answer quizzes on lecture content and readings marked with ***.
3. Give one presentation on a topic of their choice but different from the essay
assignment.
4. Sit one final exam.
5. Fully participate in class discussion.
Attendance (not participation)
Participation is crucial for the successful completion of this course. Six and more
absences automatically lead to withdrawal. There are no exceptions. All absences may
lead to a reduction of the final grade. Depending on overall participation, three absences
may lead to up to two percent reduction, five absences to a four percent reduction.
Illness even if documented does not count as an excuse for absences. Two lates will
count as one absence.
Argumentative Presentations
Approximately every other week, about thirty minutes of one session is devoted to
students own argumentative presentations. This gives six sessions in which students are
given the opportunity to apply their knowledge and focus on one particular dimension of
the conflicts. Students are asked to work in groups and present argumentative
presentations in which the contrasting perspectives will be elaborated. The presentation
should argue in favour or against a particular thesis. The theses are the following:
1. Palestinians should cease to hope for an independent state and pursue
violent struggle, and instead become a peaceful, democratic party to a
truly democratic state of Israel.
2. Given the history of the 1990s and the nature of Saddams regime, the
toppling the regime of Saddam Hussein was the best thing that could
have happened to Iraq
3. Civil War in Lebanon will continue until the country is split into a
Christian and Muslim state
4. Syria should not have ceased to pressure to leave Lebanon in 2005.
5. The regional and international responses to the Arab uprisings in Libya
and Syria illustrate the profound hypocrisy of international politics in
which only national interests matter
6. Polisario is nothing but an Algerian creation, and Morocco is seriously
trying to obtain international recognition for Western Sahara as
illustrated by its honest autonomy proposal.
Film Analysis
Students can gain up to 2 % of extra credit by writing a film analysis of the
documentary: Saddams Killing Fields. The analysis should relate the film to the
course content, and should not be more than 500 words in length. All submitted material
will be screened for plagiarism.
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Research Paper
The research paper should be 1,500 words in length excluding references and the
bibliography. Do not exceed the number of words. The papers should answer any of
the following questions but should not discuss the same case study as the
presentation. Please see Dr. Saters separate instructions on writing essays and the
plagiarism statement. All essays must include a signed copy of the Universitys
plagiarism statement, testifying the students awareness and understanding of the
universitys policy on plagiarism. All plagiarized work will be graded F and may
lead to disciplinary procedures. All essays need to include full, consistent and
appropriate sourcing and a bibliography. In addition to the hard copy, essays must
be submitted electronically using the safe assign feature on i-learn. Papers will be
examined for plagiarism. A workshop on essay writing will be organized by Dr.
Sater prior to the submission date in Week 9 (April 19-23). The submission date is
May 11 at 12:30 pm. Late submissions will lead to loss of 20 per cent. Students
who submit a first draft on April 27 at 12:30 pm can get feedback on a first draft
within one week. Illness is not an excuse for late submission.
Essay Questions:
1. In how far does Hamass December 2008 refusal to extend the ceasefire
illustrate the Israeli wisdom that Palestinians never miss an opportunity to miss
an opportunity (Abba Eban, Israeli diplomat)?
2. After the withdrawal of US forces from Iraq, is a breakup of the Iraqi state
inevitable? In how far is such a breakup becoming more likely with the civil war
in Syria?
3. Evaluate the arguments in favour and against the international involvement in
the Libyan uprising against Muammar Gadhafi. Based on your analysis, are
Western involvements in such Arab uprisings inevitable, recommendable, or
condemnable? Make reference to recent events in Iraq and Syria.
4. Why did Hizballah occupy parts of Beirut in Spring 2008. Is Hizballah nothing
but an Iranian agent in Lebanese politics?
5. Are Sahrawis condemned to live under Moroccan occupation given the lack of
international and military support they were able to mobilize for their cause?
L Grading Scale, Grading Scale
Grading A= 93+ (GPA: 4); A- = 90+ (GPA: 3.7)
Distribution, and B+ =88 + (GPA: 3.3); B =83+ (GPA: 3.0); B- = 80+ (GPA: 2.7)
Due Dates C+ = 78+ (GPA: 2.3); C = 73 + (GPA: 2.0); C- = 70+ (GPA: 1.7)
D = 60+ (GPA: 1.0); F = Below 60 (GPA: 0.0);
Grading Distribution
Assessment Weight Due Date
Three quizzes (10 % each) 30% See underneath
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Film Analysis 2 % (extra credit) See underneath
Research paper (1500 words) 25 % See underneath
Final exam 25 % See underneath
Presentation 10 % See underneath
Class participation 10 %
Total 100%
M Explanation of
Assessments See above
N Course Policies
Attendance and reading
Participation and reading are crucial for the successful completion of this course. If
students repeatedly illustrate lack of reading, quizzes may be organized at short notice,
and results will contribute to attendance evaluation. Seven and more absences
automatically lead to withdrawal. There are no exceptions. All absences may lead to a
reduction of the final grade. Depending on overall participation, three absences may
lead to up to two percent reduction, five absences to a four percent reduction. Illness
even if documented does not count as an excuse for absences. Two lates will count as
one absence.
Participation
Active participation is a crucial component of this class. While attendance in itself is
mandatory, a positive influence on the final grade can only be expected if students
participate regularly and actively, and if students attendance record does not show a
deficit of 3 or 5 absences.
For academic integrity violations please see the policies in the academic catalog.
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SCHEDULE
Note: Tests and other graded assignments due dates are set. No addendum, make-up exams, or extra assignments to improve grades
will be given. Schedule of course content is subject to change.
Course Outline and Schedule
Week One (15-19 Feb): Introduction Why no peace, why prevalence of war? The root causes of war and
conflict in the Middle East
***Raymond Hinnebusch: The International Politics of the Middle East (Manchester and New York,
Manchester University Press, 2003), Chapters 3 and 7.
Week Two (22-26 Feb): The Arab-Israeli Conflict From Balfour to Oslo
***Kylie Baxter and Shahram Akbarzadeh: US Foreign Policy in the Middle East. The Roots of anti-Americanism,
(Routledge, New York and Abingdon, 2008) Chapters 1 and 2.
Uri Ram: The colonization perspective in Israeli Sociology in Ilan Pappe: The Israel/Palestine Question. A
Reader, (New York and Abingdon: Routledge, 2007), pp. 53-77.
Gershon Shafir: Zionism and colonialism: A Comparative Approach in Ilan Pappe: The Israel/Palestine
Question. A Reader (New York and Abingdon: Routledge, 2007), pp. 78-93.
***Walid Khalidi: Revisiting the UNGA partition resolution in Ilan Pappe: The Israel/Palestine Question. A
Reader (New York and Abingdon: Routledge, 2007), pp. 97-114 on ilearn.
***Avi Shlaim: The debate about 1948 in Ilan Pappe: The Israel/Palestine Question. A Reader (New York and
Abingdon: Routledge, 2007). Pp. 139-160, on ilearn.
Charles Smith: The Arab-Israeli Conflict in Louise Fawcett: International Relations of the Middle East (Oxford:
Oxford University Press, 2013), pp. 245-267.
Week Three (1-5 March Feb): Oslo and Beyond
*** Avi Shlaim: The Rise and Fall of the Oslo Peace Process in Louise Fawcett: International Relations of the
Middle East (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2013), pp. 268-285.
*** Kylie Baxter and Shahram Akbarzadeh: US Foreign Policy in the Middle East. The Roots of Anti-
Americanism, (Routledge, New York and Abingdon, 2008) Chapter 7.
*** G. Golan, M. Golani, E. Inbar, M. Klein, I. Lustick, U. Ram, D. Shultziner, M. Tessler, E. Zisser: Israel:
Growing Pains at 60. Domestic and International Affaris, The Middle East Institute: Viewpoints, May 12. 2008,
Distributed by instructor.
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Kuperwasser, Yosef Lipner, Shalom: The Problem Is Palestinian Rejectionism. Foreign Affairs; Nov/Dec2011,
Vol. 90 Issue 6, p2-9,
Week Four (8- 12 March):
Oslo and Beyond
*** Avi Shlaim: The Rise and Fall of the Oslo Peace Process in Louise Fawcett: International Relations of the
Middle East (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2013), pp. 268-285.
*** Kylie Baxter and Shahram Akbarzadeh: US Foreign Policy in the Middle East. The Roots of Anti-
Americanism, (Routledge, New York and Abingdon, 2008) Chapter 7.
*** G. Golan, M. Golani, E. Inbar, M. Klein, I. Lustick, U. Ram, D. Shultziner, M. Tessler, E. Zisser: Israel:
Growing Pains at 60. Domestic and International Affaris, The Middle East Institute: Viewpoints, May 12. 2008,
Distributed by instructor.
Kuperwasser, Yosef Lipner, Shalom: The Problem Is Palestinian Rejectionism. Foreign Affairs; Nov/Dec2011,
Vol. 90 Issue 6, p2-9.
Week Five (15-19 March):
First Short Answer Quiz (approx.)
1. Student presentation:
1. Palestinians should cease to hope for an independent state and pursue violent struggle,
and instead become a peaceful, democratic party to a truly democratic state of Israel.
Week Six (22- 26 March):
From Iran-Iraq War to the Occupation and Liberation of Kuwait
*** Kylie Baxter and Shahram Akbarzadeh: US Foreign Policy in the Middle East. The Roots of Anti-
Americanism, (Routledge, New York and Abingdon, 2008), Chapter 6
*** F. Gregory Gause, III: The International Politics of the Gulf in Louise Fawcett: International Relations of
the Middle East (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2013), pp. 286-296.
*** Michael Hudson: The United States in the Middle East, in Louise Fawcett: International Relations of the
Middle East (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2013), pp. 321 343.
Film Screening: Saddams Killing Fields (approx.)
2. Student presentation:
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Given the history of the 1990s and the nature of Saddams regime, the toppling the regime of Saddam
Hussein was the best thing that could have happened to Iraq
Week Seven (29 March -2 April): Iraq: From US Occupation to Civil War?
*** Steve A Yetiv: The Iraq War of 2003: Why did the United States decide to Invade? in David W. Lesch (ed):
The Middle East and the United States. A Historical and Political Reassessment (Boulder: Westview Press,
2007), pp. 394 - 411. Ilearn.
*** Ali R. Abootalebi: What went wrong in Iraq? in David W. Lesch (ed): The Middle East and the United
States. A Historical and Political Reassessment (Boulder: Westview Press, 2007), pp. 412 - 436. Ilearn.
Kylie Baxter and Shahram Akbarzadeh: US Foreign Policy in the Middle East. The Roots of Anti-Americanism,
(Routledge, New York and Abingdon, 2008), Chapter 8. Ilearn.
5 9 April: Mid-Semester Break
Week Eight (12 -16 April): Civil War in Lebanon Week Eight
*** William L Cleveland: A History of the Modern Middle East (Boulder: Westview Press, 2004) pp 382-392.
Ilearn.
*** Fawwaz Traboulsi. A History of Modern Lebanon (London ; Ann Arbor, MI : Pluto, 2007), Chapters 10-14.
Ilearn.
Makdisi, Samir: The lessons of Lebanon: The Economics of War and Development (London ; New York : I.B.
Tauris, 2004) Reserve Collection.
Edgar O'balance: Civil war in Lebanon, 1975-92 (New York NY : St Martins Press, 1998). Reserve Collection
Mordechai Nisan: The Conscience of Lebanon. A Political Biography of Etienne Sakr (Abu-Arz) (London: Frank
Cass, 2003), Chapters 4, 5 Ilearn.
Student Presentation:
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Civil War in Lebanon will continue until the country is split into a Christian and Muslim state
Week Nine (19-23 April): Taif and Beyond
Mordechai Nisan: The Conscience of Lebanon. A Political Biography of Etienne Sakr (Abu-Arz) (London: Frank
Cass, 2003), Chapters 6. Ilearn.
Marwan Iskandar: Hariri and the fate of Lebanon London, (San Francisco : Saqi, 2006). Library Collection
Rodger Shanahan: The Shia of Lebanon [e book]: Clans, Parties and Clerics (London ; New York : Tauris
Academic Studies, 2005).
Amal Saad Ghorrayeb: In their own words: Hizbollahs Strategy in the Current Confrontation. January 2007,
Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, Policy Outlook.
http://carnegieendowment.org/files/saadghorayeb_hizbollah_final.pdf
James N. Sater: Hezbollah and the Syrian Uprising (Odense: Centre for Contemporary Middle East Studies),
http://static.sdu.dk/mediafiles//D/2/4/%7BD24D5FC6-D5FB-4E40-BAB2-657C7BFD08C1%7D1112JS.pdf
Student Presentation: Syria should not have ceased to pressure to leave Lebanon in 2005.
Week Ten (26-30 April): The Arab Uprisings and International Intervention in Libya
Second Short Answer Quiz (approx.)
***Anderson, Lisa: Demystifying the Arab Spring. Foreign Affairs; May/Jun2011, Vol. 90 Issue 3, p2-7.
***Byman, Daniel: Terrorism After the Revolutions. Foreign Affairs; May/Jun2011, Vol. 90 Issue 3, p48-54.
***Game III, F. Gregory: Why Middle East Studies Missed the Arab Spring. Foreign Affairs; Jul/Aug2011, Vol.
90 Issue 4, p81-90.
***Western, Jon Goldstein, Joshua S: Humanitarian Intervention Comes of Age. Foreign Affairs; Nov/Dec2011,
Vol. 90 Issue 6, p48-59.
***Seumas Milne There's nothing moral about Nato's intervention in Libya
http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2011/mar/23/nothing-moral-nato-intervention-libya.
Week Eleven (3-7 May): The Arab Uprising and Intervention in Libya
***Yezid Sayigh: Hurting Stalemate in Syria, Commentary, January 31, 2012 http://carnegie-
mec.org/publications/?fa=46908&lang=en
The regional and international responses to the Arab uprisings in Libya and Syria illustrate the
profound hypocrisy of international politics in which only national interests matter.
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Week Twelve (10 -14 May): Conflicts at the periphery: The Western Sahara Dispute
*** J. N. Sater: Morocco: Challenges to Tradition and Modernity (London: Routledge, 2009), Chapter Five.
Toby Shelley: Endgame in the Western Sahara: What future for Africas Last Colony (London and New York: Zed
Books, 2004). Introduction and Chapters One, Two, and Nine. Ilearn.
Week Thirteen (17-21 May): Conflicts in the periphery: The Western Sahara Dispute
30 April Essay Writing Workshop
Third Short Answer Quiz (approx.)
Toby Shelley: Endgame in the Western Sahara: What future for Africas Last Colony (London and New York: Zed
Books, 2004). Introduction and Chapters One, Two, and Nine. Ilearn
Week Fourteen (24 - 28 May): Conflicts in the periphery - Solutions to Conflicts: Moroccos Autonomy Plan
*** J. Roussellier, R. Holley, J. N. Sater, S. Zunes: Western Sahara in The Middle East Institute: Viewpoint
Series, April 08, 2008, http://www.mideasti.org/viewpoints/western-sahara.
Student Presentation: Polisario is nothing but an Algerian creation, and Morocco is seriously trying to
obtain international recognition for Western Sahara as illustrated by its honest autonomy proposal.
Week Fifteen (1 June): Revision
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Plagiarism Statement
Plagiarism is attempting to present another persons work as a students own. If a student copies
another students paper, copies a paper from a textbook, or downloads a paper from the Internet and presents it
as his/her own work, this is plagiarism. If a student takes a sentence or even part of a sentence from an outside
source without putting quotation marks around it and citing the source, this is plagiarism. If a student takes
ideas, facts, and opinions from an outside source without citing the source, this is plagiarism also. Please consult
the Student Academic Integrity Code in the catalog (p. 27-29 & p. 224) for further information concerning
plagiarism and academic dishonesty.
If a student is found plagiarizing a paper and it is his/her first offense, s/he may receive a failing grade
for the paper. The professor must report the name of any student who plagiarizes a paper and the documentation
of the plagiarism to the Dean of the College, who keeps this information on file. This file is shared with the
deans of all other schools at AUS. The student who plagiarized may not submit a teaching evaluation form for
the teacher who detected the plagiarism. The student will be ineligible to receive academic honors or to hold
student office for the academic year in which the plagiarism occurs.
If a student is found plagiarizing a second time, s/he may be failed for the course in which the
plagiarism occurs, or suspended from the university, as determined by the dean.
I, the undersigned, have read and understood the definition of plagiarism and its consequences. I know
what plagiarism is and I understand what may happen to me if I submit plagiarized work.
Name: Signature:
Date:
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Guidelines for Writing Essays
by James Sater
1. Write a clear introduction in which you introduce how you will approach the research question that you were
given. This is one of the most central aspects of an introduction, in order to make the reader understand how you will
tackle the question and how you organize your essay.
2. Structure your thoughts / examples / theories in a coherent manner. A theory is supposed to explain in an
abstract way one part of reality. You may wish to state/explain a given theory and explain how it applies to the case
study that you have chosen. You may wish to explain the limits of a theory, and use the case study to illustrate these
limits. Whatever you choose to do, it needs to be logical, and coherent. In addition, you need to explain why you are
doing this.
3. You need to write a summary / conclusion at the end of your essay, in which you summarize your main findings
and relate them to the research question and/or the approach that you have chosen.
4. Be careful not to plagiarize. You should have at least 15 footnotes / in text references for a 1500 words essay.
Every reference needs to include a page number. Do not paraphrase entire sections and always use your own words,
unless you choose to quote an author directly. Using your own words is important in order to analyze the material
independently. Use one of the following reference systems, but use them consistently:
a) As Brand has shown, Bourguibas system was based on (Brand, 1998: 57).
b) As Brand has shown, Bourguibas system was based on 1
If you use an academic article, then the title of the article should be put in inverted commas, and the name of the
journal in italics or underlined, including volume, number, and year. If it is a chapter taken from an edited book, then
you also have to write the name of the chapter in inverted commas, and the name and author (editor) of the book
afterwards, again including (place, publisher: year). If you use websites (which is not necessarily recommended for
the credibility of the source is not always ensured), then you should use footnotes and give exact links and the date
when it was consulted.
Examples:
Khadija Mohsen-Finan: The Western Sahara Dispute under UN Pressure in Mediterranean Politics, Volume 7,
Number 2, Summer 2002, pp. 1-13.
Uri Davis: Democratization, Citizenship, Arab Unity, and Palestinian Autonomy in N. Butenschon, U. Davis, M.
Hassassian (eds): Citizenship and the State in the Middle East (New York: Syracuse University Press, 2000).
5. If you use footnotes, use acronyms such as ibid. and author + op.cit. if you have already referred to a particular
source. Ibid. if it is the same source as the immediately preceding source, author + op.cit. if you have referred to the
source in a previous note.
6. You always need to include a complete bibliography in which you list all the sources that you have consulted,
even if you do not quote them or refer to them directly. Every bibliographical information needs to include the above
mentioned information.
7. At the end of your essay, include a signed copy of the Universitys plagiarism statement.
8. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to see me. However, if you fail to adhere to the above
mentioned points/guidelines, I have to penalize you as these points are academic practice and essential for all
academic work.
1
Laurie A. Brand : Women, the State, and Political Liberelization. Middle Eastern and North African Experiences (New
York: Columbia University Press, 1998), p. 57.
