HISTORY OF US-MIDDLE EAST RELATIONS
AMST 224--FALL 2003
Colin S. Cavell, Ph.D. Course Room No.: S17-229
Class
UT: 9:30-10:45 [Ramadhan—9:25-10:25] INTERNET: cscpo@arts.uob.bh
Office
Hours: By appointment Office No.: S17-263
VOICE: 438775 (W) 729091 (H)
The historical development of the US approach and policies toward the Middle East since the colonial era, with special emphasis on the relationship from World War I to the present.
Grading Policy: 20%
for Attendance*; 20% for the Class Presentation; 20% for the Midterm Exam; 20%
for the Research Paper; and 20% for the Final Exam. A Guidelines sheet will be
distributed outlining the requirements for your Class Presentation and for your
Research Paper.
Attendance Policy*: Attendance in class is mandatory. As well, you are expected to follow the syllabus and accordingly
be prepared for each day's class. This
means that you must read the pre-assigned readings before class so that you
will be prepared to discuss and debate in class the subject matter scheduled
for that day and answer questions related to the issues being covered. NOTE:
TURN OFF all cell phones during class.
*Absence from class may be
made up by preparing a two-page,
typed (i.e. using maximum 12
point font size and maximum double-spaced text with one-inch margin on all
sides), summary on the missed
material scheduled to be covered the day(s) of your absence.
Required
Texts:
Lesch, David W., Ed. 1999. The Middle East and the United States: A Historical and Political
Reassessment. Second Edition. New York, NY: Westview Pess.
Melani McAlister. 2001. Epic Encounters:
Culture, Media and U. S. Interests in the Middle East, 1945-2000. Berkeley, CA: University of California Press.
Helpful Websites and
Online Newsletters:
Al
Bawaba: The Middle East Gateway
<http://www.albawaba.com/>
ArabNet
<http://www.arab.net/>
Saudi-U.S.
Relations Information Service <http://www.saudi-us-relations.org/>
GulfWire
Digest <http://www.arabialink.com/GulfWire/CurrentDigest.htm>
Sept. 21: Introduction to U.S.-Middle East Relations
Sept.
23: The Cultural Politics of Encounter
Readings: McAlister, Preface, pp. xi-xv
Sept. 28: Middle East Interests, Moral Geographies and the Cultural Field,
Orientalism and Beyond, The Middle East as “Holy Land”
Readings: McAlister, Introduction, pp. 1-20
Sept. 30: Shopping the Orient, Expanding Interests, Defining the Middle
East and Its People, Contested Encounters
Readings: McAlister, Introduction, pp. 21-42
Oct. 5:
“Benevolent Supremacy”
Readings: McAlister, Ch. 1, “The
Biblical Epic at the Dawn of the American Century, 1947-1960”
Oct. 7:
“Benevolent Supremacy”
Readings: McAlister, Ch. 1, “The Moment of NSC-68,” “The ‘History’ of Epics,”
“The People of the Epics”
Oct. 8: [Last
day for dropping courses]
Oct. 12:
“Benevolent Supremacy”
Readings: McAlister, Ch. 1, “The Gendered Logics of the Slave State,” “The
Middle East and Benevolent Supremacy”
Oct. 14: The
Middle East in African American Cultural Politics, 1955-1972
Readings: McAlister, Ch. 2, Introduction, “‘That Marvellous Movement’”
Oct. 19: The
Middle East in African Cultural Politics, 1955-1972
Readings: McAlister,
Ch. 2, “The Nation and Its Limits”
Oct. 21: The
Middle East in African American Cultural Politics, 1955-1972
Readings: McAlister, Ch. 2, “One Black Allah”
Oct. 26: The
Middle East in African American Cultural Politics, 1955-1972
Readings: McAlister, Ch. 2, “Communities in Conflict”
Oct. 27: [First day of Ramadhan 1424]
Oct. 28: The
Middle East in African American Cultural Politics, 1955-1972 [Ramadhan—9:05-10:05]
Readings: McAlister, Ch. 2, “Beyond Islam,” “And Beyond the Black
Atlantic”; Lesch, Preface to the Third Edition, Note on the Text, Introduction
Nov. 2: King
Tut, Commodity Nationalism, and the Politics of Oil, 1973-1979 [Ramadhan—9:05-10:05]
Readings: McAlister, Ch. 3, Introduction, “Making Art at the Met”; Lesch,
Ch. 1, “The Ironic Legacy of the King-Crane Commission”
Nov. 4: King
Tut, Commodity Nationalism, and the Politics of Oil, 1973-1979 [Ramadhan—9:25-10:25]
Readings: McAlister, Ch. 3, “Oil and the Universal Heritage”; Lesch, Ch.
3, “U.S. Foreign Policy Toward Iran
During the Mussadiq Era”
Nov. 9: King
Tut, Commodity Nationalism, and the Politics of Oil, 1973-1979 [Ramadhan—9:25-10:25]
Readings: McAlister, Ch. 3, “The Blackness of Egypt,” “Selling Blackness,
American Style”; Lesch, Ch. 5, “The
Mussadiq Era in Iran, 1951-1953: A
Contemporary Diplomat’s View”
Nov. 11:
Midterm Exam [Ramadhan—9:25-10:25]
Nov. 15-19: Mid-semester break [No classes]
Nov. 23: The
Cold War in the Middle East [Ramadhan—9:25-10:25]
Readings: Lesch, Ch. 6, “National Security Concerns in U.S. Policy Toward
Egypt, 1949-1956”; McAlister, Ch. 4, “Israel After Vietnam, 1972-1980,” “The
Exodus Phenomenon”;
Nov.
25-27: Eid Al-Fitr 1424—Holiday [No classes]
Nov. 30: The
Cold War in the Middle East
Readings: Lesch, Ch. 7, “The Perils
of Ambiguity: The United States and the
Baghdad Pact”; McAlister, Ch. 4, “Prophecy and Israel,” “Terrorism in the News”
Dec. 2: The
Cold War in the Middle East
Readings: Lesch, Ch. 10, “U.S.
Policy and Military Intervention in the 1958 Lebanon Crisis”; McAlister, Ch. 4,
“Vietnam After Israel,” “America’s Israel”
Dec. 7: The
Cold War in the Middle East
Readings: Lesch, Ch. 11, “The
United States and Nasserist Pan-Arabism”; McAlister, Ch. 5, Introduction,
“Captivity and Islam”
Dec. 9: War
and Peace, War and Peace
Readings: Lesch, Ch. 12, “The 1967
Arab-Israeli War: U.S. Actions and Arab
Perceptions”; McAlister, Ch. 5, “‘Terrorist Theater’”
Dec. 14: War
and Peace, War and Peace
Readings: Lesch, Ch. 14, “The
United States and Israel: The Nature of
a Special Relationship”; McAlister, Ch. 5,
“Return of the Hostage Story,” “Private Lives in Pubic”
Dec. 16-17: National Day of Bahrain—Holidays; no classes
Dec. 21: War
and Peace, War and Peace
Readings: Lesch, Ch. 15, “The
U.S.-PLO Relationship: From Dialogue to
the White House Lawn”; McAlister, Ch. 6, Introduction, “The War as Image”
Dec. 23: The
Gulf Crisis and War
Readings: Lesch, Ch. 17, “The
United States in the Persian Gulf: From
Twin Pillars to Dual Containment”; McAlister, Ch. 6, “The Multiculturalism
Scare”
Dec. 28: The Gulf
Crisis and War
Readings: Lesch, Ch. 19, “U.S.
Input into Iraqi Decisionmaking, 1988-1990”; McAlister, Ch. 6, “All That We Can
Be,” “The Siege”
Dec. 30: The
Gulf Crisis and War
Readings: Lesch, Ch. 20, “From
‘Over the Horizon’ to ‘Into the Backyard’:
The U.S.-Saudi Relationship and the Gulf War”; McAlister, Conclusion, “Orientalism Redux”;
Jan. 1: New
Year’s Day [Western]—Holiday; no classes
Jan. 4:
Retrospective and Reassessment
Readings: Lesch, Ch. 23, “The
U.S.-GCC Relationship: Is It a Glass
Leaking or a Glass Filling?”; McAlister, Conclusion, “Orientalism Redux”;
Jan. 6: Last
day of classes; Review
Jan. 11, 2004: Final Exam 11:30-13:30
Jan.
22, 2004: Last day for submitting first semester’s
grades
Jan.
20-Feb. 11, 2004: Inter-semester Break
[Holidays]