After the War in Iraq – Defining the New Strategic Iraq

In the immediate aftermath of the war in Iraq, certain basic implications for the region are already apparent, though their intensity will become clear only in the future. The fall of Saddam's regime and Iraq's strategic decline have significantly weakened the group of radical countries in the Middle East and are likely to buttress the region's moderate states. Iraq has been stripped of its military power, including conventional and WMD capabilities, which not only limits the threat Iraq poses to the region, but may also slow down the Middle East arms race. The Iraqi crisis has illustrated again the weakness of the Arab world and its inter-state schisms, while at the same time dramatically increasing United States involvement in the Middle East. These regional ramifications of the war in Iraq launched in March 2003 by the United States are among the many perspectives examined in After the War in Iraq: Defining the New Strategic Balance. Focusing on different perspectives of the war, the fourteen essays included in the volume present concise and penetrating analyses that explore the principal strategic, political, and military contexts of the war. Researchers from the Jaffee Center for Strategic Studies of Tel Aviv University have brought their expertise in international relations, political science, military and strategic studies, political psychology, international finance, and more to create a thoughtful, comprehensive analysis. Their vast experience in the military, government, and academic world has added to the insightful picture presented in this rich collection of timely and provocative essays.