Covert Relationship: American Foreign Policy, Intelligence, and the Iran-Iraq War, 1980-1988

by Bryan R. Gibson

Overview

This modern study of the Iran-Iraq War utilizes newly available primary materials to analyze American policy towards the war and question the veracity of the United States' claims of strict neutrality.

The Iran-Iraq War lasted from September 1980 to August 1988, dominating the landscape of the Middle East and polarizing many of the world's nations for nearly a decade. This new work analyzes the United States' policy towards this vicious and extremely costly war, and questions the veracity of America's claims of strict neutrality.

The contents of Covert Relationship: American Foreign Policy, Intelligence, and the Iran-Iraq War, 1980-1988 can be broken down into five sections: the conflict's origins, the Carter administration's response to the war, the Reagan administration's actions, changes to American policy during the Iran-Contra Affair, and the collapse of neutrality in the final two years of the war. The author boldly refutes the arguments of other authors about the war, and provides timely and relevant insights regarding American-Iraqi relations in light of the U.S. invasion of Iraq.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780313386107
Publisher:	Bloomsbury Academic
Publication date:	08/19/2010
Series:	PSI Reports
Pages:	291
Product dimensions:	6.20(w) x 9.30(h) x 1.10(d)

About the Author

Bryan R. Gibson is a doctoral candidate in international history at the London School of Economics and Political Science in London, UK.

Table of Contents

Part I Introduction 1

Introduction 3

1 A History of Deceit 10

2 The War of Subversion 23

Part II Strict Neutrality 37

3 Setting the Stage 39

Part III Strict Neutrality? 53

4 Strict Neutrality? 55

5 The Tilt 71

6 The Internationalization of the War 90

7 Turning a Blind Eye 104

8 A Sophisticated Strategy 121

Part IV The Policy Collapses 141

9 The War of the Cities 143

10 The Policy Collapses 158

Part V The Collapse of Neutrality 177

11 The Aftermath of Deception 179

12 The Collapse of Neutrality 194

13 Forcing the War to an End 206

Part VI Conclusion 225

Conclusion 227

Notes 239

Selected Bibliography 279

Index 285