The Politics of Miscalculation in the Middle East

by Richard B. Parker

Overview

Why do international crises seem to occur so often in the Middle East? Former U.S. diplomat Richard B. Parker presents three detailed studies of policy failures that he believes were precipitated by miscalculations on the part of diplomats and of government and military leaders in one or more Middle Eastern countries, the United States, and the former USSR. They are the Soviet-Egyptian miscalculation leading to the June 1967 war between Israel and the Arab states, the U.S.-Israeli miscalculation leading to Soviet military intervention in Egypt in 1970, and the U.S.-Israeli miscalculation leading to the disastrous Lebanese-Israeli peace agreement of May 17, 1983.

Parker's many-sided, often gripping account of the way in which these crises unfolded illustrates how the same events can be viewed very differently by the observers and actors involved, and how political decisions can precipitate reactions that are often very different from those anticipated. Although the book highlights the unavoidably uncertain and contingent element in all diplomatic activity, it also shows that careful attention to history, to past performance, and to prevailing mindsets in the countries involved can be invaluable aids in diplomatic crisis management. The many sources assembled and the careful weighing of their accuracy and reliability, along with the combined perspective of the practitioner and the scholar, make this book an important resource for diplomats, policymakers, and students of diplomacy.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780253207814
Publisher:	Indiana University Press
Publication date:	09/22/1993
Series:	Arab and Islamic Studies
Edition description:	New Edition
Pages:	274
Product dimensions:	6.12(w) x 9.25(h) x (d)
Lexile:	1440L (what's this?)
Age Range:	18 Years

About the Author

RICHARD B. PARKER, a U.S. Foreign Service Officer from 1949 until his retirement in 1980, served as U.S. Ambassador to Algeria, Lebanon, and Morocco. He is former editor of the Middle East Journal and author of North Africa: Regional Tensions and Strategic Concerns.

Table of Contents

Acknowledgments
Introduction

Part One
The June War

1. The Soviet Warning
2. Moscow's Explanations
3. The Egyptian Recation
4. From Deterrence to Disaster
5. The American Role

Part Two
The War of Attrition

6. War and Nonwar
7. Misjudgment on the Nile

Part Three
The Israel-Lebanon Peace Agreement of 1983

8. The Israeli Invasion of 1982
9. The Negotiations
10. The Final Reckoning

Conclusion

Appendix
Notes
Annotated Bibliography
Index

Editorial Reviews

"The Politics of Polio in Northern Nigeria taks an interesting look at a public health issue from a sociological and cultural aspect. It contains important insight into the Northern Nigerian culture. 2011"—JAMA

From the Publisher

The Politics of Polio in Northern Nigeria taks an interesting look at a public health issue from a sociological and cultural aspect. It contains important insight into the Northern Nigerian culture. 2011

JAMA