War and Conflict in the Middle East and North Africa

Abstract

The Middle East and North Africa (MENA) is probably one of the most researched regions in the field of international relations. Sustained political violence and the strategic importance of the region to the national security of the United States and its main competitors necessitate a constant analysis and deep understanding of the regional dynamics. MENA is a beautiful region with a diversity of cultures, languages, religions, people, histories, and perspectives. At the same time, the wars and conflicts are so central and persistent, that some scholars claim that “The Middle East is violence.” While such exceptionalism of violence in MENA is a debatable topic in the literature, and one of the central topics in War and Conflict in the Middle East and North Africa, scholars generally agree that the region is home to some of the deadliest conflicts in the world. Ariel I. Ahram’s research on this book is therefore essential reading for students, scholars, and policymakers working on the Middle East, national security, conflict processes, causes of war, and international relations more broadly. Ahram’s focus on war and conflict distinguishes his work from other studies of the region. Instead of surveying the many various characteristics of the entire region or those of distinct countries in a broad comparative perspective, which is the common practice in books on MENA, the author focuses on an in-depth analysis of conflict processes and reasons for the regional wars. He organizes his book well as he examines the major causes, or “conflict traps,” of war and conflict in MENA, which include oil, identity, geopolitics, the role of fragmentation and integration, and peacekeeping processes. Ahram uses the term “conflict traps” to emphasize the enduring nature of the key social, political, and economic conditions that fuel and sustain protracted regional conflicts. Ahram grounds his analysis on theoretical scholarship and evidence-based research. This makes the book relevant for scholars interested in the specific region, and those exploring theoretical models of conflict and wars across the world. The author begins his study giving much-needed context and data visualization on what, when, and how wars and conflicts happen in MENA and explains how these fit with and differ from the worldwide trends. He analyzes the frequency, types, and magnitude of wars over time, and challenges some common assumptions. For instance, Ahram shows that “in terms of magnitude of violence, the Arab-Israeli wars have been comparatively modest.” (23) This finding is one example of how the author advances a nuanced and empirical understanding of the complex MENA region. Indeed, the monograph distinguishes itself by focusing on all key players and the entire region, including Israel, a country that is often excluded from the academic study and discourse of what is sometimes termed as “the Arab MENA region.”