Escaping the Conflict Trap: Toward Ending Civil Wars in the Middle East (2nd Edition)

How can the current civil wars in the Middle East be resolved? This volume brings together academics, experts, and practitioners to explore this question. The book covers the history of civil wars in the region during the 20th century, and then examines the specific causes, drivers, and dynamics of the ongoing civil wars in Syria, Yemen, Libya, Afghanistan, and Iraq.

Updated for a second edition, the book argues that while these are very different cases of civil war, there are patterns that are important to point out at the outset. First, while each of the conflicts appears to be a relatively recent phenomenon, each has a long historical tail. Second, each of the civil wars had deep and complex domestic drivers and dynamics over issues of governance, political identity, and resources; at the same time, all of the conflicts have had deep regional and international components. Finally, all of these civil wars have been affected by the presence or entrance of armed transnational non-state actors, which have had far greater involvement in the Middle Eastern civil wars compared to other regions. The book concludes that these conflicts will require a mixture of local, regional, and international interventions to bring them to an end, but that none of the conflicts are likely to end cleanly through either a negotiated settlement or a clear victory by one party or the other.

Despite this pessimistic overall assessment, the book emphasizes that policymakers should use knowledge of civil wars in the Middle East to develop and pursue specific national, regional and global policies. These should be built around mitigating the worst effects of the conflicts and towards ultimate resolution.

Details

Print Length: 421 pages
Publisher: I.B. Tauris (August 25, 2022)
ASIN: ‎ B0B8CHDMW3

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Praise for Escaping the Conflict Trap

"This is a terrific volume on a desperately-needed topic. ... It furnishes a superb guide to the civil wars of the region, providing great wisdom and insight into their origins, dynamics, consequences, and possible solutions. ... If you really want to understand the conflicts of the Middle East, there is no better place to start than this slim, smart book."
- Kenneth M. Pollack, Resident Scholar at the American Enterprise Institute, Former Director for Persian Gulf Affairs at the the National Security Council

"This timely volume provides a sober, thoughtful framework for understanding the roots of civil war in the Middle East, as well as ways to mitigate the human tragedy and strategic folly which all too often result."
- William J. Burns, President of the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, Former Deputy Secretary of State

"An enormously important book that goes beyond the common Sunni/Shia or Islamist/secular analysis of civil wars in the Middle East to offer unexpected insights and solutions. The book was clearly written by experts who lived these conflicts day-to-day, understand why they took place, and know what it will take to end them."
- Anne W. Patterson, Former Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern Affairs

"This volume provides incredibly useful reflections on conflicts in the Middle East. It helps us all better understand specific wars--tragic Syria, messy Iraq, militia-riddled Libya ... and regional strife in Yemen--as well as broader trendlines that peer into the future."
- Robin Wright, author of Rock the Casbah: Rage and Rebellion across the Islamic World

Contents

1. Preface
   Paul Salem and Ross Harrison

2. Middle East Civil Wars: Definitions, Drivers, and the Record of the Recent Past
   Paul Salem

3. What We Know about Ending Civil Wars
   Jessica Maves Braithwaite

4. The Global and Regional Geopolitics of Civil War in the Middle East
   Ross Harrison

5. Yemen: The 60-Year War
   Gerald Feierstein

6. The Syrian Civil War: Bringing the Conflict to a Close
   Robert S. Ford

7. Afghanistan's Unending Wars
   Marvin G. Weinbaum and Ahmad Khalid Majidyar

8. The Origins of the Libyan Conflict and Options for its Resolution
   Jonathan M. Winer

9. Iraq: A Conflict over State Identity and Ownership
   Randa Slim

10. The Diplomacy of Engagement: Ending Civil Wars in Transitional Middle Eastern States
    Chester A. Crocker

11. Concluding Thoughts and Policy Takeaways
    Paul Salem and Ross Harrison 

About the Editors

Paul Salem is president of the Middle East Institute.

Ross Harrison is a senior fellow at the Middle East Institute and is on the faculty of the School of Foreign Service at Georgetown University and the University of Pittsburgh.