International Politics of the Persian Gulf

Eleven chapters, presented by Kamrava (director of the Center for International and Regional Studies at Georgetown U.'s School of Foreign Service in Qatar), explore the reasons for changing international relations in the Persian Gulf region and the consequences of these changes for the international relations of the Gulf and beyond. Topics include sovereignty and boundaries in the Gulf states, contemporary security dilemmas in the Gulf, foreign policy of the states of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), GCC perceptions of collective security, American policy towards the region, regional consequences of internal turmoil in Iraq, Saudi Arabia's regional security strategy, Iranian foreign and security policies in the Gulf, Chinese and Indian relations with the Gulf, and political reform and foreign policy in the Gulf monarchies. Annotation c2011 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)

Mehran Kamrava is director of the Center for International and Regional Studies at Georgetown University’s School of Foreign Service in Qatar. He is the author of numerous books, including, most recently, Iran’s Intellectual Revolution and The Modern Middle East: A Political History since the First World War.