The US Foreign Policy on the Gulf Region - Annotated Bibliography Example

Annotated Bibliography Student’s Name Institutional Affiliation Date Annotated Bibliography Overview of the research topic The annexation of Kuwait by the Iraqi militaries in August 1990 denoted change in international relations. As Abrams postulates, “The U.S military moved into the Gulf region in 1990 to push the Iraqi forces out of Kuwait (2015, p.10). In 2015, the region marked the 25th anniversary of the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait. According to Sprusanky (2015), with the rise of ISIS, the Arab Uprising (spring), and other geopolitical instabilities, peace and security in the Gulf remain a mirage. Kuwait remains vulnerable irrespective of the international support that it has received to stabilize (Giumelli, 2015). . Analysts postulate that the most essential local partnerships that the country should nurture are those between her and Iraq and Iran (Guzansky, 2015). Based on this perceptive, the indeed research question is “What have been the primary diplomatic events aimed at promoting and achieving security between Kuwait and her two troublesome neighbors: Iraq and Iran in 2015, and what are the expected effects of these events in the long-term?” Source 1 Abrams, E. (2015). US foreign policy: Obama and beyond. New Zealand International Review. 40(6), 9 - 11. The author of the article focuses on the U.S foreign policy on the Gulf region during the Obama Administration. Abrams states that 2015 marked the 25th anniversary of the invasion of Kuwait where Iraq sent 100,000 troops, and how the international community responded to the invasion. The article postulates that the event was the beginning of a heavy U.S presence in the Gulf region. In fact, Abrams is categorical that the United States has never left the Gulf after the 1990 intervention. Imperatively, for the nation, a former British protectorate after the WWI until 1961 and a diplomatic partner afterwards till 1971, the U.S arrival signaled the start of engagement with a new major power. In the article, Abrams provides a comprehensive guideline on how to understand the bigger international security effects of the diplomatic efforts aimed at promoting security between the nation, Iran, and Iraq. Source 2 Giumelli, F. (2015). Understanding United Nations sanctions: an empirical analysis. International Affairs. 91(6), 1351 - 1368. Giumelli offers an in-depth analysis on the United Nations protection of Kuwait, especially through the application of sanctions to Iraq after the invasion. The article discusses the implications of the deep UN sanctions on Iraq in connection to the invasion. The article discusses some of the present day sanctions placed on Iran in relation to the Kuwaiti invasion. According to the article, these sanctions are aimed at easing hostilities, encouraging peace, human rights, democracy, and good governance. Giumelli also highlights the role of Kuwait in enforcing the sanctions against Iraq in 2015. The article posits that while the Gulf state has tried to improve its relations with Iraq, it has also demonstrated its support of the UN led sanctions against the later. Imperatively, the article offer an in-depth guideline on how to understand the kind, integrity, and the probability of achieving success using the diplomatic strategies aimed at promoting security between the two nations in 2015. Source 3 Kuwait News Agency. (2014). Kuwait Discusses Gas Imports with Iran. Retrieved from http://www.kuna.net.kw/ArticleDetails.aspx?id=2380478&language=en According to the article by the Kuwait News Agency, there were positive developments in the relations between the two states in 2015. The article says that Kuwaiti delegates travelled to Iraq to hold talks with the country’s Prime Minister concerning a natural gas contract that would enable Kuwait to import gas from Iraq. The article delves into the public dialogue that took place between the respective energy leaders from the two countries. According to the article, the Kuwaiti delegation expressed optimism as it said that the two nations had demonstrated their intention to have further communication on the issue. It suffices to note that the importing contract may be one of the most significant diplomatic events aimed at promoting peace and security between the two nations in 2015. The offer offers more details relating to the pre-contract negotiations on the bilateral agreement. Source 4 Walsh, D. (2016). “Gulf States guarding their interests in Saudi - Iran rift,” The New York Times. Retrieved from http://www.nytimes.com/2016/01/06/world/middleeast/kuwait-iran-feud-saudi-arabia.html?_r=0 The article, published in the New York Times’ online edition, discusses the recent events in Kuwait concerning its diplomatic relations with Iran. The article highlights the brewing tensions in the region after the beheading a firebrand cleric who had been leading popular protests in eastern Saudi territory. The Iranians reacted by setting the Saudi Embassy in Tehran on fire. As a result, many Arab states, including Kuwait recalled their ambassadors. In fact, Kuwait recalled its Iranian ambassador as other friendly countries to the two conflicting nations took necessary measures, albeit diplomatically, to avoid degeneration of the crisis. The article discusses possible implications of the conflict to the region, especially at a time when the world, led by the United States and the UN, is attempting to find peace in the region and stop the Syrian crisis. Walsh also highlights the Tehran reaction given the evidence that it may be feeling the international diplomatic strain after wider condemnation on its action to burn the Saudi Embassy. Source 5 Guzansky, Y. (2015). The Foreign-Policy Tools of Small Powers: Strategic Hedging in the Persian Gulf. Middle East Policy. 22(1) 12 - 22. The Guzansky article offers a deeper review on the international relations between Kuwait and other GCC states in the recent years. Particularly, the article highlights security risks posed due to poor territorial issues between Iraq and Syria, and the historical perspectives with Iran. Guzansky discusses the hedging approach that Kuwait has used in its relations with major power. For instance, Kuwait hedged between the Ottoman Empire and the British Empire until 1980s, where it shifted its maneuvers between Iran and Iraq. The article offers a discussion on the religious tensions in the country and their implication on Kuwait’s foreign policy. The article is categorical that the Shia Muslims in Kuwait, consisting of about forty percent of population, have never support the Sunni led Iraq. Therefore, political views are divided in Kuwait, a situation that complicates its foreign policy, particularly in the region. Source 6 Sprusansky, D. (2015). “More turbulence ahead for the Middle East in 2015?” Washington Report on Middle East Affairs Mar.-Apr. 2015, 62+. 19 Jan. 2016. http://go.galegroup.com/ps/i.do?id=GALE%7CA402738531&v=2.1&u=cowan&it=r&p=&sw=w&asid=b87bb312a4fb040a6aaca46527f3c6a1 The Dave Sprusansky discusses issues and threats in relation to Kuwait and other members of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC). It focuses on the ISIS expansion in the region and the immediate underlying implications, for instance, the territorial integrity of Iraq, Syria, and the entire region. In reference to Kuwait, the author discusses Iranian diplomatic moves in the Gulf, and notes that the country has offered support to the Houthis in Yemen yet this regime is causing unrest in Saudi Arabia, something that could have wider implications to Kuwait. The article also highlights the security effects of the falling price of oil. It notes that smaller nations like Kuwait may not experience adverse economic repercussions because they have sovereign assets. However, the author postulates that nations like Iran and Russian may feel the implications of the falling oil prices. Appendix Source 1 Abrams, E. (2015). US foreign policy: Obama and beyond. New Zealand International Review. 40(6), 9 - 11. Source 2 Giumelli, F. (2015). Understanding United Nations sanctions: an empirical analysis. International Affairs. 91(6), 1351 - 1368. Francesco Giumelli United Nations sanctions have undergone profound transformations in the past two decades. In 1990, the UN Security Council imposed a general, comprehensive embargo on Iraq after its invasion of Kuwait. In 2015, there are 16 Sanctions Committees managing regimes that have little in common with the one imposed against Iraq in 1990. The measures imposed against Iraq were comprehensive, covering all goods coming in and out of the country, while sanctions imposed today are mostly against individuals, non-state entities and are more limited in scope. This article aims to provide empirical and systematic evidence of some of the distinctive qualities of UN targeted sanctions. The analysis identifies three distinctive characteristics of targeted sanctions. First, targeting individuals and non-state actors has permitted the use of sanctions in a wider range of crisis types. Second, the targets of sanctions are substantially different from comprehensive sanctions. Third, the form taken by sanctions is substantially different today from the trade embargoes imposed in the past. The author concludes that the Security Council should devote special attention to the designing and implementation phases of sanctions. The article makes use of the new database prepared by the Targeted Sanctions Consortium (TSC), which includes all cases of UN targeted sanctions. Original language English Pages (from-to) 1351 Number of pages 1368 Journal International Affairs Volume 91 Issue number 6 State Published – 2015 Source 3 Kuwait News Agency. (2014). Kuwait Discusses Gas Imports with Iran. Retrieved from http://www.kuna.net.kw/ArticleDetails.aspx?id=2380478&language=en Source 4 Walsh, D. (2016). “Gulf States guarding their interests in Saudi - Iran rift,” The New York Times. Retrieved from http://www.nytimes.com/2016/01/06/world/middleeast/kuwait-iran-feud-saudi-arabia.html?_r=0 Smoke rose from the Saudi Embassy during a demonstration in Tehran on Saturday. Credit Mehdi Ghasemi/TIMA Agency, via Reuters Source 5 Guzansky, Y. (2015). The Foreign-Policy Tools of Small Powers: Strategic Hedging in the Persian Gulf. Middle East Policy. 22(1) 12 - 22. Source 6 Sprusansky, D. (2015). “More turbulence ahead for the Middle East in 2015?” Washington Report on Middle East Affairs Mar.-Apr. 2015, 62+. 19 Jan. 2016. http://go.galegroup.com/ps/i.do?id=GALE%7CA402738531&v=2.1&u=cowan&it=r&p=&sw=w&asid=b87bb312a4fb040a6aaca46527f3c6a1 Read More