Between the Devil and the Deep Sea. The Consequences of U.S. Presence in Iraq on Democratization Efforts in the Greater Middle East

Hausarbeit , 2005 , 18 Seiten , Note: 2,0

Politik - Region: Naher Osten, Vorderer Orient

Even though the U.S. invasion of Iraq in 2003 was widely protested around the globe, nobody
would actually deny the fact, that the removal of its cruel dictator Saddam Hussein was in itself a
good thing. As part of the Greater Middle East Initiative, the U.S. hoped to spark democratization
in one of the most undemocratic regions in the world. Yet, if one takes a closer look at the
preconditions, it becomes clear that America’s decision was essentially like choosing between the
devil and the deep sea – the decision to invade Iraq had as many negative consequences as to
refrain from acting.
This paper will assess the negative consequences of the U.S. American invasion of Iraq
on the democratic development in the Greater Middle East area. I intend to look at the social and
political developments in various authoritarian regimes before the year 2003 and compare and
contrast it to the 2005 status quo.
The example of Iran will be closely analyzed in a case study; to see what changes the
invasion of Iraq has brought about in Iran. The underlying hypothesis is, that U.S. presence in
Iraq has increased radicalism among Iranian leaders, and decreased the countries chances to
democratize. I will look anti-democratic sentiments and actions among Iranian leaders before and
after the war in Iraq to assess whether this hypothesis holds true.

Inhaltsverzeichnis (Table of Contents)

• Introduction
• General Definitions
  • Democratization
  • Authoritarianism
• The Greater Middle East
  • Defining the Greater Middle East

Zielsetzung und Themenschwerpunkte (Objectives and Key Themes)

This paper examines the negative consequences of the U.S. invasion of Iraq on democratic development in the Greater Middle East. The author analyzes social and political developments in authoritarian regimes before 2003, comparing them to the status quo in 2005. The paper focuses on the case study of Iran, investigating the impact of the Iraq invasion on Iranian radicalism and its chances for democratization. The underlying hypothesis is that U.S. presence in Iraq has increased radicalism among Iranian leaders, decreasing the country's chances for democratization.

• The impact of the U.S. invasion of Iraq on democratic development in the Greater Middle East
• The role of U.S. presence in Iraq in shaping Iranian radicalism and its potential for democratization
• The analysis of social and political developments in authoritarian regimes before and after the invasion of Iraq
• The examination of the concept of democratization and authoritarianism in the context of the Greater Middle East
• The exploration of the limitations and challenges of promoting democracy in the Muslim World

Zusammenfassung der Kapitel (Chapter Summaries)

The introduction lays out the paper's objective and hypothesis, arguing that the U.S. invasion of Iraq, despite its aim to promote democratization, had negative consequences for the Greater Middle East. Chapter two defines key terms, including democratization and authoritarianism, providing a framework for analyzing the region's political landscape. It discusses the concept of 'polyarchy' and 'hybrid regimes', highlighting the challenges of classifying ambiguous regimes. Chapter three focuses on the Greater Middle East, defining the region and discussing the U.S. administration's Greater Middle East Initiative, which aimed to promote democratization in the area.

Schlüsselwörter (Keywords)

This paper focuses on the consequences of U.S. presence in Iraq on democratization efforts in the Greater Middle East. Key terms include democratization, authoritarianism, hybrid regimes, radicalism, Iranian politics, and the Greater Middle East Initiative. The paper examines the impact of the U.S. invasion of Iraq on the region's political landscape, specifically analyzing the case study of Iran and its potential for democratization.

• Note: 2,0
• Erscheinungsjahr: 2005
• Seiten: 18
• Katalognummer: V153858
• ISBN (eBook): 9783640664559
• ISBN (Buch): 9783640664276
• Sprache: Englisch
• Schlagworte: Between, Devil, Deep, Consequences, Presence, Iraq, Democratization, Efforts, Greater, Middle, East