MIDDLE EAST
December, 1996
Nuclear Weapons and Arms Control in the Middle East
Book
By Shai Feldman, Member of the Board, Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs
The political dimensions of the Arab-Israeli relationship have changed dramatically in recent years. Israel and its Arab neighbors have made remarkable progress toward resolving long-standing conflicts. In Nuclear Weapons and Arms Control in the Middle East, Shai Feldman considers whether these political breakthroughs have set the stage for agreements on controlling nuclear weapons in the region. He presents a richly detailed overview of the current situation and lays out an agenda for future efforts to reduce the risk of nuclear war in the Middle East.
Israeli and Palestinian Narratives of Conflict: History's Double Helix
Book
By Robert Rotberg, Director, Program on Intrastate Conflict and Conflict Resolution
"An exciting and wide-ranging exploration of the myths and narratives that lie behind the unresolved Arab-Israeli and Israeli-Palestinian conflicts...Anyone dedicated to the fullest possible understanding of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict will want to read this volume cover-to-cover."
---Neil Caplan, Vanier College, Montreal
Published by Springer
April 2, 2013
Assessment of the Nuclear Programs of Iran and North Korea: Foreword
Book Chapter
By Olli Heinonen, Senior Fellow, Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs
During the last two decades, there have been successes but also disappointments in fighting against nuclear proliferation. On the positive side, we witnessed the dismantlement of nuclear weapons programs in South Africa, Iraq, and Libya.
May 22, 2012
"The Verification of the Peaceful Nature of Iran's Nuclear Program"
Book Chapter
By Olli Heinonen, Senior Fellow, Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs
In this chapter, Olli Heinonen examines a decade of actions taken by Iran and the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) regarding Iran’s nuclear program. Heinonen suggests a number of measures Iran might take to provide assurance to the international community that it is not developing nuclear weapons. He writes: In tandem with the continued search for a negotiated political solution between the P5+1 and Iran, the IAEA should continue to press for commitments that would provide the best assurances on that Iran’s nuclear program is peaceful. This means that the verification process will have to be comprehensive and expansive. What this also means is that the current stage of unsatisfactory cooperation and approach by Iran to the IAEA needs to change. Given the past experiences, if Iran takes the opportunity of widening those with the following measures, the IAEA will be in a position to provide assurances about the scope of Iran’s nuclear program.
January 2011
"Enabling Infrastructure"
Book Chapter
By Calestous Juma, Professor of the Practice of International Development; Director, Science, Technology, and Globalization Project; Principal Investigator, Agricultural Innovation in Africa
"Enabling infrastructure (public utilities, public works, transportation, and research facilities) is essential for agricultural development. Infrastructure is defined here as facilities, structures, associated equipment, services, and institutional arrangements that facilitate the flow of agricultural goods, services, and ideas. Infrastructure represents a foundational base for applying technical knowledge in sustainable development and relies heavily on civil engineering. This chapter outlines the importance of providing an enabling infrastructure for agricultural development."
BJ Smur
March, 2011
Natural Gas Markets in the Middle East and North Africa
Book Chapter
By Justin Dargin, Former Associate, The Dubai Initiative
Dubai Initiative Research Fellow Justin Dargin contributes two chapters in the book Natural Gas Markets in the Middle East and North Africa, an in-depth study of the MENA states' individual gas markets.
Chapter 9: The Gas Revolution in Qatar
Chapter 10: The United Arab Emirates Gas Sector: Challenges and Solutions for the 21st Century.
January 2010
"Preface to Going Nuclear"
Book Chapter
By Sean M. Lynn-Jones, Editor, International Security; Series Editor, Belfer Center Studies in International Security
"Concern over nuclear proliferation is likely to increase in the coming years. Many observers believe that the spread of nuclear weapons to one or two more states will trigger a wave of new nuclear states. More states may turn to nuclear power to meet their energy needs as other sources of energy become more costly or undesirable because they emit carbon that contributes to global climate change. As more nuclear reactors are built, the world's stock of nuclear expertise and fissionable materials is likely to grow."
May 2009
"Oil Security and the Transportation Sector"
Book Chapter
By Henry Lee, Director, Environment and Natural Resources Program
"This chapter proposes to answer five fundamental questions: What exactly is the oil security problem, and how serious is it going forward? Why has it emerged at this point in time, and why has it been so difficult for the U.S. government to take the actions needed to mitigate it? Finally, what alternative policies are likely to be effective as the United States attempts to improve its oil security in the future?"
March 2009
"Keeping China and the United States Together"
Book Chapter
By Graham Allison, Director, Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs; Douglas Dillon Professor of Government, Harvard Kennedy School
"In the twenty-first century, the United States and China are destined to be the largest and strongest powers in the international system. China's rise has been proclaimed to be "peaceful," but in a prior century the American rise was scarcely pacific. The United States threatened war with Canada and Britain and actuallt fought against Mexico, annexing nearly half of that country in 1848. China was also vigilant and quick to react in its neighborhood. as U.S. forces neared the Yalu River in October 1950, China intervened in the Korean War, even though the United States possessed nuclear weapons and beijing did not. Neither state has been relaxed in the presence of challenging neighbors."
