Fragile Politics

Weak States in the Greater Middle East

Kamrava Mehran

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The 2011 Arab uprisings precipitated the relatively quick collapse of a number of Middle Eastern states once perceived as invincible. The Tunisian and Egyptian states succumbed to revolutionary upheavals early on, followed by that of Qadhafi's Libya. Yemen's President Saleh was also eventually forced to give up power. A bloody civil war continues to rage in Syria. These uprisings highlighted weaknesses in the capacity and legitimacy of states across the Arab Middle East. This book provides a comprehensive study of state weakness – or of "weak states" – across the Greater Middle East.

No other book examines the subject of weak states in the Middle East. "Fragile Politics" begins with laying the theoretical framework for their study, examining the theoretical controversies surrounding the topic, the causes and characteristics of weak states, and their consequences for the Middle East, before examining a series of case studies.

About the Author

Mehran Kamrava is Professor and Director of the Center for International and Regional Studies at Georgetown University's School of Foreign Service in Qatar. He is the author of a number of books, including, most recently, "The Modern Middle East: A Political History Since the First World War"; "Qatar: Small State, Big Politics"; and "Iran's Intellectual Revolution".

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