AMH 3519.05AG
U.S.-Middle East Relations
Fall 2012
Professor: Matthew
Jacobs
Office Hours (206 Keene-Flint):
Email: mjacobs@ufl.edu
Wednesday: 1:30-3:00
Telephone: 352 2733371
Friday: 9:00-10:00
Classroom: FLI 0119
Class Time: Monday, Wednesday, Friday, 5th Period (11:45-12:35)
Grader: Aurelia Aubert
Email:
aubert.aurelia@ufl.edu
Office Hours
Course Description and Objectives
Few areas of the world have caused U.S. policy makers and U.S. citizens more concern over the
last half-century than has the Middle East. This point has been particularly true during the last
two decades. We must look into the past if we are to understand, at least in part, the troublesome
nature of U.S.-Middle East relations today. This course therefore allows students to explore the
historical context of U.S.-Middle East relations, particularly since 1945 when U.S. involvement
in the region increased significantly. An underlying premise of this class is that we need to
understand U.S.-Middle East relations not only in political terms, but also in cultural, economic,
and social terms. Therefore, while we will of course look closely at official U.S. policy toward
the Middle East and of Middle Eastern countries toward the United States, we will also look at
other official and unofficial forms of relations. Cultural relations, as represented by films,
cartoons, and other media, will be of particular importance in this regard.
One of the objectives of any history course should be to expose students to what historians do.
Many people have the misperception that history is simply remembering facts, names, dates,
places, etc. To be sure, students will be learning history, but they will also be doing much more
than that. History is a discipline that entails learning how to review and marshal evidence in a
manner that offers insightful, fair, and well-grounded evaluations of events, issues, and people.
To that end, we will read interpretive works by historians that may serve as models of how--or
how not to--write good history. At the same time, students will analyze documents created by the
historical actors we will be studying. Along the way, students will be thinking historically by
learning to understand the past and the people who inhabited it on their own terms while also
recognizing how our views of the past are shaped by our own experiences. Throughout this
process, I hope students will realize that "doing" history also can be quite fun.
Finally, whatever career students consider entering after college, they will need strong oral and
written communication skills. The development of those skills therefore warrants substantial
attention on our part. The assignments listed below will help students improve their abilities to
articulate ideas clearly and concisely.
Organization and Assignments
To accomplish the above objectives, the class is organized around lectures, discussions, and a
variety of written assignments. The lectures, along with a companion text, will introduce students
to the critical peoples, places, events, and issues we will be discussing. These will be
supplemented by a variety of other readings. Students will write four papers. The first will be a
3-5 page film review. The second will be a 6-8 page comprehensive paper on U.S.-Middle East
relations through the late 1960s. The third will be another 6-8 page comprehensive paper on
U.S.-Middle East relations from the late 1960s through 9/11 and its aftermath. The fourth will be
a 3-5 page assessment of current issues in U.S.-Middle East relations. Students will also take a
map quiz. Details on each of these assignments will be provided with ample time for students to
prepare for them.
Students should come to every class prepared to participate. Indeed, the overall success of the
class will depend to a significant degree on students' willingness to engage in discussion. It also
is important to note that many students will hold very strong opinions about the issues we will be
discussing during the term. Disagreement and lively debate are encouraged as long as all
students remain respectful of one another and of the subject matter. I would also encourage all
students to be willing to challenge your own preconceptions about U.S.-Middle East relations
and to have other students challenge them as well.
Lastly, I reserve the right to hold pop quizzes if it appears students are not keeping up with the
material. Should they be necessary, these quizzes will be included in the participation portion of
the overall grade.
Grading
The assignments listed above will carry the following weight in the final, overall grade:
Participation
25%
Map Quiz
5%
Film Review
15%
Comprehensive Paper One
20%
Comprehenisve Paper Two
20%
Current Events Paper
15%
Letter grades on papers will be based on three major, closely related criteria:
Evidence—how good is your command and deployment of the relevant course material, and
are you employing the best evidence available to make your points;
Interpretation—have you developed an argument or point of view that is pertinent to the issue
at hand, and that has breadth, coherence, and insight; and
Expression (style)—is your prose (writing) clear, concise, and engaging, as well as
grammatically correct?
These criteria will be weighted equally, and will translate into letter grades as follows:
A—Excellent: Your work is outstanding in all three areas. It offers an integrated, insightful
argument based on ample, sound evidence and is written in clear and engaging prose.
B—Good: Your work is strong in all three areas, or is outstanding in one area while having
significant weaknesses in another.
C—Average: Your performance is adequate in one or more areas, but also has significant
weaknesses in others, leaving the presentation fragmented, murky, or narrow.
D—Poor: Your work demonstrates notable weaknesses in all three areas. Remedial work may
be needed to improve substantive understanding or basic communication skills.
E—Unacceptable: Your work has serious flaws in all areas, or demonstrates limited
engagement in the assignment.
Participation grades will rest on discussions of the course material as a whole (both readings and
lecture material). Adequate participation will indicate that a student was actively engaged in
discussion. Students with questions about how participation is being evaluated and those who
feel uncomfortable speaking in front of others should see me as early in the semester as possible.
As I note above, any pop quizzes, should they be necessary, will be factored into the
pariticipation grade.
The overall grade scale for the course follows the table below.
Letter
Grade
Numerical Equivalents (Paper and Final Grades)
GPA Equivalents (Final
Grades)
A
93 or above
4.0
A-
90-92
3.67
B+
87-89
3.33
B
83-86
3.0
B-
80-82
2.67
C+
77-79
2.33
C
73-76
2.0
C-
70-72
1.67
D+
67-69
1.33
D
63-66
1.0
D-
60-62
0.67
E
Below 60
0.0
E1
Stopped Attending or Participating Prior to the End
of Class
0.0
I
Incomplete (Note: I rarely agree to these)
0.0
Policies and Expectations
History classes are most rewarding when students interact with the material, each other, and the
professor on a sustained and regular basis. While lectures and readings provide the raw material
for the class, much learning will take place in both formal and informal discussions. Effective
class participation (see above) is therefore essential. Students can expect an atmosphere in which
opinions are expressed, and received, in a thoughtful and respectful manner.
At the same time, students are expected to attend all classes and to be respectful of themselves,
other students, and the professor and grader at all times. In addition to arriving in a timely
manner, this includes, but is not limited too, refraining from text messaging, playing cell phone
or computer games, checking email, surfing the web, reading newspapers or other non-course
related material, and other distracting behavior. I will ask students who do not observe these
general guidelines to leave class, and students who persist in such behavior will receive grade
penalties.
Students are expected turn in hard copies of papers, but I am well aware that various problems
can arise when printing papers, etc. If students encounter such problems, they should email a
copy of the paper to me by the appropriate due date and time, then bring a hard copy to the next
class. If I do not have at least an electronic version of the paper at the proper due date, the paper
will be considered late. Papers will be accepted up to one week after the due date, but with a
significant penalty for each day they are late. I will consider student requests for exceptions to
these policies on a case-by-case basis.
Concerns about grades on specific assignments will be handled in the following manner. We will
observe a "twenty-four hour rule" when papers are returned. In short, this means that we are
happy to entertain questions about grades and comments on papers, but students must wait
twenty-four hours from when they receive their paper back to contact us. This rule allows us to
get some much-needed distance, while also allowing potentially disappointed or upset students
time to calm down. Students with concerns about how their papers have been graded should first
meet with the individual who graded the paper. If a student then wishes to appeal the grade to
me, s/he should bring both the graded copy as well as a clean copy of the paper to me. I will read
the clean copy first and then read the original comments and evaluation. Students should not
worry that they will be penalized for engaging in this process, as I will not reduce a grade that
has been appealed (though I may or may not raise it). Students with grade concerns should
initiate the process within one week of when the assignment is returned.
Cheating in any form undermines the integrity and mutual trust essential to a community of
learning and places at a comparative disadvantage those students who respect and work by the
rules of that community. It is understood that any work a student submits is indeed his/her own.
Plagiarism—that is, lifting without giving credit from something someone else has written such
as a published book, article, or even a student paper—is forbidden and is, in most cases, fairly
easily detected. There are other, more obvious forms of academic dishonesty, such as turning in
work completed by someone else, bringing inappropriate notes into an exam, and offering or
receiving whispered, signaled, or other forms of assistance during an exam. Working with fellow
students in study groups is not only acceptable but also encouraged, as long as one is refining
ideas that are essentially his or her own. Included within this definition of academic integrity is
the assumption that all documents and excuses provided as explanations for late or missed
assignments have not been falsified. Please review the University’s policy regarding student
conduct and conflict resolution, available through the Dean of Students Office website.
Please do not hesitate to contact me at any point during the semester with any individual
concerns or issues you may need to discuss. Please be aware that problems are much easier for
me to address if I know about them sooner rather than later, and can be particularly difficult to
handle if left until exam week or after final grades have been submitted.
Students requesting classroom accommodation must first register with the Dean of Students
Office. The Dean of Students Office will provide documentation to the student who must then
provide this documentation to the professor when requesting accommodation. For more
information regarding University policies on this issue, please visit the Disability Resource
Center's website.
Readings
The following book is required for the course.
Peter L. Hahn, Crisis and Crossfire: The United States and the Middle East Since 1945
(Potomac Books, 2005).
Additional readings will be assigned electronically. Anyone who feels they need more
background on the Middle Eastern context should see me for reading recommendations.
Course Schedule
Dat
e
Topics and Readings
W
22
Aug
.
Course Introduction
F 24
Aug
.
Approaches to Studying U.S.-Middle East Relations
M
27
Aug
.
U.S.-Middle East Relations Through the End of the Nineteenth Century
W
29
Aug
.
World War I and the Middle East State System
Assignmen
t
The Rise of Big Oil
F 31
Aug
.
Readings:
Saudi Aramco World 1984 Retrospective on the Early Oil Years
M3
Sept
.
W5
Sept
.
Labor Day--No Class
World War II, Its Aftermath and U.S. Interests in the Middle East
Map Quiz
Readings:
Hahn, Crisis and Crossfire, xvii-18 and 137-139
The Creation of Israel
F7
Sept
.
Readings:
Hahn, Crisis and Crossfire, 19-34 and 140-142
M
10
Sept
.
Culture, Perceptions, and U.S.-Middle East Relations: The U.S.-Israeli
Relationship
Readings:
Michelle Mart, "Tough Guys and American Cold War Policy," available in
Resources/Readings folder on e-Learning
Iran, Nationalism and Oil
Readings:
W
12
Sept
.
Hahn, Crisis and Crossfire, 35-46 and 143-146
F 14
Sept
.
Nasser, Suez and Arab Nationalism--Finish Iran
Summary of Secret CIA History of the 1953 Iran Coup--Note--Read the
overview on the main page and then scroll to the table of contents and read
the "Historian's Note," "Summary," and "Appendix A," about 20 pages
total. Feel free to peruse the remainder of the document at your leisure.
Nasser, Suez and Arab Nationalism
M
17
Sept
.
W
19
Sept
.
Readings:
Malik Mufti, "The United States and Nasserist Pan-Arabism," available in
Resources/Readings folder in E-Learning
Modernization Theory and U.S.-Middle East Relations in the 1960s
Readings:
"The Roots of Arab Resistance to Modernization," available in
Film
Review
Due
Resources/Readings folder on E-Learning
F 21
Sept
.
M
24
Sept
.
Modernization Theory and U.S.-Middle East Relations in the 1960s
The Arab-Israeli-Palestinian Conflict in the 1960s
Readings:
Hahn, Crisis and Crossfire, 47-68 and 147-162
W
26
Sept
.
The 1967 War and Its Aftermath
F 28
Sept
.
Catch Up/Review Day
M1
Oct.
War and Peace in the 1970s
The United States and the Arab-Israeli-Palestinian Conflict after 1967
W3
Oct.
Readings:
Documents on the Camp David Accords
The Shah, Khomeini and U.S.-Iranian Relations in the 1970s
F5
Oct.
Readings:
Hahn, Crisis and Crossfire, 69-86
The Hostage Crisis
M8
Oct.
Readings:
Diary of a Hostage--Scroll to the bottom of the page and read at least 20
entries, with at least 5 from each part.
Paper One
Due
Oil Shocks and Energy Crises in the 1970s
Readings:
U.S. reactions to the formation of OPEC--read pp. 274-280
W
10
Oct.
"Unsheathing the Political Weapon," Time, 29 October 1973
Richard Nixon, The Energy Emergency
Jimmy Carter, The Energy Problem
Ronald Reagan's National Energy Policy
Walter Kirn, "Why I Luv My SUV," Time
F 12
Oct.
M
15
Oct.
W
17
Oct.
Afghanistan
Reagan and the Middle East
Documents on the Iran-Contra Scandal--Note--Read the general overview,
then scroll down and read the documents, especially 12 to 20.
Reagan and the Middle East, II
The 1991 Gulf War
Readings:
F 19
Oct.
Hahn, Crisis and Crossfire, 105-115 and 170-173
President George H.W. Bush and Brent Scowcroft, "Why We Didn't Go to
Baghdad"
Dual Containment and Its Problems
M
22
Oct.
Readings:
A Plan of Action (1992)
Project for a New American Century, Letter to President Clinton, 1998
President Clinton Explains Strikes on Iraq, 1998
W
24
Oct.
The Oslo Peace Process and the Arab-Israeli-Palestinian Conflict in the
1990s
Readings:
Hahn, Crisis and Crossfire, 87-104 and 162-169
After Oslo
Readings:
F 26
Oct.
David Shyovitz, "Camp David 2000"
Robert Malley and Hussein Agha, Camp David: The Tragedy of Errors
Robert Wright, Was Arafat the Problem?
BBC, "History of Failed Peace Talks"
The United States and Political Islam
Hahn, Crisis and Crossfire, 115-131
Sayyid Qutb in the United States
M
29
Oct.
Sayyid Qutb, excerpts from Milestones, available in Readings/Resources
folder on E-Learning
Edward Said, "Islam Through Western Eyes"
Bernard Lewis, "The Roots of Muslim Rage"
Ussama bin Laden, Interview with John Miller (1998)
Ussama bin Laden, Fatwa (1998)
W
31
After 9/11--Afghanistan and the "Global War on Terror"
Oct.
Readings
Edward Said, "The Clash of Ignorance"
Ehsan Ahrari, "Facing the 'Real' Enemy in the Arab Middle East," Asia
Times, 13 July 2002
President George W. Bush, Speech to Congress, 20 September 2001
Michael H. Hunt, "In the Wake of September 11th"
Arundhati Roy, "The Algebra of Infinite Justice"
After 9/11--Iraq
Readings (and TBA):
Hahn, Crisis and Crossfire, 133-135 and 173
F2
Nov
.
Project for a New American Century Letter to President Bush, September
2001
September 2002 National Security Strategy--You Must Read Sections V,
VII, IX (about 10 pages of the 31 pages--read the rest if you wish)
"Key Judgments" Section from October 2002 National Intelligence
Estimate on Iraq
Discussion--Afghanistan and Iraq
M5
Nov
.
Readings:
McAlister, Epic Encounters, Ch. 7/Conclusion, available in
Resources/Readings folder in E-Learning
W7
Nov
.
Catch Up/Review Day
F9
and
M
12
Homecoming and Veterans Day--No Classes
Nov
.
W
14
Nov
.
Current Events Forum I: Oil and Energy--Switch to Guest Speaker
F 16
Nov
.
Current Events Forum II: Iran--See adjustments to schedule below
M
19
Nov
.
Current Events Forum III: Arab-Israeli-Palestinian Conflict--Switch to
General Discussion of Events in Gaza
W
21
and
F 23
Nov
.
Readings:
Catch up Day
Readings: Just follow the news over the weekend
Thanksgiving--No Classes
Current Events Forum IV: Afghanistan and Pakistan
M
26
Nov
.
Readings (in addition to requirements listed in guidelines for paper due on 5
December):
Rajiv Chandrasekaran, "The Afghan Surge is Over: So Did It
Work?" (posted on Monday, 26 November, so still read but not due by class
time)
Current Events Forum V: The Arab Spring/Syria
W
28
Nov
.
Readings (in addition to requirements listed in guidelines for paper due on 5
December):
Marc Lynch, "Morsi's Mixed Moves"
Paper Two
Due
Current Events Forum VI: TBD (Syria, or other most pressing issue at the
time)--Switch to Iran
Readings (in addition to requirements listed in guidelines for paper due on 5
December):
F 30
Nov
.
Stephen Hadley, Eight Ways to Deal with Iran
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wpdyn/content/article/2007/02/13/AR2007021301363.html
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wpdyn/content/article/2006/06/17/AR2006061700727.html?waporef=evri.wid
get.1
http://www.dni.gov/press_releases/20071203_release.pdf
Forum and Paper Discussion--Switch to Arab-Israeli-Palestinian Conflict
M3
Dec.
Readings (in addition to requirements listed in guidelines for paper
due on 5 December):
Rashid Khalidi, "Obama's Three Options"
Aaron David Miller, "The Peace Process Tooth Fairy"
W5
Course Conclusions
Dec.
© 2012 Matthew F. Jacobs
Current
Events
Paper Due