While there have been myriad and significant changes in technology, geopolitical relations, environmental shifts and political upheaval, we are still plagued with social inequalities, injustice, warfare and xenophobia, all of which frames our context and contextual analysis. September 11 was a global event or moment because it happened in the…

This article reports that American visa procedures have prevented graduate students from taking advantage of the Iraqi government's program to study in the United States. Iraqi students seeking to come to American colleges on full scholarships from the Iraqi government face so many hurdles in obtaining a visa that few are able to enter the…

In a famous comment in January 2003, Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld referred to a difference between Old Europe and New Europe. By "Old Europe," he meant mainly the traditional European leaders, France and Germany, which adopted a stance critical of U.S. policy on Iraq. He saw the "New Europe" as consisting of former Iron…

This document outlines the political turmoil in Iran in the 1970s and 1980s and Iranian-U.S. relations during this period. Chapter 1 outlines the Shah Reza Pahlavi's concern over U.S. President Jimmy Carter's election, the beginnings of the Islamic religious revival, and U.S. Secretary of State Cyrus Vance's visit to Iran in May 1977. Chapter 2…

For 40 years the primary objectives of U.S. policy in the Persian Gulf have been to assure access by the industrialized nations to the region's oil and to prevent those resources from falling under the control of the Soviet Union or any other hostile power. The recent events in Iran, the Iran-Iraq War and its aftermath, the maneuvering of a…

Colleges and universities across the country are seeing an overwhelming interest among students in learning about the Middle East and Arabic languages. The most popular courses, professors say, are Arabic language, Middle Eastern politics and the dynamics of the Israeli and Arab relationship. Also in demand are courses on comparative religions and…

The Iraq war has generated interest combined with apprehension in young minds as to the nature of "the other", in this case Islam and its followers. Attempts by the U.S. Government to allay negative impressions by means of information through specialized web portals are highlighted.

This article describes an undergraduate simulation that formulates Iraqi regimes following the removal of Saddam Hussein's Baathist regime. This exercise reinforces student comprehension and awareness for a range of legal and political topics--including group decision making, international law, diplomacy, and human rights--by actively engaging the…

The Iraq educational system is described along with guidance for academic placement of students in United States educational institutions. Six chapters include: (1) introduction (i.e. background data, historical development, responsibility for education, and language of instruction); (2) institutions supervised by the Ministry of Education…

Understanding the current conflicts and political changes in the Middle East us important for American educators if American students are to understand the dynamics of the region. To discuss these issues, FPRI held its 12th History Institute for Teachers on October 16-17, 2004. Forty teachers from 15 states attended the weekend program at the…