Britain and the Middle East in the 9/11 Era

This book, by an acknowledged academic authority on the region with access to both UK and Middle East policy-makers, examines contemporary British policy in the Middle East, focusing on Iraq, the Arab-Israeli conflict, the Barcelona Process and bridge-building to Washington as contrasting illustrations of the British approach. The extent to which the ‘special relationship’ with the US has become the overarching factor is also explored. Having argued that the Middle East moved from centre to periphery in British foreign policy in the 1990s, reflecting the initial priorities of the new Labour government, the work shows how the events of 11 September led to renewed government attention to the region and more recently a fascination with reform in the Arab world.