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91. Iran and Iraq: Sanctions and Dual Containment - A View from the European Union

Author:
Roberto Aliboni
Publication Date:
05-2000
Content Type:
Working Paper
Institution:
Istituto Affari Internazionali
Abstract:
In recent years, many (non-American as well as American) analysts have put in question the wisdom and rationale of the US doctrine of the “dual containment” towards Iraq and Iran. Rather than being a strategic doctrine, the “dual containment” is a state of affairs reflecting the fact that the US was left without viable political options in the region by a set of mistakes whose cost it will be able to recover only in a more or less distant time: in particular, the full and blind support to the Shah's regime against any nationalist, liberal and religious groups in the country and the support to Iraq in the war against Iran, which convinced the Iraqi ruling regime of being entitled to exercise in the region a kind of proconsular power and prepared the country politically and militarily to its unfortunate attempt at swallowing Kuwait.
Topic:
Foreign Policy and Diplomacy
Political Geography:
United States, Iraq, America, Iran, Kuwait, and Arab Countries

92. Including Libya? EU, Arab World, and the U.S.

Author:
Roberto Aliboni
Publication Date:
02-2000
Content Type:
Working Paper
Institution:
Istituto Affari Internazionali
Abstract:
The Libyan leadership's decision to hand over the two citizens suspected of carrying out the terrorist attack against a Pan Am civilian aircraft over Lockerbie on December 12, 1988 undoubtedly marks a change in Tripoli's foreign policy. It remains to be seen how durable this change will be and whether international policies may consolidate it or make it less reversible than Tripoli's record would suggest. While one can only speculate on how long Libya's new foreign policy direction will last, the second question-whether this direction can be consolidated - is the basic matter addressed in this paper. Libya is a special and, to some extent, extreme case in a range of post-Cold War developments and changes which concern a good number of Arab countries. The Libyan case must be put in this more general perspective.
Topic:
Foreign Policy and International Cooperation
Political Geography:
United States, Libya, and Arab Countries