Fragile Politics: Weak States in the Greater Middle East

Kamrava, Mehran; Schmitz, Charles; Phillips, Sarah; Esser, Daniel E.; Wehrey, Frederic; Mikaelian, Shoghig; Salloukh, Bassel F.; Abusharaf, Rogaia Mustafa; Waal, Alex de; Babar, Zahra; Osman, Dwaa; Robinson, Glenn E.; Brand, Laurie A.; McGillivray, Mark; Feeny, Simon; Silva, Ashton de

doi:10.2139/ssrn.2840398

Cited by 5 publications

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“…In some countries central authority structures are no longer able to perform functions such as 'the provision of security, legitimacy, and wealth and welfare' to the same extent they did prior to 2011. 32 This applies, for example, to Syria, Iraq and-to a lesser degree-the Sinai in Egypt, where protracted rebellion and civil war have challenged the territorial integrity of the states, leading to non-state actors proclaiming chunks and parts of the territory independent fiefdoms. In other places like Libya and Yemen a multiplicity of factions and power centres have succeeded in their attempts to use the process of rebuilding state institutions as a means to secure control over power and authority to the detriment of their competitors.…”

Section: Challenged Domestic Orders In the Mena Countriesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Europe and the ‘New’ Middle East

Colombo

Lecha

2021

Journal of Balkan and Near Eastern Studies

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The Middle East has witnessed major geopolitical shifts since 2011 that range from the growing influence of the Gulf states, the pivot to Africa of many of the region's countries and the new dynamics of global penetration, to the proliferation of regional cleavages and intra-state conflicts, as well as more volatile alliances and rivalries. This article assesses the implications of those shifts for the European Union and its capacity to shape or adapt to new realities. In the past continuities have tended to prevail in the EU's strategies, policies and toolbox vis-à-vis the region. The intensity of the transformations the Middle East is going through as well as their impact on Europe itself may oblige the EU to make a move now. Europe's leverage and credibility are at stake.

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Section: Challenged Domestic Orders In the Mena Countriesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Europe and the ‘New’ Middle East

Colombo

Lecha

2021

Journal of Balkan and Near Eastern Studies

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“…As a result of all this, many violent non-state actors, such as terrorist jihadi organizations, armed militias, and organized crime gangs, have expanded at the expense of the state and the borders of these states have become open to foreign interference. 28 According to a recent report by the International Crisis Group:…”

Section: The Fragmentation Of the Nation State And The Dilemmas Of Bumentioning

confidence: 99%

Covid-19 and Civil Wars in the Arab World: The Cases of Syria, Libya and Yemen

Ali

2020

Asian Affairs

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“…Nevertheless, security studies scholarship offers few theoretical tools for understanding this deep and overt inter-twinement of security and governance. Often, it is framed as an outcome of authoritarian practices of coup-proofing (Albrecht, 2015; Quinlivan, 1999) or a symptom of weak or fragile states (Atzili, 2010; Kamrava et al, 2014).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Towards theorizing from the Arab non-periphery: Hyphenated identities and the boundless security field

Elgamal

2024

Security Dialogue

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Across the Middle East, military professionals, private militias, and other security actors often play a central role in the management of urban planning, public administration, and other state affairs. However, security studies scholarship offers few theoretical tools for understanding this deep and overt intertwinement of security and governance, framing it as an outcome of authoritarian practices of coup-proofing or a symptom of ‘weak’ states. This article analyzes spatial planning and land management practices in Egypt and Lebanon to propose two concepts, ‘hyphenated identities’ and the ‘boundless security field’, as alternative theoretical tools for thinking about security. I argue that security logics are deeply enmeshed with the identity of the nation, its histories of conflict, and its experiences of state formation, creating a security field that is boundless and non-discrete. Within this field are a set of ‘hyphenated identities’, or categories of actors who perform dual roles as managers of security and managers of other governance matters. The influence of these actors on governance practices illustrates the extent to which security logics can be imbedded in the structures of the state and its modus operandi, thereby reinforcing the boundlessness of the security field.

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Fragile Politics: Weak States in the Greater Middle East

Cited by 5 publications

References 0 publications

Europe and the ‘New’ Middle East

Europe and the ‘New’ Middle East

Covid-19 and Civil Wars in the Arab World: The Cases of Syria, Libya and Yemen

Towards theorizing from the Arab non-periphery: Hyphenated identities and the boundless security field

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