Quarterly Journal of West Asia Political Research

Abstract Do human communities behave similarly everywhere, driven by the intricacies of politics? What constitutes politics, and is the study of politics the same everywhere, including in the West Asia region? Conversely, are politics in West Asia shaped by different authenticities, reflecting the region’s cultural, ethno-religious, linguistic, historical, and modern realities and experiences? This paper postulates that politics in West Asia resembles politics elsewhere, as politics involves individual and group decision-making over resources and their distribution for the betterment of material gain, human security, and happy, virtuous life. At the same time, studying the region’s characteristics helps to understand the parameters of human relations in the political discourses, processes, and outcomes, including the distribution of socioeconomic resources and political power.

Abstract From the perspective of political economy, war and peace in the Middle East are linked and related to the ideas and interests of the individuals and groups involved. The prevailing state of war and permanent conflict in this region, with the occupation of Palestine by the Jews with the support of the Western world and the continuation of the Zionist regime's territorial expansionism, along with the suppression, killing and imposition of war on the Palestinians and the US military invasion of Iraq and Afghanistan, has created a sense of constant threat and humiliation in the Arab and Islamic world and has provoked many reactions. This atmosphere of war, tension and conflict has made it impossible to establish peace, stability, democracy, development and solve the problems related to poverty, unemployment, frustration and humiliation in the societies of the Middle East, and has marginalized individuals, groups and parts of these societies and incited them against the West. Thus, The main argument of the present article is that modernity and capitalism organized on the basis of instrumental reason and market relations in the context of the historical background of hostility and enmity between the Islamic world and the West, in order to dominate their historical other, that is, Muslims, and to increase the profits of arms companies and economic growth and prosperity in the West, they incite war and prevent the establishment of peace in the region. On the other hand, they resort to fundamentalism and Salafism to marginalize and humiliate the victims and resort to violence and military confrontation against the West with an emotional and extreme approach and become anti-Western, which for them has no result except the intensification of poverty and backwardness. The research findings show that; the main cause should be sought in the expansionist policies and actions of one side and the reaction of the victims is only the result of these policies. However, the reaction of the Palestinians and Lebanese Shiites, including Hamas, Islamic Jihad and Hezbollah, goes beyond Salafism and fundamentalism, and they have inevitably resorted to violence and weapons to repel the constant aggression, occupation and aggression of the Zionists, which have been imposed on them. In general, in both the Islamic and Western worlds, individuals and groups who do not represent the majority of their societies, with specific ideas and interests, real or perceived, advocate violence and war, and prevent the establishment of peace, democracy and development in the Middle East.
 

Abstract The Taliban militia forces, with a number of less than seventy-five thousand people, overcame the three hundred thousand-strong Afghan army in eleven days. The people of Afghanistan also experienced the rule of this extremist Islamist group at 1996 to 2001, until the Taliban government fell following the September 11 incident and the US attack on Afghanistan, and the US sought to establish a nation-state in this country. After more than twenty years, the US government decided to withdraw its forces from Afghanistan. With the beginning of the withdrawal of American forces, the Taliban militias succeeded in forming the second Islamic Emirate in this country in the shortest possible time in 2021. The rapid victory of the Taliban raised such questions as, were these developments a scenario and project designed by the US? What was the reason for the Taliban's rapid victory in Afghanistan and how will their government in the new era be fundamentally different from their government in the previous era? What consequences could the Taliban's re-dominance in Afghanistan have for the Islamic Republic of Iran? Therefore, the purpose of writing this article is to state the reasons for the Taliban's re-emergence in Afghanistan and explain its consequences in the region, especially for the Islamic Republic of Iran, in a descriptive-analytical manner and using library tools including books, newspapers and internet resources.

Abstract The Syrian crisis is one of the most challenging security and political events in the Middle East region, and each of the actors in the international scene has adopted different approaches to the developments in Syria based on their interests. America's strategy as a global superpower is always influenced by intelligence-security organizations active in Syria. Intelligence organizations are one of the influential institutions in the policy-making and foreign policy of countries regarding regional and global developments. According to their functions, these organizations are the tools of political decision-makers to make decisions in important international developments. At the same time, they influence the process of foreign policy, but they are also strongly affected by politics. In fact, just as political variables strongly influence information, intelligence organizations also influence the foreign policy approach of countries. One of the important questions regarding intelligence organizations is their position and the way they influence the foreign policy of countries. The structure of American intelligence and security organizations has a long history, and since intelligence services usually play an overt and covert role in the foreign policy of societies, the United States of America is not exempt from this and has undoubtedly been influenced by these organizations. The executive role of these organizations in the Syrian crisis is one example of how they are used as a tool in this country's foreign policy towards Syria. In this research, the researchers intend to examine the role of American intelligence agencies in the foreign policy of the country during Trump's presidency towards Syria. The focus of this research is the influence of the American intelligence community on the foreign policy of the country towards Syria, specifically the role of the US Central Intelligence Organization (CIA) in US foreign policy towards Syria from 2017 to 2020.

Abstract West Asia and Africa have been embroiled in sustained conflict for decades. The region has been home to some of the world's bloodiest and longest-running conflicts, including the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, the two Iraq wars (1991 and 2003), the Yemeni civil war (1994), and the Lebanon conflict (2007). It has also seen internal and regional conflicts in Afghanistan, the separation of India and Pakistan, widespread civil wars in Sudan and Somalia, the Syrian crisis, and one of the deadliest international conflicts, the Iran-Iraq war. The present study seeks to answer the question of what factors have caused instability, insecurity, and civil war in the three countries of Afghanistan, Somalia, and Myanmar in terms of fragile state indicators. The findings of the study show that since the unstable and fragile states of Somalia, Afghanistan, and Myanmar were unable to maintain political and social cohesion, meet the economic demands and civil rights of the people, and create comprehensive security due to the governance style based on tribalism, dictatorship, discrimination, prejudice, and religious and ethnic extremism, it led to civil war, the collapse of the nation-state, and the fragmentation of society. The method used in this study is the documentary method.

Abstract The main question of this study is: “What developments has the Resistance Axis experienced in political and military fields before and after the martyrdom of General Qassem Soleimani?” After evaluating the socio-political texts and available sources in this field, the results of the research showed that during the 22-year period of Martyr Soleimani's command of the Quds Force, resistance groups in the Middle East region have grown day by day, so that today, in addition to Lebanon and Palestine, these groups have also been established in Syria, Iraq, and Yemen. Even the Yemeni Ansar Allah formed a government in Sanaa. In Palestine, the new generation of resistance has expanded into the occupied territories, and in current Iraq, numerous groups are demanding the expulsion of American soldiers from this country, so the sum of these developments has strengthened and deepened the “Geopolitics of Resistance” in the region. Another important point that is understandable after the martyrdom of General Soleimani is the “network” nature of these groups. For example, Hezbollah of Lebanon played a constructive role in the Syrian crisis and the war against terrorists. In addition, Hezbollah in the recent war in Gaza on the northern front and the Yemenis also responded practically to defend Gaza by launching missile attacks on the ships of the Zionist regime. This fact is also true for the Iraqi resistance groups. Another important point before and after the martyrdom of General Soleimani is the “people-based” nature of the resistance groups. In other words, the popularity of the resistance axis is the main sources of power of these actors. In fact, General Soleimani, with his managerial and commanding qualities, had a unique ability to organizing local and indigenous forces.