America and the Persian Gulf

Abstract

Steve A. Yetiv, an assistant professor of political science at Old Dominion University in Virginia and a research affiliate at the Center for Middle Eastern Studies at Harvard University, has written a most interesting book on what he calls the "third-party dimension in world politics." Based on his doctoral dissertation, Yetiv’s thesis, which at first glance seems a simple and natural way to view the cause-and-effect relationships of historical events and conflicts, is far more complex. No “domino theory,” which focuses on the primary actors, the third-party dimension in world politics, as its name implies, focuses on the “third-party” actor, or actors, vis-8-vis events on the world stage. Primarily concerned with how conflict in the Persian Gulf area in the late 1970’s, 1980’s and early 1990’s affected the United States’ position in the Middle East, America and the Persian Gulf generally examines the third-party situation and, in particular, how its position changes-for better or worse-as a result of the actions of the main participants and other third parties who are active or passive participants in diplomatic crises, conflicts, and revolutions. Furthermore, in emphasizing its importance, Professor Yetiv writes that by examining “the conditions under which the third party is weakened or strengthened by conflict. . . we may learn more about the utility of statecraft, the politics of rapidly changing conflictual regions of the world, conflict processes and outcomes, and conflict avoidance and resolution.” He goes on to state that “the study of the third party will tell us something about the third party itself be it a state, an international organization, or some other actor in world politics.” Last but not least, it “can also inform us about the context in which the third party plays a role, the long-term role of the third party in that context, other contexts which the third party affects, and the nature and impact of conflict in general” (p. 158).