Chaos and Conflict: The Middle East Today
Taught by Jordan Reimer
Jordan Reimer has a MPA from the Woodrow Wilson School at Princeton University, with a concentration in international relations. He has visited or lived in several Middle Eastern countries, many of which subsequently underwent revolution. He does not think this is a coincidence.
In 2011, springtime came early in the Middle East as several countries experienced for the first time popular revolutions that overthrew autocrats long thought invincible. But in the ensuring years, counter coups, sectarian tensions, the rise of ISIS, and other factors have brought the region to a morass of multiple, overlapping conflicts and seemingly endless war.
Using Libya as a specific case study, this class will examine how the trajectory of the region moved from the hopefulness of the Arab Spring to the chaos of a long, bitter winter. We will explore the roots of these democratic uprisings, how they unfolded, and why they devolved into civil wars and the spread of ISIS.
We will also look at U.S. policy in the region and how it varies by country due to differing circumstances and competing American interests.
