A Vanishing West in the Middle East: The Recent History of US-Europe Cooperation in the Region

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A Vanishing West in the Middle East covers the history of Western cooperation in the Middle East and North Africa since the end of the Cold War. Based on more than fifty interviews with diplomats and experts as well as consultations of the academic literature, it describes the operational and political frameworks through which the United States and European countries have intervened in the Arab world, and how their relations with the region have changed. Practitioner testimonies and detailed case studies illuminate U.S. successes and failures in enlisting allies for campaigns in Iraq, Syria, and Libya. This analysis goes to the heart of the American debate on endless wars but also questions the very concept of Western intervention in a region where the Arab Spring and subsequent uprisings have profoundly changed the geopolitical landscape. Today, whereas the United States wishes to pull back from the region, Europe understands it must become more involved. Whatever their particular motivations, both must adapt to an increasingly fragmented Middle East, influenced specifically by more assertive Chinese, Russian, Iranian, Emirati, and Turkish foreign policies.

Reviews

After a decade over which the Middle East was profoundly shaken and transformed, over which US foreign policy toward this region went through various revisions, and over which the transatlantic bond risked serious erosion, this book offers serious answers to questions with a bearing on the future: Is there still one West, at least in relation to an East What remains of the strategic interest the Middle East represents for both America and Europe Charles Thpauts unique position, as a French diplomat working on the Middle East from Washington DC, gives this work irreplaceable value. -- Joseph Bahout, director of the Issam Fares Institute for Public Policy and International Affairs and associate professor of politics, American University of Beirut
Charles Thpauts A New West in the Middle East is a timely read that follows US-Europe relations from the 1990s to today. Thpaut reminds readers that regardless of the US president, the future relationship will require fairer burden-sharing, humbler aspirations, and honest conversations about what constitute actual priorities. Thpauts deep knowledge of the Middle Easts most complex conflicts, his accurate assessment of Great Power interests, and his diplomatic experience informing how to nurture a healthier US-Europe relationship make him an ideal author. The book is a must-read for those looking to employ the best of Europe and the best of the United States to solve the globes most pressing dilemmas. -- Jomana Qaddour, nonresident senior fellow with the Rafik Hariri Center for the Middle East, Atlantic Council, member of the UN-facilitated Syrian Constitutional Committee, and cofounder of Syria Relief & Development
'Does the West exist in the Middle East and North Africa Only on rare occasions. Should we leave things as they are Given the trend in the United States to reduce its footprint in the region, the necessity for Europe to deal with new threats in its neighborhood, the revival of Russian influence, and the rise of China, the answer is no. Thepaut, a well-traveled diplomat and clear-sighted think tanker, provides a trove of fact-based analyses in his book. It offers an essential basis for policymakers to rethink an issue that should become central in an updated transatlantic dialogue.' -- Michel Duclos, special advisor at the Montaigne Institute and former French ambassador to Syria and Switzerland

Author Bio

Charles Thpaut is a visiting fellow at The Washington Institute for Near East Policy, and is a career diplomat who has worked on political issues across the Middle East and North Africa at the French Foreign Ministry, German Foreign Ministry, and European Commission. His book, Anatomy of the Arab World: From the Arab Spring to the American Pullback, was published (in French) in May 2020.