The Ambiguous Foreign Policy of the United States toward the Muslim World: More than a Handshake

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This book sheds light on key issues in the Middle East. As the politics and society of the Middle East change, American foreign policy has become stagnant and stubborn. However, the changes occurring in the Middle East have brought into existence new, unfamiliar policies from regimes that reject old alliances and demand new solutions. Ongoing civil war in Syria, chaos in Yemen, and the recent conquests of ISIS have changed geopolitical calculations in the region for everyone concerned. However, American foreign policy lacks the vision to predict the consequences of such changes. The United States needs a major change in approach if it is to maintain both its leadership and credibility in the Muslim world. The political leadership in Washington navely and unrealistically assumes that it can impose its style of governance and way of thinking to make the Muslim world secular and democratic based on Western values. This work constructively criticizes and objectively analyzes the present American political strategy to make possible an honest national debate about American foreign policy toward the Muslim world. This book questions the judgment of American foreign policymakers and argues the United States has no coherent policy in place to address ongoing challenges. It highlights the need for creative thinking, flexibility, systematic understanding, cultural awareness, and effective strategy.

Reviews

This book sheds light on key issues in the Middle East. . . This work constructively criticizes and objectively analyzes the present American political strategy to make possible an honest national debate about American foreign policy toward the Muslim world. This book questions the judgment of American foreign policymakers and argues the United States has no coherent policy in place to address ongoing challenges. It highlights the need for creative thinking, flexibility, systematic understanding, cultural awareness, and effective strategy. * Israel Book Review *
Dr. Oualaalou provides a foreign policy perspective that is as rare as it essential: someone raised in a Muslim culture, who has served on the ground for U.S. military and intelligence operations, and has PhD-level academic credentials. -- David Schleicher, Schleicher Law Firm, PLLC (Waco-Houston-DC)
In his analysis of U.S. foreign policy toward Muslim nations of the Middle East and Northern Africa, author David Oualaalou illustrates the failure of neo-colonial, realist, and neo-conservative foreign policy initiatives of the United States. The reader is provided a constructivist theoretical framework that calls on U.S. decision makers to understand history, culture, and national interests throughout the region in order to create a positive relationship with the Muslim world. -- Larry Hufford, St. Mary's University

Author Bio

David S. Oualaalou is professor of government at McLennan Community College.