MODMDEST 107/209: Regional Order, U.S. Wars, and the Politics of Iraq and Afghanistan (Sagha)

Regional order in the Middle East has significant consequences and reverberations around the globe ranging from inter-state rivalries, ethno-national violence, world energy markets, and international great power competition for influence in western Asia and interconnected world regions. One of the most significant chapters impacting regional order and global affairs in recent decades has been marked by the U.S. wars in Afghanistan and Iraq following the attacks of 9/11 and state and nation-building projects undertaen in these countries. This course focuses on the modern histories and domestic politics of Iraq and Afghanistan, the legacy and impact of U.S. invasions and occupations of these two states, domestic political party mobilization and the prevalence of non-state actors in Iraq and Afghanistan, global geopolitical competition, and the surrounding regional and sub-regional politics of the Persian Gulf and Central Asia. The course assumes no prior knowledge of Islam or the Middle East/Central Asia.