Description

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A close look at failed U.S. policies in the Middle East, offering a fresh perspective on how best to reorient goals in the region
 
In this book Alexandra Stark argues that the U.S. approach to Yemen offers insights into the failures of American foreign policy throughout the Middle East. Stark makes the case that despite often being drawn into conflicts within Yemen, the United States has not achieved its policy goals because it has narrowly focused on counterterrorism and regional geopolitical competition rather than on the well-being of Yemenis themselves. She offers recommendations designed to reorient U.S. policy in the Middle East in pursuit of U.S. national security interests and to support the people of these countries in their efforts to make their own communities safe, secure, and prosperous.

About the Author

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Alexandra Stark is an associate policy researcher at the RAND Corporation and a fellow at New America’s International Security Program. Her award-winning work has been published in academic and public outlets.

Praise For…

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“Stark’s deeply researched, clearly written book will be of much interest to policymakers, researchers, and other readers hoping to understand how America’s war in Yemen contributed to the conflicts that continue to wrack Yemen to this day.”—Peter Bergen, author of The Rise and Fall of Osama bin Laden

“Alexandra Stark has written a unique book, offering the most comprehensive account of U.S. involvement in Yemen. She also provides useful recommendations for future American policy in the Middle East.”—Thomas Juneau, author of Le Yémen en guerre

“A closely observed dissection of the failures of American policy towards Yemen across multiple administrations and their too often ignored human and strategic consequences.”—Marc Lynch, The George Washington University

“This compelling account of a decade of conflict combines a nuanced critique of U.S. policymaking in the Middle East with insightful recommendations for a new approach.”—Kristian Coates Ulrichsen, author of Centers of Power in the Arab Gulf States

“In a detailed and balanced analysis of US policy in the Middle East in general and in Yemen in particular, Stark demonstrates how the US fixation with security, and its manner of implementation, only creates further insecurity. This is a highly recommended book for anyone interested in the study of the unintended consequences of US foreign policy.”—Mehran Kamrava, Georgetown University in Qatar