Ohad Zwigenberg/Pool via REUTERS/File Photo. America has more than 1,000 service people deployed there too, mostly on drone bases. See here for a complete list of exchanges and delays. It goes too far to claim that more attention to Afghanistan in the middle of the last decade would have led to the complete destruction of the Taliban, and an end to the war. The government says it has no such designs. [1], The conceptual foundation of the shatter belt in geopolitics stems from the analytical approach of examining the world map of states and empires in terms of their geopolitical struggles and military and political relations. Indeed, the Middle East lies on the world's largest "shatter belt" - an area described felicitously by American geographer Saul Cohen as the region of contact between the world's great sea and land powers. Farmanfarmaian, Roxane. Bola Tinubu, the new president of neighbouring Nigeria, who chairs the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), a 15-member regional bloc, said that he will not tolerate any situation that incapacitates the democratically elected government of the country.. The reincarnation of the Arab Cold War is the first sign. Netanyahu has said some of the legislation package has been scrapped for good but that he still wants to change the way judges are selected. Shatterbelts and Choke Points - Shatterbelt Regions and Choke - Studocu IvyPanda. First, is a breakdown in the Iraqi Kurdish relationship with Baghdad. However, bringing it to life requires withdrawing external powers and ceasing support of inner conflicts. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says the changes are needed to rein in an over-interventionist court, but critics accuse him of authoritarianism. In this context, those parts of the world which are internally fragmented and also caught up in Great Power struggles, became Shatterbelts and surrogates for conflicts, which involved the Great Powers indirectly. Indeed, the Middle East lies on the worlds largest shatterbelt an area described felicitously by American geographer Saul Cohen as the region of contact between the worlds great sea and land powers. The Middle East and Africa in particular, have been persistent Shatterbelts. In the case of the 2003 invasion of Iraq, it became apparent after the first few months that the war was not working out as its framers had envisioned. This has inspired renewed activity by Turkeys own alienated Kurdish Workers Party, the PKK, which for years has agitated for official linguistic and cultural recognition inside Turkey. 2. In addition, Eastern Europe straddles major transport routes for energy and . In 2008, the second edition of his book Geopolitics: the Geography of International Relations was published. This is Egypts game. The East-Med crescent, begins in Israel, goes through Cyprus and onto Greece, and is built on Mediterranean gas. Soldiers seized power from civilians in Mali in 2020. Introduction. In the longer term, a weaker judiciary could be bad for business and harm Israel's legal defences abroad. Browse an unrivalled portfolio of real-time and historical market data and insights from worldwide sources and experts. A war instigated by a major power which does not itself become involved. In fact Mr Bazoums campaign against the jihadists has been the most successful in the entire region. This may have partly been the reason for lengthy negotiations between the general and other branches of the army on July 26th, before any public utterance. The British took control of the canal and Egypt from 1882 until 1922. Effects of keystone and gateway pipeline systems on Canadas economy, China Goes Global Book by David Shambaugh, Korean Reunification: Reaching a Compromise, Cuba, Iraq, and Sunni Islam: Challenges to the US. (2021, May 9). Their future is now uncertain. To offset this malaise, Israel is looking to Europe, where it feels more welcome than it has ever felt in the Middle East. As shells rain down on the border with Turkey, Istanbuls appeals to its NATO allies are so far garnering rhetorical, rather than actual support. May 9, 2021. https://ivypanda.com/essays/geopolitics-the-middle-east-shatterbelt/. Moscow regularly responds to U.S. criticism of its actions in Ukraine by referring to the 2003 invasion, although it also points to the 1999 Kosovo War and the 2011 Libya intervention. (Recommended: 5 Israeli Weapons of War ISIS Should Fear). Hufermann, Tim. Answer: A shatterbelt originates when rival great powers have footholds in a single area. Yet even without such an Israeli move, the tension inside the Security Council is rising as the unblinking stare between Iran and the US turns into a waiting game. What originally brought Syria and Iran together was not the Shia sect, but Iraq the common enemy both hated and feared. Research & Overview | meshatterbelt And Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu has baldy stated that the Muslim Brotherhoods successes in Egypt and Tunisia, Israels previous allies, are the politics of undemocratic extremism. Did Russia or China take advantage of the U.S. invasion of Iraq to advance their interests? [6] Unlike most geopolitical regions that have a different degree of cohesion, the regions considered shatter belts are global destabilizers.[3]. Law experts and legal advisers to the government and parliament have, however, warned that it will open the door to corruption because it makes it easier for government as a whole or individual ministers to hire and fire officials for potentially wrong reasons. Geopolitics : The Geography of International Relations - Google Books In the past, the moderate crescent would have been led by Turkey, the nation credited with having the best Islamo-democratic model after the successes of the Arab Spring. Both juntas have pushed out and scapegoated French forces. The Middle East's cold war, explained - YouTube The Geography of International Relations, Third Edition The U.S. has spent far more in blood and treasure since 2003 than it did between 1991 and 2003, so from a purely military and financial standpoint the answer is clearly yes. And while dual containment would have left the dreadful Hussein regime in power, it likely would have avoided the worst of the several civil wars that Iraq has endured in the past twelve years. Yet if he has a chance of reclaiming his throne, Mr Bazoum must keep at least a chunk of the army onside. In the wake of the Arab Spring, Israel has become isolated. Strapped for energy as a result of the sanctions on Iran, Greece is an ideal recipient of Israels new-found gas off its shores in the Mediterranean. Copyright The Economist Newspaper Limited 2023. The European Union has threatened to withdraw all budgetary support. The First Cold War followed, as Soviet Russia and the US (Britains maritime successor) contested for influence and power in the Middle East. In addition to specific platforms, DoD might have taken advantage of the 2000s to pursue a variety of disruptive technologies that would have left it farther ahead of Russia and China than it now sits. The Middle East and Africa in particular, have been persistent Shatterbelts. Saul Cohen: Great powers, shatterbelts, gateways, geostrategic regions, Click here for all contributions and the contact details of this contributor, Fabrizio Eva: Territorial trap, shared and divided spaces, Clash of Civilizations, Leonhardt van Efferink: EU-Russian Gas Trade Nord Stream, South Stream and Nabucco Pipelines, Sabina Mihelj: Media Nations: Communicating Belonging and Exclusion in the Modern World, Elmar Hellendoorn: External problems for Europes energy policy A brief geopolitical analysis, Geopolitics of Jammu and Kashmir Nathalne Reynolds (Geopolitical Trends in the 21st Century), Geopolitics of Kurdistan: A Telling Example of the Territorial Trap Fabrizio Eva (Geopolitical Trends in the 21st Century), Anthropocene Geopolitics: Globalization, Security, Sustainability Simon Dalby (Geopolitical Trends in the 21st Century), Geopolitics of Indian Ocean and Chinas Belt and Road Initiative Claude Rakisits (Geopolitical Trends in the 21st Century), Geopolitics of US Hegemonic Decline and Chinas Rising Power Colin Flint (Geopolitical Trends in the 21st Century), From the Material Turn to the Emergence of Algorithmic Geopolitics Virginie Mamadouh (Geopolitical Trends in the 21st Century). He is also Editor of the Oxford World Atlas, among other positions. The framers of the war hoped that the establishment of a democratic Iraq would spur anti-authoritarian reactions around the region, although they also hoped that U.S. clients (including Egypt, Saudi Arabia, and the Gulf states) would be spared. Cohen illustrates why those regions -the convergence of what he terms the Maritime, Heartlandic Russian, and East Asian realms -have become 'Gateways, ' while the Middle East remains a. In particular, a strong U.S. commitment to Afghanistan (made impossible by the Iraq War) could have limited the degree to which Pakistan sought to make mischief in the region. Al-Rodhan, Hayef, Graeme Herd, and Lisa Watanabe. Escalation of regional conflict: testing the shatterbelt concept Where the Arab Spring and the Second Arab Cold War intersect. California: Do Not Sell My Personal Information, Soldiers declare they have overthrown Nigers president, Why African leaders shunned Vladimir Putins summit, A blow against Israels Supreme Court plunges the country into crisis. Under President Obama, the US has begun to pivot toward the South Pacific. Other local conflicts included Iraq and Afghanistan wars, but their severity was less spectacular. General Tchiani tried to cast his actions in a more honourable light by echoing the neighbouring juntas claim that the reason for the coup was the continuing deterioration of the security situation. But Turkey has lost its edge since Syrias eruption. The increasingly painful waiting game is escalating global tension, and linking the Middle East into a single, multi-dimensional crisis. Listen to this . Surprisingly, he continued to use his phone for much of July 26th and for some of the next day. The US is deploying thousands of Marines and additional forces to the Middle East following recent Iranian attempts to seize commercial shipping vessels, the Pentagon announced Thursday. However, the world system has become two-tiered, as Shatterbelts have spread into western Latin America, Afghanistan and Pakistan, and throughout Africa. The Russian foreign ministry even called for Mr Bazoum to be released. Current European Energy Legislation and Its Applicability on the DESERTEC Concept, Berlin: GmbH, 2011. Access unmatched financial data, news and content in a highly-customised workflow experience on desktop, web and mobile. Screen for heightened risk individual and entities globally to help uncover hidden risks in business relationships and human networks. Geopolitics. 1.1 Definitions. Cohen illustrates why those regionsthe convergence of what he terms the Maritime, Heartlandic Russian, and East Asian realms have become "Gateways," while the Middle East remains a "Shatterbelt" and much of South America and Sub-Saharan Africa have grown marginalized.The author argues that whether certain areas become Gateways or . Why Africa is poised to become a big player in energy markets And it is clearly wrong to believe that the money and attention devoted to Iraq would unproblematically have shifted over to research and development if the Bush administration had decided against intervention. Niger's putsch is bad for the countryand for the region The 21st will be the Global Century, not the American or Chinese. Third, pressure on Iraqi Prime Minister Maliki from the increasingly independent and fractious Kurdish north is contributing to a global breakdown in Iraq, and the poisoning of relationships between Shia and Sunni. There is a "gravity hole" in the Indian Ocean a spot where Earth's gravitational pull is weaker, its mass is lower than normal, and the sea level dips by over 328 feet (100 meters). Tunisia represents the clearest case of success, while Libya has fallen into chaos, authoritarian forces have reasserted themselves in Egypt, and Syria has become an unending cauldron of violence and brutality. Opponents of the reforms argue that they will undermine Israeli democracy and risk introducing majoritarian rule. The roman Empire unified the region to some extent. The political boundaries of North Africa and the Middle East can best be described as the product of which of the following processes? Rezensionen werden nicht berprft, Google sucht jedoch gezielt nach geflschten Inhalten und entfernt diese, Geopolitics: The Geography of International Relations, G - Reference, Information and Interdisciplinary Subjects Series. The big question is whether any further changes will be made with a broad consensus, as urged by U.S. President Joe Biden. The bigger domestic change may have come in terms of the publics attitude towards war. Shapes of States. In Iraq itself, the legacy of the invasion of 2003 seems to be an inability to escape obligations to the new Iraqi government; the United States continues to act as the Iraqi air force, and continues to struggle to train reliable Iraqi army forces. Copyright 2023 - IvyPanda is operated by, Geopolitics: Russia and the Eurasian Convergence Zone, American National Security Challenges and Strategy, Geopolitics: East Politics versus West Politics in Europe, Geopolitics Role in International Relations, Effects of the September 11th attack on the geopolitics of the US, "Feminist Geopolitics and September 11" by Jenifer Hyndman, The Enbridge Northern Gateway Pipeline Project Impact. Geopolitics The Geography Of International - CollegeLearners.com Explain why the region of Kashmir fits the definition of a shatterbelt Various civil-rights groups have already sent petitions to the Supreme Court calling for the new law to be overturned. Angry protests broke out following the vote, causing havoc in central Jerusalem, Tel Aviv and elsewhere around the country. Israel judicial overhaul: What is the new law and why is it causing While death and destruction have soared in Mali and Burkina Faso, less than a tenth of the deaths in the three countries last year were in Niger, despite its also having to deal with separate jihadist violence perpetrated by Boko Haram, a group that spills over from north-east Nigeria. The Geography of International Relations, New York: Rowman & Littlefield, 2015. According to many, the Western world is . It has 13% of global gas reserves, only a touch less than the Middle East, and 7% of the world's oil . Define the current borders of the Eastern European countries. Yet, the United States will inevitably stay in the Middle East. France has already said it will back sanctions. As first among equals of the Great States, the U.S., in partnership with the E.U. Retrieved from https://ivypanda.com/essays/geopolitics-the-middle-east-shatterbelt/. The region is akin to a turning kaleidoscope: same pieces, new designs. Does this reticence limit U.S. strategic options? Professor Cohen obtained his PhD at Harvard University and is specialised in geopolitical theory and political geography. The Middle East is a Shatterbelt, a zone of con-tention caught between the two realms. This term derives from such features as severe cultural and economic differences and fragmentation based on political views, historical development, and plans for the future. Saul Bernard Cohen, one of the world's leading political geographers, considers these forces in the context of their human and physical settings and explores their geographical influence on foreign policy and international relations. Chokepoints Definition and Explanation - ThoughtCo However, as Russia recovered after the collapse of the Soviet Union and grew interested in outperforming the United States in this region, it started supporting the rise of ISIS, thus contributing to the maintenance of shatterbelt (Cohen 375). student. Netanyahu has strongly denied any connection between his trial and an overhaul he says will only serve Israel's democracy. At the same time, relations between the Israelis and Obamas administration are chilly, not least because of the ongoing construction of settlements, many illegal, in the occupied territories. The complexity of the system requires the leadership of all the major and regional powers to keep the world in balance. 1. After the soldiers announced the coup, he continued defiantly to tweet. Shatterbelt: Middle East Directions: View the video and answer the questions below 1. Critically, and unlike in other areas, small states located inside them can significantly affect the course of conflict simply by changing sides, shifting the balance of power across a tipping point. The question is, will the Brotherhood adopt an extremist approach now that theyre in power as former presidents, Hosni Mubarak in Egypt and Tunisias Ben Ali, warned? While much remains uncertain, the most plausible explanation for the putsch is a lust for personal power among the soldiers and discord among the politicians. However, as major actors are interested in gaining access to strategic natural resources such as oil and gas, it leads to conflicts and disintegration of the region. The law all but eliminates the courts ability to overturn government decisions on the grounds of reasonableness. These conflicts were the areas of open confrontation of interests between the U.S. and the Soviet Union, as they backed up different sides and aimed at reducing the influence of opponents in this part of the globe (Cohen 375). Jihadists will cheer, The fall of Nigers democracy would be a heavy blow to regional stability, Russias weaponisation of food reflects its cynical approach to the continent, Published since September 1843 to take part in a severe contest between intelligence, which presses forward, and an unworthy, timid ignorance obstructing our progress.. Assads army is five times the size of Gaddafis, its opposition forces are deeply divided despite the agreement in Doha to paper over their differences, and its location deep inside the Levant makes establishing no-fly zones considerably more dangerous than in the open ranges of desert-bound Libya on shores much further west. To sum up, regardless of the regions rich natural resources, trade and economic relations between states remain unstable and limited due to border issues and extensive interference of foreign states into internal affairs (Cohen 413). [4] It was borrowed from geology, in which a shatter belt refers to a fault lines, i.e. It contains thousands of paper examples on a wide variety of topics, all donated by helpful students. The coup is a heavy blow for Niger and the wider region, which has long been battered by jihadists linked to al-Qaeda and Islamic State. During the Cold War, there was only one vector of massive conflicts, undermining stability in the area Arab-Israeli conflict. This coup dtat is completely illegitimate and deeply dangerous for Nigeriens, for Niger, and for the whole region, he declared. A son of the Muslim Brotherhood, he represents a party that is politically experienced in the role of opposition politics, a movement that enjoys widespread popular trust, has shown itself adaptable both inside and outside Egypt, and knows, probably better than any other, the nature of the Salafi threat. In Syria, the revolts resulted in civil war and the rise of ISIS that undermines global peace and stability. Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles. IvyPanda. O n July 24th Israel's parliament, the Knesset, passed the first in a series of laws aimed at drastically limiting the powers of the country's . Web. This puts the Middle East in jeopardy, and the situation has not gotten much better in recent years. On July 24th Israels parliament, the Knesset, passed the first in a series of laws aimed at drastically limiting the powers of the countrys Supreme Court. "This coup d'tat is completely illegitimate and deeply dangerous for Nigeriens, for Niger, and for the whole region," he declared. The rise of China and the increased belligerence of Russia owe more to geopolitical factors than to anything specifically associated with the Iraq War. In both cases, he said, Russia tried to eliminate competitors and use resources to . Crimea, Global Rivalry, and the Vengeance of History, New York: Palgrave Macmillan, 2015. A shatterbelt originates when rival great powers have footholds in a single area. He has promised Israel's judiciary will remain strong and independent and that no harm will come to civil rights. With Damascus focused elsewhere, Syrian Kurdistan has gained a new autonomy, opening the way for its disaffected people to link up with their Iraqi Kurdish brethren. Cohen, S. - Encyclopedia of World Geography Israel's constitutional chaos is far from over - The Economist They are balancing the Sunni crescents and western powers exclusion of Iran, on the moderate premise that to include all engaged players has a higher chance of saving Syrian lives. Second, the border conflict and the complex, if close relationship between Erbil and Istanbul, are seriously straining relations between Turkey and Iraq. The recent record shows that the five permanent Security Council members are unable to agree on a plan for either Irans nuclear programme or Syrias civil war. First, it diverted U.S. government resources away from Afghanistan at a time when the Taliban was clearly suffering from a devastating defeat. , The fall of Nigers democracy would be a heavy blow to regional stability, Russias weaponisation of food reflects its cynical approach to the continent, A tempestuous period of protest is in prospect, Published since September 1843 to take part in a severe contest between intelligence, which presses forward, and an unworthy, timid ignorance obstructing our progress.. Geo-economics. The cost of cleanup of such an incident is estimated at $20 billion. When Saddam launched the long Iran-Iraq war in 1980, Syria rallied to support the Persians. From cultural barriers to different ethnic groups as well as nationalities, this region is very diverse. The biggest effects of the Iraq War, and the most enduring limitations, may have come in how the conflict affected the U.S. military, and changed the attitudes of Americans toward the use of force. Indeed, Mr Bazoums release of some alleged jihadists was related to a sensible effort to demobilise the insurgents through negotiations, which have already reaped some success. Print. Lucky the American election is over, for its time to keep all eyes on the Middle East ball. As Great Powers become mutually dependent, the possibility of Shatterbelts to mutate to Gateways increase, as in the case of the Eurasian Conversion Zone and Eastern Europe. The author argues that whether certain areas become Gateways or Shatterbelts is the key question influencing global stability. Once the bill is in effect, judges will no longer be able to do this, though they will still be able to rule against government based on other legal grounds. The impact of global migration, climate change and the clash between nationalism and religion. It is unlikely the new junta will improve security. Now in a thoroughly revised and updated edition, this textbook examines the dramatic changes wrought by ideological and economic forces unleashed by the end of the Cold War. What would Americas strategic options look like today? Though oil and terrorism are both important, the real reason is the Middle Easts potential to draw the US, Russia, the EU and China into a global conflict a risk that is rising. The government, which includes religious and nationalist parties, announced an entire legislation package in January meant to overhaul the judiciary and some of its hard-line ministers want to proceed with more sweeping changes despite the protests. All rights reserved. He also claimed that Mr Bazoum had not allowed serious joint operations with Burkina Faso and Mali. Print. Now the Middle East is becoming strategically reoriented to the West. The KRG is exercising increasing independence within the loose federalist structure of the new Iraq, not least by striking its own oil deals with multinational companies in direct repudiation of Baghdads rules. Testing empirical propositions about shatterbelts, 1945-76 What impressed me most was the depth of his classic volume, The Earth and the State, which was an example of applied Political Geography in which the role of the region, at all levels and all scales, combined with the natural and human landscapes, influenced political relationships and outcomes. Secretary of Defense Rumsfeld certainly made pursuit of such technologies a priority, at least before Iraq derailed his plans. However, the most important characteristic is being located far from major geopolitical powers, thus falling victims of their desire to increase control over the region (Kasperson and Minghi 185). Critics fear it will compromise gate-keepers who help keep government in check. In a speech shortly after the vote Mr Netanyahu promised that he would once again pursue consensus on these matters. 1.1.3. Shatterbelt Case Studies 4.3.docx - Name: Kloe Alicanaj Unit 4 Shatterbelts Galore - ArcGIS StoryMaps Instead the government took one of the original four laws they had hoped to pass earlier this year and rushed a vote on that through the Knesset in a matter of weeks. In the shade of a banana tree outside a villa in Niamey in June your correspondent shook the hand of various ex-jihadist commanders who had begun trying to persuade other jihadists to lay down their arms. Africa may be the answer to Europe's immediate gas problem and its longer-term carbon one. Saman Zulfqar 126 on the African shore of the Gulf of Aden, while developing the port into a commercial and strategic rival to British Aden.20 Similarly, Italy seized When some rifts are healed, others open up to keep the region in turmoil. Roxane Farmanfarmaian is a Senior Research Fellow at the Global Policy Institute, an Affiliated Lecturer for the International Relations of the Modern Middle East at the University of Cambridge, and a Visiting Scholar at the Middle East Center at the University of Utah.
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