Lubna Sadek

Abstract

After the end of the first Cold War, scholars agreed that the United States became the dominant power in the Middle East. US hegemony created a certain degree of regional stability; titled by some as the “Pax Americana”. However, that stability has ended after the uprisings referred to as the Arab spring. This has been particularly evident since the beginning of Syrian civil war. The US has tried to influence events in Syria but has failed. In contrast, Russia has been actively intervening since the beginning of Syrian civil war; first diplomatically and then military. In this paper I argue that Russia’s intervention reflects the decline of US power in the region. Russia is using the Syrian civil war as an opportunity to regain its influence in the Middle East and to contain US impact. I will demonstrate this by comparing and analyzing Russian and US interventions in Syria between 2011 and 2015.

Department

Public Policy & Administration Department

Degree Name

MA in Global Affairs

Graduation Date

2-1-2016

Submission Date

February 2016

First Advisor

Hodgkins, Allison

Committee Member 1

Ali, Hamid

Committee Member 2

Barrsoum, Ghada

Extent

52 p.

Document Type

Master's Thesis

Rights

The author retains all rights with regard to copyright. The author certifies that written permission from the owner(s) of third-party copyrighted matter included in the thesis, dissertation, paper, or record of study has been obtained. The author further certifies that IRB approval has been obtained for this thesis, or that IRB approval is not necessary for this thesis. Insofar as this thesis, dissertation, paper, or record of study is an educational record as defined in the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) (20 USC 1232g), the author has granted consent to disclosure of it to anyone who requests a copy.

Institutional Review Board (IRB) Approval

Approval has been obtained for this item

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