Amanat shares insight on near crisis in Iraq

By Sangeetha Ramaswamy

LIZ OLINER/YH Middle Eastern history professor Abbas Amanat comments on the Iraqi crisis.

Self-described as "born and bred" in Tehran, Iran, Amanat pursued his undergraduate education at Tehran University and completed his graduate studies at Oxford before coming to Yale in as a professor in 1983.

An expert in contemporary Middle Eastern history, Amanat shared his thoughts on the current United Nations allegations that Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein has been hiding Iraqi chemical and biological weapons and Scud missiles from UN inspectors.

Despite the recent success of UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan's visit to Iraq and the prospects of a deal with Hussein, Amanat maintained that "it remains to be seen" whether Hussein will comply with the UN's terms. Amanat believes that it is "most crucial" that the UN repeal its sanctions against Iraq. The Iraqis, he explained, "agreed to the monitoring of weapons by the UN with the understanding that [the agreement] would result in the lifting of sanctions." In his view, America has to move towards lifting sanctions in order to provide the Iraqi people with "enough incentive to comply."

Amanat also said that "the policy of containment is workable for the U.S., but not for Iraq." He emphasized that the U.S. and other Western powers have to clearly spell out the terms of the recent agreement with Iraq. "Right now, the U.S. can breathe a sigh of relief, but in the long term this will be a problem," Amanat said.

Pointing to "structural faults in the United States' treatment of Iraq," Amanat attributed the current Iraqi situation to America's history of contradictory actions toward Iraq. He believes that the U.S. should have removed Hussein in 1991, a move which would have prevented "consequences" which he believes the U.S. is paying for today. The U.S., he noted, should have supported democratic alternatives to Hussein after the Gulf War. "A lack of revival of opposition," he said, "played right into Saddam Hussein's hand."

Amanat believes that the complications of American policy towards Iraq stem from conflicting American interests in other Middle Eastern countries. He described how the Saudis, for example, are "probably in favor of containment...they want to keep [themselves] out of this situation as much as possible." Amanat also asserted that the U.S. policy towards Iraq illustrates the "double standard of the way [the Americans] treat Israel versus treatment of Arab countries."

Amanat acknowledged that his Iranian upbringing has influenced how he views Middle Eastern situations. "There's no doubt that as human beings we have contrasting concerns and emotions," he said. On the one hand, Amanat considers Hussein to be "a loose cannon, a trigger-happy kind of person" who will increase his power given the opportunity; Amanat also believes Iraq is "belligerent." On the other hand, Amanat still ponits to "structural contradictions of U.S. foreign policy in the Middle East."

In the 15 years he has been at Yale, Amanat has seen rising student interest in Middle Eastern issues. He is quick to note, however, that "most of my best students have no [personal ties to] the Middle East." He added, "The great advantage of teaching at a place like Yale is the curiosity of the student body."

Erika Rosner, ES '99, who took Amanat's class, The Middle East: State, Society, and Culture Since 1798, last fall, said the professor gave her an understanding of how a country such as Iraq came into being and the "ramifications of its formation on the country today--the beliefs of the people and their attitudes towards the U.S."

Alexander Slater, JE '99, who also took the course, believes, "The class created an interesting awareness and outlook; it was valuable without a doubt."

Amanat stressed the importance of looking beyond recent issues in the Middle East, such as the Arab-Israeli conflict or Islamic fundamentalism, and valuing "the various aspects of Middle Eastern cultures and history." He noted that the near-crisis over arms in Iraq is "only one of many issues the contemporary Middle East is concerned with."

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