- 1992/286 pages
Soviet-Iraqi Relations, 1968-1988:
In the Shadow of the Iraqi-Iran Conflict
From the beginning of the Ba'th regime in 1968 to the end of the Iran-Iraq war in 1988, Iraq was an important ally of the Soviet Union in the Middle East. Haim Shemesh explores the evolution of this Soviet-Iraqi relationship—one that Moscow often exploited—concentrating on the impact of the 1969-1975 and 1980-1988 Iran-Iraq conflicts on the fluctuations in Soviet-Iraqi ties and also examining other issues relevant to the alliance: the Iraqi communist party, the Kurdish problem, and developments in the Arab East, including the Arab-Israeli dispute.
Shemesh's conclusions, based on comparative analyses of Soviet, Arab, and Western sources, contribute to a better understanding of the unfolding of not only Soviet-Middle Eastern relations, but also of Soviet-Third World relations in general.
