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US Middle East policy is often seen as a controversial issue. Numerous interests and the difficult domestic and international political circumstances have significantly influenced the formulation of US Middle East policy in the last three decades. Particularly in light of George W. Bush s controversial policy on terrorism and the war in Iraq, one might ask the question: how were things treated before? What did previous presidents do about the threats posed by Saddam Hussein and Islamic radicals and who affected their respective policies? In discussing presidential polices towards the Middle East, the author Teresa Rieger focuses on the comparison of the Middle East policies of Bill Clinton and his successor George W. Bush. She reviews major theoretical findings on policy change and presents a historical and ideological background on US-Middle East relations. In order to shed light on the Clinton and Bush administration s respective Iraq policies and their policies on terrorism, she identifies the governmental and nongovernmental actors as well as the domestic and international dynamics, such as 9/11 as a means of policy change.

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Teresa Rieger, Mag.phil.: Master of Political Science, University of Salzburg. MPA: Master of Public Administration and International Affairs, Bowling Green State University, USA. Project Manager, Eurasia-Pacific Uninet, Salzburg.

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