Table of Contents
 

2004

Volume Nine, Number One
    

Public Policy and Administrative Issues in the Middle East: Examining Iraq and Beyond

Phillip M. Nufrio, Editor

1. Overview: Public Policy and Administrative Issues in the Middle East: Examining Iraq and Beyond
   Phillip M. Nufrio, Editor

    
    

2. Public Administration and the Search for Meanings of 9/11
   Zahid Shariff

   This paper presents, first, a critique of the response of the literature in public administration to the enormous tragedy of 9/11/01. That literature-more accurately, a proxy that was selected for that literature-reflects several flaws. Public administration's focus, the paper suggests, is narrow and rigid, it tends not to generate creative frameworks with which to view a significantly changed policy environment. It continues, instead, to be fascinated with policies as they are handed down and reveals no curiosity about the pressures that shape them. In its response to 9/11, it remains largely concerned with the description of how public agencies reacted to that tragedy and presentation of thoughtful proposals for organizational coordination that might improve performance and produce better results at a lower cost in the future. Second, the paper provides alternative ways of interpreting the tragedy of 9/11. The motivations of terrorists that the dominant view expresses, and public administration literature accepts, may not be definitively known for some time. It is possible that they were neither impressed by American material goods nor its political freedoms, but infuriated by its accumulated record of foreign interventions. The paper identifies the consequences of this and other alternative interpretations for public administration. And, third, the paper reveals that, with the exception of one article, the treatment of civil liberties in recent public administration literature leaves a lot to be desired. It is remarkably abstract and distant, and the minority whose civil liberties were most threatened remains virtually invisible.
    

3. Colonialism in a Postmodern Age: the West, Arabs and "the Battle of Baghdad"
   Mohamad Alkadry

   This article argues that history of western influence and political meddling in Arab countries over the past century has resulted in great tensions between the West and the East. These tensions have contributed to a sense of distrust of the West by Arab peoples. This article first narrates a story of a century-long liberation journey. The article also recommends some policy changes for the United States to take in order to start a process of reconciliation with the Arab peoples.
    

4. The Middle East Conflict: Perpetual Jihad
   Abbas J. Ali and Robert C. Camp

   The Middle East conflict has been fiercely debated by politicians and religious and professional groups. In recent years, the Middle East conflict has been the primary source for unrest and instability in the world. Addressing this conflict objectively and rationally could reduce/eliminate bloodshed and profoundly change the direction of world politics. The conflict has led to deep resentments among people of various faiths and cultural backgrounds. Its persistence is attributed to the tremendous influence that religion and economic factors exercise upon policy. It appears that there are several groups that prefer to politicalize religion and are intended to keeping the world in a state of perpetual Jihad. In this paper, the various perspectives of Christianity, Judaism, and Islam regarding Jihad are outlined. The origins of and the historical perspectives on Jihad are clarified. The evolution of the meaning of Jihad in each religion is outlined in the context of the rise and fall of power in each religion. Various forms of Jihad are presented. This paper suggests that perpetual Jihad is a tragic and highly dangerous development and its consequences to the world are potentially devastating. Perpetual Jihad will fuel rather than resolve conflict and will eventually threaten world stability.
    

5. Examining the September 11 Terrorist Attacks; Can Democracy and Economic Development Purge the "Clash of Civilizations"
   Philip M. Nufrio

   According to Hadstaedt (2001) American foreign policy is often the result of balancing military actions, diplomatic actions and economic development actions. With the horrific terrorist destruction of the World Trade Center, the subsequent overthrow of the Taliban in Afghanistan and, the war in Iraq, this balance has reached a new and critical stage.

   Some view the intentions of the 19 hijackers, and Islamic Jihad, as motivated by a desire to create political and economic upheaval in and between Middle East states, and with the West. Samuel Huntington talks directly to this point in his 1993 essay, "A Clash of Civilizations". In this essay he warned of an emerging "clash of civilizations" centered on religious and political economic disharmony. Fuller (2002) sees the 911 attacks as the fulfillment of Huntington's prophecy.

   These issues require U.S public policy makers to delicately manage and balance military policy, diplomacy and political economic development. A content analysis was performed which included a thorough review of the pre and post September 11 literature. This information includes articles by staff of the National Institute of Mid East Studies, The Central Intelligence Agency, and the Broodings Institution. The data also included investigative reports by the New York Times and Newsweek following the September 11 attacks. This paper poses the following questions from this analysis:

   • Has the "clash of civilizations" arrived?
   • Can political economic change in the Middle East purge this clash?
   • What role can democracy play in this change?
   • What role can economic development play in this change?
   • What are the American foreign public policy options?
   
    

6. Recasting The Iraqi Bureaucracy In The Us Image: The Case Of The Ministry Of Oil
   Nancy S. Lind and Eric E. Otenyo

   For a variety of reasons, the fall of Saddam Hussein's regime has ushered in a new era in the management of Iraq's most important ministry. Needless to say, the temptation to introduce advanced management techniques and practices similar to those in operation in the US requires greater deliberation than is publicly admitted. This article probes and assesses the empirical context of the US administrative control of Iraq's Ministry of Oil. Additionally, a series of implications that might guide future empirical investigations and help managers strengthen administrative capacity are put forward. The article is structured around four major topics: (1) An overview of the Iraqi state, (2) Strategic and critical tasks in the Ministry of Oil, (3) the Bush administration's oversight, and (4)Possible pitfalls to be avoided. The authors conclude that progress toward building Iraqi bureaucratic capacity is more likely to be attained if the new administrators are careful to avoid time tested mistakes.
    

7. The Case For Collaboration: A Road-Map Based On The Carmelite Project In Israel And Some Lessons For Revitalizing Democracies
   Eran Vigoda-Gadot

   The paper elaborates on the importance of collaboration in public administration and on its meaningful theoretical and practical advantages for modern societies. Our goal is to present a program on how collaboration can be implemented in local governance and integrated with the idea of urban democracy. It is argued that collaboration can and should be fostered as the new managerial and social paradigm in the years to come which may prove useful to the problematic Middle-East region. The paper focuses on the local government level and provides a useful map for increasing citizenship involvement in public projects. Based on a unique experience of citizenry involvement in one ambitious Israeli project we attempts to develop a broader theoretical framework on the idea of urban democracy and collaboration with public administration. We argue that such collaboration is possible and essential, and that it may revitalize urban democracy and trust among parties of modern society. Moreover, in the context of the Middle-East and following the end of the war in Iraq we further suggest that collaboration may have an even greater potential for rebuilding citizens' trust in governance and initiating mutual cooperation that crosses feasible and cultural borders. Finally, the paper summarizes lessons and implications of the specific project in the context of the more general framework and tries to provide a look into the future of collaboration and at the vision of better managing local-level and national-level partnerships in modern as well as developing democracies.