This comparative study assesses the state of democracy and examines the process of democratization in the Arab World between the years 1980-1993. It addresses shortcomings in the mainstream democracy literature that excluded the Arab World from the global democratic revolution on political cultural grounds. To fulfil the objectives of this study, I employ both the qualitative and quantitative research approaches to test a number of hypothesized relationships. I hypothesize that transition to democracy is negatively associated with economic development, militarism, U.S. foreign policy, the political economy of oil, and dependency. I contend that emerging civil society institutions so far have had no significant effect on democratization in the Arab World. Finally, I hypothesize that the level of democracy in the Arab World is influenced greatly by the issue of civil rights. In order to investigate the hypothesized relationships, the following data sets have been used: Gastil's Freedom House Data set, "Repression and Freedom in the 1980s" data set, and Vanhanen's 1990 data set. The findings of this study support the aforementioned hypothesized relationships. I find that Arab countries, in general have made modest progress toward democracy, making the Arab World part of the global revolution.

Hamas, or the Islamic Resistance Movement, is a Palestinian Islamist military and sociopolitical movement that grew out of the Muslim Brotherhood, a Sunni religious and political organization founded in Egypt in 1928 that has branches throughout the world. The United States, Israel, the European Union, and Canada consider Hamas a terrorist organization. The overarching U.S. goal regarding Hamas is to deter, transform, marginalize, or neutralize it so that it no longer presents a threat to Israel's security, to a peaceful and lasting resolution of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, or to other U.S. interests. This report discusses U.S. efforts and policy debates on these issues.

The objective of this study is to describe and analyze the management of communal conflict in the Middle East, focusing on the Kurds. To this end, an effort is made to examine (1) the means that have been used to manage the Kurdish conflict by Middle Eastern countries; (2) the degree of success or failure of applied measures and (3) possible explanations for the first two questions.

Interview with Dr. Jabr Al-Atrash, former Syrian ambassador. In the interview, Dr. Al-Atrash discusses current issues in the middle east.

This report discusses executive authority to authorize force in the crisis involving the Islamic State (IS, also known as ISIL or ISIS), which raised significant concerns for the United States.

This report reviews the authority granted in H.J.Res. 124 and explores similarities and differences among the H.J.Res. 124 authority, the President's requests, and other proposals that may be considered by Congress, including during anticipated consideration of FY2015 full-year appropriations or defense authorization (H.R. 4435/S. 2410) legislation.

This report discusses the history and current state of Syria's chemical and biological weapon programs and possible U.S. government programs that could be used to dismantle stockpiles if the Assad regime were to collapse.

Chapter I of this study of the Arabian Ba'th Socialist Party discusses the evolution of Arab nationalism and concludes that Ba'th was a natural outcome of this evolution; two intellectuals supporting Arab nationalism were Party co-founders Michael Aflaq and Salah Bitar, Part One of Chapter II summarizes their lives to facilitate understanding of their thought and its impact on Ba'th; Part Two examines the Party's first convention (source of the Ba'th constitution), the reasons for it, and the necessity of establishing Ba'th; and Part Three outlines Ba'th ideology and organization. Chapter III analyzes Ba'th's promotion of Syrian-Egyptian union and that union's resultant adverse effect upon Party cohesiveness, The Conclusion discusses the groups into which Ba'th split after 1961 and their new interpretations of Ba'th ideology.

Photocopy of a script from the WBAP-TV/NBC station in Fort Worth, Texas, relating a news story.

Photocopy of a script from the WBAP-TV/NBC station in Fort Worth, Texas, relating a news story.

Script from the WBAP-TV/NBC station in Fort Worth, Texas, relating a news story of Kissinger before leaving Madrid said that United State and Spain found a substantial identity of views.

Script from the WBAP-TV/NBC station in Fort Worth, Texas, relating a news story of German airliners which was hijacked by Palestinian gunmen has landed in Damascus, Syria.

Script from the WBAP-TV/NBC station in Fort Worth, Texas, relating a news story of Syria who will boycott the Middle East peace conference which will open in Geneva.

Script from the WBAP-TV/NBC station in Fort Worth, Texas, relating a news story of Secretary of State who is making another whirlwind tour of the area to bring both sides together for bargaining.

Script from the WBAP-TV/NBC station in Fort Worth, Texas, relating a news story of the Middle East Peace Conference in Geneva. Also, about the Arab terrorist group which claims that it staged the bloody hijacking massacre in Rome.

This report discusses the problems facing Iraq as the Islamic State (IS, aka the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant, ISIL/ISIS) gains power in the region. IS is a transnational Sunni Islamist insurgent and terrorist group that has expanded its control over areas of northwestern Iraq and northeastern Syria since 2013, threatening the security of both countries and drawing increased attention from the international community. The Islamic State has thrived in the disaffected Sunni Muslim-inhabited areas of Iraq and in the remote provinces of Syria torn by the civil war. The Islamic State's tactics have drawn the ire of the international community, increasing U.S. attention on Iraq's political problems and on the civil war in Syria.

This report analyzes bilateral issues between the United States and Syria, particularly regarding the unrest in Syria and the Asad government's violent response. It includes descriptions of recent developments, issues for Congress, U.S.-Syrian relations, U.S. Sanctions, and future prospects related to the role of Congress.

Script from the WBAP-TV/NBC station in Fort Worth, Texas, relating a news story of Israeli forces along the Suez Canal and Syrian ceasefire lines who have been placed on high alert following fighting with Egyptian forces.

Script from the WBAP-TV/NBC station in Fort Worth, Texas, relating a news story of Israeli troops which are on a maximum alert against Arab attack as the people of the jewish state vote in the most crucial election of the nation's 25-year history.

Script from the WBAP-TV/NBC station in Fort Worth, Texas, relating a news story saying all Middle-East Belligerents except Syria were represented at Geneva at the Mid-East Peace conference.

Script from the WBAP-TV/NBC station in Fort Worth, Texas, relating a news story saying that the stage is set at Geneva where the Mideast Peace conference will convene.

Script from the WBAP-TV/NBC station in Fort Worth, Texas, relating a news story of five Arab terrorists who surrendered themselves to officials in Kuwait.

Script from the WBAP-TV/NBC station in Fort Worth, Texas, relating a news story of General Assembly who has agreed to recess rather than adjourn its 28th session. Also, about a car bomb which explored outside a government office building in London.

Script from the WBAP-TV/NBC station in Fort Worth, Texas, relating a news story of Lufthansa Airline who reports that its hijacked jumbo jet landed in the Arab Sheikdom of Kuwait.