Current History--annual Middle East issue is due out in December.

The dream of a democratic, unified Iraq has left Iran triumphant, Turkey alienated, and Iraq
itself irreparably broken. It is time to focus on achievable goals.

403 After Iraq: Picking up the Pieces . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Peter W. Galbraith

Neither diplomacy nor threats have moderated Tehran’s behavior. Military strikes, however,
would have disastrous consequences.

409 The Death of Iraq . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Nir Rosen

Iran’s mullahs have concluded that provoking the West and repressing dissent are the way to
maintain their hold on power. So far, their strategy has worked.

414 Tehran Gambles to Survive . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Sanam Vakil

A recent flurry of diplomacy notwithstanding, it may be too late to create a state in Palestinian
territories splintered by factional politics and Israeli settlements.

421 The Fragmentation of Palestine . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Glenn E. Robinson

In the Middle East and Western capitals, the Iraq War has renewed fears of a “Shiite crescent.”
Is the hazard real? Third in a series on religions and states.

434 The Shiite “Threat” Revisited . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Augustus Richard Norton

Islamic moderates have dislodged Turkey’s military-backed elite and broken longstanding
taboos. But radical nationalism poses a rising danger.

440 The US and Iran: Back to Containment? . . . . . . . . . . . . Suzanne Maloney

427 The Ebbing Power of Turkey’s Secularist Elite . . . . . . . . . Jenny White

A controversial book about the Israel lobby does not give enough credit to Americans’ deeply held sympathy for the Jewish state.

BOOKS

443 Is One Special Interest Special? . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . .William W. Finan Jr.