Small State Insecurity Complex: Explaining the Variation in Foreign Policies of Bahrain, Kuwait, and Qatar With Respect to Iran
Date
2013
Authors
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Producer
Director
Performer
Choreographer
Costume Designer
Music
Videographer
Lighting Designer
Set Designer
Crew Member
Funder
Rehearsal Director
Concert Coordinator
Advisor
Moderator
Panelist
Alternative Title
Department
Haverford College. Department of Political Science
Type
Thesis
Original Format
Running Time
File Format
Place of Publication
Date Span
Copyright Date
Award
Language
eng
Note
Table of Contents
Terms of Use
Rights Holder
Access Restrictions
Dark Archive
Terms of Use
Tripod URL
Identifier
Abstract
This thesis tries to explain why the Gulf states have adopted varying foreign policies toward Iran. This variation in their foreign policies toward Iran is perplexing since they are all threatened by Iran, as demonstrated in their founding of the GCC. Moreover, Iran’s aggressiveness has increased since 2003, thanks to the convenient elimination of its regional rival, Iraq during Saddam. This variation in the Gulf states’ foreign policies is further puzzling when considering the fundamental similarities among these countries, including the monarchic regime type, rentier state economy, the Arab and Sunni identity of the ruling elite, and reliance on the US to ensure their security. There are two dimensions to this thesis. By looking at the Gulf States individually, it aims to isolate and study the effects of the presence (majority or minority) or absence of a Shi’ite population in a state’s foreign policy toward Iran. In contrast to the mainstream view that the presence of Shi’ite populations necessarily explains a state’s hostile foreign policy toward Iran, the schools of thought that will be discussed in this thesis will demonstrate the various ways that the presence or absence of a Shi’ite population would affect a state’s foreign policy. By looking closely at the internal political and social dynamics of the Gulf states individually, this thesis also examines the role of other variables, such as relations with local powers as well as the small nature of a state. This thesis tests Bahrain, Kuwait, and Qatar against the fourteen hypotheses generated by the schools of thought. While demonstrating the deficiencies in each hypotheses to account for the complexity of each case‐study, this thesis concludes that the variation in the foreign policies of these three Gulf states’ foreign policies toward Iran is a result of the complex, yet undeniable, relationship between the ruling regime and its nation. Sectarian divisions play a role insofar as they complicate or facilitate a regime’s overall relations with the nation, thus contributing to the final foreign policy toward Iran; however, by themselves, sectarian divisions do not explain Bahrain’s hostility, Kuwait’s neutrality, and Qatar’s former friendly but current hostility toward Iran.