Engages in a comprehensive analytical examination of Middle East politics with a special focus on four problem relationships: The Israelis and the Palestinians; the Arabs and the Persians; the Turks and the Kurds; and the Indians and the Palestinians. The role of the United States in each of these conflicts--as well as the continuing unrest in Afghanistan, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia and Iraq will be discussed. The Palestinian situation will be a topic of intense concentration. Fulfills the general education requirements in history and cross-cultural studies. [ 3 credits ]