The Soviet Union in the Middle Eastܡ<br > > Ever since the Soviet invasion of AfghanistanWestern analysts have been<br > Involved in an intensive effort to decipher the motivations and Iongerterm<br > implications of this actionWhat iS the basis of Soviet policy towards the Middle<br > East?What are MoscowS ambitions not only in the Northern Tier states ofTurkey<br > I ran andAfghanIstanbutalsointheArabworld andtheHornofAfrica?Whata re<br > the pollticaleconomIC and miIitary dimensions of Soviet policyand to what<br > extent does the KremIin use its Cuban and East European allies as proxies for the<br > pursult of Its own objectives in the a reaThese and many other important and<br > tlmely questions are addressed in this major study from the RoyaIInstitute of<br > InternationaI Affairs in London<br > 1 he book arose out of the meetings of the InstituteS study grouP on Soviet<br > policy in the Middle Eastwhich included specialists from government<br > universitiesIndustrybankIng and jOUrnaIismDiscussion was based on papers<br > which dealt with the politicaleconomicmiIitary and strategic aspects of Soviet<br > policyand It IS these papers whIch were thoroughly revised and extended to form<br > the cOntributiOns to this volume<br > 1 he contrIbuto rs are estabIished figU res in both Soviet and Middle Eastern<br > studlesand a major distInguIshing feature of the VOIume is that each author iS<br > concerned to address an audlence broader than that of hiS or her own speciaIist<br > tieldwhetherltbeeconomiCSpoliticsor strategyAtthe sametimetheessays<br > a re aimed to provide not only reflections and analysis but also detailed<br > Intormation about the background and CU rrent state of Soviet pOIicV<br > 1 he book WlII be of vaIuethereforeto advanced underg raduatespost<br > g raduates and academICS both in internationaI relations and in the contemporary<br > poIitics and economICS of the Soviet Union and the Middle EastMore broadIyit<br > WlII be a SOU rce of Information and insightforofficialspoliticiansiOUrnaIists and<br > others with a serious interest in this vital subject <br >