Regional Studies Journal

The foreign policy of the Sultanate of Oman has been built on the principle of keeping the country distant from regional and international conflicts and disputes and avoiding interference in the internal affairs of neighboring countries. Even when Oman adopted a supportive stance toward Iraq during the Iran-Iraq War or toward Kuwait after the Iraqi invasion, its position was always within certain limits, leaving an open window for diplomatic flexibility. This study aims to present and discuss Oman's security strategy in the context of Gulf security and assess its success in keeping Oman away from conflicts and its ability to persuade its neighbors to understand this policy. The importance of this study lies in clarifying the nature of Oman's foreign policy in the security sector, as Oman was unique in offering security initiatives to safeguard the security of the Arabian Gulf. Oman was also the first Gulf country to sign a security agreement with the United States in 1980. The study consists of four main sections: the first addresses the foundations of Oman's foreign policy, the second examines Gulf security from an Omani perspective, the third analyzes Oman's position on the three Gulf Wars, and the fourth discusses Oman's policy toward the U.S. military presence in the Arabian Gulf. The conclusion presents several findings, the most important of which is that Oman's security initiatives act as a parallel line of defense, in line with its philosophy of relying on U.S. forces. This long-term policy is unlikely to change in the near future.

After 2003, a new phase began in Iraq's foreign relations with its ‎international, regional, and Arab environment, including political ‎relations with the Arab Republic of Egypt, which were ‎significantly affected by the political and security shifts in Iraq after ‎the occupation. The objective of the research was to examine ‎Egypt’s position on the political changes that took place in Iraq ‎post-2003 and to understand Iraq's stance on the events in Egypt ‎after 2011. Additionally, the research aimed to analyze the form, ‎nature, and evolution of the political relationship between the two ‎countries up to 2023. The importance of the study lies in the ‎crucial roles that Iraq and Egypt play in the Arab world and the ‎Middle East, being among the most influential and affected nations ‎by the regional transformations. The research consisted of two ‎main sections, concluding with the most significant findings. The ‎first section discussed the political relationship between Iraq and ‎Egypt amid the changes the two countries experienced from 2003 ‎to 2013, while the second section explored the development of the ‎relationship from 2013 to 2023.‎

This research aims to shed light on the role played by the Lebanese Forces Party as one of the prominent right-wing Christian forces in Lebanon during the final years of the Lebanese Civil War. The importance of this research lies in explaining and analyzing the successive political and military events in the Lebanese arena and their impact on Lebanese society in general, and specifically on the Christian community, its sects, parties, and military activities. The research is divided into three main sections. The first section addresses the stance of the Lebanese Forces on the Syrian-Lebanese negotiations, as well as the party’s position on the Lebanese presidential elections and the end of President Amin Gemayel’s term in September 1988. The second section discusses the Lebanese Forces’ stance towards General Michel Aoun’s military government and the outbreak of the ports and facilities war between the Lebanese Forces and Aoun’s army. The third section focuses on the Lebanese Forces\' position on the Liberation War of March 1989 and the impact of this war on their commitment to the resolutions of the Tripartite Committee arising from the Arab Summit in Casablanca on May 23, 1989. One of the main conclusions of the research is that the conflict between various factions of Lebanese society, political parties, and their military militias prolonged the civil war in the country, increasing its violence and the interference of regional and international powers.

Feminism is an intellectual movement aimed at achieving gender equality. Fatima Mernissi, considered one of the leading feminist scholars in the Arab world, focused on critiquing male-dominated structures in Islamic societies. She worked to reinterpret Islamic history from a standpoint that reinstates the role of women, through her social and historical analyses. The objective of this research is to explore the rise and evolution of feminist thought in Arab-Islamic political philosophy, particularly by elucidating Mernissi's key ideas and her views on women's issues within Arab societies. The research’s significance lies in revealing the impact of patriarchal domination and its role in preventing humanity from fully harnessing the creative potential of women, both politically and intellectually. Furthermore, it underscores the contributions of feminist thinkers in reinterpreting political concepts in Arab communities. The research is structured into two sections: the first provides a theoretical framework of feminism, while the second delves into Fatima Mernissi’s primary ideas. One of the most important conclusions of the research is that the feminist movement emerged as a reaction to male hegemony that sought to keep women away from participating in various fields of life, considering them as an element that has no role in building society except that they are specialized in the family and raising children

The research concept revolved around highlighting the issue of political reform as an effective mechanism for controlling the diverse interactions within the political system to manage state affairs and understand the nature of dealing with them to achieve societal demands within the context of the surrounding environment. The research aims to shed light on the necessity of political reform as a political process whose success depends on partnership and openness to all parties in order to give them a position that contributes to building institutions by activating the roles assigned to women and the importance of their political integration and empowerment. The importance of the research lies in identifying the nature of political reform that the political system in Iraq should adopt and its impact on women's political participation, as well as their equality with men in enjoying their various constitutional rights and raising their morale, capabilities, and potential to serve society, which requires political reform in the foundations of the political process. The research included two main sections, in addition to the introduction and conclusion, which included the most important conclusions and proposals. The first section dealt with political reform and the nature of Iraqi women's political participation, while the second section discussed the mechanisms and implications of political reform in Iraq. The study yielded several conclusions, most notably that women play a significant and influential role in the oversight process, identifying shortcomings, exposing corruption, and pushing for reform through their presence in some institutions.

Climate change is among the most significant challenges of the 21st century, characterized by rising temperatures, rainfall fluctuations, and increasingly severe natural disasters. These changes especially affect vulnerable countries like Iraq, which is experiencing serious consequences across various sectors. In response, nations are adopting public policies to mitigate and confront these impacts in the future. This research aims to analyze the effect of climate change on public policies in Iraq and to explore how the government is responding to the drought caused by climate change, focusing on understanding the causes of drought and its connection to climate change. The importance of this research lies in the severity of climate change in Iraq, especially the problem of drought, which is one of the most dangerous issues facing the country today, alongside environmental challenges that demand effective public policy solutions. Iraq strives to implement adaptation and mitigation policies, including managing water resources through the construction of dams and negotiating for fair water shares. However, Iraq faces a lack of a clear strategy for both mitigation and adaptation, which calls for the development of implementable plans. The study is divided into three main sections: the first discusses the concept of climate change and public policy; the second addresses climate change in Iraq, its causes, and consequences; and the third examines Iraq’s public policy for tackling the drought issue.

This research aims to identify the sources and extent of influence on the strategic balance in the Middle East. Its significance lies in addressing the impact of various factors on the strategic balance equations in this region, which continuously suffers from instability and international interventions affecting its balance equations. The research is divided into three main sections: the first discusses the concept of the Middle East and its position in the international environment, the second examines the effect of international and regional factors on the regional strategic balance in the Middle East, and the third focuses on the strategic balance equations and their impact on strengthening the security of the Middle East. The study concludes with several findings, the most important of which is that the Middle East suffers from conflicting strategic balance equations due to successive events that have altered the nature of strategic policies and led to international and regional powers clashing and competing to expand their influence at the expense of others.

Pluralism is a complex concept that represents a multi-dimensional phenomenon linked to various other concepts such as ethnicity, sectarianism, the nation-state, the nation, democracy, participation, and others. Some define a plural society as the opposite of a homogenous national society. It is a society formed of several sects within a single political framework. This research aims to provide theoretical foundations for decision-makers to help them choose appropriate mechanisms for managing societal diversity, after understanding the unique characteristics of plural societies. The importance of this research lies in its potential contribution to clarifying the meanings of the term 'plural societies,' which may help in understanding the related issues. Understanding the problem is the first step toward solving it. This study is divided into two main sections in addition to the introduction and conclusion: the first section discusses the meanings and the specific concept of plural societies, while the second focuses on the types of these societies. The research concludes that the term 'plural societies' refers to societies characterized by cultural, social, ethnic, or identity diversity based on culture, religion, sect, nationality, or any other distinction between the components of a society that encompasses distinct identity groups. Each group has unique characteristics that differentiate it from different social groups within the same nation-state locally and internationally.

Traffic offenses are one of the most common types of crime worldwide, with victims of such crimes being the most numerous among all forms of criminality. These offenses pose a threat to human life, property, physical integrity, and the well-being of families. This research aims to clarify the goal the Iraqi legislator sought to achieve through the legal provisions pertaining to traffic crimes under the current law. It examines the criminalization of certain actions, which serve to protect rights that might be at risk or harmed due to these offenses. The research also discusses the concept of a "protected interest" in the context of traffic crimes. The importance of the study lies in its focus on the legal and scientific aspects of safeguarding both public and private interests through traffic regulation and accident prevention. The Iraqi Traffic Law, as currently enforced, covers both regulatory and preventive measures and is not limited to traffic-related crimes. The protection of human life, physical safety, and property from traffic risks is one of the key legal interests safeguarded by this law. The research is structured into two main parts: the first part discusses the essence of the protected interest in traffic crimes, while the second part addresses the protected interest within the legal structure of traffic offenses by analyzing its provisions and identifying the objectives intended by the Iraqi legislator when enacting this law.

The research aims to identify the nature and details of compensation for those affected by terrorist acts, military errors and acts of war according to Law No. 20 of 2009, as amended, and to clarify the legal basis for the state's responsibility to compensate its affected citizens. The importance of this research appears in clarifying how compensation committees are formed, their working mechanism and the appeal of their decisions, which include compensation for the lives of affected individuals (families of martyrs, missing persons and injured persons) as well as those affected by property owners. The study included three sections. The first section dealt with the definition of compensation, while the second section dealt with the legal basis for the state's administrative responsibility. The third section studied how compensation committees are formed, their working procedures and methods of appealing their decisions. The research came out with a set of conclusions, the most important of which is that the legal basis for the administration's responsibility for compensation without error on its part is based on the principle of social solidarity, which requires state intervention to restore stability and protect the rights of individuals, and that the method of compensation according to this law included compensation in cash in addition to other grants and privileges.