Iraqi Kurdistan in Middle Eastern politics / edited by Alex Danilovich.

"The changes brought by the Arab Spring and ensuing developments in the Middle East have made the Kurds an important force in the region. Tel-Aviv and Washington place high hopes on Erbil to facilitate their dealings with Baghdad, Damascus, Teheran and Ankara. Kurds living in Turkey, Syria and Iran have been inspired by the successes of their brethren in Iraq who managed to gain significant independence and make remarkable achievements in state building. The idea of a greater Kurdistan is in the air. This book focuses on how the Kurds have become a new and significant force in Middle Eastern politics. International expert contributors conceptualize current developments putting them into theoretical perspective, helping us to better understand the potential role the Kurds could play in the Middle East"--Provided by publisher.

Includes bibliographical references and index.

Part I. Soul searching -- Learning from history : Kurdish nationalism and state-building efforts / Anwar Anaid -- New horizons : Iraqi federalism / Alex Danilovich -- Rebels without a cause? : a historicist analysis of Iraqi Kurdistan's political and economic development and prospects for independence / Nigel Greaves -- Erecting buildings, erecting a state : public perception of Kurdish statehood / Umut Kuruuzum -- Part II. Iraqi Kurdistan in Middle Eastern politics -- Oil, the Kurds, and the drive for independence : an ace in the hole or joker in the pack? / Francis Owtram -- Kurdistan's independence and the international system of sovereign states / Ryan D. Griffiths -- Turkey and the Iraqi Kurdistan federal region : bonds of friendship / Sara Salahaddin Mustafa and Sardar Aziz -- The Kurdish issue on the USA foreign policy agenda / Paula Pineda.