Alex Edwards is a desk editor at the English editions of the pan-Arab newspaper Asharq Al-Awsat and The Majalla magazine. He holds a PhD in International Relations from the London School of Economics, UK.

'Alex Edwards has produced a theoretically rich and empirically detailed account of US policy in the Gulf during the 1990s. At a time when a new generation of American policymakers are again grappling with the issue of whether and how to contain security threats in Iraq and political evolution in Iran, this book provides a timely and particularly relevant reminder of the tangled legacy of past policies that continue to affect decision-making today.' - Kristian Coates Ulrichsen, Rice University, USA "Alex Edwards provides a lucid and comprehensive analysis of Clinton Administration policy in the Gulf. His work fills a gap in our understanding of the international politics of the region." - F. Gregory Gause, Professor of International Affairs and head of the International Affairs Department at the Bush School of Government and Public Service, Texas A&M University

• 1. Introduction 2. US Foreign Policy in the Persian Gulf, 1945-1991 3. The Balance of Power in the Persian Gulf, 1945-1991 4. Dual Containment: Conception, Evolution, Implementation 5. A Triumphant America and a Villainous Iran: Perception as an Intervening Variable 6. Two Voices: Domestic Institutions as an Intervening Variable 7. "Mischiefs of Faction": Interest Groups as an Intervening 8. Conclusions and Intervening Variables Assessed