Leadership and Negotiation in the Middle East

Book excerpt: This volume takes as its central organizing principle the thesis that national leaders are generally the key actors in international politics and conflict management. Therefore efforts to contain, manage, and reduce international conflicts through negotiation will be significantly enhanced through the availability of detailed information about the leading players. These essays evaluate this hypothesis through a detailed analysis of the major national leaders during the events of June-September 1982 in Lebanon, which began with the Israeli invasion of Lebanon and culminated in the establishment of an international peace-keeping force in West Beirut.