Editors Note

The editors of Mediterranean Quarterly are pleased to offer the collective views of eleven scholars and policy makers on the state of world security after Iraq. We do so with obvious hesitation. We are cognizant of the fact that the war on terrorism is ongoing, the situation in Iraq is far from stable, the Israeli-Palestinian conflict—despite optimistic moves on both sides—is far from over, Iran remains a state of concern for us and for global security, and North Korea seems to be living up to its reputation as a rogue state.

To the extent possible and true to our policy of offering an open forum for diverse views, we have sought to balance the content of this special issue in several ways. We have included policy makers and academics, specialists from the Mediterranean Basin and their counterparts in the United States, and both supporters and critics of U.S. policy in pre- and postwar Iraq. We do not pretend to offer definitive answers to complex questions, but we asked our contributors to concentrate on two key questions: how did we get to where we are today in the Middle East, and where does the world go from here? In short, what would the world after Iraq look like? Their answers reflect the seriousness with which all of us address the issues that were thrust upon the United States on 11 September 2001 with the violent attack against innocent people by a breed of terrorists who placed little value on reason and even less on life.

There is consensus by the contributors on the right of the United States to respond to international threats, to defend its citizens, and to enhance global security; there is, however, a divergence of views on how we got to the situation we are in today and where we go from here. At best, the editors hope that this special issue will raise more questions than can be answered and will set in motion a process for a sober discussion on the future of global security. There is uncertainty in the world after Iraq, and the future of peace and security leaves little room for the failure of U.S. efforts in a region known for its volatility.