Iran today is a society immersed in a dynamic debate regarding the essence and direction of the Islamic Republic. Six years after the election of the moderate President Muhammad Khatami, his attempt gradually to liberalize the theocracy has been stymied by a determined conservative backlash. However, as with most democratic transitions, Iran’s reform movement is beginning to acquire new leaders and bold strategies for altering the demarcations of the state.

This article offers a schematic overview of factional politics in the Islamic Republic of Iran. In addition to the divisions between those who oppose the Islamic Republic and those who support it, there has come to be a lively debate and competition among the major factions of those supporting the system, defined here as "reformists, pragmatists and fundamentalists." These factions have been evolving towards traditional political parties in which substantive issues, rather than ideological stances, dominate.

Turkish policy in the Caucasus is examined by exploring whether Turkey may be looked upon as a so-called "pivotal state" or "energy supplicant." Employing a domestic structural approach, the impact on policymaking in Turkey of various governmental institutions and influential business entrepreneurs is considered. The role of other governments and major international energy companies on decision-making in Turkey is also taken into account. In the medium-term Turkey could become both an important energy bridge and a significant consumer of Caspian energy.

The impact of technology on social indicators has produced some positive results in both developing and developed countries. This article presents the preliminary findings on the impact of information and communication technology in the US and in Iran. It also examines how the social-economics of Iran and other developing countries can benefit from technology upon overcoming the existing challenges.

During 1999, a group of young Jordanians formed the Campaign to Eliminate so-called Crimes of Honor as a grass-roots signature-collecting effort intent on repealing the law that grants reduced penalties for "honor crimes." Their efforts were ultimately defeated by a Parliament vote and quiet co-optation by the government. The Campaign’s experience shows both the possibilities for civil society in the Arab world and the difficulties in raising an autonomous voice for democratic protest under conditions of limited political liberalization.

This article addresses civil-military relations in Iraq under Saddam Husayn over the past thirty years. Historically, the Iraqi armed forces have intervened regularly in the political process of the country. This has been to the detriment of political stability, the ability of Iraq to play a role in regional politics and to emerge as a major military power. Saddam recognized this early on and implemented a series of stringent controls to bring the military to heel under civilian rule. But the military has continued to threaten his rule.