A Self-Fulfilling Prophecy: The Saudi Struggle for Iraq w/ Katherine Harvey

On this edition of Parallax Views, Dr. Katherine "Kitty" Harvey, who is adjunct assistant professor in the Security Studies Program at Georgetown University and holds a doctorate from King’s College London, joins us to discuss her book A Self-Fulfilling Prophecy: The Saudi Struggle for Iraq. Dr. Harvey delves into the complex relationship between Saudi Arabia and Iraq, and how it has affected the region's politics and international relations. She also provides a unique perspective on the topic and discusses how the Saudi struggle for power in the region has been a self-fulfilling prophecy. The episode hopefully offers a thought-provoking analysis of the dynamics between these two countries and should be a must-listen for anyone interested in Middle Eastern politics.

Among the topics discussed on during the conversation:

- The story of how Kitty became interested in the Middle East, Saudi Arabia, and the Iraq War; studying the Arabic language and how that contributed to her journey leading to her examination of Saudi policy on Iraq after the U.S. invasion of said country in 2003

- Saudi Arabia's opposition the George W. Bush administration's invasion of Iraq and the overthrow of Saddam Hussein

- Iraq Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki and Saudi fears about Iraqi Shia and Iranian sympathies in Iran

- The Constructivist view of International Relations and its application in Kitty's book

- The Realist view of International Relations and its application in Kitty's book; The Origins of Alliances author Stephen Walt

- Questions of Saudi interference in Iraqi elections after the U.S. invasion

- Iraqi Shia identity vs. Iranian Shia identity

- Did Saudi Arabia push Iraq closer to Iran after the invasion?

- And more!