Spring 2026 OLLI Digital Catalog – under construction 

ORIGINS OF THE MIDDLE EAST CRISIS (IA228)

IA – International Affairs

This 5-week course examines the origins of a number of aspects of the current Middle East crisis from a reverse chronological perspective, looking at the current situation in Syria, the Gaza War, Iran and the Salafi-jihadist movement (ISIS, al-Qaeda) and, from there, trace back in time to understand how things have arrived where they are. The final week of the course turns the focus to the United States, assessing our current policy in the Middle East in the same manner.

This offering meets for a total of 5 session(s).

INSTRUCTOR: F. Gregory Gause III

GAUSE III, F. GREGORY — Ph.D., Harvard University; B.A., St. Joseph’s University. Professor emeritus of international affairs at the Bush School of Government and Public Service, Texas A&M University. Authored three books and numerous articles on Middle Eastern politics, focusing on the Arabian Peninsula and the Persian Gulf. Taught at the University of Vermont and Columbia University and was a fellow for Arab and Islamic Studies at the Council on Foreign Relations. Held visiting positions at Harvard University, American University in Kuwait, King Faisal Center in Riyadh, and Middle East Institute in Washington, D.C. (IA228)

Back to Full Course Listing