To begin with, the concept of the Mideast must be defined before going any further into the research. When evoking the region, the author intends to describe the area between Turkey, Iran, the Arabian Peninsula, and Egypt (the ‘traditional’ Mideast). Some foreign policy commentators, primarily American, hold the view of a “Greater Middle East” which at times expands the author’s defined boundaries to include Arab Africa, the Caucasus, Central Asia, Afghanistan, and Pakistan.