New directions for Soviet Middle East policy in the 1980's

An overview of the traditional mode of Soviet behavior in the Middle East as it evolved between 1955 and 1975, with special reference to its difficulties in Egypt and Iraq. The paper then analyzes the steps that the Soviets have taken over the past half-decade to ensure that their expulsion from Egypt would not be repeated elsewhere, and concludes with a discussion of the implications of this shift for the Western alliance.