The Twilight of the British Empire: British Intelligence and Counter-Subversion in the Middle East, 1948-63 - Paperback

by Chikara Hashimoto (Author)

This book reveals, for the first time, a hitherto unexplored dimension of Britain's engagement with the post-war Middle East: the counter-subversive policies and measures conducted by the British Intelligence and Security Services and he Information Research Department (IRD) of the Foreign Office, Britain's secret propaganda apparatus.

Back Jacket

Uncovers and examines Britain's counter-subversive policies and security measures implemented in the post-war Middle East Middle Eastern affairs make headlines. Not only are they politically volatile, but the cultural and religious contexts complicate Western involvement in the region. This book reveals secret British intelligence liaisons with Middle Eastern regimes during the early Cold War. It shows how Britain tried to influence regional intelligence and security services and shape their approach to countering communist subversion. Analysing newly declassified documents alongside extensive archival research and historiography, the book pieces together the intelligence culture built by the British Empire in the Middle East in the post-war era. Chikara Hashimoto was Assistant Professor in International Relations, University of Sharjah, the UAE, and Assistant Editor of Intelligence and National Security. He received his PhD in International Politics from Aberystwyth University and published widely on issues of intelligence and counter-subversion in the Middle East. Cover design: [EUP logo] edinburghuniversitypress.com ISBN 978-1-4744-1045-8 Barcode

Author Biography

Chikara Hashimoto (1975-2016) was Assistant Professor in International Relations at the University of Sharjah, UAE. He is the author of two journal articles, published in The International History Review and Intelligence and National Security. His PhD dissertation won The British Society for Middle Eastern Studies (BRISMES) Leigh Douglas Memorial Prize for the Best PhD Dissertation on A Middle Eastern Topic for 2014.