Rubin Speaks at Sykes-Picot Centennial Event

Posted June 1, 2016

Lawrence Rubin, Ph.D., an associate professor in the Sam Nunn School of International Affairs, spoke to U.S. soldiers at Fort Benning, Georgia, on May 16 about the impact of a 100-year-old secret agreement that shaped the modern Middle East. More specifically, Rubin examined how this period wrought modern Middle East identities and contemporary politics.

More than 500 U.S. Army personnel attended the discussion of the landmark Sykes-Picot agreement.  The agreement sought to create British, French, and Russian spheres of influence after the anticipated defeat of the Ottoman Empire in World War I.

“The pact’s simple straight lines failed to take into account the tribal and ethnic configurations of a deeply divided region,” Rubin stated, explaining how the complex and diverse area became the group of nations it is today. “Many states struggled to really figure out whose nation they were, where did their loyalties lie; is it to the tribe, the newfound state, or something broader?”

The struggle still influences the region and its politics today as the Sykes-Picot Pact marks its 100th year.

The event was hosted by Col. Patrick Donahoe, chief of staff of the Maneuver Center of Excellence. Rubin spoke alongside other distinguished analysts. These included John Gallagher, the president of the Institute of Global Engagement who also served on the National Security Council under two presidents, and Sebastian Gorka, Ph.D., professor of Irregular Warfare at Marine Corps University.

Rubin's published works include his most recent book, Islam in the Balance: Ideational Threats in Arab Politics and is the associate editor of the Journal Terrorism and Political Violence, as well as a co-editor and contributor to Terrorist Rehabilitation and Counter-Radicalisation: New Approaches to Counter-terrorism.