Greater Middle East

Encyclopedia : G : GR : GRE : Greater Middle East

The Greater Middle East is a political term invented to refer to the Arab World together with Turkey, Iran, Israel, Pakistan, and Afghanistan. Various Central Asian countries and the lower Caucasus (Azerbaijan, Armenia, and Georgia) are sometimes also included.

This expanded term was introduced in the summer of 2004 at a G8 summit by U.S. President, George W. Bush as part of a proposal for sweeping change in the way the West deals with the Middle East. This initiative is aimed at the Muslim world in the region and promoted heavily by neoconservative think tanks such as Project for the New American Century. It was outlined around the Helsinki Accords from 1975.

References