فصلنامه مطالعات روابط بین الملل
پیاپی 20 (زمستان 1391)

Founded in 1985, South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) is a regional organization that comprises of eight countries namely India, Pakistan, Seri Lanka, Nepal, Maldives, Bhutan, and Afghanistan. Based on its charter, the key objectives are defined in the following terms: promotion of people welfare and quality of life; acceleration of economic growth, social progress and cultural development in the region; appreciation of mutual trust and understanding; promotion of active collaboration and mutual assistance in the economic, social, cultural, technical and scientific fields; strengthening the cooperation among the member countries in international forums on matters of common interest; and to cooperate with international and regional organizations with similar aims and purposes; and so on. Nevertheless, despite its organizing principles and sublime purposes, there have been several diverging issues within the associated region: territorial disputes (India and Pakistan or Afghanistan and Pakistan), interference of global powers, asymmetric power structure, interior instability within member states, and the strategic situation of South East Asia has posed problems on the realization of convergence and regionalism reflected in the SAARC agreements. The main question is what are the major effects of SAARC agreements in regionalism? This paper attempts to analyze such an agreements in terms of regional arrangements.

Most of western and eastern researchers have named 21st century as an Asian Century. In this regard, Indonesia with its special characteristics in Southeast Asia, naming her as a Middle Power or New Emerging Power and being as a member state of G20, has raised this question in our mind that what are those variables of changing the status of Indonesia in International System in the Second decade of third Millennium or Reformation Era?
Utilizing Realism School of Thought which emphasize the role of state, national interest and domestic structure that pin points the attitude and foreign policy of political units, we tried to prove that two important variables, i.e., Moderate Political Islam and Economic Power of Indonesia, has changed this country’s status during Reformation Era from 1998 to 2012 in International System.

Iran is an important country in the Middle East.The strategic importance of the Hormuz Strait, the Persian Gulf South littoral states, neighboring Pakistan, and Iraq, and most importantly, having a long border with Afghanistan, including the factors that will affect America's strategy.On the other hand, the issue of terrorism, narcotics, and other factors, make the relationship between the two countries more important and any of action of America in the neighboring countries of Iran, notably in Afghanistan, has impact on Iran's national security.
After 9/11, the war on the terror has led to a convergence of many countries with America.There are important issues in the region that influence on the United States long-term policy.Demographics of Iran and Afghanistan, in addition to a major share of these countries in the global economy and alsonuclearization of the region (which Iran has recently joined it) are all the reasons that has led to handling the strategic depth in Afghanistan and Iran by the United States and thereby influence on the political, economic and military equations of the world. Interaction or conflict with the rival powers could significantly impact on America foreign policy.This is the best opportunity for the United States to pursue its long-term interests by its presence in this strategic regionand by combating the roots of terrorism and drug trafficking in order to implementation of the Greater Middle East Plan and democratization of the region realize the dream of world government of liberal democracy.
This paper reviews and analyzes the America's strategy in Afghanistan and its impact on national security of the Islamic Republic of Iran.

One of the essential indices of sustainable development and empowerment is the participation of women in the process of decision making in national and international levels. Political participation in national and international policy-making is a crucially important issue in women empowerment. Therefore, this research aims to find an answer for the main question of how women can play a decisive role in national and international decision-making structure and take the management of changes in social, political, and cultural patterns using empowerment solutions such as political participation. The participation of women will be analyzed from two aspects, utilization of society from their works and satisfaction of their participation in the building of country. The hypothesis states that the empowerment of women in political participation such as making political decisions in national and international levels can enhance and facilitate policy-making. According to the data of this research, women empowerment in political participation can enhance the national and international decision-making structure.

If a few years ago, the Cold War arms competition between the great powers of the West and East, was the first concern of rulers and peoples of the world, but nowadays, cyber warfare and cyber arms competition, and not at all sides of the globe, the world has become a strategic issue. You can use the tools in this space and know that they will be used against you. For example, you use exactly the same tools that you can use to spy on you and you realize that this issue was not the main victim of your own. In this space, you can be sure that someone does not follow you and it may be harsh to use against you and your goals.
Concepts of power and war, after a period of literature accumulated during the Cold War years of the last century and the beginning of the new millennium became paradigm of security - cultural - political areas. The Internet is considered to be the largest ever human-system design, engineering and implementation. This system is a vast network of millions of computers that have multiple users and multiple goals but ultimately a global network, and the unit is connected to the global scale and find the media and its role in stimulating social movements that quickly cuts across borders in and the social ills is not negligible. The importance of the internet for the world has doubled in cyber space. This paper attempts to analyze new cold war rivalry between world powers in cyberspace.

Iraq after the overturn of Saddam and formation of new political institutions and recognition of all ethnicities and religions in the Constitution was affected by a dramatic social revolution. The features of political geography in Iraq led to its breakdown into north, center and south, each with its own origin. In northern and Kurd-residing regions, their main concern is to establish federalism and adding Kirkuk (the area in conflict between Kurds, Sunni Arabs, and Turkmens, with 40% of Iraqi oil) Of course, making such a claim has led to riffles between Kurds and Arabs (Shiite and Sunni) and in these areas, Kurds are placed against Arabs. In southern mainly Shiite areas (60% of Iraq oil), affected somehow by Shiites in neighboring countries (mainly Islamic Republic of Iran), this has led to Conflicts between Sunni Arabs and Kurds against Shiite in charge of government. But in the central area which is host of Sunni Arabs, reasons such as bad climate and lack of appropriate soil for agriculture and lack of oil causes that whenever Kurdish federalism and Shiite federalism is proposed, Sunni Arabs against Kurds and Shiites. In Iraqi administrative system, undesirable management quality makes mangers be interested in their ethnic interests instead of seeking administrative system efficiency, and this creates hater in other groups and ethnicities. Another barrier against national unity, is the paradox in creating national government, as a barrier against security and democracy and makes governance patterns in the region affect that and add to this paradox. In this article, the inside of Iraqi society and the relationship between ethnicities and competitions inside the government to attain political power and seize governmental posts are studied.