MELA member and Middle East comparativist, Jere Bacharach, made the case in a recent issue of MELA Notes,¹ cogently I believe, that at a time when regional studies are under attack from a number of credible sources,² the demand for their consolidation into international studies is a growing spectre.³ He opined further that librarians schooled in technological advances can begin to arrest this development by bolstering the academic study of the Middle East through advancing the emerging use of the Internet.

I would like to propose still another way MELA members can assist their academic colleagues to project a purposeful study of the Middle East. In this regard, I would like to make two points: There is a case to be made, obviously in greater detail and elsewhere, for the study of inter-regionalism. Secondly, I would like to provide some basic bibliographic information regarding relations between the Middle East and North Africa as one cultural-political region and Asia as another, in support of a general interest in inter-regionalism.

The apparent globalization of human affairs, whether in terms of trade, tourism, or political contacts, has resulted in an observation that regionalism has increased in frequency and importance, i.e., NAFTA, EU, ASEAN. I would put forth the argument that one neglected aspect of Middle Eastern studies has been an appreciation of inter-regional developments, i.e., some type of relationship between the Middle East/North Africa and another region of the world and beyond the dimension of Islam.⁴ I might add a functional qualification at this point: It matters not too much whether the Middle East is the initiator or the recipient of any activity detailed. Accordingly, there have been too few studies, I believe, by international relations or comparative politics specialists on relations between the Middle East/North Africa and Sub-Saharan Africa, Asia, or Latin America.

While I would not want to diminish the import of Professor Bacharach's message on either the general or specific level, I would caution those who would jump too quickly to modern technological methods of conducting basic research without the consideration of the expense of dispensing with the traditional approaches of gathering information and materials. Electronic databases and similarly collected sources are becoming increasingly more valuable to the researcher whether dealing with the Middle East or other subjects of interest. One such research tool, I would be quick to note, the bibliography, certainly can be made more accessible, arranged more easily, and stored more efficiently today. But, the initial range of search, the comprehensiveness of the citations, as well as basic coverage, must, by necessity at the initial stage, be performed by a more traditional application of effort. The researcher must be aware of the availability of sources in which relevant information is contained. Most serious researchers realize that an awareness of the totality of what has been published or delivered professionally will not be fully satisfied by reliance upon any single repository or a complete dependence on technology. Hence, the employment of the selective electronic media must be limited to its acceptance as a vehicle to assist in the mechanics of interpretation and not as a substitute for the generation of ideas.

For further consideration, one indication of the dearth in published concern of scholars and researchers for the connection between Asia and the Middle East/North Africa can be indicated by the availability of bibliographic materials. In this direction, I would point out what is already published or forthcoming to include:

Sanford R. Silverburg and Bernard Reich. Asian States' Relations with the Middle East and North Africa: A Bibliography, 1950-1993. Metuchen, NJ, and London: Scarecrow Press, 1994.

Sanford R. Silverburg. "Asia and the Middle East (aka West Asia): A Brief Bibliography," The Indian Journal of Asian Affairs, forthcoming.

------"Asia and the Middle East: A Bibliographic Update," Periodica Islamica, forthcoming.

One of the earliest and acknowledged best sources is the JIME [The Japanese Institute of Middle Eastern Economies] Review (July 1987-date; with no. 1 published in Spring 1988), published as a quarterly but distributed in an irregular number set system and a similarly irregular format. The series was first published in Tokyo by the Economic Research Institute for the Middle East in 1983 as the ERIME Review (vol. 1, no. 1, Autumn 1983) (ISSN 0289-6230). Other Asian-based journals with substantial portions appearing in English would include:

Annals of [the] Japan Association for Middle Eastern Studies, no. 1 (1986-date) (ISSN 0913--7858).

The Korean Journal of the [sic.] Middle East Studies, no. 1 (1979-date) (ISSN 1225-8865), published irregularly.

The Journal of Arabic, Islamic \& Middle Eastern Studies, no. 1(1993-date) (ISSN 1320-7199), published by the Centre for Arabic, Islamic and Middle Eastern Studies at the Deakin University, Malvern, Australia is another important journal.

Other source material, not collected in a thematic format such as presented above, would include the following brief listing. The citations are presented by dyadic regional descriptors with an Asian state appearing in the first place. The location is not meant to indicate a initiator-recipient relationship but is done merely to emphasize the Asian connection.

ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations)-Persian Gulf War
1. "ASEAN im Lichte der Golfkrise." Südostasien aktuell (Hamburg) 9, no. 5 (September 1990): 423-27.

Asia [Multiple States Represented]-Oman
2. Kechichian, Joseph A. Oman and the World: The emergence of an independent foreign policy [Santa Monica, CA]: RAND Corp., [1995].

Asia-Persian Gulf-Labor
3. Addleton, J. "The Impact of the Gulf War on Migration and Remitance in Asia and the Middle East." International Migration 24, no. 4 (1991): 509-526.
4. Connell, J. "From Beyond the Gulf: The implications of warfare for Asian Labour Migration." Australian Geographer 23, no. 1 (1992): 44-50.
5. Maas, Citha D. "Südasiatische Wanderarbeiter in der Golfregion: vom `Sozialen Underdog' zum `Politischen Treibgut'?" Asien (Hamburg), no. 40 (July 1991): 65-79.

Asia-Persian Gulf War
6. Rubinstein, Alvin Z. "The Gulf War and East Asian Security." Korea and World Affairs (Seoul) 15, no. 4 (Winter 1991): 662--79.
7. Tow, William T. "Post-Cold War Security in East Asia." The Pacific Review (Oxford) 4, no. 2 (1991): 97-108.
8. U.S. House of Representatives. Committee on Foreign Affairs. Subcommittee on Asian and Pacific Affairs. Asian Response to the Crisis in the Persian Gulf: Hearing. 101st Cong., 2d Sess. Washington, DC: Government Printing Office, 1991.

Australia-Persian Gulf War
9. Evans, Gareth. "The Gulf War: Some policy viewpoints: Speech made by the Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade to the Senate on 21 January 1991." Backgrounder (Canberra) 1, no. 34 (February 8, 1991): 3-8.
10. Leaver, Richard. "Australia's Gulf Commitment: The End of Self-Reliance." The Pacific Review (Oxford) 4, no. 3 (1991): 233-40.
11. Malik, Jag Mohan. The Gulf War: Australia's Role and Asian-Pacific Responses. Canberra Papers on Strategy and Defence, no. 90. Canberra: Strategic and Defence Studies. Centre, 1992.
12. Young, Thomas-Durell. "Australia's Defence Planning After the Gulf War." The Pacific Review (Oxford) 4, no. 3 (1991): 222-32.

China, People's Republic of-Iraq-Arms
13. Shildo, Gil. "Third World Arms Exports to Iraq Before and After the Gulf War" in The Gulf Crisis and its Global Aftermath edited by Gad Barzilai et al. 231-249. London: Routledge, 1993.

China, People's Republic of-Israel
14. Shichor, Yitzhak. "Hide and Seek: Sino-Israeli Relations in Perspective." Israel Affairs 1, no. 2 (Winter 1994): 188-208.

China, People's Republic of-Persian Gulf War
15. Harris, Lillian Craig. "The Gulf Crisis and China's Middle East Dilemma." The Pacific Review (Oxford) 4, no. 2 (1991): 116-25.
16. Huo, Hwei-ling. "Patterns of Behavior in China's Foreign Policy: The Gulf Crisis and beyond." Asian Survey 32, no. 3 (March 1992): 263-76.
17. Jencks, Harlan W. "Chinese Evaluations of `Desert Storm': Implications for the PRC security." The Journal of East Asian Affairs (Seoul) 6, no. 2 (Summer/Fall 1992): 447-77.
18. Malik, Jag Mohan. "Peking's Response to the Gulf Crisis." Issues and Studies (Taipei) 27, no. 9 (September 1991): 107-28.
19. Shichor, Yitzhak. "China and the Gulf Crisis: Escape from predicaments." {\it Problems of Communism 40, no. 6 (November/December 1991): 80-90.
20. Weggel, Oskar. "China: ein Friedensstifter in Nahost? zür Sechsländerreise Li Pengs." China aktuell (Hamburg) 20 (July 1991): 434-42.
21. "China und der Golfkrieg." China aktuell (Hamburg) 20 (January 1991): 25-30.

China, Republic of-Persian Gulf War
22. Wu, Jaushieh Joseph. "Lessons Learned From the Persian Gulf War: Taipei's perspective." Issues and Studies 28, no. 4 (April 1992): 83-103.

Hong Kong-Persian Gulf War
23. Jao, Y. C. "The Gulf Crisis and the Hong Kong Economy." China News Analysis (Hong Kong), no. 1422 (November 15, 1990): 1-9.

India-Oman
24. "Oman Foreign Affairs Minister Visits India." India News 35, no. 6 (July 15, 1996): 5.

India-Palestine National Authority (PNA)
25. "Indian Representative Office Is Opened In Gaza." India News 35, no. 6 (July 15, 1996): 5.

India-Persian Gulf War
26. Malik, Jag Mohan. "India's Response to the Gulf Crisis: Implications for Indian foreign policy." Asian Survey 31, no. 9 (September 1991): 847-61.

Japan-Persian Gulf War
27. Brown, Eugene. "Contending Paradigms of Japan's International Role: Elite views of the Persian Gulf Crisis." Journal of Northeast Asian Studies 10, no. 1 (Spring 1991): 3-18.
28. Chuma, Kiyofuku. "The Choice Is Clear: Diplomacy over force." Japan Quarterly 38, no. 2 (April-June 1991): 142-48.
29. Fic, Victor."The Japanese PKO Bill." Asian Defence Journal (November 1992): 28-33.
30. Hartmann, Rudolf. "Japans Haltung im Golfkonflikt." Asien, Afrika, Lateinamerika (Berlin) 19, no. 6 (1991): 1064-68.
31. Ijiri, Kazuo. "Japan's Defeat in the Gulf." Japan Echo (Tokyo) 18, no. 3 (Autumn 1991): 56-61.
32. Ito, Kenichi. "Japan's Limited Contributions to a Legitimate War." Economic Eye (Tokyo) 12, no. 2 (Summer 1991): 5-8.
33. Kishino, Hiroyuki. The Persian Gulf Crisis and Japan's Role. IIGP Policy Paper. Tokyo: International Institute for Global Peace, 1990.
34. Kosaka, Masataka. "The Iraqi Challenge to the World Order." Japan Echo (Tokyo) 18, no. 1\ (Spring 1991): 6-13.
35. Maswood, Syed Javed. "Japan and the Gulf War: Still searching for a role." The Pacific Review (Oxford) 5, no. 2 (1992): 149-55.
36. Pohl, Manfred. "Die japanische Streitkräfte in die Golfregion? Diskussion um den 'Japanischen Ernstfall"' in Militärimacht Japan? Sicherheitspolitik und Streitkräfte, edited by Heiz Eberhard Maul. 338-62. Gesellschaft für Natur- und Völkerkunde Ostasien (OAG). Tokyo and Munich: Iudicium Verlag, 1991.
37. Purrington, Courtney. "Tokyo's Policy During the Gulf Crisis." Asian Survey 31, no. 4 (April 1991): 307-23.
38. "Tokyo's Policy Responses During the Gulf War and the Impact of the `Iraqi Shock' on Japan." Pacific Affair (Vancouver) 65, no. 2 (Summer 1992): 161-81.
39. Tamamoto, Masaru. "Trial of an Ideal: Japan's debate over the Gulf Crisis." World Policy Journal 8, no. 1 (Winter 1990-1991): 89-106.
40. Yamane, Hiroko. "Le Gouvernement Japonais en guerre contre le pacifisme insulaire." Défense Nationale 47, no. 7 (July 1991): 65-74.
41. Yasuhiro, Nakasone. "The Gulf Crisis and Japan: Reinterpreting the constitution to deal with emergencies." Japan Echo (Tokyo) 17, no. 4 (Winter 1990): 6-25.
42. Yoshihiko, Seki. "After the Gulf War." Japan Echo (Tokyo) 18, no. 3 (Autumn 1991): 54-74.

Korea, Republic of-Persian Gulf War
43. Bridges, Brian J. E. "South Korea and the Gulf Crisis." The Pacific Review 5, no. 2 (1992): 141-48.

New Zealand-Suez Crisis (1956)
44. Pfeiffer, Rolf. "New Zealand and the Suez Crisis of 1956." Journal of Imperial and Commonwealth History 21, no. 1 (January 1993): 126-152.

Pakistan-Persian Gulf War
45. Hussain, M. "Gulf War: Impact on Pakistan." Strategtic Perspectives 1, no. 1 (1991): 12-23.

¹Jere L. Bacharach, "The State of Middle Eastern Studies in Institutions of Higher Education in the US", MELA Notes, no. 62 (Spring 1995): 1-4.

²Yvonne Y. Haddad, "Presidential Address 1990: Middle East Area Studies: Current Concerns and Future Directions", Middle East Studies Association Bulletin, 25 (July 1991): 1-13 and Rashid Khalidi, "Is There a Future for Middle East Studies? (1994 Presidential Address)" Middle East Studies Association Bulletin, 29 (July 1995): 1-6.

³Stanley J. Heginbotham, "Rethinking International Scholarship", Items, 48 (1994): 33-40.

⁴Islam, it may be said, is represented in the present international political system by the transnational character of the Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC).

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