The task of thanking all of those who have made this text possible is a very difficult one. I am particularly indebted to Timothy Mitchell and Samir Haj, who took a special interest in my work and who encouraged me to think critically and to find my own voice. Ben Hunt has been very helpful in the struggle to complete and to make comprehensible this text; the critical comments and other assistance offered by Leah Haus and Youssef Cohen are appreciated as well. I also benefitted from the atmosphere of intellectual innovation and critical thought that prevailed among the graduate students of the Department of Politics and the Kevorkian Center for Near Eastern Studies at New York University. This text has evolved greatly over time and has benefitted from the numerous comments offered when portions of it have been presented at professional meetings; regrettably, it is not possible here to thank all of those whose comments contributed to the refining of the arguments made here. I have also profited from my discussions of this topic with my Russian students, who pressed me to explain what I considered to be well known and taught me a new perspective on the disarmament of Iraq: my thanks go out to my students at Petrozavodsk State University, Tyumen State University, and Omsk State University, Russia's future leaders. An early version of the manuscript was greatly revised in light of suggestions made by Bridget Julian; the comments of anonymous readers were likewise helpful in giving the text some clarity. Finally, I wish to thank my family for being so patient and tolerant with me while I have worked on this project over the years.
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