The Military Balance in the Middle East

Book flyer
MS Word
International
MS Word

Anthony Cordesman

ISBN: 0-275-98399-4

ISBN-13: 978-0-275-98399-4

DOI:

592 pages

Praeger Publishers

Publication: 9/30/2004

List Price: $60.95 (UK Sterling Price: £42.95)

Discount Price: $30.48 Sale Price for U.S. Customers Only. Save 50%. Ends 12/31/2009.

Availability:

Media Type: Hardcover

Trim Size: 6 1/8 x 9 1/4

Subjects:

Description: Noted Middle East military expert Anthony H. Cordesman details the complex trends that come into play in determining the military balance in a region that has become so critical to world peace. This ready resource provides a wealth of information on military expenditures and major arms systems, as well as qualitative trends, by country and by zone. However, as Cordesman stresses, because the greater Middle East is more a matter of rhetoric than military reality, mere data summarizing trends in 23 different countries is no substitute for a substantive explanation. Using tables, graphs, and charts, this study explores every aspect of the regional military balance with attention to sub-regional balances, internal civil conflicts, and low level border tensions.

The Middle East is certainly one of the most militarized areas in the world, and changes in technology, access to weapons of mass destruction, and political instability contribute to a situation that has long been in constant flux. Some of the regional flashpoints covered in this study include the Maghreb (North Africa); the Arab-Israeli conflict (dominated by Israel versus Syria); and the Gulf (divided into those states that view Iran as the primary threat and those who lived in fear of Iraq). Internal conflicts, such as those in Mauritania, Algeria, Libya, Egypt, Sudan, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, Iraq, and Yemen, increasingly dominate regional tensions. In addition, border conflicts within the region and with neighboring countries could further aggravate the delicate balance.

Table of Contents:

Introduction
Defining the Middle East Military Balance
The Changing Face of the Middle East Military Balance
"The Most Militarized Area in the World": Regional Military Expenditures, Arms Transfers, and Manpower Resources
North Africa and the Maghreb
The Arab-Israel States
The Gulf Military Balance and Force Developments in the Northern Gulf
Force Developments in the Southern Gulf
Gulf Conventional Military Forces
Terrorist and Extremist Movements
Proliferation and Weapons of Mass Destruction
Other Books by Anthony H. Cordesman

About the Author: ANTHONY CORDESMAN is Senior Fellow at the Center for Strategic and International Studies and a military analyst for ABC News. A frequent commentator on National Public Radio, he is the author of numerous books on security issues and has served in a number of senior positions in the US government.

LCC Class: UA832


All rights reserved. Copyright © 1999-2009 ABC-CLIO 130 Cremona Dr., Santa Barbara, CA 93117, 805-968-1911