The armed forces have long been one of the Middle East’s most important institutions. The region’s armies have frequently seized political power and have always had a powerful influence on government policy. Every country in the region devotes a relatively large proportion of its resources for arms purchases and military spending. The high level of internal disorder and international friction or wars have also made the armed forces extraordinarily central to the political solution in different nations and to the general life of the region.
This volume examines the area’s leading armed forces and their role in both military and political affairs. Among the armed forces specifically examined in this volume are those of Egypt, Iran, Iraq, Israel, Jordan, the Palestinian Authority, Syria and Turkey. It considers their missions, doctrine, training, equipment and effectiveness as fighting forces, and the relations between the armed forces and their respective governments.
268 pp., published 2002.
£75.00 hardcover
£22.99 paperback