The ten authors of the essays in this study examine issues that the US must address if its national security policy in the Middle East is to be well informed. In "NBC and Missile Proliferation in the Middle East," Lawrence Scheinman summarizes the nuclear, biological, and chemical weapons capabilities and missile systems of Egypt, Iran, Iraq, Israel, Libya, and Syria. Scheinman argues that that stability in the region is best served by universal adherence to treaties to prevent the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction (WMD). Anthony R. Cordesman, in his essay "Recent Developments in the Persian Gulf," looks at both the conventional and WMD military balance between the states in the region. He assesses the volume of arms transfers to each state in the region and their impact on balance of power in the region. In "Arab Perspectives on Middle Eastern Security," Ibrahim A. Karawan, concludes that the lack of success in curbing the spread of nuclear weapons in the Middle East is not surprising. Karawan asserts that the proliferation of chemical and biological weapons among Arab and Middle East states is a natural deterrence response. Avner Cohen, in "Regional Security and Arms Control in the Middle East: The Nuclear Dimension," explains the diametrically opposite approaches taken by the two sides in the arms control and regional security negotiations. Cohen asserts that the future of nuclear arms control in the region will depend on progress toward the settlement of the Arab-Israeli conflict and the evolution of politics and society in states outside the region. In "The Egyptian-Israeli confrontation over the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty," W. Andrew Terrill compares and contrasts the Egyptian and Israeli views of how best to achieve a nuclear-free zone in the Middle East.

The Middle East is an international flashpoint, a place where open warfare could erupt at any time. It is the home of numerous countries possessing some combination of weapons of mass destruction (WMD) (nuclear, biological, or chemical weapons), and is an area where states are developing an increasing capability to deliver such WMD by missiles and/or aircraft. The Middle East is also the home of US friends who oppose each other as well as rogue states who are hostile to the United States. In short, the Middle East is a WMD war waiting to happen. Such a conflict would harm US allies and US interests; it needs to be avoided. Or, if WMD warfare occurs, such a conflict needs to be limited and the United States and allied forces need to be prepared to cope with the effects. The authors of this study address important questions that demand an answer if US national security policy is to be well informed. In chapter 1, "NBC and Missile Proliferation in the Middle East," Dr. Lawrence Scheinman, director of the Washington, D.C., office of the Monterey Institute of International Studies, summarizes the nuclear, biological, and chemical weapons capabilities and missile systems of Egypt, Iran, Iraq, Israel, Libya, and Syria. He sees the region as one of the most tension-ridden, conflict-prone and heavily armed regions of the world. He addresses the questions of what the various state players have, why they have it, and what this implies for the stability of the region. He notes that WMD has already been used repeatedly in the region. For example, Egypt, Syria, Iraq, and Iran have used chemical weapons against their adversaries. Iran and Iraq from 1980-88 engaged in the first two-way ballistic missile war in history. As the range of delivery systems increases, and as warheads are loaded with more lethal payloads, the situation will become more threatening should warfare be renewed in the region. Scheinman argues that while the United States and its allies need an effective deterrent and defense capability (counterproliferation), he believes that stability is best served by universal adherence to, and compliance with treaties to prevent the proliferation of WMD. 1 NBC and Missile Proliferation Issues in the Middle East * 2 Recent Military Developments in the Persian Gulf * 3 Arab Perspectives on Middle Eastern Security * 4 Regional Security and Arms Control in the Middle East: The Nuclear Dimension * 5 The Egyptian-Israeli Confrontation over the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty

The ten authors of the essays in this study examine issues that the US must address if its national security policy in the Middle East is to be well informed. In "NBC and Missile Proliferation in the Middle East," Lawrence Scheinman summarizes the nuclear, biological, and chemical weapons capabilities and missile systems of Egypt, Iran, Iraq, Israel, Libya, and Syria. Scheinman argues that that stability in the region is best served by universal adherence to treaties to prevent the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction (WMD). Anthony R. Cordesman, in his essay "Recent Developments in the Persian Gulf," looks at both the conventional and WMD military balance between the states in the region.

The establishment of a Middle East zone free of nuclear weapons, a concept more recently broadened to cover all weapons of mass destruction (WMD), has been before the international community for decades. In this book, two experts from the region explore why the matter remains unresolved, and outline a comprehensive yet achievable roadmap to a Middle East free of WMD. Weapons of mass destruction pose an existential threat to global peace and security. But nowhere is it more urgent to stem their spread than in the Middle East, a region fraught with mistrust and instability. Accounting for these geopolitical realities, including the ongoing talks to curb Iran’s nuclear program, the authors present a practical and innovative strategy to a Middle East free of weapons of mass destructions (WMD). They outline a phased approach toward disarmament in the region, prescribing confidence-building measures and verification tools to create trust among the region’s governments. Their vision also sees the realization of a WMD-free zone within a broader regional agenda for security and cooperation to advance socioeconomic and political progress. This book will be of great interest to students and scholars of international relations, politics and security studies in the Middle East.

This monograph addresses the important question of the security implications for the nations of the region of the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction in the Middle East. The Strategic Studies Institute is pleased to offer the monograph as a contribution to the national security debate on this important issue. The author offers a unique perspective based on extensive interviews that he conducted in the region, and makes specific policy recommendations for U.S. military and civilian decisionmakers.

This edited volume provides a systematic analysis of the missile threat and proliferation issue in the Middle East region. The question of how to increase the level of security in the Middle East is not a new one, given the conflict-ridden nature of the region. The solution attempted for this predicament has typically revolved around intense arms build-ups, a strategy which can prove self-defeating due to the subsequent countermeasures employed by neighbouring states. Arms Control and Missile Proliferation in the Middle East focuses on the strategic proliferation of arms, with a specific emphasis on missiles. This unique emphasis enables the contributors to provide a dynamic new perspective on conceptual and political disarmament efforts, thereby distinguishing this volume from many other related works on the region, which deal mainly with weapons of mass destruction. The book also explores the possibility of a reduction in weapon arsenals, examining a more promising cooperative security concept which includes confidence- and security-building measures (CSBMs). This book will be of much interest to students of arms control, Middle Eastern politics, Gulf Security, war and conflict studies, security studies and IR.

This vital book examines why states seek to gain Weapons of Mass Destruction, a crucial issue in developing strategies against proliferation. Leading experts examine specific countries and the interplay among political, economic, cultural and regional factors driving decisions whether to acquire WMD.