An examination of the Middle East's leading armed forces and their role in both military and political affairs. The book considers their missions, doctrine, training, equipment and effectiveness as fighting forces.

Series title from jacket. Accompanied by 1 erratum slip.

The military in contemporary Middle East politics / Barry Rubin -- Why Arab armies lose wars / Norvell De Atkine -- US policy and Middle East armed forces / Marvin C. Feuer -- Russia's military involvement with the Middle East / Oksana Antonenko -- Guns and butter in the Egyptian army / Hillel Frisch -- The Syrian army on the domestic and external fronts / Eyal Zisser -- Soldiers without fortune : Palestinian militarization in the post-statehood era / Gal Luft -- The Jordanian army : between domestic and external challenges / Alexander Bligh -- The Israel Defense Force : continuity and change / Stuart A. Cohen -- The military and politics : a Turkish dilemma / Umit Cizre Sakallioglu -- Saddam Husayn, the Ba'th regime and the Iraqi officer corps / Amatzia Baram -- The armed forces of the Islamic Republic of Iran : an assessment / Michael Eisenstadt.