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Developments in Middle Eastern & North African nation's defense economics & security are examined including increases to the Iraqi Security Forces, the nature of relations between Lebanon & Syria, & the status of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. The historical evolution of Iran's defense industry & military thought is then addressed, emphasizing the mid-20th century Iranian states relations with Western countries, changes to Iranian defense & military capabilities following the Iranian revolution, technological advancements in Irans aviation & missile industries, & the growing self-sufficiency of the Iranian armed forces. After ascertaining the prospects for deterring Iran from pursuing a nuclear weapons program, the defense economics of the Middle East & North Africa is explored. Moreover, comprehensive information concerning the capabilities is provided, emphasizing the organization & deployment of each nations armed forces. Tables. J. W. Parker

The tumult across the Middle East and North Africa, sparked by the self-immolation of Tunisian street vendor Mohamed Bouazizi in December 2010, has rocked many states in the region, and toppled some long-established regimes. The way militaries have behaved has depended on particular national situations. In some cases, such as Tunisia and Egypt, the armed forces distanced themselves from the regime; in others, such as Bahrain, Syria, Yemen and, for a time, Libya, where relatives of the rulers were entrusted with command responsibilities, security forces remained more cohesive or fought back. In these cases, dependeable, elite and generally well-resourced units carried much of the repressive burden. Adapted from the source document.

In this section on the Capabilities, Trends & Economics of regional military defense capabilities, military trends & priorities of the Middle East & North Africa are assessed. A comparative discussion of Iran & Iraq describes the anti-US attitude & elusive national unity through a federalism that is disrupted by sectarian violence. The relationships between Israel, Lebanon, Hezbollah, & Syria are described as mistrusting, conflictual, & hostile. Analysis of recent capability enhancements by Israel, Jordan, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait & the Gulf Cooperation Council compares advances in missile defense & upgrading of special operations. Strong economic growth in the region has led to upgrade to aging equipment & improvements of border and coastline security, despite the derailing of Israel's new five year defense plan. A detailed assessment follows of twenty countries military capabilities that inventories troops, organizations by service & equipment, deployment, & foreign forces. Tables, maps. J. Harwell

This chapter provides an independent & detailed account of military capabilities & defense economics for countries in the Middle East & North African regions. In Iraq, the Status of Forces Agreement (SOFA) between the United States & Baghdad, which outlines the responsibilities & legal status of U.S. personnel in Iraq after December 2008 was backed by the Iraqi parliament in November 2008. Furthermore "the surge," the United States strategy, executed under the leadership of General David Petraeus, for reducing the number of civilian casualties & halting the civil war has been largely successful, yet attacks in Baghdad in early November demonstrate that insurgent groups can still get through security screens. Iraq's Awakening council's & movement, which consist of neighborhood watch groups, are responsible for the diminishing presence of al-Qaeda in Mesopotamia (AQM) in Sunni areas & for providing support & intelligence to U.S. troops in the Anbar province. The Awakening movement is largely a Sunni organization & the Shia-dominated government has been reluctant to integrate into the movement. Additionally, the Iraqi army's shift to the south is discussed. Statistic & details concerning Iraq's defense budget & capabilities are provided. In Iran, diplomatic efforts concerning development of a nuclear program & Iranian proxies impacting the situation in Iraq, & continued tensions with the West remain the top concerns. The new Nevatim air base in Israel will significantly improve Israel's ability to track medium & long-range missiles. Also, the 2006 war with Lebanon continues to effect Israel's military. The current missions & weapon acquisitions of Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, & Lebanon are also discussed. Statistics & details concerning the region's countries' defense budgets & capabilities are provided. C. Goger

The chapter summarizes developments in military operations from 2009 to early 2010 in the Middle Eastern region, including Iraq, Israel, Gaza, Iran, Yemen and Saudi Arabia. The chapter provides a summary of the preparations that US has made in order to assume a supportive training and advisory mission in Iraq. However, the transitional situation is precarious, since the Iraqi army is still dependent upon the US military for close air support and communications, intelligence, surveillance and logistical infrastructure. The chapter notes the lasting legacy of the US rebuilding of the Iraqi army, including the fact that the armed forces are no longer active players in sectarian violence. The chapter summarizes the Israeli Operation Cast Lead against Hamas in Syria, as well as Israel's objections to a nuclear-armed Iran. Concerns about Iran's missile-development program have prompted moves to develop ballistic missile defense within the Gulf region, including in Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates. The chapter notes the impact of the current world economic crisis on defense spending across the region. Russia and France are the leading arms exporters to nations in the region. Kenny Cargill