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After the conservative Arab Gulf Monarchies--Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Sa'udi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE)--joined forces on 25 May 1981 within the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), few fathomed that security requirements on and around the Arabian Peninsula would be so precarious and for so long. To answer their search for permanent stability, Arab Gulf rulers erected a regional alliance that sought to integrate internal and regional defenses, as well as strengthen their existing socio-economic ties. Several of the monarchies even hoped that coordination on foreign policy issues over which near unanimity existed could, eventually, lead to a full-fledged union as envisaged in the organization's founding charter. Between 1981 and 2015 these Arab Gulf monarchies experienced major socio-political transformations resulting from upheavals throughout the Arab and Muslim worlds. The perceived necessity to bring about a full-fledged union has come into conflict with entrenched viewpoints from regimes that value traditional military/political roles and norms. In this new study, Joseph A. Kéchichian provides an evaluation of GCC States' military institutions to better evaluate whether a stable alliance is capable of enduring over the next few decades, and how civilian leaders perceive the role and influence of their military officers for the task. Kéchichian raises fundamental questions over internal, regional and international threats, including an existential challenge emanating from the Islamic revolutionary government of Iran

The fractious relationship between the United States and Saudi Arabia has long been a central concern in Washington. In the aftermath of 9/11 and amongst ongoing wars, the United States confronts an acute dilemma: how to cooperate with Riyadh against terrorism whilst confronting acute anti-Americanism? Using information gathered from extensive interviews with a plethora of officials, this book aims to analyze Saudi domestic reforms. It addresses the significant deficiency of information on such diverse matters as the judiciary and ongoing national dialogues, but also provides an alte.

Preface -- Acknowledgments -- A note on transliteration -- Introduction -- Saudi Arabia and the Al Saʿūd before Faysal -- Prince Faysal (1906-1953) -- Heir apparent Faysal (1953-1964) -- King Faysal (1964-1975) -- Divergences with the United States -- A modernizing vision for an emergent kingdom -- The Faysal legacy -- Appendix 1. : chronology -- Appendix 2. : vital speeches -- Appendix 3. : documents

Sarkis Torossian, an Armenian soldier in the Ottoman army who had been decorated for his military skills and achievements, decided to fight with the Arabs after he discovered indescribable sufferings imposed on his family and ethnic nation by the Empire. The transformation, which saw the devoted Ottoman officer turn into a rebel element, sheds light on some of the reasons why an Armenian participated in the Arab revolt.