Volume 8, No. 3 - September 2004 THE ROLE OF WMD IN IRANIAN SECURITY CALCULATIONS: DANGERS TO EUROPE By Amin Tarzi This article considers the Iranian weapons of mass destruction (WMD) program, reviewing the calculations that have driven Iran to seek these weapons and their delivery systems, and the dangers to European countries should Iran succeed in its efforts. Lastly, it considers the effect of Iran achieving regional superpower status through the development of WMD on the … [Read more...]
Saddam’s Iraq and Weapons of Mass Destruction: Iraq as a Case Study of a Middle Eastern Proliferant
By September 6, 2020
Volume 8, No. 3 - September 2004 SADDAM'S IRAQ AND WEAPONS OF MASS DESTRUCTION:IRAQ AS A CASE STUDY OF A MIDDLE EASTERN PROLIFERANT By Ibrahim al-Marashi While the threat from Iraq's weapons of mass destruction program has been diminished in the wake of the war in Iraq in 2003, studying the motivations behind Saddam's acquisition of these weapons is necessary to understand how states in the Middle East may seek to acquire similar weapons in the future. This paper, based on … [Read more...]
Syria and the Question of WMD
By September 5, 2020
Volume 8, No. 3 - September 2004 Syria and the Question of WMD By Eyal Zisser Syria is one of the most advanced Arab countries as far as development of WMD is concerned. It has a large arsenal of hundreds of advanced surface-to-surface missiles that can cover most parts of Israel. With Iranian and North Korean aid, Syria has developed chemical warheads for these missiles, posing a strategic threat to Israel. Syria's impressive arsenal of WMD created, as the Syrians hoped, an … [Read more...]
Israel and the WMD Threat: Lessons for Europe
By September 4, 2020
Volume 8, No. 3 - September 2004 Israel AND the WMD Threat: Lessons for Europe By Cameron Brown Having faced a growing threat from the use of weapons of mass destruction (WMD) for the past several decades, Israel has been forced to make counter-proliferation a top national defense priority.(1) It has invested billions of dollars in developing a multi-layered national defense strategy that is arguably the most highly developed of any country on earth. As such, Israel's experience in this … [Read more...]
The al-Qa’ida Network and Weapons of Mass Destruction
By September 3, 2020
Volume 8, No. 3 - September 2004 The al-Qa'ida Network and Weapons of Mass Destruction By Jonathan Spyer The use of weapons of mass destruction (WMD) by Middle Eastern terrorist groups is one of the world's worst nightmares, albeit a more credible one in the aftermath of September 11, 2001. Finding evidence, however, of such groups' plans or efforts in this direction is difficult. This article assesses the available information on the motives and capabilities of these organizations, and … [Read more...]
Iraq’s Unready Security Forces: An Interim Assessment
By September 2, 2020
Volume 8, No. 3 - September 2004 Iraq's Unready Security Forces: An Interim Assessment By Barak A. Salmoni This article examines the emergence of the various Iraqi security forces that were created by the U.S.-led coalition since it deposed Saddam Hussein's regime in 2003. Based in part on his own observations and interviews with those responsible for training these forces, the author discusses the challenges and dilemmas faced by coalition forces in their attempts to create local … [Read more...]
Assessing the Political Stability of Oman
By September 1, 2020
Volume 8, No. 3 - September 2004 Assessing the Political Stability of Oman By Mark N. Katz Oman is facing important economic and political challenges. The economic challenge it faces is that its population is rising while its oil reserves are declining. The political challenges it faces are the extreme concentration of authority in the hands of one man (Sultan Qaboos), the sultan's unwillingness to allow meaningful political participation or dialogue, political legitimacy … [Read more...]
