Proliferation of Weapons of Mass Destruction in the Middle East: Directions and Policy Options in the New Century (Initiatives in Strategic Studies: Issues and Policies)

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. Front Matter....Pages i-xii Introduction....Pages 1-7 Front Matter....Pages 9-9 Proliferation, Asymmetric War, and the Contemporary Threat Environment....Pages 11-29 Front Matter....Pages 31-31 Continuity and Change in Israeli Strategic Thinking: Reflections in the Wake of Operation Iraqi Freedom....Pages 33-50 Iran at the Strategic Crossroads....Pages 51-61 Syrian WMD Programs in Context....Pages 63-71 Syrian Weapons of Mass Destruction....Pages 73-92 A.Q. Khan, Proliferation Networks, and the Nuclear Slippery Slope....Pages 93-113 Saudi Arabia in the Twenty-First Century: A New Security Calculus?....Pages 115-131 Saudi Arabia: The Nuclear Conundrum....Pages 133-144 Tracking and Assessing Nuclear Issues in Open Sources: The Case of Libya....Pages 145-163 Front Matter....Pages 165-165 Iraq and Libya: Nonproliferation Through Regime Change or Change in A Regime?....Pages 167-182 Counterproliferation Versus Nonproliferation in the Middle East After Saddam: Lessons From Iraq and Libya....Pages 183-201 A Demand-Side Strategy for Regional Security and Nonproliferation in the Persian Gulf....Pages 203-222 Cooperative Threat Reduction At the Next Phase....Pages 223-232 Back Matter....Pages 233-242 The proliferation of Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD) is a major concern and the Middle East is at the forefront of US-lead efforts to counter and control their spread. This vital book examines why states seek to gain WMD, 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. The result is enhanced understanding of the challenge proliferation poses to US strategy and policy and the wider international community The proliferation of weapons of mass destruction (WMD) is a major concern and the Middle East is at the forefront of U.S.-led efforts to counter and control their spread. This vital book examines specific countries and the interplay among political, economic, cultural and regional factors driving decisions whether to acquire WMD. The result is enhanced understanding of the challenge proliferation poses to U.S. strategy and policy and to the wider international community