Arab Military Effectiveness: Historic Challenges and Current Dynamics

The Middle East Institute (MEI) is pleased to host a book talk with Kenneth Pollack, resident scholar at the American Enterprise Institute (AEI), former CIA intelligence analyst, and the author of Armies of Sand: The Past, Present, and Future of Arab Military Effectiveness. In his book, Pollack revisits the history of Arab militaries from the end of World War II to the present. He examines the lasting impact of Soviet intervention on Arab militaries, explains the root causes of underdevelopment in Arab state militaries, and explores the relationship between Arab society and warfare. How has reliance on Soviet doctrine affected Arab militaries’ strategies and outcomes? How are Arab militaries shaped by culture, civil society initiatives and civil-military relations? How have historical gains and losses influenced present day Arab militaries and what does the changing reality of war making portend for the future of Arab militaries and the regional military balance? MEI’s Senior Vice Preside