Arab Threat Perceptions and the Future of the U.S. Military Presence in the Middle East

The Middle East is currently in one of its most dramatic periods of turbulence since the post-World War I emergence of the modern state system in that region. The intense unrest in the Middle East has created new conflicts, but it has also brought some of the regional status quo powers into a greater level of cooperation to help address these problems. The Arab states aligned with the United States are currently facing a number of particularly serious regional policy problems and remain an incubator of radicalism and terrorism.

This monograph is intended to be a contribution to the national security debate on this important subject as our nation continues to grapple with a variety of problems associated with the future of the Middle East.

This analysis should be especially useful to U.S. strategic leaders, policy analysts, and intelligence professionals as they seek to address the complicated interplay of factors related to regional security issues, fighting terrorism, and the support of local allies.