This study analyzes the conditions that need to be met in order for Israel to return the Golan Heights to Syria while maintaining its security. Those conditions are: Israel and Syria must overcome history and politics; Israel must get asymmetrical...
In 1996 Syria and Israel came close to ratifying a peace accord. Currently, however, negotiations are stalled, but a change of government in Israel could provide the impetus for them to recommence. A peacekeeping force is most likely to be deployed...
In 1981, Israel conducted a pre-emptive strike on Iraq's Osirak nuclear reactor. Then Israel bombed a Syrian nuclear reactor at al-Kibar in 2007. Today, Israel is facing a new challenge as it considers Iran's nuclear program. This thesis is a...
This monograph assesses the potential for conflict in the Middle East as a result of water scarcity. It is guided by the Homer-Dixon model linking the contributions of environmental scarcity to violent conflict. The monograph begins with a general...
Since the death of the Prophet Mohammad sectarian violence has existed in the Middle East. This monograph details the history of the Sunni - Shia split and explains the origins of the violence still present today. This conflict presents...
In December 2010, spontaneous protests began in Tunisia following the self-immolation of a Tunisian citizen, who was upset after having his vegetable cart seized by Tunisian police. Wide spread demonstrations followed in the capital city of Tunis....
The 1975 Lebanese Civil War was one of the most disastrous and costly civil wars in modern history. The human toll of the "First Phase" of the war was immense, with estimates of 40,000 dead, 60,000 wounded and 600,000 Lebanese civilians displaced...
This monograph examines the Arab Spring in light of the past half century of efforts in transnational Arab identity formation and thus considers its links to Arab Nationalism and Pan-Islamism. Then, with a focus on Syria and the sectarian nature of...
This monograph analyzes the 1982 Israeli peacemaking operation against the Palestinian Liberation Organization in regards to current military theory. It uses operation “Peace For Galilee” as a case study to examine the possibility of using...
The militant Lebanese Shia Group Hezbollah (Party of God) has evolved into the largest and most professional terrorist groups in the Middle East. The political wing has been successful at placing several representatives in the Lebanese Parliament...
During the summer and fall of 1982 the Israeli government used military force in an operation which they believed would achieve certain immediate political goals. Israel invaded Lebanon with an announced goal of clearing PLO terrorists from an area...
Egypt has one of the oldest civilizations and proudest national histories in the world with a tradition of a well-maintained, advanced and relevant military force. These experiences provided guidance for developing victory in some of the most...
This monograph examines the considerations involved in maintaining a peacekeeping force in the Golan Heights. The examination is based on the assumption that Israel and Syria have reached an agreement concerning the Golan Heights and that the...
This study examines the employment of U.S. Marines in Lebanon from 1982 to 1984 to determine if their use supported stated national objectives, national policy, and political objectives. The movement away from traditional concepts of employment of...
Caldwell, William B. , IV, Falk, Randall M. , Malone, Timothy G.
The signing of a peace accord between Israel and Syria may hinge on the willingness of the United States to provide peacekeepers to monitor the Golan Heights. From the viewpoint of the U. S. national interest, this paper examines the costs, risks,...
This thesis examines the need of Israel to retain the Golan Heights from the viewpoint of Israel. Geographical and economic background factors are discussed, followed by political and military factors in terms of this area. Since World War II, the...
For the first time since its establishment as a nation, and following four successive victories against various Arab conventional armies between 1948 and 1973, Israel was forced to withdraw militarily from south Lebanon in May 2000. This thesis...
Of all the ethnic groups in the Middle East, the Kurds can best determine the success or failure of the US attempt to establish a democracy in Iraq. Since 1991, the Kurds, unlike any other ethnic nation, have experienced the best-protected...
In 1973, Israel found itself fighting its fifth major war against its Arab neighbors since achieving independence 25 years previously. This was a war in which both sides designed their military strategies within the framework of the political...
Islam arose out of a cataclysmic change in society and economics in the Arabian Peninsula during the early seventh century. The adherents of the new religion immediately launched a campaign against the Byzantine Empire, the military, cultural and...