Military Restructuring and Yemen’s Stalled Transition

Military Restructuring and Yemen’s Stalled Transition (MES Insights v3i6 November 2012)

by Adam C. Seitz

One year ago, on November 23, 2011, President Ali Abdullah Saleh signed the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Initiative, ending his 33-year presidency and transferring power to then-Vice President Abd Rabu Mansour Hadi as the first step in Yemen’s transition. Nearly one year after Saleh signed the GCC Initiative, the preparatory committee for national dialogue announced that Yemen’s Conference for National Dialogue had been pushed back to early 2013. The Dialogue is an essential element of the Initiative aimed at unifying a deeply divided country and laying the foundation for the drafting of a new constitution. The November announcement marked the latest delay since the April 2012 date for National Dialogue was first announced, highlighting the challenges Yemen still faces moving forward with implementing the GCC Initiative. One barrier that continues to stand in the way of National Dialogue, and further implementation of the Initiative as a whole, is the restructuring of the armed forces. Although the restructuring of the Yemeni armed forces is stipulated as a part of the first phase of the GCC Initiative, ambiguity within the document has left room for Saleh’s relatives to maintain their posts in the military in post-Saleh Yemen............(Read on)..........

Orienting Our Sights on the Future: Opportunities and Challenges of the Arab Revolts

Orienting Our Sights on the Future: Opportunities and Challenges of the Arab Revolts (MES Monographs No. 3 August 2012)

edited by Amin Tarzi and Adam C. Seitz

As part of its mission to broaden U.S. Marine Corps access to information and analysis through publishing, Middle East Studies at Marine Corps University (MES) has established different mechanisms to disseminate relevant publications, including a Monograph Series. The aim of the MES Monograph Series is to publish original research papers on a wide variety of subjects pertaining to the greater Middle East, to include the countries of the Arab world, Israel, Turkey, Iran, Afghanistan, Pakistan and India. The focus of the Monograph Series is on timely subjects with strategic relevance to current and future concerns of the U.S. Professional Military Education community.

The third issue of the Monograph Series brings together five short pieces representing some of the lectures delivered as part of Academic Year 2011-2012 MES Lecture Series, “Orienting Our Sights on the Future: Opportunities and Challenges of the Arab Revolts.”............(Read on)..........

"Yemen" in the American Foreign Policy Councils World Almanac of Islamism 2011

"Yemen" in the American Foreign Policy Councils World Almanac of Islamism 2011 (Rowman & Littlefield)

by Adam C Seitz

The American Foreign Policy Council’s World Almanac of Islamism is a comprehensive resource designed to track the rise or decline of radical Islam on a national, regional and global level. This database focuses on the nature of the contemporary Islamist threat around the world, and on the current activities of radical Islamist movements worldwide.

From Western Europe to Asia, from the Middle East to the Horn of Africa, societies are finding themselves under growing assault from radical Islamist forces. In some countries, such as Spain and France, the challenge posed by radical Islam is still limited in scope and embryonic in nature. But in others, including Somalia and Pakistan, it poses a mortal danger to the future of the existing state. The World Almanac of Islamism is the first comprehensive reference work to detail the global reach of Islamism across six continents. Each country study, written by leading subject-matter experts, examines the full scope of the Islamist phenomenon, from the activities of radical Islamist groups to the role of Islamist actors and ideas in society to the response – or complicity – of the local government. An additional series of “movement” studies explores the global reach, ideology, and capabilities of the world’s most powerful transnational Islamist movements. Finally, Almanac includes regional summaries and a global overview designed to provide context and strategic insights into current and emerging trends relating to Islamism the world over. 

This collection makes a major contribution toward properly defining the Islamist threat and paving the way for the implementation of more effective strategies to counter the rise of radical Islamism by the United States and its allies. It provides policymakers, the news media, scholars, and students with a more comprehensive understanding of the threat we now confront from Islamic extremism. Additionally, the full Almanac is available electronically in database form. 

Online resource available at: http://almanac.afpc.org/

Book and ebook available for purchase at:

https://rowman.com/ISBN/9781442207134/The-World-Almanac-of-Islamism-2011

https://www.amazon.com/World-Almanac-Islamism-2011/dp/1442207132/ref=sr_1_4?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1530114735&sr=1-4

IRAN'S CONTINUING CHALLENGE IN A TIME OF ARAB TURMOIL

IRAN'S CONTINUING CHALLENGE IN A TIME OF ARAB TURMOIL in The Montreal Review (May 2011)

by Adam C. Seitz and Anthony H. Cordesman

The Islamic Republic of Iran presents a wide range of challenges in a region that is already plagued by insecurity and conflict. As long-standing regimes are threatened by the wave of anti-government protests rolling across the Middle East, Tehran continues to advance its policies intended to expand its influence throughout the region in spite of its own internal challenges and power struggles within its leadership. At a time when the Arab spring is producing unpredictable changes in regional regimes and alignments, Tehran's aggressive regional policy, growing asymmetric warfare capabilities, and developing nuclear and ballistic missile programs present a separate set of challenges of great strategic importance..........(Read on).............

Yemen’s Coming Crisis

Yemen’s Coming Crisis (MES Insights v2i2 March 2011)

by Adam C. Seitz

Following the successful ousting of Presidents Zine el-Abidine Ben Ali in Tunisia and Hosni Mubarak in Egypt, anti-government protests continue to challenge the rule of long-standing regimes throughout the Middle East and North Africa. The 32-year rule of Yemen’s President Ali Abdallah Saleh is no exception. Widespread corruption, growing economic and resource inequality, and internal fragmentation have pushed anti-government protesters into the streets demanding the immediate ouster of President Saleh, challenging the stability of a country already on the brink of becoming a failed state.

Even before Yemen was swept up by the wave of protests rolling through the region, the Saleh regime had been faced with a number of daunting challenges: a slew of economic and social issues, the Islamist al-Houthi rebellion in the north, a resilient secessionist movement in the south, and a resurgent al-Qaeda offshoot seeking to take advantage of Yemen’s domestic conflicts and demographics.

In the past, Saleh has been relatively effective in managing the issues his regime has faced through power-sharing arrangements brokered with various tribal leaders, Islamist groups and political factions. Recently, however, shifting alliances have put this system to the test.........(Read on).........

Iran at a Crossroads

Iran at a Crossroads (MES Insights v1i1 January 2010)

by Amin Tarzi and Adam C. Seitz

The Islamic Republic of Iran is at a crossroad. 2009 closed with the Islamic Republic regime witnessing the most fundamental challenges to its rule over Iran. As a result both the regime in power and the country of Iran begin the year 2010 with more uncertainty than at any other time in the thirty years since the triumph of the Islamic revolution. The uncertainty in Iran not only translates into insecurity for the regime, but also for the region and beyond, as the regime flexes its muscles to demonstrate relevance and authority. This presents a challenging security environment. Chief among the growing security challenges are Tehran’s continued defiance in negotiations over its nuclear program, and the weakening of the chains of commands which hitherto had kept Tehran from stepping beyond certain red lines in projecting its influence beyond its borders. Which way is Iran heading?........(Read on)............

Iranian Weapons of Mass Destruction: The Birth of a Regional Nuclear Arms Race

Iranian Weapons of Mass Destruction: The Birth of a Regional Nuclear Arms Race (Praeger Security International, 2009)

by Anthony H. Cordesman and Adam C. Seitz

September 18, 2009

ISBN# 978-0-313-38088-4 (HB)

https://www.csis.org/analysis/iranian-weapons-mass-destruction-2

Iranian Weapons of Mass Destruction: The Birth of a Regional Nuclear Arms Race? is an expert, insider’s look at Iran’s current and potential ability to wage both conventional and asymmetrical warfare—and the options available for dealing with a nuclear Iran.

Are we on the brink of a regional nuclear arms race in the Middle East? In this important volume, Anthony Cordesman and Adam Seitz examine how Iran's nuclear ambitions have already altered security policy for the United States, Iran's neighbors, and the international community. Cordesman and Seitz address the full range of issues related to Iran's quest for nuclear weapons, including its emphasis on medium- and long-range missiles, the decline of Iran's conventional military capabilities, and the continued Iranian efforts to undercut the spread of democracy in the region.

The volume includes hypothetical studies outlining the possible effects of specific nuclear, chemical, or biological attacks by Iran. In addition, it is illustrated with tables and graphs that provide a quantitative and qualitative look at Iran's conventional and asymmetric warfighting capabilities and at the progress of Iran's nuclear and missile programs.

Book and ebook available for purchase at:

https://www.abc-clio.com/ABC-CLIOCorporate/product.aspx?pc=A2233C

https://www.amazon.com/Iranian-Weapons-Mass-Destruction-International/dp/0313380880/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1530110157&sr=8-1&keywords=Iranian+Weapons+of+Mass+Destruction%3A+The+Birth+of+a+Regional+Nuclear+Arms+Race

REVIEWS

"This timely analysis explores the serious security implications of Iran's nuclear program in a region already troubled by insecurity and conflict. It also examines how Iran's nuclear ambitions and missile programs and its growing ability for asymmetric warfare are steadily becoming even more critical issues for the United States, Iran's neighboring countries, and the international community. The authors, Cordesman (analyst and television commentator) and Seitz (researcher, Middle East and South Asia), take an assessment approach to determining where the developments in Iran might lead. They also weigh the country's warfare capabilities and the options available for dealing with a nuclear Iran." - Reference & Research Book News

"Clear and detailed at the same time, the in-depth analysis of Iranian military assets includes appropriate references to key nuclear facilities, the major developments in Iran's nuclear program and its long history of research into uranium enrichment, its missile arsenal and technology, and its space, chemical, nuclear and biological programs. … Useful maps, timelines, schemes and chronologies make the scenarios more understandable and provide the keys to understanding a complex but essential issue for international relations. These features make the book a useful tool for policymakers and researchers alike." - The International Spectator