Establishing A Weapons Of Mass Destruction Free Zone In The Middle East

The establishment of a Middle East zone free of nuclear weapons, a concept more recently broadened to cover all weapons of mass destruction (WMD), has been before the international community for decades. In this book, two experts from the region explore why the matter remains unresolved, and outline a comprehensive yet achievable roadmap to a Middle East free of WMD. Weapons of mass destruction pose an existential threat to global peace and security. But nowhere is it more urgent to stem their spread than in the Middle East, a region fraught with mistrust and instability. Accounting for these geopolitical realities, including the ongoing talks to curb Iran’s nuclear program, the authors present a practical and innovative strategy to a Middle East free of weapons of mass destructions (WMD). They outline a phased approach toward disarmament in the region, prescribing confidence-building measures and verification tools to create trust among the region’s governments. Their vision also sees the realization of a WMD-free zone within a broader regional agenda for security and cooperation to advance socioeconomic and political progress. This book will be of great interest to students and scholars of international relations, politics and security studies in the Middle East.

The Middle East is a hot spot of proliferation. It contains one state assumed to possess nuclear weapons, several states that tried and failed to develop a military nuclear capability, one state under suspicion of trying to do so, and it is the world region that witnessed the most frequent and severe employment of chemical weapons since the end of World War I. Notwithstanding, not a single arms control regime concerning weapons of mass destruction (WMD) covers the region as a whole. Instead we have seen several proliferation-related military operations which have rather contributed to destabilization than served non-proliferation. This volume, written under the auspices of the EU Consortium for Non-Proliferation and Disarmament determines the current state of diplomatic efforts to establish a WMD free zone in the Middle East. In doing so, it provides insights into central actors’ conflicting political positions, thereby explaining the stalemate of efforts to negotiate a WMD-free zone. Chapters written by renowned experts from academia and policy-oriented think tanks, as well as by next-generation Middle East and arms control experts, introduce the subject to the reader, give background information about arms control initiatives, provide technical expertise, and endeavour to make proposals for arms control measures in support of the creation of a Middle East WMD-free zone.

An important book for all parties interested in the dynamic issue within the on-going general peace process that would eventually lead to the establishment of the zone.

This monograph addresses the important question of the security implications for the nations of the region of the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction in the Middle East. The Strategic Studies Institute is pleased to offer the monograph as a contribution to the national security debate on this important issue. The author offers a unique perspective based on extensive interviews that he conducted in the region, and makes specific policy recommendations for U.S. military and civilian decisionmakers.

The establishment of a nuclear-weapon-free zone is not a new idea. Two such zones exist in Latin America and the Caribbean and in the South Pacific. This publication discusses a number of steps and measures that could ease the process leading to the establishment of such a zone in the Middle East - an area that can still be termed politically unsettled and militarily volatile. Most of the measures proposed could have a positive effect on the prospects of the region.

The ten authors of the essays in this study examine issues that the US must address if its national security policy in the Middle East is to be well informed. In "NBC and Missile Proliferation in the Middle East," Lawrence Scheinman summarizes the nuclear, biological, and chemical weapons capabilities and missile systems of Egypt, Iran, Iraq, Israel, Libya, and Syria. Scheinman argues that that stability in the region is best served by universal adherence to treaties to prevent the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction (WMD). Anthony R. Cordesman, in his essay "Recent Developments in the Persian Gulf," looks at both the conventional and WMD military balance between the states in the region. He assesses the volume of arms transfers to each state in the region and their impact on balance of power in the region. In "Arab Perspectives on Middle Eastern Security," Ibrahim A. Karawan, concludes that the lack of success in curbing the spread of nuclear weapons in the Middle East is not surprising. Karawan asserts that the proliferation of chemical and biological weapons among Arab and Middle East states is a natural deterrence response. Avner Cohen, in "Regional Security and Arms Control in the Middle East: The Nuclear Dimension," explains the diametrically opposite approaches taken by the two sides in the arms control and regional security negotiations. Cohen asserts that the future of nuclear arms control in the region will depend on progress toward the settlement of the Arab-Israeli conflict and the evolution of politics and society in states outside the region. In "The Egyptian-Israeli confrontation over the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty," W. Andrew Terrill compares and contrasts the Egyptian and Israeli views of how best to achieve a nuclear-free zone in the Middle East.

This open access book examines key aspects of international cooperation to enhance nuclear safety, security, safeguards, and nonproliferation, thereby assisting in development and maintenance of the verification regime and fostering progress toward a nuclear weapon-free world. Current challenges are discussed and attempts made to identify possible solutions and future improvements, considering scientific developments that have the potential to increase the effectiveness of implementation of international regimes, particularly in critical areas, technology foresight, and the ongoing evaluation of current capabilities.