The Middle East’s new era of militarisation
Across the region, the number of armed groups are on the rise.
After years of revolutionary upheaval, the Arab world is in a state of flux. The old state system is on the verge of collapse. And an increasing number of non-state groups are using arms to achieve their aims.
Most have different ideologies; and some are being used as proxies by regional governments. But all of the region’s armed groups have a common source of strength: their weapons.
Are we witnessing the increasing militarisation of the Middle East and North Africa? And does it show the failure of the political process in the post-revolutionary period?
Presenter: Sami Zeidan
Guests:
Oliver Miles – a former British ambassador to Libya.
Pieter Wezeman – senior researcher of the SIPRI Arms and Military Expenditure Programme.
Rami Khouri – director of the Issam Fares Institute for Public Policy and International Affairs at the American University of Beirut.