Arbiters of Social Unrest: The Future of Arab Civil-Military Relations

Abstract

The Arab Middle East has entered a new era of civil-military relations. The function of today’s Arab militaries is no longer exclusively the protection of the regime. Instead, they are serving as arbiters of social unrest, deciding if and how to address the people’s demands when they take to the streets. The response of Arab militaries will have a profound impact on the region’s democratic movements, economies, and security. The future behavior of these militaries will also influence America’s interests in this geostrategic region. While predicting the future responses of individual Arab militaries to societal unrest is impossible, this book has laid out a helpful rubric of interests and restraints for understanding what course of action an Arab military facing social turmoil may choose.