The Future of the Middle East

Preface

1 The Power of Faith, Force, and Finance

The Power of Faith

The Power of Force

The Power of Finance

Arms Purchases as Power

Gifts as Soft Influence and Image Building

Finance as the Key to Regional Control

Finance as Alliance Building

Finance as a Social Contract

Using Finance to Promote Faith and Force

The United States' Soft Power in the Middle East

Between Faith, Force, and Finance

2 World War I Sets the Stage for the Modern Middle East (1914-1940)

Turkey: Force versus Islam

Egypt: The Muslim Brotherhood Pits Popular Islam against Colonialism

Israel: Palestine Becomes a Homeland for the Jews

Iraq: British Control of the Iraqi Shia

Lessons Learned

Faith

Force

Finance

The Balance of Faith, Force, and Finance

3 World War II Reshapes the Middle East (1940-1967)

Egypt and Arab Unity: Using Charisma, Nationalism, and Socialism as Faith Alternatives to Islam

Israel Reborn: War, Peace, and Biblical Prophecy

Saudi Arabia: Tribal Force, Islamic Faith, and the Country's Creation

Iran: The Danger of Puppet Rulers

Lessons Learned

4 A Surge of Religious Extremism (1967-1980)

Egypt: Arab Nationalism Collapses and Religious

Extremism Surges

Israel: Force Gives Way to Extremism

Saudi Arabia: Finance to the Fore

Syria and Iraq: Minority Rule

Iraq: Same Formula, Different Faith

Lessons Learned

5 Religious Violence Unleashed (1975-1990)

Egypt: The Rise of Salafi-Jihadist Terror and the Muslim Brotherhood

The Peaceful Salafi and the Salafi-Jihadists

Salafi-Jihadists versus the Muslim Brotherhood: How They Differ

Saudi Arabia: The Expansion of Salafi Doctrine

Iran: The First Islamic State in the Modern Era

Using Faith to Build a Nation

Transforming Faith into Military Force

Lessons Learned

6 The Era of Peace, Stability, and Illusion (1990-2000)

How the Collapse of the Soviet Union Fueled Islamic Extremism in the Middle East

Control of the Middle Eastern Tyrants

The Passing of the Ayatollah Khomeini and the Transfer of Faith

The Illusion of Peace between the Israelis and the Palestinians

The Formation of International Islamic Terrorist Networks

The Turabi Terrorist Network

Lessons Learned

7 The Era of Global Terror and Counter-Terror (2000-2010)

Afghanistan and the Restructuring of Bin-Laden's Al-Qaeda Network

The War on Terror Expands into Iraq

Israel and the War on Terror

Saudi Arabia and the War of Terror

Lessons Learned

8 The Era of Islamic Rule (2010-2013)

Islam Lite: The Turkish Model

Egypt: Why Rule by the Muslim Brotherhood Failed

The Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS)

Is Iran a Greater Threat than ISIS?

Lessons Learned

9 The Old Order Strikes Back (2017)

The United States Forges an Alliance of Peace and Stability to Build a New Middle East

Turkey as a Link between the Past and Present

Israel Strikes Back at the New Islamic Order

Egypt: The United States Declares Coups the First Step toward Democracy

Saudi Arabia: Can the Protector of Islam Protect Itself from Islam?

Lessons Learned

10 Solutions to an Era of Stalemate (Post-2017)

The Stairway to Terror

Step 1. Festering Frustration

Step 2: Despair Breeds Violent Groups

Step 3: Seeking and Risk Taking

Step 4: Weeding Out the Chaff

Step 5: Becoming a Warrior for God

Step 6: Consolidation and Globalization

The Failure of Prevailing Counter-Terror

Harsh Realities and Lessons Learned

Five Vital Problems to Be Addressed

Stopping the Terrorists

Preventing the Despair Base of Terror

Preventing Religious Extremists from Exploiting the Despair of the Masses

Working with Islam

Resolving Conflicts that Trigger Violence in the Middle East

Solutions

Stop the Terror without Accentuating the Causes and Facilitators of Terror

Prevent the Despair Base of Terror

Use Moderate Islam as a Solution to Extremism

Integrate Muslims into the World Community

Resolve Conflicts Triggering Violence in the Middle East

Ultimate Solutions

Works Cited

About the Author