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Source: http://www.washingtontimes.com/op-ed/20060925-092535-7658r.htm
Book Review: Mideast Militaries
[Washington Times] Sol Schindler - In Arab-Israel Military Forces in Asymmetric Warfare, Anthony Cordesman evaluates the military forces of Israel and its surrounding Arab neighbors with particular emphasis on unconventional warfare, or what is now called asymmetric warfare, meaning war where one side mingles with the civilian population causing moral confusion to the enemy. The Syrian army he calls hollow. At one time it had been dangerous, as much from its paranoid leadership as its extensive armament, but with the demise of the Soviet Union and its military grants, the army has collapsed into a relatively immobile garrison force. Much of the armament is obsolete if not unusable through poor maintenance, while the officers are chosen for political reasons and the men are under-trained. Egypt suffers somewhat from the same deficiencies, though not on such a large scale. However, because of American aid, both the Egyptian army and air force are potent forces that cannot be discounted.