A WMD-Free Zone in the Middle East: Regional Perspectives

How significant is the proposal for a WMD-free zone in the Middle East, given the violence and turmoil rocking the region? What problems would it solve? What are the consequences of a continuing failure to initiate arms control discussions in the Middle East? How can the process be salvaged? The short essays in this discussion paper provide a snap shot of the diversity of views on the issue. The contributors, from across the Middle East, discuss the prevalent aspirations for non-proliferation and disarmament in the Middle East, as well as frustrations over the failure to make progress toward that goal. Taken together, the essays also demonstrate the scale and complexity of the challenges associated with establishing a WMD-free zone in the region. The gaps between the positions of key parties are clearly evident here; but the reader will also find unexpected commonalities.