ABSTRACT
Middle Eastern governments go to great effort to conceal the nature of virtually every aspect of their national security activity, and the various unclassified sources available differ in many details. Data are drawn from a wide range of sources but involve many detailed judgments by the author in reconciling different reports and data. In some cases, there was no “right” source, but one source was chosen for the sake of comparability and consistency. The military manpower, force strength, and equipment estimates used throughout the book were made by the author using a wide range of sources, including computerized databases, interviews, and press clipping services. Extensive use has also been made of media sources, including Internet material, translations of broadcasts, newspapers, magazine articles, and similar materials. Virtually all of the sources drawn upon in writing the analysis are at least in partial conflict.
