Introduction

The first wave of military coups in the Middle East coincided with the independence of most Arab states after the Second World War. In 1949, just three years after independence, Syria experienced three coups in rapid succession; until Assad took power in 1970, the country endured 14 serious attempts at a military takeover. By contrast, successful military coups have become virtually non-existent since the late 1970s. Political-military relations have been relatively calm and regional leaderships stable. Coup plots have persisted, but have rarely been executed; they have generally been snuffed out through 'back-door' arrests, rather than put down by loyalist units on the streets of the region's capitals. Arab Legion's British commander, General Sir John Glubb, in 1956, King Hussein began to 'Arabise' the country's army, appointing native-Jordanian officers to principal commands. The bulk of the armed forces comprise members of the East Bank Jordanian tribes.