ABSTRACT
Mauritania's only military significance has been reports it might offer a missile test range on its territory to Iraq. Muammar Qadhafi has little real military capability, and Tunisia lacks the military power to threaten anyone. The Maghreb does suffer from severe political and economic instability, but no nation in the Maghreb currently poses a serious military challenge to another. The main problems that the Maghreb nations face in terms of military forces are the cost of maintaining them and the impact they have on politics and economic development. The military future of the Maghreb states will be heavily dependent on the extent to which their future arms imports can be brought into better balance with the size of the forces in each country. King Hassan has, however, proved to be one of the most skillful politicians in the Arab world and Africa, and he has used his military to build support from other Arab regimes and several black African states.
