This deeply informed book considers the intertwined roles of faith, force, and finance in shaping the modern Middle East. Leading expert Monte Palmer argues that these factors will continue to have a major impact on the Middle East as the United States and other major powers increasingly find themselves embedded in conflicts that defy resolution. Palmer considers the lessons learned from past and current conflicts: the limits of using tyrants as avenues of force; the transformation of faith into force; the root causes of terror; and the perils of a global environment that threatens a new cold war between Russia and the United States, a war of religions between the Abrahamic faiths, and a war of terror that is rapidly becoming global. As he clearly shows, the relative dominance of faith, force, or finance is always shifting, depending on time, place, and local conditions. Drawing on cases from ten critical periods, beginning with World War I through the current chaos and stalemate, the author offers constructive paths forward for building a Middle East of peace and stability.

• Contents
• Preface
• 1 The Power of Faith, Force, and Finance
  • The Power of Faith
  • The Power of Force
  • The Power of Finance
    • Arms Purchases as Power
    • Gifts as Soft Influence and Image Building
    • Finance as the Key to Regional Control
    • Finance as Alliance Building
    • Finance as a Social Contract
    • Using Finance to Promote Faith and Force
    • The United States’ Soft Power in the Middle East
  • Table 1.1: Stages in the Evolution of the Struggle Between Faith, Force, and Finance
• 2 World War I Sets the Stage for the Modern Middle East (1914–1940)
  • Turkey: Force versus Islam
  • Egypt: The Muslim Brotherhood Pits Popular Islam against Colonialism
  • Israel: Palestine Becomes a Homeland for the Jews
  • Iraq: British Control of the Iraqi Shia
  • Lessons Learned
    • Faith
    • Force
    • Finance
    • The Balance of Faith, Force, and Finance
• 3 World War II Reshapes the Middle East (1940–1967)
  • Egypt and Arab Unity: Using Charisma, Nationalism, and Socialism as Faith Alternatives to Islam
  • Israel Reborn: War, Peace, and Biblical Prophecy
  • Saudi Arabia: Tribal Force, Islamic Faith, and the Country’s Creation
  • Iran: The Danger of Puppet Rulers
  • Lessons Learned
• 4 A Surge of Religious Extremism (1967–1980)
  • Egypt: Arab Nationalism Collapses and Religious Extremism Surges
  • Israel: Force Gives Way to Extremism
  • Saudi Arabia: Finance to the Fore
  • Syria and Iraq: Minority Rule
  • Iraq: Same Formula, Different Faith
  • Lessons Learned
• 5 Religious Violence Unleashed (1975–1990)
  • Egypt: The Rise of Salafi-Jihadist Terror and the Muslim Brotherhood
    • The Peaceful Salafi and the Salafi-Jihadists
  • Salafi-Jihadists versus the Muslim Brotherhood: How They Differ
  • Saudi Arabia: The Expansion of Salafi Doctrine
  • Iran: The First Islamic State in the Modern Era
    • Using Faith to Build a Nation
    • Transforming Faith into Military Force
  • Lessons Learned
• 6 The Era of Peace, Stability, and Illusion (1990–2000)
  • How the Collapse of the Soviet Union Fueled Islamic Extremism in the Middle East
  • Control of the Middle Eastern Tyrants
  • The Passing of the Ayatollah Khomeini and the Transfer of Faith
  • The Illusion of Peace between the Israelis and the Palestinians
  • The Formation of International Islamic Terrorist Networks
    • The Turabi Terrorist Network
  • Lessons Learned
• 7 The Era of Global Terror and Counter-Terror (2000–2010)
  • Afghanistan and the Restructuring of Bin-Laden’s Al-Qaeda Network
  • The War on Terror Expands into Iraq
  • Israel and the War on Terror
  • Saudi Arabia and the War on Terror
  • Lessons Learned
• 8 The Era of Islamic Rule (2010–2013)
  • Islam Lite: The Turkish Model
  • Egypt: Why Rule by the Muslim Brotherhood Failed
  • The Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS)
  • Is Iran a Greater Threat than ISIS?
  • Lessons Learned
• 9 The Old Order Strikes Back (2017)
  • The United States Forges an Alliance of Peace and Stability to Build a New Middle East
  • Turkey as a Link between the Past and Present
  • Israel Strikes Back at the New Islamic Order
  • Egypt: The United States Declares Coups the First Step toward Democracy
  • Saudi Arabia: Can the Protector of Islam Protect Itself from Islam?
  • Lessons Learned
• 10 Solutions to an Era of Stalemate (Post-2017)
  • The Stairway to Terror
    • Step 1. Festering Frustration
    • Step 2: Despair Breeds Violent Groups
    • Step 3: Seeking and Risk Taking
    • Step 4: Weeding Out the Chaff
    • Step 5: Becoming a Warrior for God
    • Step 6: Consolidation and Globalization
  • The Failure of Prevailing Counter-Terror
  • Harsh Realities and Lessons Learned
  • Five Vital Problems to Be Addressed
    • Stopping the Terrorists
    • Preventing the Despair Base of Terror
    • Preventing Religious Extremists from Exploiting the Despair of the Masses
    • Working with Islam
    • Resolving Conflicts that Trigger Violence in the Middle East
  • Solutions
    • Stop the Terror without Accentuating the Causes and Facilitators of Terror
    • Prevent the Despair Base of Terror
    • Use Moderate Islam as a Solution to Extremism
    • Integrate Muslims into the World Community
    • Resolve Conflicts Triggering Violence in the Middle East
    • Ultimate Solutions
• Works Cited
• Index
• About the Author