by Lawrence Scheinman

About the author: Lawrence Scheinman is a Distinguished Professor at the Center for Nonproliferation Studies in Washington, D.C., and the former assistant director for the Nonproliferation and Regional Arms Control of the U.S. Arms Control and Disarmament Agency.

For more than 30 years, the Middle East has been a region of concern with regard to nuclear weapons and recently with regard to chemical and biological weapons. Chemical and biological weapons are seen as easier to acquire than nuclear weapons and highly lethal. Middle Eastern governments have also shown increased interest in and have acquired greater access to missile delivery systems with expanded ranges. On top of this, the Middle East continues to be the world’s largest recipient of conventional weapons...