Review of "National Security Challenges to Saudi Arabia," by Dale R. Tahtinen

Review of

National Security Challenges to Saudi Arabia, by Dale R. Tahtinen ISBN 08447320966


Five out of five stars

 This short pamphlet is an excellent retrospective look back at how the position of Saudi Arabia relative to the other nations in the area was perceived in the late 1970’s. At the time, the nation was militarily very weak, there were two Yemens, Iran under the Shah had a very powerful military and Iraq had a relatively strong military. Iraq also openly stated that Kuwait was historically part of the Iraqi nation. Finally, there were strong verbal hostilities between Saudi Arabia and Israel.

 Some of what is discussed as potential difficulties in this pamphlet has come to pass. Iraq did in fact make a military attempt to take control of Kuwait, Saudi Arabia became involved in a war in Yemen and there is a major military and political rivalry between Saudi Arabia and Iran.

 What is not mentioned is the repressive social conditions that existed in Saudi Arabia in 1978 and continues to this day. It can be strongly argued that those conditions pose the greatest threat to the political and social stability of the nation. Despite that omission, this is a book that will prime your historical pump about the current issues in the region.