The role of the military in the Arab Tumult

The following special issue on the role of armed forces focuses on what explains the considerable variation in both how these uprisings played themselves out and their political outcomes. At least three basic dimensions – duration, political intensity and the magnitude of violence – the variation Between the six states covered in this issue – Egypt, Syria, Libya, Tunisia, Yemn and Bahrain – has been considerable even on a proportionate basis. The range of political outcomes within these six cases has been considerable, ranging from a more or less stable transition to democracy in Tunisia to the Syrian case where there is considerable fear that Syria will break up into sectarian mini-states.