- SIPRI Yearbook 2016
- Contents
- Preface
- Acknowledgements
- Conventions
- Geographical regions and subregions
- www.sipriyearbook.org
- Introduction
- I. Overview
- II. Unfolding problems of insecurity and conflict, 2015
- III. Responding to insecurity
- IV. Conclusions
- Part I. Armed conflicts and conflict management, 2015
- Overview
- I. The Middle East: 2015 in perspective
- II. The aims, objectives and modus operandi of the Islamic State and the international response
- III. How are refugee flows changing the Middle East?
- IV. The Kurds in the Middle East, 2015
- V. Iran’s dynamics with other states in the Middle East
- Overview
- I. Nuclear-related targeted sanctions on Iran
- II. Financial sanctions
- III. Trade sanctions
- IV. Conventional arms and dual-use items
- V. Travel and transport sanctions
- VI. Conclusions
- Overview
- I. Historical trends in external support in civil wars
- II. External intervention in the Syrian civil war, 2015
- III. External intervention in the Ukraine conflict: towards a frozen conflict in the Donbas
- Overview
- I. Introduction: a chronology of the crisis in Mali
- II. Challenges to the peace process: complexity, fragmentation, extremism and crime
- III. The Mali peace process and the 2015 peace agreement
- Overview
- I. Progress in the collection of quantitative data on collective violence
- II. Patterns of armed conflict, 2006–15
- III. A reversal of peace? The role of foreign involvement in armed conflict: a case study on East Asia
- IV. The state of violence and conflict in the age of the SDGs
- V. Casualty recording in armed conflict: methods and normative issues
- VI. The Global Peace Index, 2016
- Overview
- I. Global trends in peace operations
- II. Regional trends and developments
- III. A year of reviews
- IV. Sexual exploitation and abuse in peace operations
- V. Table of multilateral peace operations, 2015
- Part II. Security and development, 2015
- Overview
- I. The development of the women, peace and security agenda
- II. The 15th anniversary of Resolution 1325: global perspectives
- III. Challenges and progress in implementing the women, peace and security agenda: two case studies
- Overview
- I. Development in dangerous places
- II. Humanitarian operations in 2015
- III. The impact of crisis response: the Nepal earthquake
- IV. Development and human security in Afghanistan
- Overview
- I. Information and communication technology access: a powerful tool for human development
- II. Cybersecurity: a precondition to sustainable information and communication technology-enabled human development
- III. Mapping key actors and efforts in cybersecurity for human development
- Overview
- I. The renewed EU internal security strategy
- II. The response to the multi-site terrorist attacks in Paris
- III. The global refugee crisis and its impact in Europe
- Overview
- I. Understanding the compound risks of climate change and fragility
- II. Climate security policy and initiatives
- III. Entry points for policy and practice
- Part III. Military spending and armaments, 2015
- Overview
- I. Global developments in military expenditure
- II. United States’ military expenditure
- III. China’s military expenditure
- IV. Military and social expenditure*
- V. The reporting of military expenditure data to the United Nations
- VI. About SIPRI military expenditure data
- Overview
- I. Key developments in the arms industry, 2015
- II. Military industrialization: the case of Brazil
- III. The 2014 SIPRI Top 100 arms industry and military services, excluding China
- Overview
- I. Developments in arms transfers, 20151
- II. Arms transfers to the Middle East and North Africa, and the military intervention in Yemen
- III. Transparency in arms transfers
- IV. The financial value of states’ arms exports
- Overview
- I. US nuclear forces
- II. Russian nuclear forces
- III. British nuclear forces
- IV. French nuclear forces
- V. Chinese nuclear forces
- VI. Indian nuclear forces
- VII. Pakistani nuclear forces
- VIII. Israeli nuclear forces
- IX. North Korea’s military nuclear capabilities
- X. Global stocks and production of fissile materials, 2015
- Part IV. Non-proliferation, arms control and disarmament, 2015
- Overview
- I. Resolving concerns about Iran’s nuclear programme
- II. The 2015 Non-Proliferation Treaty Review Conference
- III. Other developments in multilateral arms control and disarmament
- Overview
- I. Biological arms control
- II. Chemical arms control
- III. Investigation of alleged chemical weapon use in Syria and other locations in the Middle East
- Overview
- I. The Arms Trade Treaty
- II. Multilateral embargoes on arms and dual-use goods
- III. The export control regimes
- IV. European Union export control developments
- V. The role of industry in dual-use and arms trade control
- Annexes
- I. Universal treaties
- II. Regional treaties
- III. Bilateral treaties
- I. Bodies with a global focus or membership
- II. Bodies with a regional focus or membership
- III. Strategic trade control regimes
- Annex C. Chronology 2015
- About the authors
SIPRI Yearbook 2016
II. The aims, objectives and modus operandi of the Islamic State and the international response
- Chapter:
- 2. Armed conflict in the Middle East
- Source:
- SIPRI Yearbook 2016
- Author(s):
- Ian Davis
The Islamic State (IS) is a transnational Sunni Islamist insurgent and terrorist group that in 2015 controlled large areas of Iraq and Syria, had affiliates and supporters in several other states, and disrupted regional and international security using violence and terrorism.1 The group directed tens of thousands of fighters in Iraq and Syria. A number of terrorist attacks attributed to IS outside those two countries also demonstrated its ability to threaten societies in the wider Middle East, Africa, South Asia and Europe, including in states with advanced intelligence and security services.
- Citation (MLA):
- Davis, Ian. "2. Armed conflict in the Middle East." SIPRI Yearbook. SIPRI. Oxford: Oxford University Press. 2016. Web. 28 Mar. 2025. <https://www.sipriyearbook.org/view/9780198787280/sipri-9780198787280-chapter-002-div1-012.xml>.
- Citation (APA):
- Davis, I. (2016). 2. Armed conflict in the Middle East. In SIPRI, SIPRI Yearbook 2016: Armaments, Disarmament and International Security. Oxford: Oxford University Press. Retrieved 28 Mar. 2025, from https://www.sipriyearbook.org/view/9780198787280/sipri-9780198787280-chapter-002-div1-012.xml
- Citation (Chicago):
- Davis, Ian. "2. Armed conflict in the Middle East." In SIPRI Yearbook 2016: Armaments, Disarmament and International Security, SIPRI. (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2016). Retrieved 28 Mar. 2025, from https://www.sipriyearbook.org/view/9780198787280/sipri-9780198787280-chapter-002-div1-012.xml
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- SIPRI Yearbook 2016
- Contents
- Preface
- Acknowledgements
- Conventions
- Geographical regions and subregions
- www.sipriyearbook.org
- Introduction
- I. Overview
- II. Unfolding problems of insecurity and conflict, 2015
- III. Responding to insecurity
- IV. Conclusions
- Part I. Armed conflicts and conflict management, 2015
- Overview
- I. The Middle East: 2015 in perspective
- II. The aims, objectives and modus operandi of the Islamic State and the international response
- III. How are refugee flows changing the Middle East?
- IV. The Kurds in the Middle East, 2015
- V. Iran’s dynamics with other states in the Middle East
- Overview
- I. Nuclear-related targeted sanctions on Iran
- II. Financial sanctions
- III. Trade sanctions
- IV. Conventional arms and dual-use items
- V. Travel and transport sanctions
- VI. Conclusions
- Overview
- I. Historical trends in external support in civil wars
- II. External intervention in the Syrian civil war, 2015
- III. External intervention in the Ukraine conflict: towards a frozen conflict in the Donbas
- Overview
- I. Introduction: a chronology of the crisis in Mali
- II. Challenges to the peace process: complexity, fragmentation, extremism and crime
- III. The Mali peace process and the 2015 peace agreement
- Overview
- I. Progress in the collection of quantitative data on collective violence
- II. Patterns of armed conflict, 2006–15
- III. A reversal of peace? The role of foreign involvement in armed conflict: a case study on East Asia
- IV. The state of violence and conflict in the age of the SDGs
- V. Casualty recording in armed conflict: methods and normative issues
- VI. The Global Peace Index, 2016
- Overview
- I. Global trends in peace operations
- II. Regional trends and developments
- III. A year of reviews
- IV. Sexual exploitation and abuse in peace operations
- V. Table of multilateral peace operations, 2015
- Part II. Security and development, 2015
- Overview
- I. The development of the women, peace and security agenda
- II. The 15th anniversary of Resolution 1325: global perspectives
- III. Challenges and progress in implementing the women, peace and security agenda: two case studies
- Overview
- I. Development in dangerous places
- II. Humanitarian operations in 2015
- III. The impact of crisis response: the Nepal earthquake
- IV. Development and human security in Afghanistan
- Overview
- I. Information and communication technology access: a powerful tool for human development
- II. Cybersecurity: a precondition to sustainable information and communication technology-enabled human development
- III. Mapping key actors and efforts in cybersecurity for human development
- Overview
- I. The renewed EU internal security strategy
- II. The response to the multi-site terrorist attacks in Paris
- III. The global refugee crisis and its impact in Europe
- Overview
- I. Understanding the compound risks of climate change and fragility
- II. Climate security policy and initiatives
- III. Entry points for policy and practice
- Part III. Military spending and armaments, 2015
- Overview
- I. Global developments in military expenditure
- II. United States’ military expenditure
- III. China’s military expenditure
- IV. Military and social expenditure*
- V. The reporting of military expenditure data to the United Nations
- VI. About SIPRI military expenditure data
- Overview
- I. Key developments in the arms industry, 2015
- II. Military industrialization: the case of Brazil
- III. The 2014 SIPRI Top 100 arms industry and military services, excluding China
- Overview
- I. Developments in arms transfers, 20151
- II. Arms transfers to the Middle East and North Africa, and the military intervention in Yemen
- III. Transparency in arms transfers
- IV. The financial value of states’ arms exports
- Overview
- I. US nuclear forces
- II. Russian nuclear forces
- III. British nuclear forces
- IV. French nuclear forces
- V. Chinese nuclear forces
- VI. Indian nuclear forces
- VII. Pakistani nuclear forces
- VIII. Israeli nuclear forces
- IX. North Korea’s military nuclear capabilities
- X. Global stocks and production of fissile materials, 2015
- Part IV. Non-proliferation, arms control and disarmament, 2015
- Overview
- I. Resolving concerns about Iran’s nuclear programme
- II. The 2015 Non-Proliferation Treaty Review Conference
- III. Other developments in multilateral arms control and disarmament
- Overview
- I. Biological arms control
- II. Chemical arms control
- III. Investigation of alleged chemical weapon use in Syria and other locations in the Middle East
- Overview
- I. The Arms Trade Treaty
- II. Multilateral embargoes on arms and dual-use goods
- III. The export control regimes
- IV. European Union export control developments
- V. The role of industry in dual-use and arms trade control
- Annexes
- I. Universal treaties
- II. Regional treaties
- III. Bilateral treaties
- I. Bodies with a global focus or membership
- II. Bodies with a regional focus or membership
- III. Strategic trade control regimes
- Annex C. Chronology 2015
- About the authors