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Bonn International Center for Conversion BICC, Germany
Nov 6 2013
Global Militarization Index 2013: Rearmament in the Middle East and Asia
The Global Militarization Index (GMI) 2013 shows that the Middle East
continues to be the most highly militarized region in the world.
Experts of BICC (Bonn International Center for Conversion) point out
that Asia, too, is demonstrating a particularly strong trend towards
regional rearmament.
With Israel, Syria, Jordan and Kuwait, four countries in the Middle
East are in the Top 10 of the GMI. This reflects the high level of
militarization in this region, which is so rich in conflicts.
Furthermore, all the other states in the region, with the exception of
Qatar, are listed among the GMI's Top 40. `This high level of
militarization, together with general rearmament projects involving
arms imports from all over the world, is contributing to a further
destabilization of the area and can lead to the use of violent means
to resolve internal as well as external conflicts, as in Syria', Jan
Grebe, researcher at BICC, comments the results of the GMI.
Yet, certain European countries such as Russia and Cyprus also
continue to assert their positions in the TOP 10. Cyprus's regular
place in the top set is due primarily to the conflict between the
island's Greek and Turkish population groups, which has continued
unresolved for decades. Whereas Azerbaijan has already ranked high in
previous years, Armenia is a new entrant this year. (Since 2013, the
data for Armenia also includes reservists, which is why the country
now ranks considerably higher than in previous years.) The rapid
build-up of military capacities in the Caucasus is accompanied by
heated diplomatic rhetoric and the risk of rekindling the long-term
military conflict over Nagorno-Karabakh.
With Singapore and South Korea, two Asian states are also among the
TOP 10 of the GMI. While the ranking of Singapore has to be seen in
connection with the `Total Defense' security strategy of the smallest
state in Asia, the militarization of South Korea takes place against
the backdrop of the continuing conflict with North Korea. (There is no
reliable data about the probably extremely high militarization of the
latter.)
Focus on regional rearmament: Middle East
`The scale of rearmament in the Middle East is unparalleled,' Jan
Grebe underlines. Israel (GMI: 1st place) and the Arab states of Syria
(GMI: 5th place), Jordan (GMI: 6th place), Kuwait (GMI: 10th place),
Oman (GMI: 11th place), and Saudi Arabia (GMI: 13th place) are among
the most militarized countries in the region. This high level of
militarization is demonstrated among other things by the ratio between
military expenditure and Gross Domestic Product, which is well over
seven percent in some states in the region and thus far in excess of
the world average of approximately 2.5 percent (by comparison: the
figure for Germany is approximately 1.4 percent).
Military expenditures in the Middle East show a clear upwards trend.
In 2012, they amounted to US $128 billion, while in 2000, they came to
US $80 billion - a remarkable increase of 60 percent.
Militarization in Asia and Oceania
The rising militarization in this region is taking place against the
background of various unsolved territorial conflicts, mutual security
threats and rivalries between individual states. Although the ratio of
military expenditure to Gross Domestic Product is moderate in most
countries, military expenditure has nevertheless risen considerably in
absolute terms.
All in all, expenditure on the continent amounted to US $382 billion
in 2012. This compares with US $202 billion in 2000, an increase of 89
percent.
"At the same time, many states increase their weapons acquisitions,
which is particularly visible in the modernization and the expansion
of the naval forces," Jan Grebe explains.
http://www.bicc.de/press/press-releases/press/news/global-militarization-index-2013-rearmament-in-the-middle-east-and-asia-386/
Nov 6 2013
Global Militarization Index 2013: Rearmament in the Middle East and Asia
The Global Militarization Index (GMI) 2013 shows that the Middle East
continues to be the most highly militarized region in the world.
Experts of BICC (Bonn International Center for Conversion) point out
that Asia, too, is demonstrating a particularly strong trend towards
regional rearmament.
With Israel, Syria, Jordan and Kuwait, four countries in the Middle
East are in the Top 10 of the GMI. This reflects the high level of
militarization in this region, which is so rich in conflicts.
Furthermore, all the other states in the region, with the exception of
Qatar, are listed among the GMI's Top 40. `This high level of
militarization, together with general rearmament projects involving
arms imports from all over the world, is contributing to a further
destabilization of the area and can lead to the use of violent means
to resolve internal as well as external conflicts, as in Syria', Jan
Grebe, researcher at BICC, comments the results of the GMI.
Yet, certain European countries such as Russia and Cyprus also
continue to assert their positions in the TOP 10. Cyprus's regular
place in the top set is due primarily to the conflict between the
island's Greek and Turkish population groups, which has continued
unresolved for decades. Whereas Azerbaijan has already ranked high in
previous years, Armenia is a new entrant this year. (Since 2013, the
data for Armenia also includes reservists, which is why the country
now ranks considerably higher than in previous years.) The rapid
build-up of military capacities in the Caucasus is accompanied by
heated diplomatic rhetoric and the risk of rekindling the long-term
military conflict over Nagorno-Karabakh.
With Singapore and South Korea, two Asian states are also among the
TOP 10 of the GMI. While the ranking of Singapore has to be seen in
connection with the `Total Defense' security strategy of the smallest
state in Asia, the militarization of South Korea takes place against
the backdrop of the continuing conflict with North Korea. (There is no
reliable data about the probably extremely high militarization of the
latter.)
Focus on regional rearmament: Middle East
`The scale of rearmament in the Middle East is unparalleled,' Jan
Grebe underlines. Israel (GMI: 1st place) and the Arab states of Syria
(GMI: 5th place), Jordan (GMI: 6th place), Kuwait (GMI: 10th place),
Oman (GMI: 11th place), and Saudi Arabia (GMI: 13th place) are among
the most militarized countries in the region. This high level of
militarization is demonstrated among other things by the ratio between
military expenditure and Gross Domestic Product, which is well over
seven percent in some states in the region and thus far in excess of
the world average of approximately 2.5 percent (by comparison: the
figure for Germany is approximately 1.4 percent).
Military expenditures in the Middle East show a clear upwards trend.
In 2012, they amounted to US $128 billion, while in 2000, they came to
US $80 billion - a remarkable increase of 60 percent.
Militarization in Asia and Oceania
The rising militarization in this region is taking place against the
background of various unsolved territorial conflicts, mutual security
threats and rivalries between individual states. Although the ratio of
military expenditure to Gross Domestic Product is moderate in most
countries, military expenditure has nevertheless risen considerably in
absolute terms.
All in all, expenditure on the continent amounted to US $382 billion
in 2012. This compares with US $202 billion in 2000, an increase of 89
percent.
"At the same time, many states increase their weapons acquisitions,
which is particularly visible in the modernization and the expansion
of the naval forces," Jan Grebe explains.
http://www.bicc.de/press/press-releases/press/news/global-militarization-index-2013-rearmament-in-the-middle-east-and-asia-386/