ABSTRACT
As one of the two most powerful military blocs in the world, the Warsaw Treaty Organization (WTO, or Warsaw Pact) would naturally have a broad strategic interest in the Middle East, particularly given its geographic proximity. But how vital is this interest, and into what types of policies does it translate? The answers depend on a variety of factors. First of all, strategic considerations encompass political, economic, diplomatic, and psychological as well as military dimensions (the latter will be our primary focus). Policy itself is determined in large part by the nature of the organization--that is, by the type of input that the members have or are likely to have. Second, the overall strategy that has been or is likely to be developed will significantly define specific policies toward the Middle East. And third, even if overall policy is determined at the center and input from some members is minimal, differences in form may be salient. Consequently, some of the individual state policies are also worth examining.
