Michael C. Hudson, Middle East Studies Asso-
ciation Bulletin (Dec. 1988), Dept. of Oriental Studies, Univer-
sity of Arizona, Tucson, Ariz. 85721.
Nothing suggests that the young Moslem nations of the Middle East are on the verge of becoming Western-style democracies. Since the mid-1950s, the mukhabarat (authoritarian) regime has remained the norm-notably in Iraq, Syria, Saudi Ara- bia, and the Persian Gulf monarchies.
However, says Hudson, a Georgetown Arabist, Americans should not ignore...