This is a good time to be an observer. The world is being repurposed but a bad time to be a participant or activist. You could end up being martyred, genocided or M.I.A (missing in action). Most of the action centres around the Middle East, but the tsunami effect encompasses the whole world.

The safest place to be is Malvinas (Falkland Islands). With Margaret Thatcher now retired, no more attacks are expected.

The big recent news is the strategic defence agreement between Saudi Arabia and Pakistan. It would be premature to comment. The devil lies in the fine print. But it would be interesting to evaluate the military capabilities of some Muslim countries.

More importantly, do these countries have the “sovereignty to deploy”? About 2 decades ago five Muslim majority countries had the “military muscle” to be counted—Turkey, Egypt, Pakistan, Iran and Indonesia. Since 2000 some other states have entered this league.

Turkey

The Ottoman Empire. The sick man of Europe. Military coups (1960, 1971, 1980). Latest coup attempt July 2016. But a powerful Islamic state. Real GDP hovers around USD 28,000. Military expenditure is 1.8 percent of GDP (2022) approx USD 30 billion. 445,000 active military & security personnel. Military inventory comprises of domestically produced and........

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